From London to Cornwall

Do you need to drive back to London from Cornwall? If not, when selecting a place to rent from/pick up you might look to see if they have locations you can drop off your car in Cornwall and take the train back to London. We did this on two visits (we actually picked up our car in Cornwall too, but that won't work for the earlier parts of the trip). We rented from Enterprise both times (very happy with them). They have locations in Plymouth that we used our first year and in Bodmin that we used the second year. The train back is an easy journey, long but easy on GWR. No changes and about 6hrs if I recall. It will drop you at Paddington train station where you can then stay the night nearby or hop on the Heathrow Express and stay near the airport for your final night.

As for where to pick up, my preference is always to avoid driving in the big cities if possible. So see if you can take the train to somewhere near your first stop in the Cotswolds that has a car rental agency that works for you.

You don’t want to be driving in central London. Hire at Heathrow.

Windsor should be ok for your last night unless you have an early check in. Staying at the airport would save an extra day’s car hire.

The Soffitel at Terminal 5 is an excellent place to spend the night before your flight. The Sixt rental car desk is also located at this hotel.

Everyone, thank you sooooooo much for your feedback!!