It is not always easy to find free parking in Cheshire, unless you are in the smaller villages or rural areas. The cities tend to have plenty of paid parking facilities, however, which are well-signposted in Chester city. If you are planning on doing a fair bit of city driving, a smaller economical vehicle may make a good option for navigating narrow cobbled streets or for ease of parking.
Be aware that the speed limit in built-up areas and cities is 30mph in the United Kingdom. Sometimes, you may experience 20mph zones in specific areas around schools or busy pedestrian zones, so keep an eye out for changes in urban areas. The national speed limit is 60mph on A-roads and country roads and are marked with a white circular sign with a diagonal black line through it. Motorway speed limits are 70 mph and seatbelts are a mandatory requirement.
If you are considering driving your hire car into neighbouring Wales from Cheshire, you will not have to arrange any cross-border transactions with your car rental as Wales falls under the same regulatory framework as part of the United Kingdom, although it is in effect a separate country. You will still be covered by your rental agreement in both countries.
You will find many 24h petrol stations located along motorways and major A-roads around the Cheshire region if you need to refill your vehicle before returning it or are on your way to a nearby airport. Bear in mind, that the stations that do not have a 24h sign tend to open from 08:00-20:00 and you could find they close on a Sunday in smaller villages or towns.
25% of our users found a car hire in Cheshire for £37 or less
Book your car hire in Cheshire at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Economy car hires in Cheshire are around 35% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about hiring a car in Cheshire
A car hire in Cheshire is a great option for exploring this diverse county. The historic city of Chester itself is worth a visit for its ancient cathedral and Tudor style buildings, along with its famous zoo and racecourse. With a hire car, you will also have the freedom to explore the surrounding countryside with its many farms, nature trails and falconries. Bordering the county, you can also cross over into nearby Shropshire or use the excellent road networks that connect into North Wales. Choose from a range of vehicles for your trip, be it an economical car to navigate the narrow-cobbled streets of Chester city or a larger car if you are planning a family tour and have more luggage. You can also connect to nearby airports in Liverpool or Manchester via the motorways or explore the smaller towns and villages that are less accessible with public transport.
Driving is undertaken on the left side of the road in the United Kingdom and Cheshire and its surrounding area have excellent road networks with a mix of motorways and A-roads, which are all toll free. You can take the A49, which is a preferable route to visit many market towns such as Shrewsbury or Ludlow or to the smaller picturesque towns of Whitchurch and Malpas. The M6 motorway is useful for connecting to the airports in Manchester or Liverpool and the M56 and M53 lead off from Chester’s double ring road system. Bear in mind, when on higher ground such as in the Pennine Hills, you may be subject to various weather conditions, so a 4x4 may be useful in these areas.
You will need to be at least 21 years of age to hire a car in the United Kingdom and some companies may stipulate their rules and request a minimum of 25 years. A full valid UK driving license is required and an International Driving Permit for overseas drivers. You must also have a credit card registered to the main driver of the car and another form of ID to complete your booking.
On average a car hire in Cheshire costs £57 per day.
Mini (Fiat 500 or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Cheshire.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at keddy by Europcar (£32/day), Arnold Clark (£51/day) and Europcar (£71/day).
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
Based on car searches on KAYAK. The most popular cities to hire a car in Cheshire are Chester (33% of total searches of users looking to rent a car in Cheshire). Warrington (24%) and Crewe (13%).
On average hiring a car in Cheshire costs £336 per week (£48 per day).
On average a car hire in Cheshire costs £1,441 per month (£48 per day).