Car Rental in Brighton: Drive to “London-by-the-Sea”
Brighton is a popular seaside destination within easy driving distance from London, but it’s also a great location in which to pick up your rental car for further journeys into the English countryside. Particularly if you are starting your travels to England in London, avoid the busy motorways and London’s congestion fee by taking the train to Brighton and picking up your car hire in one of Brighton’s convenient locations! This guide will help you find the most convenient and cheapest car hire in Brighton.
Left-Hand Driving
- When you pick up your Brighton auto hire, remember that traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road throughout the United Kingdom.
Get the Best Deal on Auto Rentals at EconomyBookings.com
Rental cars in Brighton are available in three locations: downtown, at the railway station, and in nearby Rottingdean. Car hire in Brighton typically starts at around €23 a day.
Car seats and other accessories are available from the car hire companies featured on EconomyBookings.com. Be sure to tick your required extra equipment at the time you make your rental car reservation. Car seats are mandatory when driving with children in the car throughout the United Kingdom.
Tips for Cheap Car Hire in Brighton
Get the best prices on rental cars in Brighton by booking your car at Economy Bookings’ downtown Brighton location. At this location, you will typically find that auto hire starts as low as €23 a day, year-round. However, if you’re planning on visiting during the busy summer months, be sure to book your rental car in Brighton well in advance, as prices quickly rise! Hertz and Firefly are two companies that typically offer the cheapest car hire in Brighton.
Keep an eye out for discounts of at least 15% when you book your car to get an even better deal on your daily rate!
Key Things to Remember After You Pick Up Your Car Hire in Brighton
Speed limits in Brighton:
- To further cut down on the amount of accidents that occur in large cities throughout England each year, most speed limits have also been reduced in central Brighton to 20 miles per hour (just over 30 kilometres an hour).
- Be aware of traffic cameras that track the speed of drivers throughout the United Kingdom. If you receive a speeding fine, your rental car company in Brighton will pass the charges along to you, sometimes months after the speeding ticket has been issued, and typically with additional surcharges.
Parking in Brighton:
- Parking can be challenging in Brighton, particularly during the busy summer months. If you are planning on driving your rental car through Brighton for one of the many summer festivities, such as during the Brighton Festival, for the Brighton Marathon, or during Pride week, ask your hotel or accommodation staff if they can provide you complementary off-street parking.
- If you’ve rented a car to visit the Brighton beach, plan on arriving early to tuck your auto hire into a street-side spot on Madeira Drive or Marine Parade, but note that you will still likely have to pay for parking, sometimes up to £15 to 20 a day!
- A cheaper parking option in Brighton is to park for free at the Withdean Sports Complex and take the bus to your desired destination. You can typically save around 50 pence a ticket if you buy your bus ticket using the m-ticket app, which is available to download for free.
There are no toll roads in the direct vicinity of Brighton, though you will have to pay a congestion charge to drive your auto hire into nearby central London.
Exploring Southern England with Your Brighton Car Hire
After you pick up your rental car in Brighton, take some time to explore the region. Make Brighton your beachside home for your self-drive tour of southern England—particularly if your accommodations provide off-street parking. Some great day trips from Brighton are:
- South Downs National Park: located about an hour west of Brighton, South Downs is England’s newest national park and is a particularly beautiful area to explore southern England’s rolling hills. Featuring numerous sights and market towns, you’ll certainly want to explore this park via car hire. Be sure to drive through Arundel on your way to and from the park as well! A tour of the medieval Arundel castle is not to be missed.
- Rye and Camber Sands: take another day to head east with your Brighton car hire to England’s only sand dunes at Camber Sands. On the way to and from Brighton, stop in Rye to see learn about this sweet, cobble-stoned, seaside village and its role in a long history of smuggling!