umpalumpa

Hi we are going to the UK for our first visit since moving to Canada (Ottawa) 4 years ago and will be renting a car. We have read on some rental websites about needing a international license, however we have also read that if your licence is in English ie Canadian, USA, Australian you can drive up to 12 months with your license overseas. As ours is an Ontario licence are we ok? Also any good recommendations of helpful rental companies would be great we are flying into Gatwick in less than 2 weeks

haggis88

rent from a non airport location, they stick a "Premium Location" charge on the rental if you get it at the airport!

I found enterprise to be the cheapest when i was looking, by quite a large margin (for a full sized sedan, like an Insignia or Mondeo)

umpalumpa

Thanks for the kind reply - we will check it out. Did you have to get any additional international licence or anything? or was your provincial licence enough?

haggis88

i don't know, i haven't actually rented yet, but i have a full AB Class 5,6 so I hope its enough or i might need to hunt my parents place for an old UK license

umpalumpa

Good luck with that! they destroyed our uk licences when we got our Ontario ones so no UK ones to liberate! Have a good trip my friend.

Atlantic Xpat

Your ON license should be fine providing you've had it for a year. I recently rented a Vauxhall Insignia estate for 3.5 weeks through national / enterprise for $650. Seemed like a good deal. Picked up and returned to LHR.

umpalumpa

Fabbo! Thanks Atlantic Xpat - we've had our licenses for 3 1/2 years so we should be good!

Shard

Keep in mind that the CDW benefit provided on many Canadian credit cards is often not accepted on the UK car hire (sometimes the website will process it in the reservation quote, but at the counter it will be rejected). Worth clarifying before you decide on company. Your ONT licence will be fine - you'll just have to remember how to drive again.

Atlantic Xpat

Never been a problem in my experience. Which car rental co's have you had problems with?

umpalumpa

Eugh! CDW what? never heard of that at all -
The transaction shows as pending on my credit card - we could purchase the car hire using a UK credit card, but that is registered to my mother in laws house, I didn't want it to be a problem when I produced a Canadian driving license so did it using my Canadian credit card. Do you think it'll be ok or get rejected? can I use my uk card then? Argh!

haggis88

collision damage waiver

i've been told by an enterprise employee on another forum that if you decline their insurance and have a smash, your card will be charged and you have to chase VISA/Mastercard for the cash, which won't be a problem if you have the coverage on your card i'd assume

Shard

Think it was Budget and Hertz. Can't remember the exact situation, it might have been complicated by using Cdn CC with UK licence, but IME it hasn't always been straight forward. Just suggesting it's worth checking in advance, given how much insurance adds.

umpalumpa

ahhhh - okay, I get it now - sorry for being dumb!

idontlikestrikers

insurance4carhire.com specialise in insuring hire drivers around the world and much much cheaper than a rental company. I got insurance for £59 that covers me for 60 consecutive days at a time - and many times per year. I'm covered for US/Canada and all of Europe.

Don't let the rental company pressurise you into buying their insurance - you do not have to have it. If you see one hire company charging much less you will find you the CDW is much higher i.e. you pay more in the event of a crash. I currently have a rental car for 5 weeks from Heathrow total £405, with rental company insurance this would have doubled but I used insurance4carhire.com.

The rule is the cheaper the hire the less you are covered for in CDW - including breakdown cover. When you arrange your own insurance you can get covered for all events and much cheaper and can with confidence pick the cheaper rental options.

HTH

umpalumpa

Thanks that's some great info