needsnow

Will be renting a car during our London trip to take us to Stonehenge, Bath, and then up to Stratford and Warwick. Where is the best place to pick up a rental car, outside of London proper? I know airports are a good idea, but the rates are higher picking up there. I thought of picking up at Victoria Station, but there will surely be a hassel driving in the city coming and going.

All car rental companies seem to offer the same pick-up and drop-off locations, so the rental agency wouldn't determine the pick-up location. We are newbies to London, and to the left-side-of-the-road. Trying to avoid driving in London altogether.

flanneruk

I'd challenge your logic.

Picking up a car at one of the Edgware Road locations gets you almost straight onto the A40/M40 motorway out of London. Contrary to the impression often given on this board, the few hundred yards' traffic in central London you'll have to deal with are about the most discipined and stately anywhere in urban Britain. And pedestrians know their place.

Picking up a car near a provincial railway station (say at Oxford) means you have to deal immediately with far less disciplined driving, often in more congested streets, and often with far more kamikaze cyclists and pedestrians than in London.

If you're worried about driving on the proper side of the road, collecting a car at Heathrow gives you a huge carpark to practise the controls in and then puts you onto scores of miles of divided highway to get used to our driving before hitting a town. I'd strongly recommend you pay the premium for your (and our) peace of mind.

Otherwise, Edgware Rd and Kings Cross locations offer relatively easy driving onto the motorway system - though a first-timer might be unhappy with having to deal with oncoming traffic the moment he gets into the car. Don't pick up near Victoria or Waterloo: the navigation out of town is tricky, and even with satnav the area's a tough introduction to the way we drive.

ribeirasacra

There are a lot of towns but it depends on where you are based and what the local terminus railway station is. Like if you are near Waterloo, then go to Basingstoke, or near Paddington go to Reading.


There are other towns but these are just examples.

afterall

Ah, but I empathise with the question. You're thinking if you can pick up somewhere that avoids having to drive in heavy traffic until you've got the hang of it, that would be good.

I went through the same process re Valencia. In the end I cancelled the pick up at the airport and went to the city centre location. And it was fine. But Valencia isn't London!!

DO NOT pick up from Victoria - that would freak me out and I used to LIVE in London.

As you are heading West I would pick up at Heathrow if I were you as from there it is a doddle to get on to the M4 (heading West). Much easier than negotiating a built up area with traffic lights, etc.

If you have loads of luggage that might be a factor. Simple - travel with less luggage!

Best of luck and don't worry.

needsnow

Thanks - this is exactly the kind of information I needed.
We will be staying in Nunhead (Peckham Rye), and here I was thinking that picking up at Victoria would be the best way to go, since it seems the closest to Nunhead.

We won't be traveling with a lot of luggage at all - as our stuff will remain behind in London while we sightsee. We'll probably just have one bag or so for all of us to share.

But here's the thing (and I guess I can't have it all)..but we thought to pick the car up the night before so we can leave for Stonehenge and Bath first thing. If we pick it up at Heathrow that would mean going out to Heathrow late that afternoon, at rush hour (hassels probably, and money to get to Heathrow) and then on the coming- back, dropping off at Heathrow, too, and then making our way back to Nunhead, probably during rush hour, by train or whatever.

Do you think the added hassels are enough deterrent to pick-up drop-off someplace else?

If we pick up and drop off at Edgware Road, as flanneruk suggested, we don't have to go through the city to find the motorway, correct, but we will have to drive through London to park the car that night outside of our flat in Nunhead, so that we can leave early the next morning. Would there be a way to avoid the hassels of driving through town to get to our place for the night?
Or do I want it too easy?

Gardyloo

Why not take a train from Waterloo to Salisbury and pick up the car there? There are a number of car hire companies with offices in Salisbury, and most of the majors don't charge a drop fee if you want to return the vehicle elsewhere. I wouldn't drive around London (or out to LHR) if you're going from Nunhead to Stonehenge.

janisj

I'm pretty sure folks were answering assuming you are staying in central London. You are going to be in south London. Victoria wouldn't make sense - but Edgware Rd makes even less sense.

Someplace like Croydon would seem a better pick up point.

But there could be a location even closer. I'd ask the folks who own the house where you are staying - they may have info about nearby rental agencies.

needsnow

Janisj- Asking my friends who own the house about car rental agencies is a bit complicated, as I don't want them to feel pressured into loaning us their car.(They've already told us they can't.) Plus, with all my other questions I feel a bit of a burden. (So I bother you guys instead.)

Gardyloo- We were planning to go to Warwick and Stratford after Bath and Salisbury - and probably staying overnight around Warwickshire and doing the castle and Shakespeare stuff the next day and then driving back to London from there. I imagine it is possible to pick up the car in Salisbury and return someplace else on our way back to London, then take the train back after dropping off the car.

Can anyone recommend a driving route coming back that makes sense? For dropping off the car and getting back to London or Nunhead easily? And added perk would be if on the way back we pass through a lovely town or scenery or something.

janisj

OK - maybe I'm dense - but I'm sure I could ask a friend w/o making them think I was pressuring them to use their car.

&quot;<i>Thanks again sooooo much for letting us stay at the house. We have all sorts of plans in the works and we're getting really excited. We've decided to take the kids to Bath and Stratford on an overnighter. Thought we'd use the trains but after looking at everything it really does seem best to rent a car for a couple of days. All the rental agencies I've seen are in central London - do you know of one a bit closer - like maybe in Croydon or somewhere? Or maybe a garage right in Nunhead that rents cars?? This is going to be such an adventure!!!</i>

needsnow

OK Janisj..you've made your point. Mind if I copy everything you've written and put it in an email?

janisj

be my guest

Just a note about the &quot;garage&quot; bit. Lots of local garages and car dealers do rent cars - but they might not show up on the radar w/ google or booking sites. That's one reason asking someone who lives there is often a good idea. If there is a place nearby it would save you a lot of to-ing and fro-ing hassle.

thursdaysd

You could also look at Enterprise, who have a location in Peckham and advertise that they will pick you up. I've used them in England (they picked me up at Durham train station) and their rates were very good.

janisj

good info, thursdaysd.

Well - if Enterprise is in Peckham - that solves your entire problem. 1) they are nearby 2) they pick up and deliver you back, and 3) are a major international agency so you can probably book from home . . . .

Cathinjoetown

You asked about a scenic way back toward London after Stratford and Warwick--I would drive down through the Cotswolds, coming out at the southeast corner of the Cotswolds heading towards Oxford.

Then drive to Heathrow to drop off the car. Ask the rental agency van to drop you at the Underground. Avis, Hertz, National and I'm sure others are very obliging about this --they dropped us at the first station coming out of Heathrow (Hatton Cross) which is on their van route to Terminal 4.

Have a great outing.

needsnow

Wonderful, thank you for that tip Thursdaysd! I contacted Enterprise and I'm waiting for their price quote. This has really allayed all my concerns. I didn't think to research Enterprise before.

Cathinjoe- we will certainly do that, the scenic drive from Warwick through the Cotswolds. Thanks for the suggestion.