London car rental agencies and driving itinerary question
Nov 11th, 2002, 11:41 AM
#1
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London car rental agencies and driving itinerary question
I'd like to rent a car to drive from London to the Stonehendge then on to Bath and Cotswold (sp?) end of Nov. My first question is, is this too ambitious for 1 day? How long will the drive take us (not counting the time we take when we make a stop)?<BR><BR>I was shopping around for prices and Orbitz is offering about $30-35 USD for a 1 day rental from Rent Rite, U-Save and New Frontier. I've never heard of these companies and was wondering if they are reputable companies. I can't seem to find their websites.<BR><BR>Thank you in advance.
Nov 11th, 2002, 12:16 PM
#2
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I think it is doable, but a fair amount of driving. You could alternately take a day bus tour with the same stops, but I think they are around 40-50 USD/person; there are two big companies that do lots of day trips from London.<BR><BR>Unless there is a rental place near your hotel, you can end up spending a fair bit of time picking up the car. A key point to watch is to make sure you know exactly what is (and isn't) included in insurance coverage; lots of semi-scams abound in pricing. Hertz also sometimes has some good tourist pricing if you reserve ahead - try their website; sometimes there is comfort in dealing with a known brand (as long as it's not Alamo).
Nov 11th, 2002, 12:17 PM
#3
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That is way too ambitious for one day. You will be lucky to do Stonehenge and Bath in the same day - let alone the Cotswolds. We spent 5 days total exploring all 3 of these areas and could have spent more. Don't know on the car prices - we rented for a week from Avis.
Nov 11th, 2002, 12:21 PM
#4
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It's often hard to find a good price on a one day rental, at least if you're seeking a pre-arranged rental, booked before you travel to Europe. The fact that these companies are listed with Orbitz may count for something. Do they have mailing addresses? You might try mailing them, and asking for a printed brochure - - it might tell you something about the company. On the other hand, how much promotional mailing expense do we expect any company to incur to gain one day's car rental business?<BR><BR>Having said that, we had good experience with a two day rental from Woods Car Rental in 1998. It looks to me as if their business is growing and thriving.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>
Nov 11th, 2002, 01:58 PM
#5
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Orbitz is a good company. We rented from them in 2000. My advice - try to do your trip in 4-5 days. We stayed at a great B&B in the Cottswolds in a town called Broadway. I think the name was the Olive. It is central to everywhere you want to go except Bath. There are tons of B&Bs in Bath to choose from. We actually preferred your one day itinerary to London. Why not steal a couple of days from London and apply it to your other trip? You'll be glad you did!!
Nov 11th, 2002, 03:42 PM
#7
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Agree with what's already been written. Bath & Stonehenge in one day is doable- but quick- when daylight is short in November. Adding even one stop in the Cotswolds is impossible. As for car rentals, it's the insurance that will kill you-it can be as much if not more than the rental. Also, check that price is for an automatic! I think driving on the left PLUS shifting is a bit much & many of the cheap rates are for a standard transmission.<BR>The length of the drive depends upon where you start (Heathrow?)what the traffic's like & how often you get lost! The roundabouts are a killer. Either decide you'll spend a few days or do a one day bus trip. Hope this helps.
Nov 11th, 2002, 10:48 PM
#9
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to janis (the thread's author, not me): As the others said, DO NOT try to do a Stonehenge, Bath, Cotswolds day trip in Nov. Besides the days being very short, the weather is iffy and many sites in the Cotswolds are closed for the season.<BR><BR>I am usually the one recommending driving, but for day trips from London in the Winter, organized tours or independent train travel is much better.<BR><BR>You could take the train for the Day to Bath; OR to Oxford and then a local bus to several cotswold villages; OR to Salisbury and a local bus to Stonehenge. But driving yourself from London to any two of those places would not be a very easy trip.<BR><BR>Forget about renting a car for one day in late Nov. If you were staying a day or two near Bath or in the Cotswolds, then a car would make sense.
