Car Hire at London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Part of our guide to car hire in London.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

• 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 airport is: London Heathrow Airport is in west London, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, beside the M4 and the M25. It has four passenger terminals, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.
• Where the desks are: Green Motion and U-Save list their branches at the Holiday Inn at M4 junction 4, 239 Sipson Road, West Drayton, UB7 0HW, which is off the airport campus. For Green Motion, one listing directs arriving passengers to the hourly Hotel Hoppa shuttle from the terminal bus stops, using the H2B from Terminals 2 and 3 and the H5B from Terminal 5, and to tell the driver the rental is with Green Motion. Surprice lists its branch at 274 Windsor Road, Maidenhead, SL6 2DT, away from the airport, with a free shuttle that you request by phone on arrival and a meeting point at the bus stops for your terminal. The exact meeting point and contact number 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 Holiday Inn branches open from 06:00 to 22:00 every day for Green Motion, and from 06:00 to 22:00 on weekdays for U-Save. Surprice shows 07:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, with shorter hours at weekends. Choose a flight that lands comfortably inside the shorter window, and confirm the hours in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by public transport: The Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line serve the airport. For the Holiday Inn branches, one listing suggests the Overground to West Drayton or the Underground to Hounslow West, and then bus 222 to The Plough stop on Sipson Road.
• 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.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

• 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 Green Motion branch, so plan your return for a time when the office is open.
• Nearest petrol stations: Esso Rontec Harlington (Bath Road, Sipson Road, UB3 5AY) is listed as open 24 hours a day, and Esso Asda Heathrow North (Shepiston Lane, UB3 1LL) is listed as open all 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.
• Ultra Low Emission Zone: Heathrow lies in the London Borough of Hillingdon, and the ULEZ covers all London boroughs. It operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, and the M25 itself is not included. 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. Check the registration at tfl.gov.uk and ask the supplier at collection to confirm that your car meets the standard. The central London Congestion Charge is a separate scheme and does not apply at the airport.

Top Car Hire Agencies at London Heathrow Airport (LHR)

Car hire at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is available through Green Motion, U-Save and Surprice.

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 Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Key Destinations

• Windsor — about 8 miles west, in roughly 12 minutes, via 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 11 miles south, in roughly 23 minutes. The palace (KT8 9AU) is on the A308 in East Molesey, and on-site parking cannot be pre-booked.
• Central London — about 15.6 miles east, in roughly 32 minutes. The route enters the Congestion Charge zone, where a daily charge of £15 applies, so many visitors take the train into the centre.
• Oxford — about 43 miles north-west, in roughly 53 minutes, by the M40. The route suits a day trip to the city and the Cotswolds.
• Gatwick Airport — about 40 miles south, in roughly 51 minutes. The route follows the M25 round the west of London.

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 Heathrow Airport (LHR)

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.