Car Hire at London Heathrow Airport
Car hire, both self drive or chauffeur driven, can be arranged at all of Heathrow's five terminals. Hiring a car is a great way to get to your final destination without having to rely on public transport.
There are 8 car hire companies on site at Heathrow airport which are located in all 5 terminals. You can book when you get to the airport, but for the best deals and access to discounts you should book before you get to the airport.
After you have picked up your car from the airport you can usually return your vehicle to another of the provider's locations anywhere in the UK. You can find car hire branch locations in the UK using the map below.
Direct Bookings
| Provider | Phone | Website | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | + 44 (0) 2085 643 500 | www.europcar.co.uk |  | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8704 004 562 | www.alamo.co.uk | | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8704 004 581 | www.nationalcar.co.uk | | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8444 993 399 | www.sixt.co.uk |  | | |
 | + 44 (0) 8708 460 006 | www.hertz.co.uk | | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8445 446 007 | www.avis.co.uk |  | | |
 | + 44 (0) 2031 300 448 | www.easirent.com | | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8442 274 473 | Season Car Hire | | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8445 444 600 | www.budget.co.uk | | ||
 | + 44 (0) 8703 503 000 | www.enterprise.com | |
*UK rentals only. See website for Terms and Conditions.
Car Hire Centre
Online comparison sites are a good way to check out the prices from all car hire companies at Heathrow airport in one go. They let you work out quickly and easily which company can offer you the best price.
Car Hire Centre
The Car Hire Centre compares the best car hire companies on the web, and help you find the cheapest quote for your destination. They compare car hire prices for over 5250 locations around the world, including London Heathrow Airport. On average they save their customers around £30 on each of their car hire bookings.
You can also get a quote over the phone by calling +44 (0)844 816 0099.
holiday autos
holiday autos compare a range of reputable companies to get you the best deal.
holiday autos
If you find cheaper quotes for the exact same vehicle hire, holiday autos will match the price. This shows how confident they feel about their prices.
Map of Heathrow Car Hire Locations
Information for Under 25's
Different car hire providers have different age restrictions in place for car hire. Some providers only require you are over 21 and have held your driving license for 3 years or more in order to hire a vehicle, while other providers demand their hirers are aged over 25 years old. For certain car hire vehicle groups such as prestige or luxury vehicle groups the minimum age to hire the car may even be 30 years old so it is best to check with your car hire provider what age restrictions are in place for your desired vehicle group.
Some providers charge a Young Driver Surcharge per rental day if you are aged between 21 and 25. The cost is charged per day and varies depending on your destination. To find out each provider's minimum age requirements for hiring a car click on "More Details" underneath the providers listed at the bottom of the page.
Documents Needed
You must present a valid Driver's License upon arrival at the rental station. For UK and Ireland renters you will need to produce both the photo card and paper counterpart. You will not be able to hire a vehicle if you only present one part of your driver's license and photocopies of either part are not accepted.
If you are not from the European Union it is advisable for you to provide an International Driver's Permit. You may also have to present your passport for ID purposes when you pick up your car for the rental. As you are at the airport you should have your passport with you so this should not be an issue.
Insurance
Buying insurance tips
Benefits of buying Excess insurance separately from your car hire provider:
When you hire your car, the price you pay should include a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Waiver which covers you for a claim should the vehicle get damaged. Although this provides cover, it is not insurance. If the car gets damaged or stolen while you are renting the vehicle you would be expected to pay an excess which can sometimes be as much as £1000. When you book your car your provider will offer you their own Excess insurance, which will prevent you from paying their huge excess should the car get damaged. However, buying Excess insurance from a car hire provider is not the cheapest option. You can save yourself a lot of money if you buy excess insurance from a specialist car hire insurance provider such as Insurance4carhire. Insurance4carhire offers annual and daily insurance policies covering your excess for up to £2000.
- Provides cover for any excess on damage to the vehicle including damage to the under carriage, roof, tyres and windows (items which are usually excluded from car hire provider’s own excess insurance policies).
- Covers excess on theft.
- Can be used with all car hire providers.
- Provides cover for up to 7 additional drivers.
- Provides cover for baggage.
- Provides cover for any driver aged 21-74 years old.
By purchasing Excess cover separately from your insurance provider you will save yourself a considerable amount of money in the long run and you can relax knowing you have financial cover should anything happen to your vehicle. For more information visit Insurance4carhire.
Other insurance options your car hire provider may offer:
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), which will be offered when you arrive to hire your vehicle. It provides insurance which covers authorised drivers and passengers for medical expenses incurred through an accident in your vehicle.
Cancellation Waiver Protection (CWP) which prevents you paying a charge should you cancel your booking.
Sometimes car hire providers offer other insurance options when you hire a vehicle, for more car hire terms please visit the Car Hire Centre.
Tips
When you receive your hire car you should make sure you check the vehicle for any damage. If you find any damage you should report it to the car hire provider immediately and make sure they have documented the damage was caused before your rental. If you do not do this the provider may hold you responsible for causing the damage at the end of the rental period and make you responsible for paying for its repair.
Return your vehicle with the same amount of fuel as was in the car when you received it. If you do not do this then the provider will charge you for fuel which is usually considerably more than it would have cost to fill the car yourself with fuel.
Before you go away familiarise yourself with the road laws of your destination. This will decrease your chances of having an accident. You should also take the same care driving as you would in your own country. Therefore do not drink and drive, do not use your phone while driving and take plenty of breaks so that you are not tired while driving. The Car Hire Centre provides more information on car hire advice.
Airport Surcharge
Car hire companies usually have to pay a fee to the airport in order to use their facilities. Sometimes this charge is included in your policy, however, sometimes providers will pass the cost on by charging the customer a fee upon arrival at the provider's desk at the airport. Read your policy carefully to ensure you are prepared should you have to pay an airport surcharge upon arrival at the airport.
Heathrow Airport Car Hire Providers
Below you can find further information about the Heathrow airport car hire providers and current provider discounts.
Provider Extras
Provider extras should be requested in advance and are subject to availability. To request hand controls for physically challenged drivers customers should phone the provider at least 48 hours before hire start to give the provider enough time to fit the controls.
Providers offer the following extras at Heathrow Airport:
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child Seats |  | | | | | | | | |
| Satellite Navigation | | | | | | | | | |
| Hire via Phone App. | | |  | | | | | | |
| Disabled Driver Hand Controls | | | | | | | | | |
| Entertainment Systems | | | | | | | | | |
What to do out of hours
The Europcar stations at Heathrow airport are open 24 hours and so there are no out of hours charge whatever time you arrive.
Minimum age of hire
The minimum age for a hire is 21. However, for driver’s aged 21-22 a young driver surcharge will be charged which for the UK would be about £13 per day. For a prestige hire the minimum age for a hire is either 25 or 30 depending on the type of vehicle.
Cost of additional driver
An additional driver only costs from £4.99 per day from Heathrow airport. However, charges may differ depending on the vehicle type.
Airport Connect
Airport Connect is a one way hire which means you can either pick up your car from a local branch and drop it at the airport or collect it from the airport and drop the vehicle at a local branch or airport branch. Airport connect costs from £45.
Services for disabled drivers
Europcar offer Lynx hand controls for physically challenged drivers and adapted cars for drivers and passengers on request. To reserve your fully adapted vehicle call 0870 384 1087 or email Reservationsuk@mail.europcar.com. 48 hours notice is required so that they have time to fit the controls in advance. Customers can also request large print documents.
What to do out of hours
The National Car Rental branches at Heathrow Airport are open 24/7.
Minimum age of hire
To hire a car with National Car Rental from Heathrow the minimum age requirement is 21. However, a young driver surcharge would be added for drivers aged between 21-24. For drivers aged 21-22 the charge is about £14.77 per day and £10.43 per day fro drivers aged between 23-24.
Cost of additional driver
National Car Rental charges £6.50 per day to add an additional driver.
HireRewards
HireRewards is National Car Rental’s loyalty scheme. By joining you receive 10% discount on all car, van and prestige car rental, free membership, cover for 2 additional drivers, priority upgrade and much more.
Airport Connect
From £49 National Car Rental offer airport connect which lets you collect your vehicle from Heathrow Airport and drop the car off at your local National branch or another airport branch. You can also collect your vehicle from your local branch and drop your car at the airport to save you the hassle of parking at the airport.
Drivers with disabilities
National car hire will add mobility devices to their vehicles for customers with disabilities at no additional charge. To reserve please call (888) 273-5262 or email mobility@nationalcar.com.
What to do out of hours
Alamo is open for 24 hours 7 days a week at Heathrow and so there is no out of hours charge necessary at any time.
Minimum age of hire
The minimum age to hire a car from Alamo is 21. Between 21-22 a young driver surcharge of £14.77 per day will be added and from the age 23-24 a charge of £10.43 per day will be added. The minimum age to hire a premium car is either 25 or 30 depending on the vehicle type.
Cost of additional driver
An additional driver costs about £6.50 per day from Heathrow airport.
Refuelling options
Alamo provides you with a vehicle full of fuel and offers 2 options for refueling. The first is to Prepay for a full tank on collection of the vehicle so that the vehicle can be returned empty or low on fuel. The second option is to return the vehicle with a full tank of fuel and pay no additional fueling fee.
What to do out of hours
The Sixt station at Heathrow is closed between 11pm and 6am and so for hire outside these times please call 0844 499 33 99. (212)
Minimum age of hire
The minimum age for a hire with Sixt is 21 years old but for some vehicle groups a young person’s surcharge of £11.23 may be added per rental day. For luxury vehicle groups drivers must be aged over 23 years old. Sixt offer deals for Students aged over 19 who hold a valid NUS card so if you are a student look out for exclusive offers.
Cost of additional driver
A charge of £5.10 per day will be added for any additional driver with a maximum charge of £41 per rental.
Mobile Reservation
You can book your car hire with Sixt from your phone if you have an iphone, Blackberry, Android or mobile device.
*10% off
10% discount is exclusive to the Heathrow Airport Guide. 10% discount is only avilable for hire pickups from Heathrow Airport. For more information read the T&C on the Sixt website.
What to do out of hours
Hertz is open 24 hours 7 days a week at Heathrow Airport so there are no out of hours procedures.
Minimum age of hire
The minimum age for a hire with Hertz is 19 and drivers under the age of 25 will have to pay a Young Driver Surcharge of £15.75 per day plus VAT with a maximum charge of £157.50 per rental. Hertz offer a discount for students aged 19-24 but a Young Driver Surcharge still applies.
Cost of additional driver
A charge of £9 will be added per rental day for an additional driver with the maximum charge being £90 per rental.
Services for physically challenged drivers
Hand controls are available at all UK locations in the UK. Hertz also offer left foot accelerators at their UK locations and wheelchair accessible vehicles. Hertz request drivers contact them 24 hours before hire if they require any of these additional features. To request these features please call 0870 840 0084
What to do out of hours
A member of Season Car Hire will meet you upon arrival at the airport at any time day or night. You will be led to your vehicle which should be ready and waiting.
Minimum age of hire
The minimum age for a hire with Season Car Hire depends on the vehicle type you require.
Cost of additional driver
Season Car Hire charge £25 per day for additional drivers.
Chauffeur Hire
Season Car Hire pride themselves on their chauffeur service. Details can be found on their website.
What to do out of hours
The Avis branch at Heathrow Airport is open 24 hours Monday to Sunday so there are no out of hours charges.
Minimum age of hire
The minimum age for a hire with Avis is 23 years old. For drivers aged 23-35 years old a Young Driver Surcharge of £12.93 per day will be added to your hire with a maximum of charge of £120.93 per rental.
Cost of additional driver
A fee of £9 per day will be added to your hire for each additional driver. The maximum charge for Avis is 390 per rental per driver.
Disabled Driver Options
Avis offer Lynx hand controls for disabled drivers. To request Lynx hand controls you will need to call 08445 81 81 81.
What to do out of hours
Budget are open 24 hours a day at Heathrow Airport so there is no need for out of hours service.
Minimum and maximum age of hire
The minimum age to hire a vehicle with Budget is 23 years old. For drivers aged 23-25 years old a Young Driver Surcharge of £12.93 per day will be added to your rental. The maximum age of a hire is 75 and renters aged over 70 will have to pay a Senior Driving Surcharge of £12.93 per day.
Cost of additional driver
Budget charge an additional fee of £9 per day for a rental.
Disabled Driver Options
Budget can provide Lynx hand controls for vehicles on request. To reserve this equipment you will need to call 0844 544 3407 48 working hours before your rental is due to begin.
Book early and save 10% offer.
Offer subject to T & C and for UK rentals booked 6 weeks in advance only.
What to do out of hours
Easirent offer meet and greet at Heathrow Airport between these times:
- T1: 06:00 - 22:00
- T3: 06:00 - 22:00
- T4: 06:00 - 22:00
- T5: 06:00 - 22:00
Disabled driver information
Hand controls for disabled drivers can be added to your rental vehicle on request.
Minimum and maximum age of hire
Drivers must be over 23 to hire with Easirent.
Cost of additional drivers
Unlike other car rental providers who charge you for each rental day for an additional driver, Easirent charge a one off payment of £15 to save you money.
What to do out of hours
Enterprise is open 6am-11pm every day of the week.
Disabled driver information
Enterprise provide specialised options for their customers with disabilities including adding Hand controls to their vehicles if needed. Enterprise require 2 days notice to fit the controls.
Minimum and maximum age of hire
Enterprise inforce age restrictions on their car hires for all vehicle groups. The minimum age to hire a vehicle with Enterprise is 23 years old and any driver aged 23-24 must pay a Young Driver's Surcharge of £14.99 per day. For larger vehicle groups such as 4 x 4s there is a minimum age requirement of either 25 or 30 years old.