Hi, We are planning a day trip to Windsor, Avebury and Stonehenge (we have 8:30pm tickets) starting and ending at Paddington Station. I can rent a car for about 50 pounds (give or take). I also have to pay fuel, and CDW if I choose. I also have to get from London to LHR to pick it up and then drop it off and return from LHR. I have a quote for 350 pounds for for a driver for the same route (I imagine I'll have to tip the driver too). This would be my 3rd day in London so I think I'll be over jet lag. What would you do?
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
It depends on how comfortable you are with driving on the other side of the road, and probably driving a stick shift instead of an automatic. Personally, I would either drive or use public transport - I would never hire a driver at 7x the price of the car.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
Why not take a coach tour to Stonehenge and Avebury one day and a local bus out to Windsor another day.... Here's a link to Anderson Tours; £55 with max 15 people on the coach, also includes Glastonbury: http://www.gotostonehenge.com/ I think you might be pulling our chain to say you'd pay almost $550 to hire a car........
Posted by
OP
Georgetown, TX
107 posts
I'm leaning towards the car but it's not as simple as it seems. 55 pounds times four people is 220. Add in cost to get to Windsor, bus/train, etc you can get to 250 easy. Now it's a discussion of what does that extra 100 pounds buy you. We have 8:30 tickets to go into Stonehenge, that time is not covered by these other tours. For sure the rental is cheaper but there are advantages to hiring a car and I don't think the price difference is high as it initially seems.
Posted by
san diego, california, us
149 posts
Well, you're talking $80 + gas to rent a car, versus $540 +tip to hire a driver. It depends on which is more important to you: convenience or money. If money is not an issue, then hire a driver. Relax and enjoy the trip. If you know how to drive a stick, feel comfortable driving on the left and navigating to your locations, and don't mind traipsing back and forth to Heathrow, then rent the car.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Surely you can rent a car close to where you're staying rather than hiking all the way out to Heathrow? Gas for the little expedition can't cost fifty bucks. The congestion charge is what, £10 per day? If the car and driver combo is just a regular car, the three people in the back are going to be butt-to-butt all day.