Car Hire in Crawley

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

Driving and Parking in Crawley: What You Need to Know

• Town driving: Crawley sits on the M23 and the A23 between London and Brighton. Junction 9 of the M23 serves Gatwick Airport, junction 10 serves Crawley itself through the A2011 and links to the A264 towards East Grinstead, and junction 11 at Pease Pottage meets the A23 and the A264 towards Horsham. The M23 starts at the M25 (junction 8) and is intensely busy between the M25 and the airport. Drive on the left throughout, and at roundabouts give way to traffic from the right.
• Gatwick traffic: The M23 is the main access route to Gatwick Airport, and it is quieter south of the airport than north of it. Allow extra time on the approach roads at peak hours and around flight arrival times.
• Parking: Crawley Borough Council runs multi-storey car parks at Orchard Street, Kingsgate and the Town Hall, and surface car parks at Orchard Street, Goffs Park and Tilgate Park. Maidenbower Parade, Broadfield Barton and Langley Parade are free, and Langley Parade has a two-hour maximum stay. Council car park barriers carry a height limit of 2.0 m or 2.1 m, so check the sign at the entrance before taking a roof box or a tall vehicle in. Tariffs change, so read the signage before you leave the car. Never park on double yellow lines.
• Bus lanes and restricted zones: Some roads carry bus lanes, and the hours are shown on the sign at the start of each lane, so check before you enter. Bus lane contraventions are enforced by penalty charge notice.
• Toll roads: There are no toll roads in Crawley, and none on the M23 or the A23. 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.
• London zones: Crawley is outside London's ULEZ and Congestion Charge zones, so neither applies in the town. If your route continues into Greater London, check Transport for London's rules before you cross the boundary.
• 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 M23 and the A23. Mid-morning, early afternoon and weekends are easier.
• 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.

Top Places to Visit from Crawley by Car

• Nymans — about 5 miles south on the A23, in roughly 10 minutes. Follow the brown signs from the A23 to RH17 6EB. The National Trust garden is Grade II* listed, with rare plants, ancient woodland with a lake and cascades, and the ruins of a house remodelled in the 1920s and partly destroyed by fire in 1947. The car park is free and opens at 9:00am.
• Wakehurst — about 8 to 10 miles east, in roughly 15 minutes. Leave the M23 at junction 10, turn onto the A264 and then the B2028 through Turners Hill, and use RH17 6TN. Follow the signs rather than the satnav, because the satnav may direct you to the wrong entrance. Parking is free for general admission.
• Hever Castle — about 17 miles east, in roughly 30 minutes. Take junction 10 of the M23 and follow the signs, and use TN8 7NG. The castle stands in the village of Hever, off the B2026 between Sevenoaks and East Grinstead. Parking is free, with more than one car park, and staff direct you on arrival.
• Brighton — about 22 miles south via the A23, in roughly 30 minutes. South of junction 11 the A23 continues as a high-quality dual carriageway to the A27 at Brighton. Read the signage at the car park entrance in Brighton before you leave the car.

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

Peak season: Demand rises over the school summer holidays, from late July to the end of August, and again around Christmas and Easter, when Gatwick is at its busiest. Bank holiday weekends tighten availability in the same way, 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 the gardens of the Sussex Weald and to the coast 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 M23 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 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 Crawley

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 Crawley

Car hire in Crawley is available through the following supplier.

• Green Motion

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Crawley

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.

• Crawley Gatwick Business Park