Car Hire in Cambridge

Part of our guide to car hire in the United Kingdom.

Driving and Parking in Cambridge: What You Need to Know

• City centre driving: Cambridge is reached by the M11, which ends north-west of the city where it joins the A14, and by the A10 from Ely and London, the A428 from Bedford and St Neots, and the A1303 from Newmarket. Roads form a ring about 1.5 miles across, and the centre inside it is heavily restricted for cars. Set the satnav before you move off, and drive on the left throughout, giving way at roundabouts to traffic from the right.
• Bus gates: Cambridge enforces bus gates by camera, 24 hours a day, at Regent Street (into the city), Emmanuel Road, Bridge Street, Station Road, Brookgate, Silver Street and Mill Road, and at Worts Causeway westbound from 7:30am to 9:30am on weekdays. Eddington Avenue is monitored by number plate cameras on private land. A penalty charge notice is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days, and it rises to £105 if it is not paid or challenged within 28 days. Plan your route with the gates in mind before you set off.
• Bus lanes: Camera-enforced bus lanes run 24 hours a day on Elizabeth Way and on Newmarket Road between River Lane and Barnwell Bridge, and on Hills Road into town from 7am to 7pm between Bateman Street and Union Road. You may cross a bus lane to reach a property, signalling left first, and a Blue Badge does not allow parking in one.
• Park and Ride: Five sites sit on the edge of the city, with over 4,500 spaces between them: Babraham Road (CB22 3AB, 1,458 spaces), Trumpington (CB2 9FT, 1,340), Newmarket Road (CB5 8AA, 873), Madingley (CB3 0EX, 930) and Milton Road (CB24 6DQ, 792). Parking is free for up to 18 hours, and an adult return bus fare is £4.50. Tickets are valid only for the site where they are bought.
• Parking: Queen Anne Terrace on Gonville Place (CB1 1ND) has 572 spaces, a height limit of 2.1 m and is open 24 hours. On weekdays from 8am to 6pm it charges £2.30 for up to one hour, and it is free in the evening. Adam and Eve Street off East Road (CB1 1DX) has 37 spaces, a four-hour maximum stay and a charge of £1.50 per 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday between 8am and 6pm. Tariffs change, so read the signage before you leave the car. Never park on double yellow lines.
• Toll roads: There are no toll roads in Cambridge, and none on the M11, the A14 or the A10. The nearest charge is the Dart Charge at the Dartford Crossing on the M25, which applies from 6am to 10pm every day. Cars pay £3.50 pay-as-you-go, or £2.80 with a Dart Charge account, and payment is due by midnight the day after you cross. A missed payment results in a £70 penalty charge notice.
• Speed limits: Limits are in miles per hour: 30 mph in built-up areas unless signed otherwise, with 20 mph zones common in residential streets, 60 mph on single carriageways, and up to 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways. Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving is illegal.
• Driving on the left: If you normally drive on the right, collect the car at a quiet time, take the first few minutes slowly and set the satnav before you move off. The driver's seat is on the right, and the most common mistakes are at roundabouts and when turning out of a car park onto a main road, so keep to the left and give way to traffic from the right.
• Best time to drive: Weekday commuter periods in the morning and late afternoon are the slowest times on the A14, the M11 and the radial roads into the city. Mid-morning, early afternoon and weekends are easier, although the centre is busy on summer weekends.
• Road signs and junctions: At a stop sign, come to a complete stop and then give way to all traffic. Do not enter a box junction unless your exit is clear, and stop at flashing red lights at railway crossings until they stop flashing.
• Seat belts and alcohol: Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt, in the rear seats as well as the front. Children under 3 need a suitable restraint in any vehicle, and the driver is responsible for passengers under 14. The legal blood alcohol limit in England is 0.08 per cent, and the safest approach is not to drink at all if you are driving.
• Train and car together: Cambridge station has services to London King's Cross and Liverpool Street, and Cambridge North serves Chesterton and the Science Park. Many visitors arrive by train and collect a car for the countryside, which avoids driving through the restricted centre.

Top Places to Visit from Cambridge by Car

• Wimpole Estate — about 10 miles south-west on the A603, in roughly 17 minutes. Follow the brown signs, because some satnavs direct you to an unused gateway, and use SG8 0BW. The National Trust estate holds a 17th-century mansion, a walled kitchen garden, parkland with a Gothic folly and a working home farm with rare-breed animals. The car park is free, and admission is charged separately for non-members.
• Imperial War Museum Duxford — about 9 miles south via the M11, in roughly 15 minutes. The museum sits at junction 10 of the M11, and the satnav postcode is CB22 4QR. Visitor parking is free except on air show days, when parking must be bought separately.
• Audley End House and Gardens — about 15 miles south, in roughly 25 minutes. Take the M11 at junction 8 or 10, and the house stands on the B1383, one mile west of Saffron Walden. Use CB11 4JF, and parking is free, with an overflow area on grass.
• Ely — about 17 miles north on the A10, in roughly 27 minutes. The cathedral stands in the centre of the city (CB7 4DL), and the city's car parks are free. Barton Road, Forehill and Ship Lane offer free all-day parking after 8:30am, most car parks are a five to ten minute walk from the cathedral, and they fill on Saturdays and in summer.

When is the Best Time to Hire a Car in Cambridge?

Peak season: Demand rises from late May to September, when visitors tour the colleges and the countryside, and over the school summer holidays, Christmas and Easter. Bank holiday weekends tighten availability, and the most popular vehicle classes are the first to go.

Shoulder season: Spring and autumn outside school breaks are steadier. Weekday availability is generally good, and trips to Ely, Wimpole and Duxford are easy to plan around the weather.

Low season: January, February and the quieter weeks of November are the least busy. Winter hires suit business travel, but allow extra time on the A14 and the M11 on weekday mornings.

Advance booking: Book several weeks ahead for school holidays and bank holiday weekends, and as soon as your dates are fixed for any hire that has to match a flight or a train arrival. Free cancellation means booking early carries no penalty if plans change.

Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received, and they are the quickest way to settle any question about marks that were already there.

Fuel: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire. Refuel before you set out on a long day trip so that you are not searching for a fuel station on the way.

How Payment Works for Car Hire in Cambridge

Payment is made in two steps. A rental prepayment confirms your booking online, with Instant Confirmation from the supplier. You then pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car.

The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk. Because the full rental amount is not charged at the time of booking, you keep flexibility if your plans change, and cancellation is free.

The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card at collection, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit. The amount is shown in your booking confirmation.

Car Hire Suppliers in Cambridge

Car hire in Cambridge is available through the following suppliers.

• Green Motion
• U-Save Car Rental

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Cambridge

Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.

• Cambridge Delivery