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Car Rental United Kingdom : Driving Information

Driving Overview | Insurance Information | Rental Restrictions

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Driving Overview

General Information
History greets you on the roads of the United Kingdom. It may take a little time to adjust to driving on the 'other side of the road', but the sights are well worth the effort. Visit Stratford-on-Avon the birthplace of William Shakespeare or drive to the White Cliffs of Dover in the south. London is filled with some of the most historic sites in the world and all easily accessible by car.

Requirements
To rent a car, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. Some suppliers have a maximum age limit of 69 years old. Seatbelts are mandatory and children up to age 3 must be in a child seat.

Speed Limits
Speed limits in the United Kingdom are as follows: City 30mph/48kph Open Roads 60mph/96kph motorways 70mph/112kph

Rules of the Road
Traffic travels on the left and you always want to turn left when entering a roundabout (traffic circle). Cars are equipped with the steering wheel on the right hand side of the vehicle.

Gas
Gasoline is called petrol in the United Kingdom. Some gas stations found along the motorsways are open 24 hours.

Tolls
There are a limited number of toll highways in the United Kingdom and all car users entering the city center of London are charged a congestion fee during week days.

Parking
There are meters where you can buy a ticket and display this on your windshield. When there is a red line painted on the curb or a double yellow line, parking is prohibited.

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Insurance Information

General Information
Car rental insurance varies widely, so please review the information below prior to making your reservation. Regulations of the country where you rent the car will be in effect for the duration of your rental.

All our car rental rates include fire and third party liability insurance. Our inclusive rates also provide collision and theft coverage at an advance purchase discount. You may elect to decline collision and theft coverage. If you plan to take advantage of coverage offered by your credit card, please contact your card issuer directly for details. Specific insurance information for your reservation will be printed on your confirmation voucher.

The following guidelines apply to rentals commencing in the United Kingdom.

Required Coverage
Fire and third party liability insurance is mandatory and is included in all rentals. Third party liability insurance offers US$400,000 to unlimited coverage in case of damage or injury to people or property outside of the rental car.

Optional Coverage
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and theft protection are included in our inclusive rates at a discount. The CDW and theft coverage will carry deductibles of US$1065 to US$2245, depending on the vehicle type that is rented. Super CDW may be offered locally to reduce the deductible to as low as zero. CDW, if purchased at the rental counter, costs approximately US$12 - US$50 per day. Theft protection, if purchased at the rental counter, would cost approximately US$7 - US$11 per day. Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) is available at the rental counter for approximately US$6 - US$9 per day. Optional insurance coverage is available with select suppliers only, rates subject to change without notice.

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Rental Restrictions

General Information
Most car categories can be driven anywhere in Western Europe, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Ireland. However, it is necessary to purchase additional coverage for travel outside mainland UK. This coverage costs US$17 - US$30 per day and covers roadside assistance, greencard insurance, and customs and excise forms to take cars on ferries. Due to insurance regulations, there are restrictions on luxury car categories and on travel in certain countries. Please take a minute to ensure that your intended itinerary will be possible with the car you plan to rent.

Restricted Countries
Cars rented in the United Kingdom can travel to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Western Europe. There are additional insurance fees that apply for these rentals. Cars rented in the UK are not allowed into the following countries: Albania, Bosnia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Yugoslavia. Luxury cars are not allowed into Italy.

One-Way Rentals
Domestic one-way rentals are unrestricted and free of charge. There are fees for international one-way rentals and rentals to Northern Ireland, and not all vehicles are allowed.

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Useful Terms

ATM
hole-in-the-wall
Battery
accumulator
Breakdown lane
lay-by
Convertible top
hood
Dashboard
fascia or facia
Fender
wing
Glove compartment
cubby box
Car hood
bonnet
Muffler
silencer
Outlet
power point
Overpass
flyover
Oil pan
sump
Parking lot
car park
Rotary
roundabout
Sedan
saloon
Subway
underground or tube
Tire
tyre
Traffic jam
tail back
Trailer
caravan
Truck
lorry
Trunk
boot
Tractor-trailer
articulated lorry or artic
Very large truck
juggernaut
Windshield
windscreen

Embassies

United States Embassy in Britain
24 Grosvenor Square
London W1A 1AE
Phone (+44) 0171-499-9000
Consular fax (+44) 0171-495-5012

United States Consulate in Northern Ireland
Danesfort House
223 Stranmillis Road
Belfast BT9 5GR
Phone (+44) 0 328 9038 6100
Fax (+44) 0 28 9068 1301

United States Consulate in Scotland
3 Regent Terrace
Edinburgh EH7 5BW
Phone (0131) 556-8315
Fax (0131) 557-6023
Dial the numbers in parentheses only if calling from British locations outside the city in question.


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