Car Hire at London Downtown

Part of our guide to car hire in London.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at London 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 London Downtown branch at 225 Edgware Road, London, W2 1JU, inside the Hilton London Metropole in Paddington. The site is a hotel rather than a street-front office.
• Where the desk is: The listings place the rental office on the hotel's ground floor, and note that it is the Hilton London Metropole and not the Hilton Paddington. 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: The listings show the branch open Monday to Wednesday from 08:00 to 17:00, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 to 19:00 and Saturday from 08:00 to 13:00, with Sunday closed. Plan your arrival inside those hours, and confirm the hours for your date in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by public transport: Edgware Road Underground station (Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Bakerloo lines) is directly opposite the hotel. Paddington station is about 5 minutes on foot: leave by the Praed Street exit, turn left towards Edgware Road, and the hotel is on your left.
• 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. Printed copies of your documents and booking voucher are the safest choice, and the driver age range is shown in your booking confirmation.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at London 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. One listing states that there is no key box at the branch, so plan your return for a time when the office is open.
• Nearest petrol stations: Esso The Vale (383-393 Edgware Road, W2 1BT) and Shell Staples Corner (383 Edgware Road, NW2 6LD) are both listed as open 24 hours a day. 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.
• Parking: The hotel's car park lies beneath the building, entered from Harbet Road. It is the hotel's own facility, with published rates of £6 for one hour and £42 for 24 hours at the time of writing, so check the current charges with the hotel.
• Congestion Charge: The hotel states that it lies outside the Congestion Charge zone, and Edgware Road is one of the free through routes on the zone's western boundary. The central zone charge is £15 per day, from 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00 to 18:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, so check the boundary at tfl.gov.uk before you drive east.
• Ultra Low Emission Zone: The ULEZ covers all London boroughs, including Westminster, and operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Petrol cars must meet Euro 4 and diesel cars Euro 6, and a vehicle that does not meet the standard pays £12.50 per day. The M25 is not included. Check the registration at tfl.gov.uk and ask the supplier at collection to confirm that your car meets the standard.

Top Car Hire Agencies at London Downtown

Car hire at London 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 London Downtown to Key Destinations

• Heathrow Airport — about 15.6 miles west, in roughly 32 minutes depending on traffic. The route leaves central London by the A40 and M4, and the airport approach roads lie inside the ULEZ.
• Windsor — about 21 miles west, in roughly 32 minutes, usually by the M4. The long-stay car parks at Home Park Public and King Edward VII on Datchet Road are each less than a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle.
• Hampton Court Palace — about 12 miles south-west, in roughly 35 minutes. The palace (KT8 9AU) is on the A308 in East Molesey, and on-site parking cannot be pre-booked.
• Oxford — about 53 miles north-west, in roughly 1 hour 6 minutes. The route suits a day trip to the city and the Cotswolds.
• Brighton — about 54 miles south, in roughly 1 hour 25 minutes. The seaside city lies at the end of the A23 and M23.

If your route continues 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 London 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.