LONDON Rental Cars

Why is the cost of rental cars so high in London. I need a 1 day rental so I
can go from central London to Dover with some sightseeing along the way. The
best rate I can get is over $65 GBP which is about $125 USD. With the
following:
1. Difficult parking
2. Lots of congestion
3. Great public transportation
4. High gas prices
5. Left hand drive streets
6. Right hand drive
How can the rental companies get away with charging so much? Is it because
London is just that way?
The rental for me is mainly for flexibility, but I dont' want to get gorged.

Also, since I am from the USA, how difficult will it be to learn to drive a
stick shift - shifting with my left hand instead of with my right hand from the
center console?

Thanks for any advice on this, Rick

Call Hertz in USA and ask for the prepaid rate in europe. They also
have LeSwap that lets you drop in europe or pickup in europe and drop in
UK with free chunnel train ride. Swap right had drive different car in
Calais. Likely the cheapest way to get a family across lemanche.

Following up to Stromer2

With the
following:
1. Difficult parking
2. Lots of congestion
3. Great public transportation
4. High gas prices

Gas prices are realistic generally in Europe.

5. Left hand drive streets
6. Right hand drive

All these don't really effect hire prices much

How can the rental companies get away with charging so much? Is it because
London is just that way?

London is an expensive place.

Also, since I am from the USA, how difficult will it be to learn to drive a
stick shift - shifting with my left hand instead of with my right hand from the
center console?

My experience is that lefthand/right hand is an exaggerated
problem, at least I find it so. As long as the car is the correct
orientation for the country.
On manuals, IMHO if you don't know how to use a clutch/manual
gear change you cant just pick it up, you will need training.
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

"Stromer2" wrote in message
...
Why is the cost of rental cars so high in London. I need a 1 day rental
so I
can go from central London to Dover with some sightseeing along the way.
The
best rate I can get is over $65 GBP which is about $125 USD.

Don't use the $ symbol for UK pounds. 24 hour rental from National at
Heathrow airport is £42.05. There are most likely other companies who can do
it cheaper.

With the
following:
1. Difficult parking
2. Lots of congestion

That's only really the case around major cities, such as London.

3. Great public transportation

HAHA. What's important is that YOU believe that.

4. High gas prices

Well I'll give you that one. Petrol prices are shocking.

5. Left hand drive streets
6. Right hand drive

Don't see what that has go to do with anything. I could argue that in
America you drive on the right and have the steering wheel on the left so I
should get a reduction!

How can the rental companies get away with charging so much? Is it
because
London is just that way?

London != UK. And you'll likely find that the rental cost is broadly similar
to the United States. Remember that in the UK the price is always inclusive
of insurance. In the USA it rarely is.

The rental for me is mainly for flexibility, but I dont' want to get
gorged.

The price you've quoted is about average for an airport rental. And you can
expect to pay the same in the USA.

Also, since I am from the USA, how difficult will it be to learn to drive
a
stick shift - shifting with my left hand instead of with my right hand
from the
center console?

No idea since I've been driving right hand drive manual transmission (don't
call it stick shift unless you want to look foolish) cars since I was 17
years old. Changing gear isn't the issue anyway, you just move the gear
lever, clutch control is the thing if you've never used a clutch before I
can imagine it might take a bit of getting used to. I know when I switch to
a different car it usually takes me a few minutes to get used to the
different clutch.

You can get around that problem by renting an automatic, but of course you
will pay a hefty premium for this and I doubt you are wanting to pay much
more!

"The Reids" wrote in message
...
Following up to Stromer2

My experience is that lefthand/right hand is an exaggerated
problem, at least I find it so. As long as the car is the correct
orientation for the country.
On manuals, IMHO if you don't know how to use a clutch/manual
gear change you cant just pick it up, you will need training.

I would agree with that. Getting used to driving on the left (or right in my
case) can be a little disorienting and require some extra concentration for
a while, but it's not difficult to do.

I wouldn't like to try driving a manual if I had only ever driven
automatics. Indeed for UK citizens if you pass your driving test in an
automatic it is illegal to drive a manual transmission car. And yet someone
from another country who may have no manual experience whatsoever can hire a
car and drive away.

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in
message ...

"Stromer2" wrote in message
...
Why is the cost of rental cars so high in London. I need a 1 day
rental
so I
can go from central London to Dover with some sightseeing along
the way.
The
best rate I can get is over $65 GBP which is about $125 USD.

Don't use the $ symbol for UK pounds. 24 hour rental from National
at
Heathrow airport is #42.05. There are most likely other companies
who can do
it cheaper.

Here we go again (g)! I know that using currency symbols in addition
to codes can be confusing and, in the original post, contradictory.
However, Mark Hewitt probably used the pound sign on a British
keyboard but it arrived here as the US pound or number sign: # (two
sets of parallel lines crossing obliquely.) In an international ng,
the only certain way to describe currency is to use the three letter
codes.


--
James V. Silverton
Potomac, Maryland, USA

On 19 Apr 2004 03:51:41 GMT, Stromer2 wrote:

best rate I can get is over $65 GBP which is about $125 USD.

because the US dollar is worth bugger-all.
--
Tim C.

Following up to Mark Hewitt

No idea since I've been driving right hand drive manual transmission (don't
call it stick shift unless you want to look foolish) cars since I was 17
years old.

BTW in UK if you take driving test in auto you *cannot* drive a
manual. I have no idea if US or other countries make that
definition but it might make it clear its not a trivial matter!
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to Mark Hewitt

And yet someone
from another country who may have no manual experience whatsoever can hire a
car and drive away.

or kangaroo away :-)
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reids wrote:

Following up to Mark Hewitt

No idea since I've been driving right hand drive manual transmission (don't
call it stick shift unless you want to look foolish) cars since I was 17
years old.

BTW in UK if you take driving test in auto you *cannot* drive a
manual. I have no idea if US or other countries make that
definition but it might make it clear its not a trivial matter!

I don't know about all states, but a PA or MA license doesn't make it
clear, and I've hired cars in the UK in the past using both. I always
hired automatic, because I never learned manual, but I was never
questioned about it- and on a few occasions had to insist on auto when
they gave me manual!

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk