tsm0885

Does anyone have any suggestions (companies, locations) on renting a car in london? Are there any locations in the city? I can only find locations at the airport.

P_M

There are offices in the city, but first I would like to know if you are planning to drive around London, or are you getting the car to drive to somewhere outside of London? Driving in London is never a good idea. It will not save you time, money, or stress.

In either case, check out www.autoeurope.com and you will find a list of locations.

m_kingdom2

I wouldn't suggest renting a car in London. As a tourist you will have plenty of time to use public transport. Driving in London requires a certain knowledge of where you're heading to as places aren't signposted explicitly (what I mean is, it's not like saying you want to go to Oxford, and you turn up and a sign announces you're in Oxford, if you want to go from say Mayfair to Notting Hill, then you have to be aware when you're there) and parking is always restricted - most places only let you stay for up to two hours, and that's at around 4GBP per hour.

All in all, it isn't worth the hassle, plus there's the 5GBP daily congestion charge that must be paid!

Patrick

I guess we read questions differently. I didn't assume that tsm was talking about renting a car to use in the city, but renting a car to drive out.
There are many locations, and if you are looking for a convenient spot to rent so you can leave for the countryside without driving through much city, Avis at Warwick Road proved to be very easy for us. Go around a single block, and you're on the major road leading out to become a motorway to the west, north, or south.
I suggest you tell us where you are heading and it might make it easier.

nini

We have rented a car in london and I would not do it again. That said, it is relatively easy to rent a car at Marble Arch (maybe it was Hertz--can't remember) and make your way to the M Road via Bayswater and a few simple turns. It was very nerve wracking and Heathrow would be a better starting point depending on where you are headed.

janis

If you want the car IN London - then don't rent one.

If you want the car to travel outside of the city - WHERE are you going? It would make a LOT of difference.

For instance, if driving to the west, picking up the car near Westway Rd/A40 or Marylebone makes the most sense. If driving sout, - near Waterloo or even better take the LGW Express to Gatwick and pick it up there (driving in south London is a bear)

There are rental agencies all over London - but w/o knowing where you are taking it we really can't make useful suggestions.

jay

Everyone is correct in that it is never a good idea to drive while in London but if you want to drive out and tour the rest of the UK then it realy isin't a big deal. We rented at Autoeurope.com and got a rental through Budget at the Victoria station location. We left town very early on a Sunday morning and had no problems. If you have to leave on a weekday i would recommend getting the car the night before, finding a place to park and then leaving very early the next morning. I also recommend having a navigator. It takes some of the thinking out of driving especially in the city.

tsm0885

I was planning on renting a car and driving out to see stonehenge... and some of the cities and attractions along the way.

I was thinking about renting the car the night before and leaving early in the morning. How hard is it to park in london on the street (I'm from Manhattan, NY... is it comparable). Also, are their parking garages and how much do they cost?

THanks for all the replys

Tulips

Depends very much on where you are staying. You can park on the street for free after a certain hour (not sure from exactly what time that is). Or check out www.ncp.co.uk for the nearest car park and rates, but if you want to leave very early, it may be better to park on the street.

nytraveler

Assume it's like Manhattan. Parking on the street is very difficult in the center - can be easier in outlying residential areas. There are lots of garages - and the only time we used one costs were similar to Manhattan - which was about $25/$30 per night at the time.

We rented near Marylebon - took the car to Windsor, Runnymede and Hampton Palace one day, spend the night in London and then left the next AM to tour Oxford and north.

If you're used to Manhattan, London traffic isn;t bad - it's just that in the absolute center it gets a little like downtown (tons of one-way streets, no grid system and you can;t get there from here without backing up a one-way st.)

But to do from the center out to the highways and away is a no brainer.

walkinaround

yes parking hassle and cost is comparable to NY. it is not unusual for people to have and park a car in london. don't forget the congestion charge which must be paid when driving in central london. yes there are garages and they charge approx between £15 and £30 for 24 hours (depending of course on the location). roughly £3/hr.

m_kingdom2

There are lots of carparks, but they are pretty expensive, some are up to around 50GBP for an entire day's parking.

You can park on single yellow lines/meter or pay and display bays after six thirty pm for free, and you must move your car after eight thirty am. You must remember to pay the congestion charge too. It really isn't worth the hassle - just take a coach trip, and Stonehenge really isn't that wonderful, you will be disappointed.