Car Hire Vs. Taxi: Which is best for you?
• 8th January 2020Your journey doesn’t stop once you step off the plane; it only just begins…
Travelling across your chosen destination is the best way to explore. We’re fortunate in this day and age to have so many transport options at our fingertips, but not all are equally as convenient or economical. Two of the most popular modes of transport are taxis and car hire. In this article, we’re going to look at the pros, cons and costs of each option to find which choice is best for your trip to London.
Taxi
A taxi can seem an attractive choice to travel around London, as you needn’t worry about the mechanical, fuel or security concerns that come with possessing your own vehicle. Check out the full pros and cons below:
Pros:
Great for short, direct, infrequent trips
Taxis are handy for getting your from A to B
Hassle-free
Hailing a cab removes the breakdown, tax and security worries that come with possessing your own car
Cons:
Expensive for long trips
Expensive if used frequently
Expensive and difficult to use if wanting to stop at multiple locations on a single trip
Typically won’t wait for you to visit a stop
Prices are hiked during peak hours
No guarantee of booking a vehicle immediately
No privacy
Car Hire:
For those planning on doing a lot of travelling during their trip, car hire is often the preferred choice. The pros and cons of hiring a car are as follows:
Pros:
Freedom and Convenience
If you decide to make a trip at peak time, you needn’t worry about price hikes or delayed bookings. By hiring a car, you have the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want
Economical
As explained in the next section, a hire car is a better financial investment than a taxi, provided you intend on travelling more than a handful of miles
Privacy
Put on a tune and sing to your heart’s content. When riding in a hire car, you don’t need to worry about making awkward small talk with a stranger if you don’t want to
Almost hassle-free
Unlike owning a vehicle yourself, you needn’t worry about covering the cost of breakdowns or other issues. Your rental company will cover these for you
Fixed-price
Pay before you use the vehicle. This will prevent you from eating into your budget by taking unexpected trips
Cons:
Not as useful for infrequent driving
Cost of Taxi Vs Cost of Car Hire
The average cost of getting a taxi in the UK is £3 per mile. To calculate the £ per mile of a rental car, just divide the number of miles you plan on travelling by the cost of the rental vehicle. At Heathrow Car and Van Rental, we offer cars for hire at just £16 per day. You’d need to travel at least 5.4 miles per day to begin saving money on a taxi alternative. A journey from Heathrow to Oxford street alone is 16 miles.
And this doesn’t take into account price hikes at peak times, traffic and multiple stops. Ultimately, it is a better financial decision to use a rental car for trips around London. When you add the convenience and freedom of a hire car into the mix, there’s no better way to enjoy a trip across the UK’s capital than with a hire car.
To ensure you get the most out of your car hire, always make sure you use a rental company you can trust.
Here at Heathrow Car and Van Rental, we offer flexible vehicle hire from our fleet of over 300 vehicles. Choose from cars, vans, minibuses and a range of other vehicles to suit your needs. No vehicle is over 12 months old, and free breakdown cover is provided as standard. From just £16 a day, explore London at a great price. Get in touch today to find out more. We’re conveniently located just a few minutes from London Heathrow Airport (LHR).