To own or hire a car? The key considerations

If you live in the heart of a city, owning a car can be an expensive undertaking. Some city councils may require you to pay for an annual parking permit if you park your car on a main street, while in London you have to pay a congestion charge for driving through the city. What's more, if you live in an area with a high crime rate, your insurance premiums may be higher than they would be if you resided in a safer part of town. With so much to consider, it's hardly surprising that many urbanites forego car ownership in favour of the occasional rental vehicle. But before choosing whether to own or rent a car, it's important to consider your personal circumstances and the extent of your local transport network.



If you live in London, hiring a car has obvious benefits compared to owning one. The tube and bus networks may be overcrowded and expensive, but their coverage is so extensive that it's very possible to get from place to place easily on them. In many instances - for example, travelling through the centre of London - driving can actually take much longer than taking the tube. And if you don't have your own garage or parking space, your insurance premiums are likely to be extremely pricey and add to the already high cost of London living.

By choosing to hire a car as and when you need one, you eliminate the regular cost of car insurance since high quality car hire providers will usually offer vehicle cover within the rental price. And, thanks to the widespread distribution of car rental pick-up locations across London, you won't necessarily have to drive through the city on your journey either. For example, if you're planning to drive from London to Bristol on a Saturday, it's likely that a large part of your journey will be spent sitting in traffic on the M25. However, you might be able to skip this leg of the journey by taking the tube to the outskirts of the city and renting a car from there, thereby avoiding the hassle of driving through traffic around London.



For some urban drivers, the inconvenience of having to pick up a rental car and return it at the end of the journey deters them from hiring a vehicle. However, there are solutions to this problem. Some car hire providers offer free delivery direct to your door if you live within a certain radius of one of their branches. This is particularly helpful if you're renting a car in order to go on holiday, if you have a large family or group of friends accompanying you, or if you have heavy luggage. Free pick-up from your home after your rental period is over may also be included in this offer, but it's best to check these details with your chosen car hire company before making a booking.



Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.