Car Hire and Leasing Options for Expats Visiting the UK

There are many reasons UK expats might want to make occasional – or even regular – trips back home. The main and most obvious one would be to catch up with family and friends, but you might also want to sort out some business, go to the football or some other sporting event, attend a special occasion or even just have a holiday.

Returning to your home country for whatever reason is, of course, nothing like going on holiday to a foreign country, because you know the language and how to get around. Nevertheless, you’ll probably still be flying in and be without many of the conveniences of everyday life – not least a reliable means of transport.

Such breaks might be just for a few days or even a few weeks or months, depending on what you need to do and how far you need to travel (both to get here and while here). Having a car would undoubtedly make things easier, but what’s the best value, most convenient and most trouble-free way of achieving that?

In this article, we’re going to explore the relative merits of buying, leasing and renting a hire car, and explain how renting with the friendly team at UK Car & Van Rental could be the best move.

Rent, Lease or Buy?

If you’re going to be in need of a car for more than a few days, some people will suggest that leasing is the most cost-effective option. This may be true, but you may find the extra limitations it involves frustrating and not worth that small initial saving.

For instance, there’s going to be a great deal more paperwork involved when setting it up, which is likely to involve arranging your own insurance. Meanwhile, any repairs or maintenance that become necessary are going to be your responsibility, which won’t be the case on even a long-term rental deal. You might even have mileage limitations that could restrict how much you can get about or end up costing you more if you accidentally go over them.

So, before leasing, why not ask about our long-term deals on all our vehicles? You may find that you could get all the extra benefits of car hire – of which more shortly – without it being significantly more expensive. 

You might also find articles online suggesting that buying a car might be a practical solution, with the idea being that you can just leave it in the UK and use it whenever you return. It’s easy to see how this could be tempting, because it eliminates the need for organising a fresh rental each time. But even if you’re lucky enough to have access to space for it to be stored safely while you’re out of the country, is it really worth it?

You’ll still have maintenance to arrange and pay for, and if you’re away for long stretches at a time, you may find yourself returning to a flat battery. Similarly, if any other issues arise while you’re away – and with a car sitting idle for possibly months at a time, that’s not an unlikely scenario – you won’t be going anywhere until you’ve managed to get it sorted. 

All in all, you might decide that buying a car for what is likely to be only very occasional use, is a potentially expensive and undoubtedly unreliable alternative.

The Benefits of Expat Car Hire

With rental, you have very little to worry about apart from your rental fees and the fuel you need to get about. Breakdown cover and insurance will be included so that you don’t have the possibility of unexpected costs and delays throwing your plans off track.

And if circumstances change, or you just feel the need for a bigger, faster or even more comfortable car, you could even upgrade, giving you a level of flexibility you certainly wouldn’t benefit from if leasing or buying your vehicle.

UK Car & Van Rental – The Car Hire Experts for Expats

With great deals that make both long and short-term car hire affordable and good value, it’s no wonder that UK Car & Van Rental is becoming an increasingly popular choice for expats returning to the country.

Our ultra-convenient pick-up and drop-off service means that you’ll be covered from the minute you land at one of London’s airports (including Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted) until the moment you’re ready to leave.

Then there are our vehicles, all of which are less than two years old, with electric, automatic and prestige options always available. And if you’re coming back with the family, we also have a great range of MPVs and people carriers so that everyone can travel in complete comfort. 

Still not sure? Then why not take a look at our reviews and see why all kinds of customers – including expats returning to the UK – are singing our praises?

Then get in touch with our friendly team and find out how we can help you out next time you’re heading home and in need of high-quality vehicle rental.