We are having our first trip back to the UK in December. We have been here over 3 years.
Can anyone recomend a good car hire company for while we are there?
I know much more about hiring a car over here in Canda from all our previous visits here but have never had to hire a car in the UK.

Any recomendations?

Thanks

http://www.wwideres.co.uk/car_hire/index.asp



For years I've used these people. I always pick up car (the best deal = invariably Alamo) from Htrw Airport. Never any fuss.

No such thing, sorry!

Having said that, some are less dire than others. I've generally had fewer miserable experiences with Hertz than anyone else. They cost a bit more than some though.

Bear in mind that car rental companies are getting into the forex business. If you're not careful they'll charge your credit card in its native currency - at their rate of exchange of course.

Check with the airline you are traveling with. For example, I recently flew to Heathrow with Air Canada and arranged my car rental through their web site and picked up my car from Avis at about 40% less than I would have paid otherwise. Also arrived mid-week when there are not so many car rental customers and got a great free upgrade.

Thanks so much for the replies guys. I thought it would be more straightforward, but with some sites including Collision waiver or third party insurance and some not and some including an extra driver and some not I have been getting in a spin.
Our flights will be with air canada as its our only option from here I think, so I will certainly look at booking the car with them too.

I also find it weird that its extra for an automatic car. Its no problem for us, but for north american tourists who may have never driven a standard...I hate to think of the damge they might do.....or I guess they just stump up the extra and get the auto. these car hire firms are a little sneaky.

The wwres was a good site too thanks for that. expatasia.

If you have a Canadian credit card that provides liability insurance for car rental - such as the Avion card - then you don't have to take the collision damage waiver, which makes life a bit cheaper.

I always used to recommend 1car1.com but they went bust. Shopping around on the web is a good idea, as is trying sites like hotwire.com or even BAA's website.

No prob, I've been in Japan where manuals aren't usually offered so I got out of the habit - Alamo via wwres don't charge that much extra for automatics. If you can't be bothered spending too much time on website(s) just email the guy and tell him what you want. I'll PM you.

Good luck with whichever company you choose to go with.

Is the liability insurance covered on Canadian credit cards accepted in the UK? Have you done this yourself Atlantic Expat? If it's so than I would always use my Canadian Amex. Thanks.

Thanks AX

Its funny just this morning a friend told me his BMO gold Mastercard covers the CDW. But I only have a bog standard Scotia cheap card. Don't think they are ready to up grade us to gold just yet.

Also this friend said his motor insurance covers him for CDW on hire cars for about $25 a year, so I am going to give my insurance lady a call and find out if there is any insurance for hire cars in the UK I can take out from here.

Meanwhile yes I am trekking my way round the web and rying to compare. I always love to get a good deal!

I used to work at LGW for a car hire company and they way it worked back then was we were told most North American visitors did not have CDW/LDW as their credit card companies or car insurance policies usually covered them. However if there was damage to the car or something that required a claim, we had to charge the customer and they then went to their insurance company for reimbursment. Not bad if you are just paying for a windshield repair, but not if you are liable to pay for the value of the car should it be written off

I hire cars over there now by logging on through the UK site and then the insurance is built in Have used Enterpirse and they have been very good so far.

OK, will certainly look into that the next time we go, thanks.

I've always found Enterprise does the best rates for automatics - I had an auto license in the UK, so no choice in what I was renting.

Never had any problems with them until the last car I rented - it was when we were leaving the UK and wanted to drive us and all of oversized luggage to Heathrow. I got called the morning I was due to pick up the car to be told they didn't have the one I wanted available (even though I'd booked it far in advance!) - I was offered either a smaller car, or a manual version of the one I'd booked! Fortunately, our stuff managed to fit in the smaller car, cause the manual one wasn't much good to me!