Best rates found by KAYAK users in the past 48 hours.
Top tips for renting a car in London
Surrey Hills is ideal for short drives if you want access to the most scenic places in England and still be close to the city center. If you don't mind heading out of town, you can pick up a pre-planned route and then drive cheap car rentals in London about 77 miles to the Cotswold, Sevenoaks, or Epping Forest area that boasts over 100 lakes and ponds, making it a great spot for couples, families and pet enthusiasts. You will have an incident-free trip provided you ensure toddlers are secured in age-appropriate booster seats, and all your passengers wear seat belts at all times.
London is a tough city to operate a vehicle, especially at peak times. If you're going to do a lot of driving around central London from Monday to Friday, between 7 am and 6 pm, including 12 pm to 6 pm on weekends and bank holidays, you may incur a Congestion Charge. It will cost you approximately £15 ($18) if you pay the fee in advance or on the same day via Auto Pay, online, or by telephone. If you make payment up to 3 days after traveling, a rate of £17.50 ($22) applies and up to £150 ($184) in fines if you default on payments. The Congestion Zone is labeled with the letter "C" in a red circle on signs and painted on the road.
Depending on the time of year you visit the U.K, for example, between January and March, when temperatures fall below seven degrees, it's advisable to book London car rentals fitted with winter tires. Snow wheels with more than 2mm of tread are essential for safe driving in wintertime. If it's going to be your first time operating cheap car rentals in London during harsh conditions, confirm when booking your vehicle through KAYAK that car rental companies in the U.K provide them.
The English capital is an extremely busy city, which means driving around central London can be incredibly stressful. But, while public transportation is the best option when discovering the city center, a rental car is the perfect option for those looking to leave London and explore the English countryside or coastal towns such as Brighton.
London has five airports: London City (LCY), London Stansted (STN), London Heathrow (LHR), London Luton (LTN), and London Gatwick (LGW). At City Airport, car rental counters are located next to the main terminal building. At Heathrow Airport, car rental companies have desks in all the arrivals terminals. At Gatwick, you'll find car rental desks in both the North and South terminal. Stansted Airport's car rental companies operate from the Airport Car Rental Village, which is outside the terminal building (free shuttle buses that will drop you off there depart from the terminal forecourt every 10 minutes). The Car Hire Center at Luton Airport is accessed via the free APCOA shuttle bus, which you can catch at Bay 1A.
The main thing you have to know about driving in the United Kingdom is that traffic runs on the left-hand side of the road. If you're brave enough to drive around the city center, beware that the streets are constantly bustling with tourists. Take into consideration that certain areas in the city are subject to the Congestion Charge, which means you must pay £11.50 (approximately $14.70) per day if you drive in said zones between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., which is applicable Monday to Friday.
Driving during London's rush hour can easily add 40 minutes to an hour to your travel time, so avoid going into and out of central London between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and again in the evening, between 4 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. Roads leading to the city's many airports are often busy during these times as well, so take that into consideration if you're driving back to the airport.
25% of our users found rental cars in London for C$ 55 or less
Book your rental car in London at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Off-airport rental car locations in London are around 7% cheaper than airport locations on average
Economy rental cars in London are around 78% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in London
A mini or compact car is the recommended option in London for travelers who don't require much space for passengers or luggage, as they are easiest to drive and park around the city.
The speed limit in the UK is 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) on urban roads with street lighting, 60 mph (97 kph) on single roadways, and 70 mph (115 kph) on dual roadways and freeways. However, in some parts of inner-city London, speed limits are set at 20 mph (32 kph).
Street parking can be both extremely hard to find and pricey in central London. However, parking in The City of London, the central district, is free after 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, after 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays. Most street parking spots will be metered, and depending on the areas, it can cost anywhere between £1 and £5 per hour (approximately $1.30-$6.40).
On average a rental car in London costs C$ 72 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Routes Car & Truck Rentals (C$ 21/day), Budget (C$ 31/day) and GREEN MOTION (C$ 31/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Routes Car & Truck Rentals Unit 6, Jetsave LTD, Sovereign Court, 633 Sipson Rd UB7 0JE (22 kilometers from city center).
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in London are Sixt (7.6, 73 reviews), and Hertz (7.2, 97 reviews).
Yes, automatic cars are available in most car renting companies in London. As cars with manual transmission are more common in many countries, you might have to pay an additional charge for renting an automatic car.
The average gas price in London is C$ 8.99 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 108 and C$ 144, depending on the car size.
Economy (Alfa Romeo Mito or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in London.
An Economy car rental in London costs C$ 27 per day, on average.
A Mini car rental in London costs C$ 29 per day, on average.
An Intermediate car rental in London costs C$ 39 per day, on average.
In London, cars are most frequently rented at GREEN MOTION Hilton London Metropole, 225 Edgware Road, (4 km from city centre ).
On average a rental car in London costs C$ 501 per week (C$ 72 per day).
On average a rental car in London costs C$ 2,149 per month (C$ 72 per day).
Some car rental companies in London which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Hertz, Europcar and Alamo
There is an Enterprise Rent-A-Car branch inside Britain's largest and busiest station, Waterloo. You can also find an Alamo desk as you leave Waterloo station via the main exit and an off-site location for National car Hire Company along Spur Road, London SE1 7LY.
It's best not to drink alcohol if you are the designated driver during your London trip. If you're found guilty of attempting to operate a vehicle while over the legal limit of 0.6% blood alcohol content (BAC), you may risk jail time, unlimited fines, or a driving suspension.
The new car didn't have ANY USB chargers... only USB-C. That was bloody annoying for a new rental car. That ridiculous system for checking how many points you have on your licence is also both unique and antiquated. I know it's not a Hertz specific problem... but FFS!!! The staff member did help in the end and offer an alternative. The car was great and at a good price.
4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
We rented the car for 9hrs, put 230 miles on it and it cost us over $400 for a Vauxhall Corsa. VERY expensive.
10.0 Wonderful
Aug. 2020
Pros:
I still have my car rental. Not sure why I am receiving this email now.
10.0 Wonderful
Apr. 2020
Pros:
It was a bit slow but not a problem.
Cons:
I don't remember what car I got but, it wasn't what we asked for. It was another "similar" car that they always give a renter.
7.6 Good
Apr. 2020
Pros:
New car. Lots of features.
Cons:
No one around to explain features of the car. Had to return the car two weeks early due to covid 19. Did not get a partial refund for those two weeks. Was contacted by P.R. person when I gave them a poor review who seemed like he might give me a partial refund but I believe they are now in bankruptcy proceedings so doubt I will see it.