Pros: This location had a wonderful staff! They are very up front about costs, policies and went out of their way to accommodate our schedule change.Cons: I wish they opened earlier.
Pros: car Was better than I expectedCons: 1) Alamo found one of the types to have a chip out of it so keep our GBP 300 deposit. Absolutely certain it was not us who did that ( we only did 60 miles and the car was left in secure parking over night). ......double and triple check before you hire! Video your car,
10.0 Excellent3 Jan 2018
Very friendly servicePros: Great new clean car. Friendly staff. Everything ready when we arrived.Cons: Nothing. All good.
Pros: Drop off was a matter of minutes.Cons: Shuttle service from port would have helped. Had double wait time. One hour wait for taxi at port and one hour at Hertz pickup.
10.0 Excellent17 May 2017
Excellent servicePros: Friendly and helpfulCons: I liked everything
10.0 Excellent5 Oct 2016
Le sudPros: Organized No fussCons: Signage and parking arrangements confusing.
Pros: Excellent and really enjoyed the automatic Ford Focus fun to driveCons: A little confusing as to where they were at Southampton airport
3.6 Mediocre30 Apr 2017
Poor info and off airport rentalPros: The lady that helped us was very patient and polite. She must meditate and listen to relaxing music in her free time to be able to cope with all the angry customers she gets.Cons: Off airport. Compulsary insurance which costs a fortune. From the look of it the cars that were provided had quite some damage already so maintanance/turnover is questionable. Uber was a lot more afordable in our case. We ended up going back to the airport and taking a taxi.
Southampton is a bustling port city with a host of coastal attractions nearby, so it’s a good idea to hire a car if you want the freedom to visit them all. We make car hire in Southampton easy and convenient, so you can use it to your advantage to reach outlying places like the New Forest or even to catch a ferry to the Isle of Wight. Additionally, a 14-mile drive out of town will see you at the Beaulieu & National Motor Museum, where you’ll find exhibits of famous movie cars.
If you’re flying into Southampton Airport, you’ll find that it has a dedicated car hire section. Most of the main companies offer Southampton car hire at the airport, including Sixt, Alamo, Europcar, Hertz and National. Enterprise is to your right just after you leave the baggage carousel, while the others are in the car park opposite the terminal across Spitfire Loop, just a few minutes’ walk away.
It’s relatively uncomplicated driving in Southampton as long as you’re not right in the city centre or in the docklands area. It’s one of the busiest sea-facing harbours in the UK, so you’ll probably find it easier to walk in these areas. The city is also known for its large green spaces and tranquil suburbs, like Ocean Village or the quaint Basset neighbourhood in the northern area of the city. Just be on the lookout for cyclists and people out walking.
Congestion usually isn’t too bad in Southampton, although it has rush hours just like other cities in the UK. Weekends are generally best for uncongested exploring. Try to avoid routes like Canute Road, Havlock Road and the Western Esplanade between the hours of 05:00 and 09:00. The same applies during the evening rush hour, which lasts from roughly 16:00 to 19:00 on those busier roads.
25% of our users found a car hire in Southampton for £20 or less
Book your car hire in Southampton at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Off-airport car hire locations in Southampton are around 1% more expensive than airport locations on average
Oversize car hires in Southampton are around 58% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about car rentals in Southampton
Some car hire companies in Southampton which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Alamo, Enterprise and Hertz
On average a hire car in Southampton costs £27 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Sixt (£19/day), FLIZZR (£19/day) and Avis (£20/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest hire car price was found at Sixt Wide Lane SO18 2NL (3 miles from the city centre).
The average price of fuel in Southampton is £5.02 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between £60 and £80, depending on the car size.
Economy (Opel Corsa or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Southampton.
Car hire companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from London City airport to off-airport locations include GREEN MOTION, Europcar, Avis, Hertz and Budget.
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
A Economy car hire in Southampton costs £27 per day, on average.
A Compact car hire in Southampton costs £28 per day, on average.
A Mini car hire in Southampton costs £23 per day, on average.
In Southampton, cars are most frequently hired at keddy by Europcar Unit J, West Quay Road (1 miles from city centre).
On average hiring a car in Southampton costs £190 per week (£27 per day).
On average a car hire in Southampton costs £814 per month (£27 per day).
For driving around in the busier areas of town it’s perhaps best to get an economy or a compact car. You can step that up to a roomier saloon if you prefer, or take advantage of the coastal scenery in a convertible or sports model. If you want to get more off the beaten track or are travelling as a family, you could go for a spacious 4x4 or an MPV. This will allow you to explore everything that the Southampton area has to offer. You can also find car hire in Southampton offering minibuses for larger groups.
You’d be well advised to drive with caution in Southampton and pay close attention to speed limits. The local community takes them seriously, especially on busy roads like Maybray Way in the Bitterne neighbourhood, which is well known for its speed cameras. The speed limit is 30mph virtually across the board, until you reach the outlying areas, where on some roads like Bassett Green Road it is raised to 40mph.
You can budget for an average of just under £1.20 per litre of petrol in Southampton. Being both a port and a tourist city, you’ll seldom find yourself far from a petrol station, unless you leave its outskirts. All the usual brands are well represented, particularly Esso, Shell and Texaco. You’ll also find the odd Tesco petrol station.
The centre of Southampton is zoned as a City Centre Pay and Display Zone that operates every day of the week, even on bank holidays. This divides the city into parking areas where times are limited. The inner zones only allow a maximum of 2h, while others allow up to 10h of parking time. You can expect to pay roughly £4 to £5 for 2h, and many have adopted cashless instant transactions using mobile apps for your convenience.
