Car rental in Leicester makes travel easy in England’s East Midlands. That’s true whether you’re travelling for business, to visit family, or for leisure trips.
Leicester combines English market traditions with multicultural heritage. You can discover the city’s incredible history at every turn with Roman ruins like Jewry Wall and the medieval Guildhall.
Rent a car in Leicester to explore the wider East Midlands and beyond. You can get to Birmingham in less than an hour while London is a little over two hours away by rental car.
You’ll find our car rental pick-up locations dotted across Leicester – including at the train station. We’ll aim to get you in your rental car and out on the road as soon as possible.
There are no credit card fees or hidden extras to pay for Leicester car rental. We won’t charge you if you find you need to amend or cancel your reservation up to two days before collection,
Whether it’s for business or pleasure, Leicester car rental gives you access to the perfect car for your all needs.
Said to be the setting of Shakespeare’s King Lear, Leicester has a vibrant calendar of events and festivals, award-winning museums and galleries, and 2,000 years of heritage waiting to be discovered. Rent a car to begin your journey through them.
In Britain’s 10th biggest city, you’ll find a fascinating historical center with Roman baths, industrial artifacts, and the final resting place of King Richard III.
The most popular visitor attraction in Leicester is undoubtedly the King Richard III Visitor Centre, which opened in 2014 after the King’s remains were discovered by archaeologists beneath a parking lot two years earlier. The 15th-century monarch was the last English king to die in battle, and you can find out more about his turbulent reign through its interactive exhibitions.
Situated across from the Visitor Centre lies Leicester Cathedral, which dates to 1089, and is the final resting place of Richard III. The cathedral’s beautiful stained-glass windows and royal tomb attract thousands of visitors each year. Park your rental car at the nearby Applegate Car Park or New Street Car Park, then hop out to explore central Leicester.
From its 800-year-old market, which is one of the biggest in Europe, to the Highcross shopping center, Leicester offers a great mix of shopping. The market is home to a wide range of stalls – from fruit vendors to craft stores, butchers to flower stalls. Spend the morning browsing this beautiful space.
If you’re feeling hungry, be sure to visit the food hall. A foodie’s dream, it’s the perfect spot to pick up some local delicacies – including handcrafted cheeses like Red Leicester. It’s open six days a week and is an ideal pit stop before taking a rental car trip across town.
The National Space Centre in Leicester is the largest in the country and a popular attraction for families and school groups. It provides superb entertainment for space science fans with its interactive exhibitions, and is home to the UK’s largest planetarium.
If you prefer something a little more rustic on an English driving vacation, then head over to Belgrave Hall in the north of the city. Here you’ll learn more about everyday Leicester life and can relax in its beautiful walled garden. When you rent a car, it takes just 10 minutes to get here from the city center.
Fire up the rental car and prepare for adventure. Leicester is less than an hour’s drive from Birmingham, and only a 45-minute trip from Coventry and Nottingham. It’s a fantastic transport hub if you’re arriving here on vacation with an abundance of cities, market towns and the scenic English countryside all waiting to be explored.
With medieval timber-framed buildings standing alongside five churches, Stamford is the perfect place to visit on a day trip. One of the best-preserved stone towns in the country, it’s been the romantic English setting of a host of films and TV series. You can visit the town by taking the A47 eastbound from Leicester. It should only take you about 50 minutes in a rental car.
Equally enjoyable for business and pleasure, renting a car in Leicester is the best way to get around the city and beyond.
Driving your rental car in Leicester is a straightforward experience. If you’re flying in via Birmingham, then Birmingham International Airport will be your starting point. We have a pick-up point at the airport – in Terminal 1 – so you can hit the road the moment you touch down.
From the airport, you can get to Leicester in a rental car by traveling along the M6 and M69 freeways, known as motorways in the UK and prefixed with the letter ‘M’. Once you arrive in Leicester, you’ll find the city is well connected by road.
If you want to park up your rental car in the center and hit the heart of the city on foot, you’ll find a wide choice of parking lots in the city. There are more than 8,500 parking spaces in the center, as well as a further 1,500 on the outskirts through three park and ride schemes. Plenty of options when you rent a car.
Leicester is ideally located in central England and has excellent access to nearby cities and towns. Nottingham, Derby and Coventry are all less than an hour away. The East Midlands city has excellent freeway links with the M1, M6, M42, and M69 providing fast and immediate access to cities across the UK.
You’ll be driving on the left side of the road in England and the rest of the UK. Speed limits are restricted to 70mph on freeways and 60mph on roads carrying the National Speed Limit sign of a circular grey sign with a black diagonal line through it.
Limits drop to 50mph, 40mph, 30mph and sometimes as low as 20mph in built-up and residential areas so be sure to pay close attention to signs. Take note that turning right on a red light is prohibited.