Gatwick Airport is situated just over 30 miles outside the heady capital, and scouting London’s iconic landmarks—such as majestic Buckingham Palace, the contemporary 310m-high Shard and historic clock tower Big Ben is how most commence their adventures here. Sail over London’s skyline in the London Eye to take in the lot.

London is home to an impressive portfolio of museums and galleries—the majority of which are happily free to enter. Explore the Natural History Museum’s unrivalled prehistoric display, where Dippy the Diplodocus is bound to impress with its enormous skeletal frame. Culture buffs should make a beeline for the British Museum, stacked with relics of bygone civilisations.

Succeeding the Bronze and Iron Age settlers who inhabited the banks of the River Thames around 3,000 years ago, it was the Roman Empire that first sowed the seeds of London’s refined and dynamic culture. Fast-forward a couple of millennia, and the metropolis’ reputation as leading design and world-class gastronomic hub precedes it. Shop the achingly chic flagships along Bond Street, or the more purse-friendly Oxford Street, and chase your spree with something delicious from the thousands of eateries that punctuate the city.

With a hire car from Gatwick Airport, the bohemian lanes of Brighton are just a 45-minute drive away. The colourful seaside town is fringed by pebble-strewn shores and dotted with characterful boutique stores and fun drinking dens. Sample battered cod and chips to aptly cap an experience here—or source the British classic from another of the coastal-hugging towns skirting the base of England. The chalky cliffs framing Kent’s attractive coves—including Botany Bay—and the grassy sand dunes rolling out around Sussex are within a comfortable driving distance.

Alternatively, for a glimpse of charming English countryside, there are plenty of historic strongholds easily accessed from Gatwick Airport. Enjoy panoramic views of the tumbling landscapes surrounding the picturesque town of Guildford from the top of the Great Tower, a remnant from the medieval Guildford Castle. Hikers can ramble across the verdant South Downs National Park, easily accessible from Winchester. A destination that’s renowned for its myths and legends, its grandiose medieval cathedral is where King Arthur’s famous round table stands.

With so much of England’s historic south to discover, hire a car with Avis from Gatwick Airport to access all of it.

This hire station is not in the London Congestion Charge zone, but drivers entering central London must have permits when driving within the congestion zones between 7am and 10pm, 7 days a week (look out for the Congestion Charge signs). The charge is payable on a daily basis. The official site has maps and details on how to pay the charge.

Dartford Crossing
You will see notifications about a charge as you pass through the Dartford Crossing. You don’t need to do anything, or pay the fee in advance, as we will make the payment on your behalf. The crossing fee will be charged to the payment card registered to your rental within 14 days of the authority notifying us of the crossing, with no additional costs included.