Car hire from St. Pancras

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Fri 17 Jan 2020 22:46
Car hire from St. Pancras - Mike H

I'm hoping that someone with some local knowledge might be able to help out with this one.

Regulars here may remember that we live in Austria. We're visiting the UK at the end of May/early June for my nephew's wedding. As it's a fairly short trip we're travelling by train, and all our train tickets are booked. We arrive at London St. Pancras by Eurostar on Sunday 31st May at 16:05. We need to get to Tewkesbury for an overnight stay prior to the wedding.

I was a bit surprised to discover, having tried to find a hire car from the Autoeurope website that the car hire desk at St. Pancras closes at 4pm on Sundays, and none of the national companies can offer collection after that time. I have the option of trekking across to London Victoria or one of the airports (Heathrow terminals are easily accessible, but once again a fair trek), or making our way to Tewkesbury by public transport - no fun as it doesn't have a railway station, making it a long and expensive trip - and I still won't have any transport when I get there. I could go to Gloucester on the Tuesday to pick up a car, but by then the public transport has already cost me more than half the price of an 8 day car hire.

Ironically, there is one coach a day from London Victoria to Tewkesbury, leaving at.....4pm.

So the question is, is there perhaps a reputable local car hire company that operates in the area, where I might be able to pick up a car at the outrageously late time of 4 30pm? :-)

Any other constructive ideas gratefully received!

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 06:38
Car hire from St. Pancras - oldroverboy.

London - Marble Arch (Central London) 35 Edgware Road London , W2 2JE United Kingdom Show Nearby Locations Phone : +44 (0) 843 309 3049* Email: marblearch@hertz.com Location Type: Hours of Operation: Mo-Th 0800-1800, Fr-Su 0800-2000

It is a bit since I have used them, but open sundays till 8pm and a short taxi ride from St Pancras, 10-15 minutes.

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 09:51
Car hire from St. Pancras - John Boy

Google Maps found this one just round the corner which seems to be open till 6pm on Sundays:

www.avis.co.uk/drive-avis/car-hire-locations/europ...n

There may be others.

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 10:11
Car hire from St. Pancras - Big John

If you get the tube to Heathrow there are loads of car hire places near the airport some of which are open 24hrs a day eg Hertz

Edited by Big John on 18/01/2020 at 10:12

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 11:18
Car hire from St. Pancras - Mike H

Thanks for all the tips. One of the Heathrow terminals might be the favourite option, with their easy access to the M4. I need to look at overall journey times.

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 11:39
Car hire from St. Pancras - Bromptonaut

Thanks for all the tips. One of the Heathrow terminals might be the favourite option, with their easy access to the M4. I need to look at overall journey times.

I suspect that's going to be your best bet.

The place in Eversholt St is near enough that it could be branded Kings Cross/St P but it's only open until 18:00. Wouldn't need much of a delay in the train plus arrivals hiatus at St P for that to be a marginal call.

St P to Marble Arch by tube involves a change or a walk from Hyde Park. As you say staying on tube all way to LHR puts you on right side of London for M4. Flip side is LHR geography. The tube will take you to the terminals but the hire car pounds are on the perimeter road - a bus transfer.

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 12:42
Car hire from St. Pancras - Terry W

You may like to have a look at car hire apps - eg Zipcar - which claim to have thousands of cars parked around London. Not a member myself but my nephews who live and work in Londoon frequently use similar when going away for the week-end or doing a monthly shop. It saves them the cost and hassle of car ownership and parking.

https://www.zipcar.com/en-gb

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 14:22
Car hire from St. Pancras - Mike H

The tube will take you to the terminals but the hire car pounds are on the perimeter road - a bus transfer.

Reminds me of "Planes Trains and Automobiles" :-)

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 18:14
Car hire from St. Pancras - Colin Davis

As has been suggested, make your way out to Heathrow, lots of choice and book in advance for good deal. What ever you decide take time to thoroughly check out condition of hire car before signing, in particular damage on alloy wheels and parking dents in panels.

Edited by Colin Davis on 18/01/2020 at 18:19

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 18:51
Car hire from St. Pancras - gordonbennet

Avis Eversholt street is literally at the side of the station, i wonder if they have a coded key safe, you could pre book a car which would be left out for you in the event, worth phoning up, its got to be the nearest well known rental site.

If not then they would know of any other central town Avis sites that might have later hours should the train be delayed, eg Mayfair office which is just behind the old US Embassy at Grosvenor Square, a short cab or tube ride.

I suppose one worthwhile benefit of getting out to Heathrow rental desks is you won't be driving out of London itself at peak time, ah Sunday no peak time worries.

Edited by gordonbennet on 18/01/2020 at 18:54

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Sat 18 Jan 2020 21:32
Car hire from St. Pancras - DavidGlos
Tewkesbury does have a station. It’s known as Ashchurch for Tewkesbury, if you do decide to ‘let the train take the strain’.
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Sat 18 Jan 2020 21:56
Car hire from St. Pancras - Ian_SW

It takes best part of an hour to drive to Heathrow from St Pancras even when the roads are clear, and about the same on the tube. However, picking up a hire car from most of the hire car operators Heathrow is not particularly quick. Most operate from a "Car Rental Village" which is out near the long stay car park, and annoyingly each hire car operator has their own minibus which doesn't run that frequently. I reckon it takes about 45 minutes on average from getting to Arrivals to driving off in the hire car (and that's for a corporate hire where they pretty much just give me the keys.

There is one car hire operator who is at Hatton Cross Tube Station (the last station on the Piccadilly Line before the airport) instead, I think it's Sixt. That would be much quicker from the pick-up time perspective, particularly if you are coming from London rather than arriving on a plane.

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