England is a country that has inspired so many great, cheap and environmentally friendly means of transport. Mary Poppins' umbrella, Harry Potter's flying broom, Doctor Who is phone booth-Tardis or Celtic stone circles that can teleport you back in time.
Until someone invents them beyond books and films, discover the magic of renting a car to travel all over England and Scotland. It's easy, fast and without a single hidden cost. Compared to what's usually out there, it's really a fantasy come true! You can check
https://uk.getaround.com once you are in Manchester and you are interested in renting a car.
What types of rental cars are there in England?
As many people travel to the UK for a variety of reasons, from work or short stays to solo, couple and family trips, the fleets of rental cars at English rentals are well prepared.
You'll find many offers of small 3 door cars and medium and high power sedans and saloons, as well as minivans and some crossovers adapted to the city and trips along mountain trails, as in the UK it's very typical to use the rental car to visit the lake region, track villages along the Cotswolds, or go up and down hills in Scotland.
Here are the averages prices by type of car hire in the UK:
- Small cars: Chevrolet Spark, Hyundai i10, from 32€/day.
- Medium cars: Vauxhall Insignia, Hyundai i30, from 34€/day.
- Large cars: Nissan X-Trail, Volkswagen Sharan, from 57€/day.
Tips if you rent a car in the UK
Locating car rental office signs is very easy in the UK, as you are sure to be used to seeing their names in English: rent a car, car rental or rental.
England is one of the countries in Europe with the highest car rental prices. Compare and book at least a month in advance to ensure a good deal, and keep checking your travel dates from time to time to see if prices go down (although in high season, like summer, they tend to go up).
Check your arrival and departure dates carefully, as some car rental offices do not provide service outside their usual hours, and others (almost always at airports) do, but in exchange for an after-hours service supplement of between €11.50 and €60. Some companies also charge if you return the car leaving the keys in the mailbox 24 hours (for 20 € in Europcar for example).
Remember that in the city of London the whole central area is limited to traffic and has a daily toll (Congestion Charge) that you have to pay (it is charged by your car rental company).
Respect the rules of the road and the limits of parking on the street (maximum of 4 hours in a row), as the fines in London reach 148 €, and rentals charge an administrative management supplement of between 30 € and 50 €.
Watch out for possible tolls on accesses to large cities such as London, as some operate automatically and if you do not pay your rental company will charge a penalty of up to € 50 administrative management.
If you come to the UK to visit the land of the Scottish Highlanders, the lighthouse towns along the coast or look for the most authentic pubs in villages, you'll need a GPS to make sure you don't run out of coverage. They cost between 12 and 20 euros per day. Some rentals such as Hertz offer you models with built-in GPS, more expensive and on request.
Adding an additional driver can be a good idea to clear the country or relieve the stress of driving through London, and its cost is usually around 12 € / day.