Rated "Excellent"UK Car Hire - Save up to 15% on award-winning UK car rentals
Pre-book your UK car hire, with prices starting from just £9.92 per day with FREE cancellations up to 48 hours before your trip.
The United Kingdom is one of the world's top tourist destinations. Although small in area, it offers everything from historic cities to unspoilt coastlines. Our car hire comparison site will search 1000s of offers to save you up to 15% on your UK car rental. DISCOUNT applied! - make a search to see your savings.
For our award-winning car hire, we only use trusted providers to ensure we bring you a range of great vehicles, all at fantastic prices. Whether you're looking for an economy city run around, a large car or rental minibus or a luxury vehicle, we will have an option for you.
UK Car Hire Vehicle Options
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Economy Car Hire
Budget friendly
Seats up to 4 people
One suitcase
Our Economy cars are the perfect blend of affordability and practicality, making them our most budget-friendly choice.
Designed for city driving, these compact vehicles are easy to park, even in the tightest spots. Popular models in this category include the Fiat 500, Toyota IQ, Peugeot 108, Ford Fiesta, or similar.
Economy cars comfortably seat a driver and three passengers, with space in the boot for one suitcase.
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Small Car Hire
Travelling compact
Seats up to 4 people
One suitcase and bag
A step up from our Economy cars, our Small cars are perfect for urban driving or short trips when you’re packing light.
Popular models in this category include the Opel Corsa, Renault Clio, and Ford Focus.
With 4 doors and seating for a driver and three passengers, they offer great value without compromising on convenience. The boot provides ample space for a suitcase and an additional bag.
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Medium Car Hire
Practical option
Seats up to 5 people
At least 2 suitcases
Our medium-sized rental cars strike the perfect balance between space and affordability, making them an excellent choice for families or groups.
Popular models in this range include the Volvo V40, Ford Mondeo, and Ford C-Max.
Designed with comfort and practicality in mind, all vehicles in this category feature 4 doors and can comfortably accommodate the driver and up to 4 passengers. With generous luggage space.
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Large Car Hire
Most spacious
Seats up to 7 people
Fit's everyone's luggage
Perfect for bigger adventures, our large rental cars are our most spacious option with enough room for the whole family.
If you book this category, you can expect models such as the Ford Galaxy or Volkswagen Sharan.
All the cars in this category have 5 doors and will comfortably seat 7 people. Boot-wise, there will be space for everyone's luggage too.
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Luxury Car Hire
Premium option
Seating will vary
Luggage will vary
Treat yourself to luxury without overspending. Heading to your dream destination? Book your dream hire car!
Our luxury options are more affordable than you think. Choose from a wide range of prestige and convertible cars, including Audis, Porsches and BMWs.
The vehicles in this category may differ in seating capacity and boot space for luggage. Please review these details carefully before making your booking.
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SUV Car Hire
Adventure ready
Seats up to 5 passengers
At least 2 large suitcases
If you’re looking for a real adventure, our SUV hire cars are the ideal choice for exploring. With their comfort and versatility, they’re ready for anything.
If you book an SUV rental car with Holiday Extras, then you can expect a vehicle such as a Nissan Juke, Nissan Qashqai, Opel Mokka, Kia Sportage or similar.
Spacious too - they all have 5 seats and masses of room for luggage with space for at least 2 large suitcases.
UK car rental locations
Our car hire comparison tool can search more than 400 rental locations across the UK to bring you the most affordable car hire available. The UK and Ireland have some of Europe's most popular city break destinations in the world. As such, we have all corners and every major airport, port, town and railway station in between covered. Most major airports in the UK and Ireland will have car rental desks in the arrivals hall, but a few may require you to take a shuttle bus to a location nearby. This information will be outlined when comparing the car hire deals for your pick-up location.
UK Airport Car Hire Locations
- Aberdeen Airport
- Belfast Airport
- Birmingham Airport
- Bristol Airport
- Cardiff Airport
- Cornwall Airport Newquay
- East Midlands Airport
- Edinburgh Airport
- Exeter Airport
- Gatwick Airport
- Glasgow Airport
- Heathrow Airport
- Inverness Airport
- Jersey Airport
- Leeds Bradford Airport
- Liverpool Airport
- London City Airport
- Luton Airport
- Manchester Airport
- Stansted Airport
- Southampton Airport
UK City Car Hire Locations
- Aberdeen
- Belfast
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Inverness
- Liverpool
- London
- Manchester
- Newquay
- Southampton
Non-UK Airports in British Isles
- Cork Airport (Republic of Ireland)
- Dublin (Republic of Ireland)
- Dublin Airport
- Jersey (Channel Islands)
- Knock Ireland West Airport
- Shannon Airport
How does hiring a car in the UK work?
3 steps to booking car hire UK
- Search - fill in your details above and hit search to compare top car hire
- Select - choose the car you want to hire
- Book - with our secure payment system
Once your payment has been authorised you will receive an email confirmation with your booking reference number. Keep all the information on your booking confirmation handy as you will need it along with your other documents when you collect the car at your destination.
What do I need to bring?
- Driving license
- Booking Confirmation & Policy Documents
- Credit Card with full deposit amount available
- Passport
We also have a useful checklist to make sure you have everything you need before you set off.
If you have any queries, you can contact us online here.
Airport Hotels
Compare exclusive package deals including airport parking or special room-only deals.
Airport Parking
Up to 70% off! Choose from 100s of safe and trusted UK airport parking.
Airport Lounges
Start your holiday early. Relax and put your feet up in an affordable airport lounge.
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Airport Transfers
Zip to your destination in no time with the highest quality airport transfers, worldwide.
Car Hire
The key to holiday freedom. Book top quality rental cars to suit you at the best prices.
Travel Insurance
Our award-winning, flexible policies are here to help you travel with peace of mind.
Driving on Britain's roads**
The United Kingdom's huge network of roads are among the safest in the world. As a result, travel is easy between major cities and towns on motorways and dual carriageways. Alternatively you can travel the back-country on smaller 'A' and 'B' roads which will afford you some of the most beautiful scenery you and your passengers will see in the UK.
Useful UK car hire information:
- Right hand drive - Drive on the left, overtake on the right.
- Minimum car hire age - 18 years old. Under 25's may have to pay a young driver surcharge.
- Seatbelt - Compulsory for all occupants to wear a seatbelt. The driver is responsible for ensuring all passengers under 18 are wearing a seatbelt.
- Travelling with children - Under three's and those less than 135cm must use the correct child seat.
- Petrol stations - Many are open 24/7 and accept all major credit cards.
- Toll Roads - The M6 is the only toll road in the UK. There are some toll bridges throughout the UK such as the Severn crossing between England and Wales.
- London Congestion Charge - If you drive through certain parts of central London you will be liable for paying the Congestion Charge (see below for more details).
Road safety laws
Speed limits
- Motorway - 70mph/112kph
- Dual carriageways - 70mph/112kph
- Single carriageways - 60mph/96kph
- Built up/urban areas - 30mph/48kph
Although these are the standardised speed limits, there may be local variations so please be careful to check the road signs.
Driving licence
Important Information - Changes to the UK Driving Licence
Mobile phone use
You can receive a fixed penalty notice if you are caught using a hand-held phone while driving. You could also receive a £100 fine and 3 points on your licence. You can use hands-free devices and satnavs while driving, but if the police think you are distracted and not in control of the vehicle, you can be stopped and penalised.
London Congestion Charge
The Congestion Charge is a £10 daily charge for driving a vehicle within the Congestion Charge zone from 07:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday.
There is no charge on public holidays, between Christmas and New Years day inclusive or between 18:00 and 07:00.
It will be your responsibility to pay the Congestion Charge, not your car hire company. Failure to do so, may result in any unpaid charges and penalties being recovered from you by them.
How to pay the Congestion Charge:
- Online: www.cclondon.com
- Phone: 0845 900 1234
- At selected retail outlets
Drinking and driving
If you are stopped by the Police, they may ask you to use a breathalyser if they believe you to have been drinking. The limit for all motorists is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
It is important to note that drinking alcohol and then driving may invalidate your car rental insurance and holiday insurance, irrespective of local drink driving laws. Check your policy for full details.
UK Car Hire FAQs
To get the cheapest car hire in the UK be sure to book in advance and use our handy Holiday Extras comparison engine- we search hundreds of vehicles provided by top trusted companies like Hertz, Europcar, Sixt and Enterprise to bring you the best quality cars for the best price. You can also cancel for free- get a voucher in credit or a refund so you don't have to worry about losing your money to unavoidable cancellations or amendments. Another way to save on UK car hire is to look out for car hire discount codes- we are currently offering up to 15% off all UK and worldwide holiday car hire.
Choosing a rental vehicle to drive in the UK depends on a few factors: amount of passengers, whether you're driving in the country or city and what your budget is. If you're on a budget and you're happy to sacrifice some space, an Economy or Small vehicle is best for you- these vehicles are also great for city driving as they're more compact and make parking far easier. If you're happy to pay out a little more then you could go for a Medium or Large vehicle for maximum comfort and space. We also offer Luxury and Special Vehicles for those wanting the VIP driving experience.
Most car hire providers in the UK will need you to have a credit card in the driver's name upon collection of the rental car. A credit card allows the rental company to place a temporary hold on the deposit amount, rather than directly debiting your bank account. Whereas using a debit card will usually result in the full security deposit amount being charged to your account. If you don't own a credit card in your name please check directly with the provider first before booking.
At Holiday Extras we allow you to search over 400 rental locations all over the UK and British Isles including both airport and city pick-up and drop-off points. Make a search in the booking engine at the top of the page for your destination.
**This information should be considered as a broad overview of things to remember when hiring a car. It is therefore very important that you read the rental terms and conditions and associated policies for your own specific policy as well as doing your own research into the motoring laws of the country in which you will be driving.