I'm going to rent a car in the southwest country and drop it off in or around London. Any suggestions as to the best place to select for drop off? I don't really want to drive it into the city.

How about dropping the car back to Heathrow airport? You can then get a free shuttle back to the airport terminal and catch the tube into central London.

We've done this a few times and it's worked well for us. Just make sure you know exactly where to go to drop off your car as Heathrow is huge. Check both Google Maps and your car hire company's website for the directions.

Kay

Coming from the southwest, the only remotely sensible alternative to Heathrow is Southampton Airport (which is very small and has its own railway station with frequent fast trains to central London). Anywhere else requires you to drive through towns to find the hire place - and in most towns that's actually NASTIER than finding the hire place in central London, where signing is generally better, and traffic better disciplined, than in most provincial towns.

Can only speak for Avis and Hertz but have been very obliging about dropping customers off at Hatton Cross station, on their way to take people to Terminal 4. Hatton Cross is usually staffed and not very crowded.

I find this easier than going into Heathrow to get on the tube, but if you do this, the most convenient drop-off is Terminal 2.

Since the opening of Terminal 5, the car rental agencies may have changed their routes, in which case you may need to get on at Heathrow.

There's also a black cab rank at Hatton Cross if you want to go via cab (expensive) into London.

Is this easier than just driving into town and dropping it? I found a drop off at Clapham High Road near oval which is pretty close to where I am going to be staying. If I have a GPS is this better than Heathrow?

Where will you be picking up the car initially? When my husband and I have rented cars in the UK, we've always taken the train to somewhere near our destination and rented the car in that city: for example, Oxford for touring the Cotswolds, and Penzance for touring Cornwall.

Dropping it off in Clapham sounds like a good plan as it's close to your accommodation.

Check on open hours if you want to return it when the condition can be verified by a staff person.

Expect traffic, of course.

Watch out for drop-offs inside the congestion zone (this isn't) as you will be charged the fee-I think it's 8 pounds if paid same day; 10 pounds the day after.

Thanks for the advice. I am picking the car up at Bristol Airport, visiting my relatives in Wiltshire. It just seems easier to drive up there (and cheaper) than for two of us to take the train up.