We will have two days in the middle of our England trip that we would like to visit London. We will already have a rental car, and it seems like turning it in, then renting another would be a problem. Is there a place outside of central London anyone could recommend to stay where we could easily park a car and take transportation in at a reasonable cost? There will be five of us. Our original plans were to fly into London and spend a few days there before renting a car but that did not work out.

Where you are staying may help help or hurt you. I found a parking space near my hotel that worked OK. You might ask the hotel itself about parking, particularly for a couple of days.

Does London have Park-and-Ride's anywhere?

Why not Google "London Parking", lots of info there ( BTW, go to Google.co.uk)
If there are five of you, you may find the cost of transport would go a long way towards SECURE parking charges in Central London, doubt if you would find anything in the suburbs unless you go miles out, London is a big place.

You realize that staying outside of London and taking the train into the city will be pretty expensive when you multiply by 5. Plus you'd have to go back and forth 4 times in two days. You could stay in an outer suburb near a tube station - but will waste hours a day going back and firth.

If it were me I'd check w/ my rental agency and see if they would let you park the car on site at their LHR location. Then go into London and stay the 2 nights in the city w/o a car.

Or barring that - spring for the expensive parking at a central London hotel - it will probably be cheaper than 5 of you traipsing back and forth for 2 days. And it would be a much more effecient use of your limited time in London.

Just how difficult is driving in London? Even though parking is high, it will be cheaper than turning the car in and renting another.

Ella: Pay attention to janis - she knows what she's talking about (and it's a good idea!)...

>>>If it were me I'd check w/ my rental agency and see if they would let you park the car on site at their LHR location. Then go into London and stay the 2 nights in the city w/o a car.<<<

And London imposes a congestion charge on cars in the middle of the city. Yes, janis has the best ideas.

Ella,

If your rental agency DOES allow you to park your car on their LHR lot for two days, please DO let us know about that.

I was told I would have to use an airport car park, they could not accomodate the car at their lot.