Car Hire at Leicester Downtown

Part of our guide to car hire in Leicester.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Leicester Downtown

• Book through eCarBookers first: 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.
• Where the branch is: The supplier lists its Leicester Downtown branch at The Old Filling Station, St Nicholas Circle, Leicester, LE1 4LF, on the western edge of the city centre. The site is a former filling station rather than a hotel or shopping centre, and the listing describes it as off-airport.
• Where the desk is: The exact meeting point and arrangement for your hire are shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival.
• Opening hours: One listing shows the branch open Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 18:00 and does not publish Sunday hours. Plan your arrival inside those hours, and confirm the hours for your date in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by public transport: Leicester railway station lies on the eastern side of the centre, and the branch is a short taxi ride or a walk across the city centre from it. Check the route on the day, as roadworks and event closures can change it.
• What to bring: The main driver should carry a valid driving licence, photo identification and a credit card in their own name with a limit high enough to cover the excess hold. Visitors from outside the UK should also carry their passport and, where required, an international driving permit. Check the driver age range in your booking confirmation, as some vehicle classes carry age limits.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at Leicester Downtown

• Returning the car: Return the car within the branch's opening hours shown in your booking confirmation, and confirm the drop-off instructions with the supplier at collection. A key drop box for out-of-hours returns has not been confirmed for this branch, so ask what arrangement applies if your return falls outside those hours.
• Nearest petrol stations: Texaco Glenfield Road (50 Glenfield Road, LE3 6AW), about 0.8 miles from the centre, is listed as open 24 hours a day. Asda Leicester Abbey Lane (1 Exploration Drive, LE4 5NU) is listed as open 07:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 11:00 to 17:00 on Sunday. Refuel before you return the car, and allow time to do so before the branch closes.
• Fuel policy: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.
• 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.
• Driving around the branch: St Nicholas Circle is part of the A594 Central Ring, so the branch sits on a busy distributor road. Read the lane signs early, set the satnav before you move off, and allow extra time on weekday mornings and late afternoons.
• Emission zones and bus lanes: Leicester has no charging clean air zone, no ULEZ and no Congestion Charge. Bus lanes run on many main roads into the centre, and the hours are shown on the sign at the start of each lane.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Leicester Downtown

Car hire at Leicester Downtown is available through Green Motion.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras — such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees — may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from Leicester Downtown to Key Destinations

• Bosworth Battlefield — about 12 to 14 miles west, in roughly 27 minutes. The Heritage Centre and Country Park at Sutton Cheney (CV13 0AD) lies near Market Bosworth, about 6 miles from junction 1 of the M69.
• Rutland Water — about 23 miles east, in roughly 41 minutes. Car parks include Whitwell (LE15 8BL) and Sykes Lane at Empingham (LE15 8QL), and they charge by the hour.
• Nottingham — about 27 miles north, in roughly 34 minutes. The route runs directly north through the East Midlands and suits a day trip.
• Coventry — about 26 miles south-west, in roughly 33 minutes. The route links Leicester with the West Midlands.
• Birmingham — about 45 miles south-west, in roughly 48 minutes. The drive suits a day trip or an onward journey.

If your route continues south and then east on the M25, the Dart Charge applies at the Dartford Crossing from 6am to 10pm, with cars paying £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. Ask the supplier at collection how the charge is handled on your vehicle.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at Leicester Downtown

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.