Dog Friendly Car Hire in the UK
As any pet owner will know, finding pet-friendly services can be something of a challenge. Whether that’s a hotel, a park or a shop, these days so many people seem to be anti-dog that finding places where you can take your pet is something of a challenge.
Never is this more of a problem than when trying to find dog-friendly car rentals in the UK. Many well-known car rental companies have a blanket ban on pets of any sort, worried about the potential damage to their vehicles or the amount of cleaning required.
Even the car rental companies that do allow you to transport pets in their vehicles very rarely advertise the fact. In many cases you’ll need to dig through all the “legalese” of their rental contracts with a fine-toothed comb or to contact car rental companies in person to see if they accept pets.
We therefore thought that it might prove useful to put together a list of UK car rental companies that accept pets. At the time of writing, all the following companies allow the transportation of pets in their vehicles, though readers are advised to double-check at the time of rental. Lastly if there are any dog friendly car hire companies you know of that aren’t mentioned below, please feel free to drop us a line so we can keep this list updated…
Avis – 0808 284 0014
Despite their shiny and rather intimidating website it seems that Avis are reasonably pet-friendly. While not quite as welcoming as some other competing car hire companies, Avis state that they “do not have a strict pet policy” but that you should ensure the vehicle is returned in a reasonable state to avoid an additional cleaning surcharge.
Budget – 0808 284 4444
Budget state that housebroken pets are “invited to travel in your rental car” and are clear that while no supplementary surcharge is levied by default when you transport your pet in one of their cars, additional fees may be added to your bill in the case of the vehicle being returned in an unacceptable condition.
(Source: http://www.budget.com/budgetWeb/html/en/customer/commonquestions/)
Enterprise – 0800 800 227
Enterprise are definitely one of the more dog-friendly car rental companies in the UK. They state very clearly that “domesticated pets are allowed to travel in vehicles” though they are quick to point out that excessive pet hair or damage caused by pets may result in extra cleaning charges.
(Source:https://www.enterprise.com/en/help/faqs/car-rental-pet-friendly-policy.html)
Europcar – 0871 0384 9900
Europcar prohibit the transportation of live animals in their vehicles, however this excludes domestic pets “subject to prior authorisation”.
(Source: https://www.europcar.co.uk/EBE/module/render/terms-and-conditions-general-rental-terms)
IndiGo Car Hire – 0113 28 99 281
Rather than hiding the fact away, IndiGo are very open about accepting pets – including dogs. That said, they do make it clear like many of the other hire car firms here that you’ll need to let them know in advance that you plan to transport a pet with you. Additional cleaning charges may be levied if the car is returned in an inappropriate condition.
(Source: http://indigocarhire.co.uk/blog/indigo-offers/pet-friendly-car-hire/)
ZipCar – 0333 240 9000
Zipcar is typically more of a short-term rental option though for those who will be spending lots of time in the city will find the practicality of Zipcar may well outweigh the drawbacks. Pets are allowed in Zipcar rentals but according to their website must be “kept in a locked pet carrier”.
(Source: http://www.zipcar.co.uk/how)
BONUS:
Priory Rentals – 0800 996 1444
While Priory do hire out cars, the reason they’re included here is that they offer dog-friendly motor home rentals too. What could be better than renting a motorhome and taking your pet away with you on holiday? There is no extra charge to take your dog in one of their car rentals, though you’ll pay an additional £40 hire charge to take your dog in a motorhome. Well worth the price if you ask us.
(Source: http://www.prioryrentals.co.uk/motorhome-hire/pet-friendly-hire/)
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