Arriving at London Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW) or staying in central London? We make it easy to compare cheap car hire in London from major suppliers in one search. Pick up your rental car at London Heathrow for instant access to the M25 and M4, at Gatwick for easy access to South London and the M23, or pick up in London City Centre if you are staying near the West End, Canary Wharf and the City of London. All prices include airport fees, local taxes and unlimited mileage.
Arriving at London Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW) or staying in central London? We make it easy to compare cheap car hire in London from major suppliers in one search, with average prices from £14 per day at Heathrow. Pick up your rental car at London Heathrow for instant access to the M25 and M4, at Gatwick for the M23 and South London, or in London City Centre for the West End, Canary Wharf and the City of London. All prices include airport fees, local taxes and unlimited mileage. Use the search form above - enter London Heathrow Airport (LHR) or your London postcode, your dates, and we will show live prices from all suppliers with no hidden fees and free cancellation on most rates.
At Heathrow and Gatwick you will find Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, National and Dollar. Economy hatchbacks like the Toyota Yaris or Vauxhall Corsa start from around £14 per day average at Heathrow, compact SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai from £22 per day, and full-size estates and people carriers from £35 per day. All include airport fees, VAT and unlimited mileage. One-way hire between Heathrow and Gatwick, or London to Manchester and Edinburgh, is available with most suppliers for a small drop fee. Choose your fuel policy - full-to-full is usually cheapest - and add extras like GPS, child seats or additional drivers at checkout.
London has the Tube, but a hire car gives you freedom outside the congestion zone. From Heathrow you are on the M25 in 10 minutes, M4 to Windsor, Bath and Bristol to the west, and M1 to the Midlands and the North. From Gatwick the M23 takes you to Brighton and the south coast in under an hour. If you are staying central, pick up on your last day to avoid the £15 daily Congestion Charge and £12.50 ULEZ charge which applies to most older rental cars inside central London. A car is essential if you are visiting family in Surrey, Kent, Oxford or Cambridge, or travelling with luggage that is difficult on public transport.
The UK drives on the left. At Heathrow and Gatwick roundabouts give way to traffic from the right. Speed limits are 30 mph in built-up areas, 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways. The M25 around London is busy 07:00-19:00 - allow extra time. Contactless payment is accepted at most car parks, but many London boroughs now use RingGo or ParkMobile apps. Check if your hire car is ULEZ compliant - all our suppliers at Heathrow and Gatwick now provide ULEZ-compliant petrol, hybrid and electric cars. Keep your rental agreement and driving licence with you at all times.
With your hire car from London, Windsor Castle is 25 minutes from Heathrow via the M4, Oxford and Bicester Village 60 minutes via the M40, and Brighton Beach 90 minutes from Gatwick via the M23 and A23. Stonehenge and Bath are 90 minutes to 2 hours west on the A303 and M4. For business trips, Luton, Stansted and Birmingham are all easy motorway drives. Return your car to any London airport - most suppliers allow free returns within London if you book the same location group.
