Car Hire in Liverpool

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

Driving and Parking in Liverpool: What You Need to Know

• Mersey Tunnel tolls: The Mersey Tunnels carry road traffic under the river between Liverpool and the Wirral, and they are tolled. From 1 April 2026 the Class 1 toll is £2.40, paid by cash, card or contactless at the AUTO lanes, and no change is given. A T-FLOW pre-paid account is the alternative, and an unpaid toll carries a £16 administrative charge if it is still outstanding after 14 days. Check which class applies to your vehicle at merseytunnels.co.uk.
• Clean Air Zone: Liverpool does not have a charging Clean Air Zone in force. The council rejected the scheme and it never launched, so no sticker, permit or charge applies to a car entering the city.
• City centre driving: The centre combines one-way streets, bus lanes and busy junctions near the waterfront, so set the satnav before you move off. Drive on the left throughout, and at roundabouts give way to traffic from the right and travel clockwise.
• Parking: The three Q-Park car parks at Liverpool ONE are open 24 hours a day and hold about 3,000 spaces between them: Liverpool ONE (L1 8LT, entered from The Strand beneath Chavasse Park), John Lewis (L1 8DH, entered from Liver Street) and Hanover Street (L1 4AF). Charges are set by the operator, so read the signage at the entrance before you leave the car. Never park on double yellow lines.
• Bus lanes and restricted zones: Bus lanes run on many main roads, 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.
• Speed limits: Limits are in miles per hour: 30 mph in built-up areas unless signed otherwise, with 20 mph zones common on 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.
• Best time to drive: Weekday commuter periods in the morning and late afternoon are the slowest times on the approaches to the city and the tunnels. Mid-morning, early afternoon and weekends are easier for crossing the city.
• 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.
• Train and car together: Merseyrail runs from Moorfields to Southport about every 15 minutes in around 43 minutes. Many visitors take the train for the city centre and the coast and collect a car for Chester, North Wales and the Lake District, which avoids driving and parking in the centre.

Top Places to Visit from Liverpool by Car

• Speke Hall — on the southern edge of the city, beside Liverpool John Lennon Airport and about 1 mile off Speke Boulevard (A561). From the city centre, follow Riverside Drive south and then the brown signs. The National Trust's Tudor house (L24 1XD) has free on-site parking, and the main gates lock at 5pm, so leave the car park before then.
• Chester — about 18 miles south-east, in roughly 32 minutes. Chester Zoo is reached along the A41, where a large wooden ark on a roundabout marks the turn, and general parking at the zoo is free. Sat navs can get confused, so follow the zoo signs and ignore Flag Lane North, which is a dead end.
• Southport — about 19 miles north, in roughly 34 minutes. The coastal town is also reached by Merseyrail from Moorfields in around 43 minutes, so the car is the better choice when you are continuing along the Lancashire coast.
• Manchester — about 34 miles east, in roughly 41 minutes. The journey is a direct run east, and parking in the centre should be checked in advance.

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

Peak season: Demand rises over the school summer holidays, from late July to the end of August, and again around Christmas and Easter, when visitors arrive for the city and the coast. 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 day trips to Chester, Southport and Speke Hall are easy to plan around the weather.

Low season: January, February and the quieter weeks of November are the least busy. Winter hires suit day trips and business travel, but allow extra time on the approaches to the Mersey Tunnels 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, and the balance is paid at the desk on collection, so nothing is charged in full at the time of booking.

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, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.

How Payment Works for Car Hire in Liverpool

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 Liverpool

Car hire in Liverpool is available through the following suppliers.

• Flex To Go
• Green Motion
• U-Save Car Rental

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in Liverpool

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.

• Liverpool Goodlass Road
• Liverpool Kings Dock Street
• Liverpool Lime Street
• Liverpool Speke