Car Hire in London

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

Driving and Parking in London: What You Need to Know

• Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ): The ULEZ covers all London boroughs and operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. The charge is £12.50 per day for a vehicle that does not meet the standard, which is Euro 4 for petrol cars and Euro 6 for diesel cars. The M25 is not included. Check the car against its V5C details on the Transport for London website, tfl.gov.uk, before you drive.
• Congestion Charge: The central zone charge is £15 per day. It applies from 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and from 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, with no charge from Christmas Day to the New Year bank holiday. It is paid to Transport for London, separately from the ULEZ, and Auto Pay is available. Confirm the zone boundary and your payment deadline at tfl.gov.uk before you enter.
• Dartford Crossing: The crossing on the eastern M25 is charged through Dart Charge, 6am to 10pm every day. The fee is £3.50 pay as you go or £2.80 with an account, and it must be paid by midnight the day after you cross. A penalty of £70 applies if it is missed.
• City centre driving: Central London combines one-way systems, bus lanes and dense traffic, 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: Q-Park runs 15 central car parks, including Park Lane, Oxford Street, Soho, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, and Care Park operates at Marble Arch, Knightsbridge and Grosvenor Hill. On-street restrictions typically apply from 8:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Saturday, and fines are usually £80 to £130, reduced by half if paid within 14 days. Check the sign on each street.
• Bus lanes: Bus lanes run on many main roads, and the hours are shown on the sign at the start of each 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 M25. Mid-morning, early afternoon and weekends are easier for crossing London.
• Driving on the left: If you normally drive on the right, collect the car at a quiet time and take the first few minutes slowly. 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.
• Public transport and car together: Many visitors use the Underground and trains for central London and collect a car only for days out beyond the M25, which avoids the ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and central parking costs.

Top Places to Visit from London by Car

• Windsor Castle — about 21 miles west of central London, in roughly 32 minutes, usually by the M4. It is described as the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been a royal home for almost 1,000 years. The State Apartments hold works from the Royal Collection by Holbein, Rubens and Van Dyck, and St George's Chapel is open to visitors.
• Hampton Court Palace — about 12 miles south-west, in roughly 35 minutes. Henry VIII laid out the Tiltyard for jousting, and the Great Vine, planted by Capability Brown in 1768, is thought to be the oldest and largest in the world. The maze is a visitor favourite and features in Three Men in a Boat.
• Brighton — about 53 miles south, in roughly 1 hour 22 minutes, usually by the A23 and M23. The Royal Pavilion is a 19th-century seaside palace in the centre, Brighton Palace Pier stands on the seafront, and The Lanes hold independent boutiques and jewellers between North Laine and the sea.
• Canterbury — about 62 miles south-east, in roughly 1 hour 21 minutes, usually by the A2 and M2. Canterbury Cathedral, founded in 597, is part of the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Thomas Becket was murdered there in 1170. Choral Evensong is held daily and attendance at the service is free.

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

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. 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 Windsor, Hampton Court, Brighton and Canterbury 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 M25 and the main approach roads 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 London

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 London

Car hire in London is available through the following suppliers.

• Green Motion
• Surprice Mobility
• U-Save Car Rental

Car Hire Pick-Up Locations in London

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.

• London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
• London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
• London Stansted Novotel
• London Paddington
• London Regatta Centre
• London St Pancras
• London Euston Station
• London Kensington
• London Cricklewood
• London West Drayton