We will be taking the Best of England Rick Steves tour in May. We are, however, taking a transatlantic cruise ship to Southampton. We have four days until our tour starts in Bath. We would like to explore Dartmoor and Lands End. Is it possible to rent a car at Southampton and turn it in at Dartmoor? Also, I am 70 years old. Would this make renting a car more difficult? And finally, would it be possible to cover this area by train instead of a car if a car is not possible to rent?
Posted by
Royaume-Uni nul points, pas plus
2600 posts
The major car hire companies will do one-way car hire.
Nearest large city to Dartmoor is Plymouth so look to drop off there. But then what? How are you getting to Bath? You might as well keep the car and return it in Bath (or more likely Bristol). So, from Southampton Airport to Bristol Airport would be very possible.
Posted by
Milwaukie, Oregon
1056 posts
You should check with individual car rental companies about the age factor. I have friends who were not allowed to rent a car in Italy because of age. Sorry, but I don’t know which car company. Turning the car in at a different location within the same country is not usually an issue.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
In Britain Hertz has no upper age limit.
Posted by
3124 posts
It's possible to get to Dartmoor and Lands End by train, but connections with Southampton on the one end and Bath on the other are not so easy. Because of that, and the increased flexibility, you'll probably be best off with a car.
You'll find lots more info about renting a car in this forum under TIPS & TRIP REPORTS -- Transportation.
Posted by
8322 posts
We just finished 4 weeks in England and Wales.
Hopefully, this link will connect you to my review on cruise critic:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2565926
I am 69 and had no problem renting a car. Make sure you have a GPS or Navigation system. Also, recommend an automatic transmission.
Driving on the left is not so hard, but you have to concentrate and it helps to have someone remind you to stay on the left.
Posted by
OP
Beavercreek, Ohio, USA
6 posts
I want to thank everyone for their help. My wife and I are really looking forward to the trip.
Posted by
Reading, PA, USA
1637 posts
Norma,
I called Hertz about renting a car in England and was told at 76 they would not rent a car to me. That is why I am taking a RS tour this Spring.
Posted by
205 posts
It is possible to take the train to Penzance but you're still 10 miles from Land's End (which is awful by the way owing to the current owners' obsession with milking it for cash. Self-respecting Cornish folk never go there, there are so many nicer places that don't feed the greed). Similarly you can get to Dartmoor by train but you'd need to think about how to get around then). Train Southampton to Bath is easy. Is there anywhere nearer the two you would like to explore? How about The New Forest (in this context "New" means 11th century)?
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
We would like to explore Dartmoor and Lands End. Is it possible to rent a car at Southampton and turn it in at Dartmoor?
Dartmoor is a moor, which means it is empty, bleak, windswept and very few people live there. But it is beautiful in a rugged way.
You will not be able to return a car at Dartmoor because (a) no rental office, and (b) no transport to get you to where you are going next.
You will need to return the car in a town nearby, or even better return it in Bath if that is where your tour starts.
Public transport in Cornwall is basic, one main rail line, a few branches and buses to other places.
As for Dartmoor, see this website: http://www.nationalparks.gov.uk/visiting/car-free-guides/dartmoor
Note the quote "Dartmoor is sadly not blessed with one of the country's most comprehensive bus networks,". A good example of British understatement. No buses because nobody lives there.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2805 posts
We rented a car in September and my friend rented it under her name and she is over 70, had no problem.