Rental Car

We have rented in England and on the continent several times through Auto Europe. They are a consolidator, so the actual rental may come through Hertz or another such company. We have found them to be reliable and easy to work with. I would caution you to buy the extra collision damage waiver insurance, as you never know when someone may sideswipe you on a narrow road, or you may temporarily forget to drive on the left, or some other such thing that will cause damage to the car. Also, be certain to inspect the car carefully when you pick it up and point out and get in writing from the agent an acknowledgement of the damage before you leave the agency with the car. Otherwise it will be assumed that you caused the damage.

Patricia has given you some good advice. I second the suggestion that you get the collision. Since you are new to driving on the left, you will bump up against the curb and that will damage the tires. It's also likely that you'll scratch the left-hand side of the car because you'll drive closely to the curb and hit bushes. They have small roads--in Scotland I call them wee roads. :)

If you are a regular driver of standard car then you'll be okay shifting. If not, get an automatic. I found as someone who drives stick routinely--all my cars were stick--I adjusted to shifting with my left hand without a problem. The pedals are the same.

And, why don't you look into picking up the car outside of London? You can rent one in Oxford, or further west. You can often get one at the railway station.

Pam

Are you staying in London first or just flying in there? I would pick up the car at an airport or smaller city, in preference to central London. See Rick's insurance article at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/car-rental-cdw.

Thanks for the tips. I found the travel tips here after I posted. I like the idea of getting a car in a smaller location. I am thinking we will stay at a hotel in London the first day and night we arrive to help with the jet lag, I don't fancy driving while sleepy! Then start out the next day.

Could you visit Cotswolds first? Only asking because you could spend the night in London then train to Oxford and rent car there. Just a thought. I would also add that with you cell phone, or camera, snap pictures of all sides of the car, including the roof before you leave. Photo any scratches or dents. Make certain the images are dated. Do the same thing when you return the auto. Called CYA.

My husband and I always rent the car in a smaller place. When we went to Cornwall we left Heathrow and caught the train to Penzance where we spent the night. The next morning we picked up the car. When we went to North Wales we took the train from Manchester to Conwy and stayed the night. Enterprise picked us up at our B and B and took us over to LLandudno to do the paperwork and pickup the car. We always rent the smallest we can get by with....makes it easier on the roads. We also turn the car back into a smaller town or city and take the train back to the airport.

Do get the collision coverage.

Happy travel

You asked for tips on renting a car and driving there:
One thing you might want to NOT do is:
Flying across the Pond, getting off the airplane, and jumping right into a car for more than a short drive to a hotel.
Reason is that medical studies on airline pilots have shown that jet lag after a trans-ocean flight is enough to significantly impair driving reaction times, driving right after a long flight has been likened to driving while under the influence of alcohol.
But a lot of people don't realize it.
It's made worse if the driving you do is going to be in more than usually challenging conditions, such as driving in the UK when not used to it.

Again, thank you for all the tips. Anne, yours was especially pertinent. Much appreciated. It sound like they are much stricter on the appearance of cars there. Here, I rent all the time and seldom, if ever, have anyone check the car when I return it.

Driving inside London is rough and expensive but driving in the countryside is much nicer. Go by day if you can to see better. The areas you are going to are gorgeous. I recommend buying the best insurance offered by the rental company.