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Rent a car at London Heathrow or Gatwick International Airports. A word of warning: the English have right-hand-drive or steering wheel is on the right hand side. They drive on the left side of the road, opposite to the U.S.A. It may be confusing at first, but you get used to it quickly.

London is divided up into many different neighborhoods, all of which have a personality of their own. Take your rental car and travel to Paddington in your rental car. Paddington is famous for its train station and the Peruvian bear named after it (the marmalade sandwich-munching Paddington Bear in the yellow slicker). This area is a good bet for affordable accommodations that are still close to the Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

For a traveler on vacation to London there are a number of "must-sees". Rent your car from Heathrow International Airport in London and visit the galleries such as: The British Museum, The National Gallery, The Tate Modern to name a few. There is The Tower of London where the Crown Jewels are kept; and of course, there is The Old Bailey, a prison that is no longer being used. The financial area is called The City. There's Buckingham Palace and a short drive in your rental car takes you to Windsor Castle. Tourists love to take rides on The London Eye, a type of Ferris wheel. It gives a fabulous view of the Thames and the Houses of Parliament. Don't forget the parks, such as: St. James Park, Hyde Park or Regents Park. Travel in your rental van from Gatwick International Airpor in London to the London Zoo or take your rental car and take a trip to Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne just north of London. Include in your tour the jazz clubs, such as Ronnie Scott's or the Royal Albert Hall for concerts. Take a boat trip on the Thames and stop by the National Maritime Museum.

Spend some of your holiday time watching people at Leicester Square or Picadilly Circus. And include on your tour the shops of Regent Street, Oxford Street Bond Street and Carnaby Street.

Brixton is an area of the largest Afro-Caribbean population. Its where you'll find Reggae, and spicy food and wonderful markets and nightclubs. Take your rental car and visit Covent Garden, where the Royal Opera House is located. London's theater district in the West End is stone's throw away. Travel to Ealing, made famous by Ealing Studios where the Goons (a comedy group) and Hitchcock, known in Hollywood, produced their pictures. For a night out on the town, visit the eateries and clubs in Hampstead and Holland Park. From London Gatwick Airport or Stanstead Airport travel in to Hampstead Park for a stroll. Notting Hill is where the Caribbean flavored Notting Hill Carnival is held every August. If you want to see an upscale area, travel to Sloane Street, Mayfair or Knightsbridge where you'll find Harrods, Harvey Nichols and wonderful small boutiques and antique shops. Continue your vacation to an interesting little area called Little Venice in St. John's Wood. You can travel on the canals and sit in the cafes. Madame Tussaud's is located on Baker Street. Regent's Park is where Princess Diana saved a drowning man. Or travel in from London Heathrow International Airport to Portabello Road for antiques and eclectic items hard to find elsewhere in the city in stalls that take up the whole road on Saturdays. Travel by rental car to Wimbeldon known for the Wimbledon Tennis Championships every summer. There's much to see and do outside of London, as well. Whether you rent a car for a day or for a month, you'll find London and its environs offers great holiday touring.
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History of London, England
Knowing the history of London can make your vacation come alive. The Romans established Londinium in 43AD, building a wall around their settlement and a bridge over the river Thames. Boudicca (or Boadicea) for one, the tribal queen of the Iceni Celts and a fearsome chariot-driver, struck a blow for the Britons in AD 60, burning much of the city to the ground. But the Romans were undeterred, and stayed around for another 350 years, and by the end of the first century AD, London was the capital of Roman Britain. The Scandinavian Vikings and the Germanic Saxons then conquered the city for the next 550 years.

St Paul's Cathedral was built in the 7th century. Two centuries after the Saxon King Alfred the Great occupied London, the Normans arrived. It was 1066 and William the Conqueror was in charge. He stayed and became the first English king crowned at Westminster Abbey. He also began to build the White Tower - the first part of what is now the Tower of London.

The Middle Ages saw London begin to expand rapidly in spite of The Black Death in 1348 which wiped out nearly half of the city's 60,000 inhabitants. By the middle of the 19th Century London was the capital of the largest Empire the World has ever known.

London is served by a number of airports. Take your airport rental car in from London Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, London Stansted Airport or London Luton airport to downtown London. Once the power of a world empire at the time of Queen Victoria, it reflects the cosmopolitan atmosphere of her colonial countries in people and in food. There is much to see and do here in your discount rental car: a wealth of museums & galleries are to be found here, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum and the National Gallery. Drive your cheap rental car to see Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. There is the London Zoo, London Aquarium and Kew Gardens (botanical gardens) all interesting and available by your low cost luxury rental car. If you like antiques you may want to drive your rental car to Portebello Road market. historical landmarks, an aquarium, a zoo, a botanical garden and venues for antiquing. Here, you can take a discount rental car to a football game, New Years Day Parade, the Christmas tree lighting in Trafalgar Square. Take a cheap rental car to a great restaurants and nightlife, theater and music or a romantic evening boating up the Thames. Or, drive an airport rental car out to one of the gardens and parks and have a picnic; yes the sun does shine here! You'll never run out of things to do and see in London. If you love sports, don't forget the Arsenal Football Club and the Chelsea Football Club games (soccer), the Flora London Marathon and the Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race; but don't be late, it lasts only about 20 minutes! If you're here at Christmas time, take your rental car and go to the tree lighting ceremony at Trafalgar Square. Each year the Norway gives London a Christmas tree for helping them through World War II. There is much to visit in and around London, not to mention visits to the county of Kent, for instance in your discount minivan rental. There is a myriad of things to do here in your London-Heathrow Airport discount rental car or London-Gatwick Airport rental car.

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AIRLINES Aer Lingus tel 0645/737747 ( www.aerlingus.ie); Aeroflot tel 020/7355 2233 ( www.aeroflot.co.uk); Air France tel 0845/084 5111 ( www.airfrance.com); Alitalia tel 0870/544 8259 ( www.alitalia.co.uk); American Airlines tel 08457/789789 ( www.aa.com); British Airways tel 08457/222111 ( www.britishairways.com); Buzz tel 0870/240 7070 ( www.buzzaway.com); Canadian Airlines tel 020/8577 7722 ( www.cdnair.ca); Delta tel 0800/414767 ( www.delta-air.com); EasyJet tel 0870/600 0000 ( www.easyjet.com); Go tel 0845/605 4321 ( www.go-fly.com); KLM tel 0870/575 0900 ( www.klm.com); Lufthansa tel 08457/737747 ( www.lufthansa.co.uk); Qantas 08457/747767 ( www.qantas.com); Ryanair tel 0541/569569 ( www.ryanair.com); United Airlines tel 0845/844 4777 ( www.ual.com); Virgin tel 01293/747747 ( www.fly.virgin.com).

AIRPORT ENQUIRIES Gatwick tel 01293/535353 ( www.baa.co.uk); Heathrow tel 0870/000 0123 ( www.baa.co.uk); London City Airport tel 020/7646 0000 ( www.londoncityairport.com); Luton tel 01582/405100 ( www.london-luton.com); Stansted tel 01279/680500 ( www.baa.co.uk)

London Congestion Charging Information

What do you need to know about Congestion Charge?

There is now a Congestion Charge for cars entering central London. It is a £5 daily charge for driving or parking a vehicle on public roads in the congestion charging zone, it began on Monday 17th February, 2003.

The charge applies from 07:00 to 18:30, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). The charge is not applicable on weekends. Payment of the £5 daily charge allows you to enter, drive around and leave the zone as many times as you wish in one day.


The central London Congestion Charging Zone

The boundary of the central London congestion charging zone is formed by the ‘Inner Ring Road’. It links Euston Road, Pentonville Road, Tower Bridge, Elephant and Castle, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Park Lane and Marylebone Road. The charge will only apply to vehicles travelling inside, not on, the boundary.


How does this affect you as a Customer?

Rental vehicles are not exempt from this charge therefore if you drive or park inside the inner ring road in the heart of the city, you as the driver of the vehicle are liable for the charge.

Some car rental companies can add the congestion charge to your rental agreement for you, please ask when collecting your car

What happens if you fail to pay the charge in time?

If you fail to pay the Congestion Charge by midnight on your day of travel, The rental company will be sent a penalty notice of £80 by Transport for London. At this point they will provide the name and address of you the renter of the vehicle when the contravention occurred, thus passing the liability for payment of the fine over to the driver.

If payment is made within 2 weeks the fine is reduced to £40, if after 2 weeks payment is not made the fine reverts to £80, if payment is still not made within 28 calendar days the fine increases to £120.

If the rental caompany have to settle the fine on your behalf for any reason, you will be charged for the fine plus most companies will charge an administration fee (as with any other parking ticket we deal with).

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How does the charge operate?

There are no tollbooths, barriers or tickets; instead you will be paying to register your vehicle number on a database.

A network of cameras, fixed and mobile, will read your number plate as you enter or drive within the charging zone and check it against the database. Once the vehicle registration number has been matched, showing that you have paid the charge, the photographic image of your vehicle will be automatically wiped from the database, leaving only those vehicle who have not paid the charge.


So How Do you Pay?

There are a multitude of payment methods including:
Online - visit the CC London website and follow the links to payment.
Phone - 0845 900 1234
Mobile Phone Text Message - You can register for the text message payment with online at the CC London website, or by phone on 0845 900 1234. Once registered you can pay the £5 charge at any time up to 10.00pm on the day of your travel by sending a simple text message from your mobile. Please remember it is dangerous to text while driving.
Selected retail outlets and petrol stations – pay in cash at newsagents, convenience stores and petrol stations where you see the congestion charging sign or PayPoint logo.
Self service machines – pay the charge, with certain credit and debit cards, at self service machines in many major public car parks within the zone.
Post – the ‘Paying the congestion charge’ form can be obtained by writing to Congestion Charging, PO Box 2985, Coventry, CV7 8ZR, or by calling 0845 900 1234.

For more information on congestion charging visit http://www.cclondon.com/
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