What is an insurance excess?

The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage (under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft (under Theft Protection) of the vehicle. Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.

How can I add an additional driver?

You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental. Please note that the same licence and age requirement applies to the additional driver. The additional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

United Kingdom traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

The Complete United Kingdom Driving and Rental Guide

Consisting of England, Wales, Scotland and North Ireland, the United Kingdom is renowned for its beautiful natural sceneries and a wide mix of architectures, making it an attractive destination country to discover by car. Here are a few basic driving instructions and tips to help you serenely prepare your journey.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

In the United Kingdom, driving is on the left-hand side of the road and overtaking is on the right. Mobile phones cannot be used to call or text while driving. On Roundabouts, drivers on the right have right of way.

Drivers should remain alert on countryside’s roads, as farm animals and agricultural vehicles can turn out to be difficult obstacles to pass.

Speed Limit

There are speed limits of 30 mph(48 km/h) on urban areas, 60 mph(96 km/h) in rural areas and 70 mph(112 km/h) in motorways unless signs say otherwise.

Traffic Signs

Traffic signs used in the UK include signs giving orders, warning and indicating direction or information. Here are some frequently used signs in the UK.

Regulatory signs feature a circular shape with some exceptions.

Give Priority to Vehicles from Opposite Direction

Give Way to Traffic on major road

No Vehicles Except Bicycles Being Pushed

No Overtaking

No Waiting

No Stopping
(Clearway)

Warning signs are mostly triangular with a red border.

Roundabout

Uneven Road

Two-way Traffic on Route Crossing Ahead

Wild Animals

Level Crossing WIth Barrier or Gate Ahead

Level Crossing Without Barrier or Gate Ahead

Level Crossing Without Barrier

Information signs in the UK are rectangular with various colour backgrounds.

Primary Route Forming Part of a Ring Road

Entrance to Congestion Charging Zone

Hospital Ahead with Accident and Emergency Facilities

Tourist Information Point

Click here for a complete road signs guide in the United Kingdom.

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

All passengers over 12 or 13 years, or over 135cm tall must wear a seat belt at all times. Failure to do so could result in a fine up to £500.

Booster Seat Laws

Children until the age of 12th or the height of 135cm should be placed in an appropriate seat for their height and weight.

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

· Forbidden Parking

Finding parking space in town and city centres can prove difficult, especially in the centre of London. Parking your car in the following spots is strictly forbidden and could result in a fine:

- Beyond the time restriction marked on poles, lampposts or even screwed onto adjacent walls of buildings with a single, continuous yellow line along the kerb

- With double, continuous yellow lines along the kerb, which indicates no parking at any time

United Kingdom Double and Continuous Yellow Lines (Image from alphamarkingservices.co.uk)

· Paid Parking

White marked bays with white markings indicate a metered street parking. These are generally "pay-and-display" parking for which a ticket needs to be purchased from an adjacent machine, and displayed on the car’s windshield or dashboard.

Be careful to check the "controlled hours" which are marked on the payment machines and on adjacent signs (again, usually on lamp posts and on walls). Parking outside the controlled hours is free.

United Kingdom Paid Parking Signs

(Image from eppingforestdc.gov.uk)

When finding a parking spot, we strongly suggest you not to let the absence of yellow lines lull you into a false sense of security, and always look for parking signs or meter machines.

Fuel Prices

The average value for the United Kingdom gasoline price during the period from August to November 2017 was 1.21£ per litre, while diesel is 3 cents higher.

Toll

Currently, there is a single major road - the M6 Toll - and a small number of bridges and tunnels where tolls are collected. Each toll road and bridge in the United Kingdom has its own fee, varying and depending on the type of vehicle you are driving. Fees are collected at toll gates and can be paid in cash or by credit card or by fuel equipment for automatic toll payment.

United Kingdom Toll Road (Image from alamy.com)

Some car hire companies will debit your credit card in order to pay the tolls on your behalf if you missed paying one (depending on different car hire companies). If you have any questions concerning toll fee billing, feel free to contact QEEQ' 24/7 customer service team for help.

Additional Tips

In London, the Congestion Charge is a £11.50 daily charge for driving a vehicle within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday. Usually, the congestion charge will be collected and informed by the car hire company at the rental desk.

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Except for Scotland – whose limit is set at 0.05%, other locations within the UK have a legal blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.08% per driver. Driving over the alcohol limit can result in a penalty up to six months of imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum of twelve months' disqualification.

Traffic Fines

The minimum speeding fine for an infringement is £100. A notice will be sent to the car’s registered keeper by the enforcement authority. In a renter’s case, the notice will be sent to the car hire company and passed on to the renter.

Parking tickets usually need to be paid within 28 days. In some cases, the fine is reduced by 50% if the payment is made within 14 days. Failure to pay the parking tickets within the given period will result in the penalty notice being passed onto the car hire company.

In some cases, the car hire company will debit your credit card for the penalty fee and add an administration charge. It is advisable for you to contact QEEQ’ customer service team if you believe you have been charged incorrectly.

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

All drivers must be in possession of a full driver's licence, many car hire companies may require driver's licence held for at least 2 years. The minimum age generally to rent a vehicle in the UK is 21 years old. But the age restrictions may vary by different car categories.

Guest reviews

1 /

Otto Bach

August 5, 2025

Destination: London

10Excellent

Satisfactory

Vicky Donne

August 4, 2025

Destination: Edinburgh

8Very good

The staff had a good attitude, and there was virtually no waiting in line.

Maxwell Carpenter

Destination: Manchester

The pickup and drop-off process is simple and convenient.

Marlon Gosse

Convenient car pickup

Harry Dorothy

August 2, 2025

Pretty good overall.

Claire Eugen

Excellent overall. Except for waiting a bit because I arrived early, there were no issues at all. I rented a category A car but got a category C wagon instead, which was a pleasant surprise. The car was in great condition. Oh, and the staff member who handed me the car slightly misled me about the full-to-full fuel service, but it's forgivable.

Lester Melville

August 1, 2025

6Average

Found the shuttle bus to the rental company, got off and was guided to check the car in the rain and sign the agreement. Since the rain was heavy, I didn't pay much attention and ended up buying insurance. Without realizing, I was charged on my card without knowing the exact amount. In the end, it cost me 4,000 for two days. The car had some misalignment issues with the wheels—it was a new car but kept pulling to the left while driving straight. At the gas station, I thought the tank was full when the pump clicked off, but later realized it was only half full and ended up paying a fueling fee to the rental company.

Jo Carey

Destination: Chelmsford

Very satisfied.

Gwendolyn Elinor

Doris Harvey

July 31, 2025

Satisfied

Average

Darcy Hill

July 30, 2025

Destination: Woking

Overall satisfied, except for the promotion of insurance.

Everley Evan

July 29, 2025

Excellent.

Parker O'Connor

We had to take public transport to pick up the car, and the restroom facilities were very basic. The hotel wouldn't allow us to enter. When returning the car, we waited 40 minutes for the airport shuttle, the ride took 20 minutes, and it took us a total of 1 hour to get to the airport after returning the car. Additionally, the fuel tank at pickup was slightly over half full, and refueling to the same level for return was troublesome since it's hard to gauge the exact amount. It's inevitable to overfill, which makes it less convenient than a full-to-full fuel policy. Furthermore, the deposit for the car was extremely high (£2,500), so make sure to check your credit card limit beforehand.

Tyrone Kelsen

Everley Burke

Not bad, quite efficient in all aspects!

Bblythe Brooke

July 28, 2025

The process was a bit slow; we waited for an hour. It was a relatively small store, and when we arrived, a local was arguing with them because the car they rented had no fuel in the tank. However, when they served us, their attitude was excellent. The car was new, the model was modern, and it came with advanced features. It had built-in Google integration, so there was no need to connect via CarPlay, use cables, or mount a phone holder—it was very convenient.

Elvis Lee

Destination: Liverpool

Overall, it was very convenient.

Bert Holt

4Average

I rented a Ford, which is a locally-made British car. It doesn't have a reverse radar! Additionally, the rental price for this car is lower than what I paid, essentially giving me a downgraded vehicle. The car constantly showed warnings, such as oil lamp, maintenance alert, and low battery! We were right in the middle of the highlands near Edinburgh, far from any villages or service areas, and I was extremely worried during the drive, which affected the trip. I reluctantly drove it to Edinburgh, and the warning lights disappeared. During the car return, the rental company inspected it and claimed everything was normal.

Theobald Swinburne

July 27, 2025

A very satisfying car rental experience. The car was in excellent condition and very new.

Upton Newton

Destination: Guildford

Not bad.

Tyrone Tobias

I've rented from this brand several times and have always been very satisfied.

Bing Smith

Ernest Montgomery

The car rental company is great, the procedures are handled quickly, and it seems to be a mid-to-high-end private brand. Sometimes there are even discounts, and one advantage of this company is that they don't require a deposit.

Bess Ralph

July 26, 2025

Destination: Luton

The service was excellent, and the British gentleman was very friendly and patient.

Samantha Hornby

The young man who assisted us was very friendly and provided a detailed introduction. We purchased full insurance at the store, so the return process was extremely easy. We simply handed the keys to the staff, and after a quick inspection, everything was fine.

Boris Robert

We originally selected a Ford Focus, but at the store, we were directly upgraded to an MG SUV. It could hold more luggage, had more space, and was enjoyable to drive. It took us to more places in the UK, and we thoroughly enjoyed this trip!

Wade Young

July 25, 2025

Charged £50 for fuel unfairly.
When picking up the car, they mentioned that the full insurance purchased online was not valid and kept persuading me to buy their insurance.
Originally, the car rental fee plus deposit was £1,224, and the pre-authorization charge was indeed £1,224 when I paid in the morning. However, by the afternoon, I noticed an additional charge of £50. Since the rental agreement was sent to my email, it was inconvenient to check. When I returned the car, they told me the £50 was for fuel. Although we clarified on-site that we returned the car with a full tank, they offered to refund the £50 fuel charge but eventually did not process the refund.

Evan Morley

July 24, 2025

Very satisfied

Antony Delia

July 23, 2025

The car rental company provided decent service, but the front desk staff had a strong Ukrainian accent.

Thera Jeames

Very good, booked a BMW 320. Upon noticing a damaged tire, they promptly switched to a nearly new X2.

Payne Camilla

Destination: York

Elton Croft

July 22, 2025

Overall good, very friendly.

Charles Philemon

The staff is abundant, and the car pickup was very quick.

Evangeline Den(n)is

Virgil Ted

July 21, 2025

Good service attitude.

Rock Mac-

The service attitude was excellent.

Humphrey Birrell

2Poor

The service was average.

Ruth Moore

Emma Craigie

July 20, 2025

Very good. Although there was some upselling, simply declining was enough.

Enid I.

July 19, 2025

Destination: Glasgow

The rental location is small, and the parking lot is also small, so the selection of car models is quite limited. You might not get the model you want. I personally drive a Mercedes and specifically chose a Mercedes this time because I’m familiar with it, but ended up being given a Volvo. The controls were not what I was used to, and I couldn’t play music from a USB drive. A tip for everyone: be sure to carefully inspect the car. I noticed a scratch on the front left and also found that the fuel tank was only half full. After informing the staff, they made the correction, otherwise I would have had to pay for half a tank of fuel.

Taylor Cook(e)

Overall, it was quite good. However, I received a charge of £55.73 the day after returning the car without any explanation or email.

Leif

July 18, 2025

Very good.

Montague Clare

Destination: East Midlands

Overall, it was pretty good. Picking up and returning the car were both very convenient and quick. The car rental location is not far from the terminal exit, near the car hire area.

Omar Hazlitt

Very good. The car was a brand new model from 2025.

Uriah More

Although there was a prepayment, they charged an additional 200 pounds later without providing an invoice or email notification. Despite having full insurance, they still added an extra insurance fee, as if the insurance provided by the rental car platform was not recognized by the rental company. The platform should refund my prepayment.

Hogan Vogt

July 17, 2025

Limited vehicle options, no reminder to photograph the car's condition.

9Pleasent and fun

Car was exactly what we expected. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, offering us suitable add ons for our needs.

Car was exactly what we expected, in fact we got a minor upgrade to a Renault Symbioz. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, offering us suitable add ons for our needs.

10Pleasent and funny

Car was a slight downgrade. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, offering us suitable add ons for our needs.

United Kingdom Car Rentals