Automatic Trasnmission Rental Car In Edinburgh

You just have to ask and request from the various agencies. No one specializes in renting automatic transmissions. Larger agencies will have more options and cars.

We rented an automatic from Hertz at the Edinburgh airport.

Be prepared to pay a large premium over manual transmission. Look at AutoEurope.com for quotes from different car agencies.

When making the reservation, specify automatic, otherwise you’ll get a manual. It does cost a little more, but not a significant amount. I always rent from Avis. When we were there, we were given a mini-van at no additional cost, though we reserved a compact. We too picked up the vehicle at Edinburgh airport.

We got an automatic transmission with Avis in Edinburgh (closer to train station than airport) and it wasn't too much more -- definitely worth it. However, we were also "upgraded" from a sedan to a large SUV and it turned out to be a pain with Scotland's small, windy and one-track roads. So, if they offer you the "upgrade," think about whether it's worth it. Also, be careful to check the car before you leave and document any issues, as they will check it like a hawk when you return it -- they tried to assign damage to us, but we were able to prove it was there in the first place.

Do not under any circumstances rent a car from a company called Green Motion.

There are lots of horror stories about them on the Trip Advisor forums and elsewhere on the internet I don't doubt.

Also are you aware that Balmoral Castle only has one room which is open to the public? Having worked there I was always surprised by the number of visitors who were not aware of this fact and voiced their disappointment to me in no uncertain terms.

For reasons of privacy and security the only room open at Balmoral is the Ballroom although there are exhibitions in the stables area, a film show to see and an audioguide handset to take around with you. Much of what you see is outdoors and this may not be much fun in April when the weather is cooler and stands a pretty good chance of being wet at some point during your visit. Of course you can dry off in the cafeteria and shop :-)

So if it is rooms which you are looking for you may be better off at Braemar Castle, Crathes Castle, Castle Fraser or Drum Castle which are not that far away by car from Balmoral. For more information about castles in Aberdeenshire this site will help

https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/attractions/castles/scotland-castle-trail/

This is the Balmoral Castle website

www.balmoralcastle.com

+1 for Becky's size warning. I happen to be fine with a standard, so when Hertz at Brussels told us they were sold out and only had a huge van with an automatic, I took a small sedan with a standard. You don't want a mighty American- sized vehicle on either 1.5 lane country roads, or in narrow stalled parking garages. Think about effectively concealing your luggage, as well.

Edit: I should have stipulated that I pre-reserved, online, an automatic with Hertz at BRU. In fact, I had to wait 20 minutes for a standard to come in from "returns" in order to get the smaller car with a standard transmission. This is familar from my wife's many business trips to Belgium - even when her giant, multi-national pharmaceutical company had an EXCLUSIVE car rental contract with Avis!

I will also confirm that when driving in Scotland , or anywhere in the UK , a smaller car is absolutely the best choice . Your best bet to insure your obtaining an automatic , is either Glasgow or Edinburgh airport

We rented an automatic from the airport through Sixt with no issues. :-)

When we travel in Europe, we always use AutoEurope. Their only office is in Maine. They will search all the major car rental companies to find you the best price for the size car you want, automatic or stick shift. They are available by phone from anywhere 24/7. We have used them every year for at least 12 years. You must pay the full amount when you book the car, but if you don't go on the trip, you can cancel and they will refund your payment in full. The farther ahead of time you book, the lower the cost. They offer other booking services, but we have only used them for car rentals.

Just a personal anecdote—I will never use Avis in the UK again. On my trip there, I turned the car in at the Kirkwall airport in Orkney at noon, just the way I booked it. We filled the gas up right before we drove to the airport. Well, a few days later after I got home, my credit card shows an extra $350 charge from Avis! I called to find out that their records had the car returned to Aberdeen with an empty gas tank ($300 for the different location and $50 for the gas). luckily, we still had the credit card receipt from the gas station in Kirkwall which I scanned and emailed to them to prove that we were nowhere near Aberdeen 20 minutes before the turn-in time, and that we gave them a full tank. No apologies from them, just a refund on my account.

Kathy , just out of curiosity , did the agent ( when you returned the car ) give you a receipt and/or return paperwork ?

Nope! I should have requested some paperwork, but since the Kirkwall airport car rental agent was a catch-all for all of the different companies and not just Avis, I didn’t question the lack. I learned my lesson!

I just rented a car for in May from Avis picking up at the Edinburgh airport. As previously mentioned make sure to specify and I would recommend booking directly with them as through 3rd party sites (ex: Expedia) you might not get that.
I would make your reservation soon (if you haven't already) as they did not have much left when I called for May as they mostly only have standard vehicles.

Hertz has been great but reserve the Hertz car through AutoEurope. Right now, there is a $400 difference between the two. I called Hertz this morning and they told me to order through AutoEurope because they couldn't meet their price.

Go for a compact for sure! I have gone over approx. 10 times and am always thankful for a small car.

DONT use ALAMO/EUROPECAR! I had to return a car early due to an emergency and they promised a refund. I had the proof in an email but despite that, I had to fight for weeks to get a refund and the US rep was very disrespectful. I reserved a car on another trip through Europecar and went to pick up my car but was denied, saying there was an issue with my last rental (which was the Alamo rental mentioned) but since it was a Saturday, nothing could be done. They didn't know why I was declined and I didn't have any accidents or any issues when I returned the last car. They left me hanging without a car!!! The other desks all said they had no cars left but the Hertz line was long so while waiting, I called AutoEurope and thank goodness they got me the LAST car with Hertz. I have spent 3 years trying to get information from Alamo and every time I go back in person, I am promised someone will get back to me but they never have. My guess is that I was blacklisted because I demanded that refund.

Bookmarked this thread for future reference.

Hoping to do a UK road trip in 2021 starting in London and ending in Edinburgh.

1. I considered leaving the car in Orkney and flying to Edinburgh

2. I prefer an SUV because it sits higher, so I can see the road better. I drive a Honda CRV.

Susie , you are certainly taking your planning in good time , but consider - The roads in the UK are , generally , quite narrow compared to roads in the USA . Smaller vehicles have a distinct advantage when navigating there , and I cannot emphasize adequately how important it is to understand this . I have visited England , Wales , and Scotland several times , and outside of London , Glasgow , and Edinburgh have always used a car for the flexibility it provides . I would keep this in mind before opting for an SUV . An example of an English country road - https://www.google.com/maps/@51.9017614,-1.7646777,3a,75y,318.44h,91.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLqePddC1WPo-Y0gFNJeB4w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656