Some Cambridge car providers already include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection Waiver into the hire price but not all of them. We recommend always be aware of your coverage when hiring a car in Cambridge.
Keep in mind that car rental insurances often have a deductible clause, which is the amount you’ll have to pay if something happens during the time of your rental. If you want to avoid unwanted surprises, you should consider adding a no-deductible option to your Cambridge car rental.
Cambridge is one of the most venerable cities in the UK, and with its rich academic heritage it is brimming with historical attractions. A convenient way to create your own travel itinerary so that you can visit all the sights you’re interested in is to book car hire in Cambridge. You’ll have the independence to visit the famous King’s College and its chapel, on the King’s Parade. While you’re at Cambridge University, the Botanic Garden and Trinity College should also be on your list. You can also drive out to another renowned landmark, the National Horse Racing Museum, which is located 13 miles away in Newmarket.
Your nearest airports to fly into are London Stansted or London Luton, which are 23 and 31 miles away respectively. Stansted has a wide choice of major brands that you can use for Cambridge car hire: Hertz, Avis, Budget and Sixt are just a few. A free bus will take you from the airport’s terminal forecourt to the Car Rental Village, departing every 10min. Similarly, at London Luton Airport you’ll find a wide choice of options, and the airport also offers a free shuttle bus service to its Car Hire Centre, where you can pick up your vehicle.
Once you’ve arrived and are enjoying the flexibility that car hire in Cambridge offers, the first thing to be aware of is that the city is something of a cyclist’s mecca, so keep your eyes wide open for anything from single cyclists to quite large groups. Be alert on major roads, particularly the M11, which is a hotspot for vehicle accidents. If you’re staying outside the city, be aware that the country roads in the unspoilt surrounding rural areas can be poorly lit, as you would expect. Also pay particular attention when negotiating the traffic flow at the Girton Cloverleaf interchange.
While we might think of Cambridge as a quiet, historic university town, it also has a bustling city centre, which hasn’t escaped modern features like traffic jams and rush hours. Firstly, it’s advisable to avoid the main commercial road serving the city, the A14, which is often subject to general delays. Some of the city roads are also on the narrow side, so you may want to check local traffic conditions daily for the A428 and Mill Road as well. The rush hours themselves are at the predictable hours, so avoid these roads especially from around 08:00 to 09:00 and 17:00 to 18:00.
25% of our users found a car hire in Cambridge for £47 or less
Book your car hire in Cambridge at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Compact car hires in Cambridge are around -42% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about car rentals in Cambridge
Some car hire companies in Cambridge which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Europcar, Enterprise and Alamo
On average a hire car in Cambridge costs £63 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Europcar (£42/day), keddy by Europcar (£46/day) and Alamo (£48/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest hire car price was found at Alamo Enterprise Rent A Car CB5 8JZ (1 miles from the city centre).
The average price of fuel in Cambridge is £7.00 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between £84 and £112, depending on the car size.
Compact (Renault Captur or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Cambridge.
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
A Compact car hire in Cambridge costs £85 per day, on average.
A Standard car hire in Cambridge costs £39 per day, on average.
A Intermediate car hire in Cambridge costs £115 per day, on average.
In Cambridge, cars are most frequently hired at Hertz Clifton Road Insustrial Estate (1 miles from city centre).
On average a car hire in Cambridge costs £442 per week (£63 per day).
On average a car hire in Cambridge costs £1,896 per month (£63 per day).
Most car hire providers in Cambridge offer insurance but the level of protection can differ substantially. If you're unsure whether to get extra protection for your car hire in Cambridge, check out KAYAK's car hire insurance guide.
Because of the denser traffic in the centre of Cambridge, and on the main arterials to and through the city, you’ll probably want to avoid getting too big a vehicle if you’re going to be spending a lot of time there. A compact city car or a small saloon will do you nicely. Feel free to choose pretty much anything for rural roads – if you choose a 4x4, just be aware of environmental impact restrictions in some areas. Otherwise, something like an MPV or SUV will be just the ticket.
Be on your toes with speed limits in Cambridge – the city centre has a 20mph limit, which differs from the 30mph in other UK cities. Once you drive out into the suburbs, standard UK speed limits apply, going from 30mph up to 40mph on the wider feeder roads in the area.
You’ll need a visitor permit to park in Cambridge. You can get these at a cost of £12, which will allow you five visits to the city’s central parking areas. You can use these credits any time you like for up to a year. There are several multi-storey car parks that you can choose from, such as the Grafton East and West car parks, and the Grand Arcade car park.