Car hire in Basingstoke will give you the independence to move beyond the city and visit some of the tourist attractions in wider Hampshire. One such place is The Vyne, a very good example of a 16-th century Tudor mansion, situated just to the north of Basingstoke. There’s also the Whitchurch Silk Mill which is the oldest of its kind in the UK and still produces fine fabrics. You can use your hire car to avoid having to take the train, and it will also give you the ability to explore the countryside on your own time.
The city isn’t served by its own airport, so you’ll land at Southampton Airport on your way here. This is a fairly substantial airport, offering plenty of options for car hire in Basingstoke, including picking up your pre-booked vehicle. The major brands have a decent presence here, especially Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt, Europcar and Alamo. They’re found in different parts of the airport. Enterprise is the most direct one to get to, as it’s just to your right once you’ve collected your luggage, while the rest of them are outside the terminal building, just a couple of minutes’ walk across the Spitfire Loop road.
Traffic conditions in Basingstoke can get pretty congested, so this will be your main consideration when driving around the town. The city centre is often milling with pedestrians as well, so take a similar approach to driving as you would in a larger urban area. The quieter roads around the town are easy to get around, so you won’t have any traffic problems there, but drive cautiously and be on the lookout for local cyclists who can pop up seemingly out of nowhere on the country lanes.
You should take rush hour in Basingstoke pretty seriously, as this is when some of the roads can really jam up quite a bit. Particular hotspots for this are the M4 in both directions and the intersection where it joins the larger M3 at Junction 5. Also watch out in the area around Kingsclere roundabout on the main Newbury/Basingstoke road. The A339 ringway can also become clogged during rush hour, which typically peaks at roughly 8:00 in the mornings and again at around 16:00 in the afternoon.
Book your car hire in Basingstoke at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
FAQs about hiring a car in Basingstoke
It will pay off to book a smaller model of car for your Basingstoke car hire needs, something you’ll soon appreciate once you enter the town’s traffic and find that it’s so much easier than it would be in something like a large saloon. Tailor your choices, and only hire as much car as you need, so to speak. If you’re visiting as a family, look for a compact MPV, and if you’re on your own or visiting with a friend, you’ll not need anything larger than a nippy little city car. This will also pay off for you in terms of fuel economy.
Speed limits in Basingstoke conform to what you’ll be used to in UK cities and towns. In the built-up areas and the residential areas adjacent to the city centre it is set at 30mph, and enforced by numerous speed cameras, which are mobile. These are used on the outskirts of town as well, where the speed limit on the larger roads is 50mph.
There are three short stay car parks in central Basingstoke. These all offer free parking for the first hour, with the second hour starting at £2.10 and increasing by a pound per hour. These are Albert Yark, Castons Yard and Jacobs Yard. You can also find parking centrally in Joices Yard, where you’ll pay around £1 for the first hour.
The average price of fuel in Basingstoke is R118,72 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between R1 425 and R1 899, depending on the car size.
Mini (Toyota Aygo or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Basingstoke.