Car hire in the United Kingdom

There's no better way to see Great Britain than by car

Come city, airport or major town, we’ve got you covered in the UK. Whether you fancy a stealthy car for an urban jaunt, a classy coupé for a romantic road trip or a herculean 4x4 or people carrier for a family holiday, we have the perfect hire car for you. With locations across the entire country we can guarantee you’ll find a car where you need it when you need it.

The car you pick is the car you get!

Our curated collection of stylish hire cars with attitude, the Avis Select Series offers you the chance to accelerate away in the exact model you fancy. Avis Select Series is available at many major airports and city locations in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Italy. Book your chosen car in the exact same way as you would our standard fleet. And, you don’t have to drive full-circle: make the most of one-way car hire across Britain.

Scroll down to discover our top United Kingdom car rental locations and pinpoint the best spot to collect and return your hire car. Alternatively, click the button below to let us know where and when you'd like to begin your journey.

The moment you slide into the seat of your rental car of choice is where it all begins. Book with Avis now and get your travels started right here.

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Why rent your car with Avis in Great Britain?

Are you looking to quickly and easily navigate the sights and tour the United Kingdom in the car best suited for your trip? Avis is here to help! With an abundance of locations around the UK, at airports and train stations, picking up your hire car is as convenient as can be! Simply go online and rent a car that best suits your trip - using our straight-forward booking service. Hiring a car has never been easier, and you get to enjoy a variety of benefits:

A Car for every journey:From premium cars in our Select Series and Prestige to holiday friendly people carriers and cost-efficient smaller models. we offer a wide variety of cars and deals to provide tou with the bes car rental experience. With regular fleet updates, your trip will always be accomanied by the latest models on the market.
Our Rental Agreement: We aim to make our agreement as transparent as possible, no jargon, clear prices and you only have to sign once!
It pays to book direct: Booking directly with Avis instead of a comparison service will guarantee you have the car and the extras that you booked rather than simply ‘on request’
Avis Delivers: If your residential address is within 40 miles of one of our many locations, you don’t even need to come to us to get your car, we’ll drop it off right at your door and once you’re done, we’ll also come pick it up!

Popular airport locations in the UK

Popular car hire locations in the UK

Exploring the United Kingdom

History and Culture

Steeped in a wealth of history, you can do everything from exploring old breweries and seeing landmarks to experience everything British. Renowned for their monarchy, you can travel through almost the entire UK and visiting the homes of the famous royals. Starting in London with Buckingham you can travel all the way up Edinburgh to Holyroodhouse.

The history wasn’t only dedicated to the Royal family however. The United Kingdom bore many famous historic and contemporary artists from Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon to The Beatles in Liverpool. Careful to preserve and promote their culture, most sites have museums or guided tours to take you through everything that has happened.With your Avis rental car, you can explore each and every one of these iconic locations at your hearts’ desire.

Shopping

History isn’t the only thing on display in the United Kingdom however. Home to one of the most prolific fashion capitals of the world, London, the United Kingdom is about as trendy as you are going to get in Europe. From boutiques to antiques to contemporary you will undoubtedly find what you are looking for at any time of year. From fashion week in the buzzing capital in September to the beautiful Christmas markets scattered around the UK, there is something for everyone.

Nightlife

Whether you’re looking for a quiet night with a couple drinks or to go dancing into the early morning hours, the UK has it all. Known for the ‘pub culture’ you can experience everything from modern gastropubs to the original public houses, if you are looking for an authentically British experience. Every city boasts its own, intriguing nightlife, from Manchester’s bustling music scene, London’s never-ending theatre programs, to the unique costume parties in Brighton or up north. It doesn’t matter if you prefer a quieter evening or a wild one, you will find something intriguing in the UK’s nights.

And all of this is possible in the car hire of your choosing. Fill your comfortable hatchback with antiques you found, or the shopping bags you are bringing home from Oxford Street, right down to driving everyone home after the theatre, we’ve got the car that suits you and your trip.

UK Driving Guide

Which side of the road?

In the United Kingdom, please drive on the left side of the road. Your rental car in the UK will always be a right-hand drive.

Country driving laws

Mobile phones may only be used with a headset or hands-free device
There is a congestion charge payable when driving in London.
Use the outside lane to overtake on motorways and dual carriageways, however, only overtake on the right side of the road. Overtaking on the left could result in prosecution for dangerous driving.
Zebra crossings (black and white stripes on the road) give pedestrians right of way to cross the road

Speed Limits

All speed signs will be in miles per hour (mph).

For a standard Avis rental vehicle with no trailers:

Urban areas: lowest 20 mph (31 km/h, for congested city centres like central London) and usually 30mph (48km/h)
Motorways: 70 mph (112 km/h)
Rural areas: 60 mph (96 km/h).

Unless indicated by road signs.

Child safety / Seatbelt laws

It is compulsory for the driver and all passengers to wear a seatbelt.

Children aged under 12 or less than 135cm tall must be seated in an appropriate child restraint for their size.

Please note, it is the child’s parent / guardian or vehicle renter’s responsibility to fit the child seat.

This road rules information is for provided for general guidance only. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and accurate, but any reliance you place on this information is at your own risk. Click here for further information and services we are able to provide to comply with these laws.

There's so much to explore, here’s one of our recommendations

Where to start? Motorists can trail through the wild moors of the southwest to Cornwall’s surfer-friendly bays. Pass by Bath, a spa destination since Celtic times. Cross into Wales for the second-hand bookshop capital Hay-on-Wye, or Swansea’s award-winning sandy neighbour Rhossili. Back in England, join the resident 4x4s and tick off the tearoom-filled villages of the Cotswolds before turning right for the ancient academy towns of Oxford then Cambridge.

Accelerate north for the Minsters and small-town charm of Yorkshire, Wordsworth country amidst the idyllic Lake District, and the sparsely populated, eerily ascetic Northumberland coast. Pass into Scotland and the golf courses of North Berwick. From Edinburgh it’s a 15-minute hop to hilltop Rosslyn Chapel made infamous by “The Da Vinci Code”. Glasgow and 16th-century Stirling Castle are nearby. Continue climbing for the Grampian hills, the Cairngorm massif and the jagged west coast.

Choose your journey and we’ll provide the quality rental car you are looking for. Whether you go from climbing mountain passes in your hire car or simply cruising through cities, it’ll be the right hire car for you. Just pick one of our many rental stations in the UK and get your travels started.

Avis doesn’t only provide the rental car but an abundance of extras

Avis’ ambition is to accommodate all your driving needs. Sometimes these include hiring a van for business or personal transportation, GPS requirements, family extras such as child seats, fuel options and much more. Explore all of our car hire extras and find the best options for your journey.