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From Argentina
+54-2657459025
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From Mexico
+52-7449800692
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+64-99508740
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+51-17009061
From Switzerland
+41-445514539
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+66-25088458
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+65-31585008
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The Complete United Kingdom Driving and Rental Guide

Consisting of England, Wales, Scotland and North Ireland, the United Kingdom is renowned for its beautiful natural sceneries and a wide mix of architectures, making it an attractive destination country to discover by car. Here are a few basic driving instructions and tips to help you serenely prepare your journey.

  • Speed Limit and Traffic Signs
  • Seatbelt and Child Safety
  • Parking, Fuel and Toll
  • Traffic Violation
  • Driving Licence and Age Requirements

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

In the United Kingdom, driving is on the left-hand side of the road and overtaking is on the right. Mobile phones cannot be used to call or text while driving. On Roundabouts, drivers on the right have right of way. 

Drivers should remain alert on countryside’s roads, as farm animals and agricultural vehicles can turn out to be difficult obstacles to pass. 

Speed Limit

There are speed limits of 30 mph(48 km/h) on urban areas, 60 mph(96 km/h) in rural areas and 70 mph(112 km/h) in motorways unless signs say otherwise. 

Traffic Signs

Traffic signs used in the UK include signs giving orders, warning and indicating direction or information. Here are some frequently used signs in the UK. 


Regulatory signs feature a circular shape with some exceptions. 

UK Traffic Sign Give Priority to Vehicles from Opposite DirectionGive Priority to Vehicles from Opposite DirectionUK Traffic Sign Give Way to Traffic on Major RoadGive Way to Traffic on major roadUK Traffic Sign No Vehicles Except Bicycles Being PushedNo Vehicles Except Bicycles Being Pushed UK Traffic Sign No OvertakingNo OvertakingUK Traffic Sign No WaitingNo Waiting

UK Traffic Sign No StoppingNo Stopping
(Clearway)

Warning signs are mostly triangular with a red border.

UK Traffic Sign RoundaboutRoundaboutUK Traffic Sign Uneven RoadUneven RoadUK Traffic Sign Two-way Traffic on Route Crossing AheadTwo-way Traffic on Route Crossing AheadUK Traffic Sign Wild AnimalsWild AnimalsUK Traffic Sign Level Crossing WIth Barrier or Gate AheadLevel Crossing WIth Barrier or Gate AheadUK Traffic Sign Level Crossing Without Barrier or Gate AheadLevel Crossing Without Barrier or Gate AheadUK Traffic Sign Level Crossing Without BarrierLevel Crossing Without Barrier

Information signs in the UK are rectangular with various colour backgrounds.

UK Traffic Sign Primary Route Forming Part of a Ring RoadPrimary Route Forming Part of a Ring Road

UK Traffic Sign Entrance to Congestion Charging ZoneEntrance to Congestion Charging ZoneUK Traffic Sign Hospital Ahead with Accident and Emergency FacilitiesHospital Ahead with Accident and Emergency FacilitiesUK Traffic Sign Tourist Information PointTourist Information Point

Click here for a complete road signs guide in the United Kingdom.

*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

All passengers over 12 or 13 years, or over 135cm tall must wear a seat belt at all times. Failure to do so could result in a fine up to £500.

Booster Seat Laws

Children until the age of 12th or the height of 135cm should be placed in an appropriate seat for their height and weight.

*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

· Forbidden Parking


Finding parking space in town and city centres can prove difficult, especially in the centre of London. Parking your car in the following spots is strictly forbidden and could result in a fine:


- Beyond the time restriction marked on poles, lampposts or even screwed onto adjacent walls of buildings with a single, continuous yellow line along the kerb


- With double, continuous yellow lines along the kerb, which indicates no parking at any time

United Kingdom Double and Continuous Yellow Lines(Image from alphamarkingservices.co.uk)


· Paid Parking


White marked bays with white markings indicate a metered street parking. These are generally "pay-and-display" parking for which a ticket needs to be purchased from an adjacent machine, and displayed on the car’s windshield or dashboard. 


Be careful to check the "controlled hours" which are marked on the payment machines and on adjacent signs (again, usually on lamp posts and on walls). Parking outside the controlled hours is free.

United Kingdom Paid Parking Signs

(Image from eppingforestdc.gov.uk)


When finding a parking spot, we strongly suggest you not to let the absence of yellow lines lull you into a false sense of security, and always look for parking signs or meter machines.

Fuel Prices

The average value for the United Kingdom gasoline price during the period from August to November 2017 was 1.21£ per litre, while diesel is 3 cents higher.

Toll

Currently, there is a single major road - the M6 Toll - and a small number of bridges and tunnels where tolls are collected. Each toll road and bridge in the United Kingdom has its own fee, varying and depending on the type of vehicle you are driving. Fees are collected at toll gates and can be paid in cash or by credit card or by fuel equipment for automatic toll payment.

United Kingdom Toll Road(Image from alamy.com) 


Some car hire companies will debit your credit card in order to pay the tolls on your behalf if you missed paying one (depending on different car hire companies). If you have any questions concerning toll fee billing, feel free to contact QEEQ' 24/7 customer service team for help.


Additional Tips

In London, the Congestion Charge is a £11.50 daily charge for driving a vehicle within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday. Usually, the congestion charge will be collected and informed by the car hire company at the rental desk. 

*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Except for Scotland – whose limit is set at 0.05%, other locations within the UK have a legal blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.08% per driver. Driving over the alcohol limit can result in a penalty up to six months of imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum of twelve months' disqualification. 

Traffic Fines

The minimum speeding fine for an infringement is £100. A notice will be sent to the car’s registered keeper by the enforcement authority. In a renter’s case, the notice will be sent to the car hire company and passed on to the renter. 


Parking tickets usually need to be paid within 28 days. In some cases, the fine is reduced by 50% if the payment is made within 14 days. Failure to pay the parking tickets within the given period will result in the penalty notice being passed onto the car hire company.


In some cases, the car hire company will debit your credit card for the penalty fee and add an administration charge. It is advisable for you to contact QEEQ’ customer service team if you believe you have been charged incorrectly. 

*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

All drivers must be in possession of a full driver's licence, many car hire companies may require driver's licence held for at least 2 years. The minimum age generally to rent a vehicle in the UK is 21 years old. But the age restrictions may vary by different car categories. 

*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Guest reviews

1 /
T.Stokey

April 14, 2024

Destination: Preston

9.7Excellent service.

Great car, friendly staff, great communication

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Olwen Bursua

April 14, 2024

Destination: London

9.3The easiest car rental ever

The staff were amazing and funny and suited me to my car perfectly. No hesitation in rebooking with them but I want QEEQ to get the recognition.

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M.S.

April 8, 2024

Destination: Bristol

8Booking easy but pick up was a challenge.

Be sure to check pick up location times. On weekends, this location does not open until 11am yet we arrived at 09:30. Had to wait 1 1/2hrs for staff to arrive and when they finally did, it took nearly a 1/2hr to check in with them. After looking at the fine print, this information was on my voucher so it was my fault for not being aware. .

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D.Greene

April 4, 2024

Destination: Leeds

8.7Staff were excellent.

Personally I found the clutch pedal too close to the left side of the compartment. People with big feet might find the space between pedals too small.

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Ben

March 30, 2024

Destination: London

9.7Quality car and smooth booking

The car was a new large MG with lather seats. Very good condition and clean.

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March 30, 2024

Destination: Carlisle

9.7Excellent

Quick easy and hassle free

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Craig Smedley

March 25, 2024

Destination: Nottingham

10Excellent

Mr north was excellent just sorry the review is a little late

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March 22, 2024

Destination: Milton Keynes

9.3Excellent

Car had been smoked in previously and the smell did not diminish during the entire rental period, car seats and interior very stained. This is the second occasion I have been given a car like this from this location, whilst the rental staff did explain there is nothing they can do to prevent this from occurring from other renters they do state they will charge for a clean if this does happen, this car had not been cleaned. It does seem if you book via a consolidator with Europ car rather than direct with them you won’t always be offered the best cars but that’s the cost of trying to save a few pounds against booking direct with Europ car.

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March 22, 2024

Destination: Birmingham

9.7Excellent

Excellent

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E.Chow

March 18, 2024

Destination: Ayr

9I will definitely use Europcar Prestwick location again.

I upgraded to a VW T-ROC. It was a great car. Would definitely drive it again.

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L.Brown

March 8, 2024

Destination: Exeter

10100% recommend - just didn't like the insurance excess worry.

The car was lovely and the staff were really helpful at Exeter - making sure I was familiar with the key features. They advised where I can drop off at Heathrow and went through the 'paperwork' on the iPad. I didn't like the £2,000 excess on insurance which I was offered on the spot to take there and then - as the cost was almost as much as the daily hire cost - but waived it. That made the experience much more stressful - particularly in London - and I was grateful to drop the car back without a hitch.

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Jeremy

March 8, 2024

Destination: London

8Great car for large groups but the car does feel a little light while driving

Staff was really helpful. vehicle had some issues such as the wiper falling off midway while driving but other than that, everything was great.

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S.Kilian

March 2, 2024

Destination: London

6.3Not impressed as stated above and would like a refund.

The whole experience was very disappointing to say the least. We have used QEEQ several times with a good experience and also have 3 upcoming bookings. The level of service we received on this occasion was a joke, very unprofessional staff at Surprice who made us feel like we were being blackmailed. We arrived and unfortunately I had forgotten my drivers license (my mistake). I did have my international licence but they wouldn’t accept this or a photo of the one they needed. We then had to change the booking into my husbands name and then pay for additional insurance on top otherwise have a £15000 excess!! I told them we had already paid extra for a zero excess policy but they said that was now invalid. We then had to pay extra making a $400 booking into an $800 booking (approximate numbers). On top of that they provided us with a car with front end damage. Also original booking was full to full and car had 2/3rds of a tank. NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL.

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J.Banks

February 28, 2024

Destination: Edinburgh

10Service with a smile

Car was as expected for the size requested

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EG

February 27, 2024

Destination: London

8.7I spotted the Avis scam which would have cost me £44 extra for nothing. Other than that, great car

I like Qeeq because of the fully comprehensive insurance policy on offer. When I got to Avis, I decided to purchase the Excess Insurance Waiver. I was told by the person at the Avis desk that it would cost £83 plus VAT for 4 days. I decided to pay that as £100 was worth it not to be faced with a possible excess of £1,500. When it came to signing the contract, I saw that the cost was £144 and not £100. I asked why. I was told that this was "£83 plus VAT". I knew that this was UTTER NONSENSE and that the person behind the desk did not have a clue what they were talking about. It turns out that car breakdown had been added in for £20 without telling me. And then Avis add a "location surcharge" of 20% of all extras added. So there was 20% added onto the £83 waiver insurance and 20% added onto the £20 car breakdown cover. What an ABSOLUTE SCAM!!! I raised this with the manager and the issue was sorted by giving me half a tank of free petrol as compensation for the "location surcharge" which could not be removed. BE VERY (!!!) CAREFUL WITH ANY OF THE CAR HIRE COMPANIES AND THE HIDDEN EXTRAS THAT THEY TRY TO ADD ON

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R.Webb

January 23, 2024

Destination: London

7Competitively priced rental but inconveniently located depot

Green Motion is generally very good, but the Heathrow branch is located at the Holiday Inn which is currently being used as an asylum seekers holding area by the government and feels very insecure. Be aware that the depot does NOT open at 06:00 as reported by Qeeq and Green Motion's website but at 07:00. Note also that there is no toilet on site and no shuttle service to/from the airport apart from the hotel Hoppa bus service which is infrequent.

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U.YOUSAF

January 21, 2024

Destination: London

10Excellent

I met kashif at the counter. He was really professional. It took 5 minutes for whole process. Car was out of my expectations. Really happy with the service. Would recommend to everyone.

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January 18, 2024

Destination: London

9Great

Got Corsa instead of focus which is smaller.

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January 18, 2024

Destination: London

9.7Yes I’d do it again

Very helpful staff all went smoothly

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P.Shields

January 18, 2024

Destination: London

8London now the world’s most unfriendly place to drive .

Didn’t get the car we’d paid more to get & tried to give us a smaller car that wouldn’t have worked for us . Didn’t advise us of the £15 ( $30 AUD !)London congestion fee at both pick up & drop off and couldn’t really say where that as well as the low & ultra low emission zones were .

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A.Williams

January 16, 2024

Destination: Peterborough

10Excellent

The car was very clean good customer service I definitely come back

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A.Haley

January 15, 2024

Destination: Belfast

9.7Ok

Collection was easy, only thing not happy about was that when I book I was told that I didn't need a credit card but I did and was charged extra for insurance

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January 14, 2024

Destination: Edinburgh

10Easy car rental

Enterprise are always great to deal with and very fair. Rachel on drop off was excellent.

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K.Monopoli

January 14, 2024

Destination: London

10Excellent

The lady that helped me was incredible, super helpful and very friendly.

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C.Madin

January 10, 2024

Destination: London

10Friendly and Efficient

Very friendly counter staff, efficient service.

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P.Shields

January 10, 2024

Destination: Glasgow

8.7Very good

Counter staff very friendly, guy at pick up not as helpful Car had seats facing backwards, which was not on the booking and didn’t suit us with some who get car sick , but he wouldn’t swap cars without wanting to charge us . Car condition was good , but set up not good !

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D.Forrester

January 9, 2024

Destination: Edinburgh

9.3Smooth

Signposting of car rental return at Edinburgh Airport was very poor, particularly in the dark

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S.Bean

January 9, 2024

Destination: London

10Great, great, great

Very helpful, pleasant, friendly and efficient staff. Would use again

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LH

January 9, 2024

Destination: East Midlands

10Wonderful staff, beautiful car!

Wonderful staff, so helpful. I was able to pick up my car earlier than anticipated and they couldn't do enough for me. Showed me around the car and explained all the gadgets and familiarised me with the car. I had to extend my stay and they were so helpful and allowed me to extend my hire without any problems.

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January 7, 2024

Destination: Oxford

9.3Smooth, easy car hire

The staff was super friendly and helpful and made the hire process clear and easy.

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S.Gray

January 7, 2024

Destination: Glasgow

9.3A different experience

The initial car was too small, despite us booking for 5 adults we were given a tiny SUC that we would not have fitted in. However, the agent at AVIS was extremely and offered an upgrade at a fraction of the normal price which allowed us to have the room we needed.

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January 6, 2024

Destination: Dundee

8.3Fantastic service

The counter staff were friendly and helpful. I had a mechanical fault on the first car and I was given another car. The Transitioning was so smooth with good customer support.fantastic

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HRGold

January 5, 2024

Destination: London

6.3Good at first, Sad ending!

Everything about the car was OK but we have been changed more than 50 pounds for VAT and other nonsense. Also they charged us for a full tank while the tank was half full!! Never go for herrtz again.

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January 4, 2024

Destination: Manchester

10Excellent

Initial booking was listed incorrectly with alamo but they rectified the situation within seconds. No issues

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C.Templeton

January 4, 2024

Destination: Manchester

9.7Wonderful!

Excellent service!

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January 4, 2024

Destination: London

7Good

Car only had 1/4 of a tank petrol. Car provided was a Peugeot 3008, not a volvo xc60 as advertised.

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S.Hocking

January 4, 2024

Destination: London

9Easy and carefree

Very good customer service best I’ve experienced

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G.Butler

January 2, 2024

Destination: Bristol

9.7Excellent service well done.

Received a warm and friendly welcome from the guy on the counter. Went through the process no problem. The original car we had booked was not available but we had a slightly smaller model which was no issue for us. The guy explained the problem and was ver apologetic. Contract completed the car was checked over and shown the drop box for the next morning and also the shuttle collection point. Overall a very pleasant experience.

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K Agyemang

January 2, 2024

Destination: Ayr

9A blessing in disguise. Very good sue for money and overall one of the best experiences in rentals

The staff at pickup were great. Although it took a while to get to Prestwick as I hadn’t planned to be going there it was a great deal.

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J.Lock

January 2, 2024

Destination: London

8.3Good price - but a little less convenient

Overall good experience, the bus instructions were a little confusing and the bus to Drivalia is the hotel hopper, they could be more explicit in those instructions. Honestly the company should just look them over again and make them better. Mileage limit not an issue but might be for some.

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Yusuke Hori

January 1, 2024

Destination: Glasgow

10使いやすいUI

スムーズに借りれてスムーズに返すことができました。ナビも付いてて満足です。

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M.Kelly

January 1, 2024

Destination: Huddersfield

10Pleasant and extremely painless experience. Thank you

The staff at Enterprise were extremely courteous and helpful. The pick up was extremely quick and the staff took the time to show all the car controls.

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D.Armstrong

December 30, 2023

Destination: London

10Excellent service - great customer service, straightforward service from pickup to drop off

Excellent service

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Amee K

December 30, 2023

Destination: Milton Keynes

9.3Car rental was excellent

Was really good apart from collection i waited almost 3 hours to pick up, I was offered 25% which thr manager emailed Qeeq but after speaking with them which was beyond terrible as the girl couldn't understand or speak English she made the whole process extremely terrible.

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S.Jones

December 30, 2023

Destination: Stoke-On-Trent

9Excellent

Nice to have a full tank this time

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L.Lai

December 30, 2023

Destination: London

10Very good experience with ALAMO

The service at pick up and drop off was exemplary. Staff were very helpful.

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Andrew

December 29, 2023

Destination: London

10Green Motion excellent - , QeeQ be careful that the price you see is what you pay

Excellent team, if you are a newbie just ask which bus stop you have to get off at and also ask the bus driver to let you know when to get off.

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Stephen

December 29, 2023

Destination: London

8.3Good but disappointed with cleanliness of car

I pick up the car at night so I didn't really check it thoroughly before driving off. The next morning I discovered that the seats are full of bread crumbs which is probably left by the previous user. Overall the car is ok except for dirty seats.

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P.Lonsdale

December 28, 2023

Destination: Southampton

9.3Smooth

Excellent service from the staff at enterprise

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George Johnston

December 28, 2023

Destination: London

8Very good

Service was good and speedy. The car itself had quite a lot of damage - to the point of starting to look a bit shabby. Calling it on-airport is a bit of a stretch as it is very far from the terminal and not even in the car hire village, but part of a hotel.

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Best car rental deals in United Kingdom

Best rates found by QEEQ users in the last 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Q1.What is an insurance excess?

The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage(under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft(under Theft Protection) of the vehicle.
Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.

Q2. How can I add an addtional driver?

You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental.
Please note that the same licence and age requirement applys to the additonal driver. The addtional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

Q3.What if I want to pick up or drop off my rental car out of office hours?

QEEQ will show you the car offers available at your chosen time on the search results.
However, pick-up or drop-off out of general opening hours may subject to an extra fee unless self-service pick-up or drop-off is available.
After you reserve a car on QEEQ, we will inform you of specific policy of the car hire company by email.

Q4. Can I take the hired car to another country or cross border?

If you want to pick up your car in one country and drop it in another, your search results will show you cars you can do that with.
If you're planning to cross any borders during your trip, bear in mind:
1. You may have to pay more.
There are often extra fees, taxes or additional cover you'll pay at the car hire counter.
2.It may not be allowed.
Depending on where you're hiring, you may not be able to take your car to another country.
Please email us if you want to take your hire car into a different country during your trip, and we'll talk you through your options.

Q5. Can I pick up my car at one location and return it at different location?

Yes. You can pick up the vehicle in one place and drop it off in another. An ‘one-way fee’ will incur. Whether it is inclued in the rental price or what additional cost may arise will be clearly stated at the time of booking on QEEQ.
Please inform the car hire company of your drop-off location when you pick up the vehicle or contact them directly during your trip. You will find a phone number on the rental agreement you signed at pickup.

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