Practical UK travel

Car hire and driving in the UK

When a rental car helps, what to bring to the airport desk, and how to prepare if driving on the left is unfamiliar.

Published and sources checked 15 September 2026 · Research method

Scope: the road-rule summary below covers England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain). Northern Ireland has separate licensing guidance and its own Highway Code. This is a visitor planning guide, not a guide to moving to the UK or driving commercial vehicles.

Should you hire at the airport or later?

City first, countryside later: compare taking public transport to your first hotel and collecting a car when you leave the city. Paying for unused rental days and hotel parking can outweigh the convenience of an airport collection.

Rural stay from the start: airport collection may be practical if your accommodation has limited public transport. Check the drive, daylight, parking and how rested you will be. A first night near the airport may make more sense than a long drive after an overnight flight.

Compare both airport and town branches using the same dates, vehicle, cover and return location. Neither is always cheaper. Pair this decision with choosing the right UK arrival airport and our car-free itinerary.

Do visitors need an international driving permit?

Not every visitor needs an IDP. First check whether your full licence gives you permission to drive, then check the rental supplier's document requirements. Those are two different decisions. An IDP translates your home licence; it does not replace the original licence when collecting a rental car.

Can you drive on your home-country licence?

For a visitor selecting “Any other country” in the GOV.UK checker, the current result allows small vehicles covered by a full, valid licence for 12 months from the last entry into Great Britain. That is a visitor result, not a rule for everyone living or studying here. Use the checker from the start for your issuing country and circumstances. GOV.UK foreign-licence checker; GOV.UK visitor result: licence from any other country

For Northern Ireland, use nidirect: foreign driving licences in Northern Ireland rather than applying the Great Britain checker to the whole UK.

What will the rental desk accept?

Bring the original valid licence, the identification and payment card your supplier requires, and any required IDP or translation. Confirm the name on the payment card, deposit funds, accepted card type, driver age and how long the licence must have been held. Do this for every driver.

Supplier wording can differ: Enterprise: renter requirements says an IDP is required when the licence uses a different language or characters. Its Enterprise Dover: location-specific licence policy distinguishes between extended Latin and other alphabets. These published pages do not use identical wording. Ask your actual pickup branch to confirm in writing what it accepts for your licence; do not assume one brand-wide summary settles every booking. Enterprise also says an IDP alone is insufficient for rental.

A phone image or digital licence may not be accepted: Enterprise's published requirements call for a physical licence. Keep the branch's confirmation with your booking.

What is airport car collection like?

At Heathrow, the airport says collection usually includes an operator transfer bus after the arrivals-desk formalities. Gatwick lists on-airport providers within walking distance of the terminals. Follow your chosen supplier's instructions: an airport search result can include different collection locations. Heathrow: car hire and transfers to vehicles; Gatwick: on-airport car hire.

Before booking: confirm the terminal, desk hours, shuttle if needed, and the procedure if your flight is delayed. After-hours returns do not mean after-hours collection is available.
Choose the transmission: explicitly book an automatic if that is what you need or prefer. Check the reservation rather than assuming the vehicle will be automatic. Choose enough space for passengers and luggage without hiring a larger vehicle than you are comfortable driving.
Before leaving: photograph existing damage, wheels, glass, fuel or battery level and mileage. Have unrecorded damage added to the handover record.
Get comfortable: adjust the seat and mirrors, locate lights, wipers, parking brake and reverse, and set the route while parked. Ask staff to explain unfamiliar controls.
Save the return details: use the rental-return address, not just the passenger-terminal postcode. Allow time for the handover and transfer back to departures.

What should you compare besides the daily rate?

The checklist below is for comparing quotes; charges and inclusions depend on the actual rental agreement. Get the final total for the same vehicle category and conditions.

Questions to resolve before you pay
Item	Ask the supplier
Deposit and payment card	How much is held, which card is accepted, and when is the hold released?
Damage cover and excess	What is included, what is excluded, and what could you still owe? The excess is the amount you may have to pay towards a covered claim.
Separate excess cover	Must you pay the rental company first and claim reimbursement afterwards? Does the rental deposit still apply?
Driver and equipment extras	Are additional drivers, age-related charges, child seats and other selected extras included?
Fuel, charging and mileage	What return level is required, are miles limited, and what happens if the fuel or battery level is too low?
Different return location	What is the total including any one-way fee, and is the intended route permitted?
Late or out-of-hours return	When does the hire end, when does responsibility for the vehicle end, and how is condition recorded?

For children, arrange a suitable seat before collection. The usual UK requirement is a child seat until age 12 or 135cm tall, whichever comes first; check the suitability and exceptions in GOV.UK: child car seats. Add the rental total, parking, fuel and route charges to your trip budget.

How do you prepare for driving on the left?

Keep left unless the road layout, signs or a permitted manoeuvre require otherwise. Take particular care when leaving a car park, turning at a junction or setting off again after a stop. Read the Highway Code: junctions and roundabouts before the trip.

Start with a manageable first journey in daylight if possible. An automatic can remove unfamiliar gear changes from the task, but it does not remove the need to learn lane position and junction rules. If you are not confident, consider familiarisation with a qualified instructor or use public transport.

Roundabouts: follow signs and lane markings and normally give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless signals or markings direct otherwise. Choose the appropriate lane early, check mirrors and signal correctly. Leave room for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Highway Code: rules 184–190.

After a long flight: do not drive tired. The Highway Code advises at least a 15-minute break after every two hours of driving, but a break schedule is not a substitute for being fit to start. Highway Code: fitness to drive and vehicle preparation.

What is driving in Britain like?

Expect different demands on each part of a trip: lane choice on motorways, junctions and parking restrictions in towns, and limited visibility or passing space on country roads. Allow for these rather than judging a journey only by its distance.

Speed limits use miles per hour

For a standard car without a trailer, the national limits are 60mph on a single carriageway and 70mph on a dual carriageway or motorway, unless a lower limit is signed. Roads with street lighting generally have a 30mph limit in England and Scotland and 20mph in Wales, unless signed otherwise. Local 20mph zones and variable limits also matter. A speed limit is a maximum, not a target. GOV.UK: speed limits.

Motorways and unfamiliar exits

Keep to the left lane unless overtaking, returning left when safe. Obey overhead signs, including lane closures and variable limits. If you miss an exit, continue to the next one; never reverse or cross the verge to recover a missed turn. Highway Code: motorway rules.

Country lanes and passing places

Drive slowly enough to stop within the distance you can see is clear. Expect sharp bends and road users such as walkers, cyclists and horses. On a single-track road, use a passing place on your left, or wait opposite one on your right. Do not park in passing places. Highway Code: general advice and country roads.

Set navigation before moving and stop safely to change it; do not handle your phone in traffic. Plan not to drink if driving. Scotland's alcohol limit is lower than England's and Wales's, and being below a legal limit does not mean you are safe to drive. Highway Code: fitness to drive and vehicle preparation.

Parking, tolls and emission zones

Check hotel parking before booking accommodation: availability, access, charges and height restrictions can affect which car to hire. At a car park, read the operator's signs, time limit and payment instructions. On-street restrictions can apply even when other vehicles are parked nearby. Highway Code: parking.

London: the TfL: Congestion Charge and TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone are separate schemes. Meeting emissions standards does not by itself remove the Congestion Charge.
Other English cities: use the GOV.UK: Clean Air Zones to check the actual vehicle and zone.
Scotland: non-compliant vehicles in Scottish Government: Low Emission Zones can receive penalties; you cannot simply prepay to make entry permitted.
Dartford Crossing: check GOV.UK: Dartford Crossing charge if your route uses it. Do not assume every road charge is collected at a toll booth.

Once you have the vehicle registration, confirm with the supplier who pays each charge and whether it has already been arranged. Keep receipts and check for rental administration charges. For fuel planning, see avoiding expensive motorway fuel stops.

Before returning the car

Follow the agreed fuel or charging policy and keep the receipt.
Allow for the rental-return location, inspection and any shuttle to departures.
Photograph the condition and fuel or battery level, and keep the return acknowledgement.
Check that any required road-charge payments have been dealt with under your agreement.
If using a key drop, follow the supplier's instructions and confirm when its responsibility for the vehicle resumes.

For a ferry journey or a trip into the Republic of Ireland, get the rental company's permission and confirm cover and charges before booking. A UK rental does not establish permission to take the car across a border.

Sources and review scope

Official rules and the supplier examples below were checked on 15 September 2026. This is desk research with practical planning advice, not a rental-price survey or a claim that each airport collection was field tested. Hire conditions vary by supplier, branch, driver and vehicle. The government and the contracted rental supplier determine the final requirements.

Back to the UK planning hub

For the next planning step, use accommodation and parking checklist.