The English or Scottish countryside is one of the most beautiful in the world, and if you want to explore it as flexibly as possible, hiring a car is the way to go. Public transport works well, but especially in the naturally interesting remote areas of Scotland or Wales, travelling by car is more or less a necessity.
Even in the UK, there are general guidelines for renting a car and if you're new to this segment, read our article How to rent a car abroad for the first time.
The UK has left-hand traffic.
How and where to book a car in the UK
Most multinational car rental companies operate in the UK, both at all local scheduled airports and in city centres.
To book, we recommend using the comparison engine of most car rental companies, which will sort the results according to your chosen criteria:
Compare prices at booking.com/cars
When booking cars in the UK, the price depends mainly on the season and also on the rental location.
It doesn't make much difference whether you book a car 14 days or 5 months before your trip. Prices in winter (November to March) are up to 20% lower than during summer. Some car rental companies have last-minute deals when you book less than a month before pick-up, but usually only during the winter months (around October to mid-April).
Travelers have had good experiences with Alamo, Greenmotion, Budget and Sixt, for example. All of them can also be found on the aforementioned booking.com.
Car rental prices in the United Kingdom
Car hire in the UK is not expensive and is one of the cheapest in Europe.
The price depends on the length of the rental period (the longer the rental period, the cheaper the daily rental price) and the season... Examples of prices are given below.
- Weekly summer rental (small car) - from 9 0 eur
- Weekly rental summer (4x4 SUV) - from 0 eur 18 eur
- Weekly rental winter (small car) - from 0 eur 0 eur
- Weekly rental winter (SUV 4x4) - from 0 eur 0 eur
- compare prices on booking.com
There are dozens of airports in the UK with car rental companies, and there are rental companies in the centre of every major city without an airport.
Generally, prices tend to be lower at larger airports where there is more competition. In less touristy areas or small places with limited competition, prices can be 20-30% higher than in London or Scotland.
Always read the rental terms and conditions in detail, especially the insurance, which you can also find on Booking.com. Some rental companies include insurance in the final price, elsewhere you will have to pay extra, between 5 eur and 10 eur per day depending on the type of car and length of rental.
International driving licence and other documents
Although the UK is not part of the European Union, holders of any driving licence from an EU member state do not need to take out an international driving licence. The rental company will also accept a national driving licence from any EU country.
Any traveller from an English-speaking country, such as the USA, Canada or Australia, can drive in the UK without an international licence.
Car rental companies usually require a credit card to rent a car, and will often lend on a debit card, but either on less favourable terms or with a very high deposit, often in excess of 1 000 gbp.
Petrol prices and petrol stations
Petrol and dieselprices in the UK are slightly above the European average.
On average, you will pay about 1,40 gbp, but prices change frequently. Prices at petrol stations are quoted in pence, so a litre of petrol costing £1.40 will show as 140.0 on the price display.
If you hire an electric car there is no need to worry. Electric car charging points are plentiful in the UK and are often located in really small towns far from civilisation.
How do refuelling stations work in the UK?
Filling stations in the UK are self-service like in most of Europe.
You drive up to the stand, choose your fuel type, fill up yourself and then go to the shop inside to pay. You can always pay by cash or card.
In some cases, there are completely self-service pumps where there is no shop and you only pay by card after filling up directly at the stand in the payment terminal.
In the UK, the following names are used for floats:
- regular unleaded - regular petrol
- regular diesel - diesel
Petrol prices in the UK are quoted in pence per litre.
Most petrol stations have a basic convenience store with baguettes, drinks, coffee and snacks. However, it is common in the UK for larger petrol stations to include mini-supermarkets such as Spar or Tesco Express, or fast-food outlets such as Subway, McDonald's or Burger King.
UK traffic regulations
In the UK, driving is on the left.
The rules here are very similar to those in other European countries, with the exception of driving on the left, there are no tricky things to prepare for.
The UK uses imperial units, so all speeds are given in miles per hour (mph) and distances in miles.
What are the speed limits?
The following speed limits apply in the UK:
- built-up areas - 30 mph (48 km/h)
- Outside the village, single carriageway - 60 mph (96 km/h)
- motorways and multi-lane roads - 70 mph (112 km/h)
Radar speed measurement is very common in the UK, both in communities and on motorways. Even if you drive a hire car, there are fines which the hire company then charges to your credit card.
Local 20mph zones in towns are also very common.
Other rules
Vehicles travelling from the right havethe right of way at unmarked junctions. Vehicles travelling on a roundabout also have the right of way.
Phones, tablets and other devices are strictly forbidden to be used while driving and while stopped at traffic lights or in traffic. Hands-free use is permitted.
Alcohol is only tolerated up to 0.8‰ in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 0.5‰ in Scotland.
Seat belts are compulsory for all.
Pedestrians have the right of way at all crossings and this rule is very strictly enforced.
Left turns on red are not permitted in the UK unless the additional green arrow is illuminated.
Roundabouts
Roundabouts are very common in the UK. It is always the case that cars travelling on the roundabout (from the right) have the right of way.
If you are leaving the roundabout by taking the 1st exit, you are given the left turn signal as you approach the roundabout.
If you are leaving the roundabout on the 2nd exit, you do not give any turn signal on arrival and you give the left turn signal before leaving the roundabout.
If you are leaving the roundabout by the 3rd (or higher) exit, give the right turn signal on approach. The left turn signal is not given again until you leave the roundabout.
Traffic and road quality
Britain's roads are of a very high standard, including minor country roads.
Signage is good and clear and traffic is commensurate with population density. In England in particular it tends to be very dense, whereas in the more remote uplands of Wales or Scotland you will often be all alone on the road.
In towns and cities, expect narrow and winding streets.
Tolls
The vast majority of motorways and roads in the UK are free. There is currently only 1 exception on a standard motorway where tolls are charged:
- M6 motorway around Birmingham - from 7 gbp to 8,20 gbp, see the official website
There are also tolls from 2 gbp to 15 gbp on various bridges or tunnels, see the list on the UK government website.
