Public transport or car rental?

If you’re planning on visiting another country and want to take the opportunity to see as much of it as possible while you’re there, it’s worth taking the time to consider the best way of getting around.

Usually, that is likely to boil down to deciding whether to hire a car or use public transport. While each has its own advantages and disadvantages, here are six compelling reasons why we think that hiring a car could be the best solution for most independent travellers.

Freedom

Having your own mode of transport means you can go wherever you want to whenever you want to, without being tied to the train and bus timetables. It also means you have the freedom to change your mind at the last minute, so if you wake up one morning and fancy going to the beach rather than on the city tour you’d been planning, you don’t need to cancel tickets and start researching which bus or train you’ll need to get there. You just leap into your car and go!

Cost

Your first thought might be that public transport should be the most cost-effective solution, but that’s by no means always the case. If you can plan your whole trip in advance and know exactly where you’re going and when, public transport could possibly be cheaper. But if your plans alter or you need to make an extra journey at short notice, things can quickly change, because many train fares can get prohibitively expensive when booked at short notice. 

Plus, if there is no direct bus or train, you might need to make multiple public transport journeys to get to a destination that might otherwise be a straightforward car journey, requiring several tickets at rapidly mounting expense. And, of course, cost will be an even more significant factor if there’s more than one of you. Unlike public transport, the cost of car hire is the same for up to four people as it is for one!

Reliability

Buses and trains can – and often do – get cancelled or delayed for many reasons, but it won’t matter how good a reason it is if it throws your travel plans into disarray. Meanwhile, during 2023 the UK’s public transport system, especially the rail network, has become subject to repeated strike action by disaffected workers, which has made it even harder to rely on it to get you where you want to go. And while you can get caught in a traffic jam in a hire car, modern GPS navigation can often bring any problems to your attention in advance and give you the opportunity to change your route and avoid them.

A better holiday experience

Public transport is often great for travelling in and around towns and cities, but if you want to get into the countryside and onto the road less travelled, you’re likely to find your options far more limited. Some of the most scenic and tourist-friendly rural locations in the country have no more than one or two buses or trains a day serving them, which means that if you miss the one you’re aiming for, you could well be stuck. And if you want to suddenly admire a particularly spectacular view or explore a particularly welcoming pub, having a hire car means you can choose where to stop to suit your mood at any time.

Safety

If you want to enjoy your holiday from start to finish, the last thing you want to do is pick up germs and viruses from fellow travellers on a crowded bus or train. Meanwhile, if your mode of public transport arrives in an unknown town or city late at night, it won’t feel safe having to find your own way around in the dark. Having a hire car will allow you to travel directly to your final destination. Of course, you could get a taxi, but that would make the whole experience even more expensive!

No need to travel light

If you’re not great at travelling light, you can carry around as much as you want or need to in a car rather than having to lug it on and off buses and trains several times a day. And when you do take luggage onto the train, you often don’t have the room to sit with it all, so you have the added worry of making sure it doesn’t get stolen during the journey.

Here at UK Car & Van Rental, we provide travellers arriving at airports in and around London with affordable and convenient car hire that will make for a far more enjoyable holiday experience than having to rely on public transport. With a great range of modern cars and vans to suit all tastes and budgets and our convenient meet and greet service that means you won’t have to hang around before getting on your way, it’s no wonder we’re the rental company of choice for so many travellers arriving at Gatwick, Heathrow and other airports in the South East.  

Contact us to find out more or book your rental car online now.