Car rental locations.

Our car rental locations

Pickup point decides both the price and the trip. Airport desks sit right where flights land but build a location surcharge into their rates. City branches skip the surcharge and suit drivers who live in or near London. Every location below has its own guide with verified prices, pickup logistics and driving notes.

Heathrow

The UK’s busiest airport and its biggest car hire hub, with every major supplier on site. A compact booked a couple of weeks ahead typically starts from £30 to £45 a day. Best for flights into west London and trips heading out along the M4 and M3. Read the Heathrow car hire guide.

Gatwick

London’s second largest airport, with two terminals and its own supplier fleet at each. A compact booked ahead typically starts from £25 to £40 a day. Best for southbound trips: the Sussex coast, Brighton and the M23 corridor. Read the Gatwick car hire guide.

Stansted

The main base for Ryanair and a strong easyJet and Jet2 base, all through one terminal. Small cars booked ahead start from around £13 to £23 a day, among the cheapest pickups we cover. Best for Cambridge, Essex and the east of England via the M11. Read the Stansted car hire guide.

Luton

The closest London airport to the Midlands, just off the M1. Small cars booked ahead start from around £13 to £25 a day. Note the two-stage pickup: most desks sit at the car hire centre on President Way, a short shuttle ride from arrivals. Best for the Midlands, the Chilterns and the counties north of London. Read the Luton car hire guide.

London city branches

Picking up at a city branch rather than an airport desk keeps the daily rate down, because there is no airport surcharge to pay. A compact booked a week or two ahead starts around £30 to £45 a day. Our London car rental guide covers the charges that matter in the capital, the Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zone included.

Enfield

North London’s pickup point, with an Enterprise desk in Enfield Town at 274 Baker Street. Weekday hours 8am to 6pm, Saturdays 8am to 1pm, closed Sundays. The M25 at junction 25 sits about ten minutes away, so the Home Counties are an easy start. Read the Enfield car rental guide.

Canary Wharf

London’s second financial centre, on the Isle of Dogs in east London. There is no rental desk inside the Wharf itself; the search above shows supplier branches across east and central London, most of them a short drive or DLR ride away. Best for east London pickups and trips out towards Essex and Kent. Read the Canary Wharf car hire guide.

Paddington

The station at Praed Street sits where the Westway, Edgware Road and the A40 meet central London, which makes it one of the more practical places to start a drive west. Best for Heathrow connections, the M4 and the west country. Read the Paddington car hire guide.

Daily and short term hire

Two hire types cover most bookings from these locations. Our daily car rental page explains the 24-hour rules, young driver surcharges and documents. The short term car rental page covers hires from a few days to a full week, where the weekly rate usually works out cheaper per day.

Airport pickup or city branch?

If you are flying in, the airport desk is usually worth the surcharge: you land, walk to the desk and drive. If your trip starts and ends in London, a city branch usually wins. The daily rate is lower without the airport fee, city desks suit local drivers who do not want to trek out to an airport, and most suppliers let you collect at one location and return to another.

Where you pick up also decides which London charges apply. Every Greater London pickup point, Heathrow included, sits inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton sit outside it. Our location guides explain when the £12.50 daily charge actually applies.

Why book through Cars 4 Rental?

We compare live rates from trusted suppliers at every location in one search, so you see the whole market rather than one company’s prices. No hidden fees, no phone calls unless you want them, and a North London team behind the search: we are based in Highbury, just up the road from the Enfield desk.

Car rental locations FAQ

Which London airports can I pick up a hire car from?

Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. Each has its own guide above with supplier details, pickup logistics and prices, and the search covers more airports across the UK if you are flying somewhere else.

Can I collect the car at one location and return it to another?

Yes. Most suppliers offer one-way rentals between their airport and city branches for a fee of roughly £20 to £50 depending on the distance. Tick “Return to a different location” in the search form to see one-way prices for your dates.

Do all of these locations sit inside the ULEZ?

No. The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers every Greater London borough, so London city branches and Heathrow sit inside it. Gatwick, Stansted and Luton sit outside. Only cars that miss the emissions standard pay the £12.50 daily charge, and nearly all modern rental cars comply.

Written by Sunny for Cars 4 Rental. Last updated October 2026.