Birmingham Car Rental Guide
On the current page, you will find information about car rental in Birmingham. The page will also provide you with useful facts about the car rental and driving restrictions valid in the United Kingdom.
Rental Restrictions
In order to rent a car, you must be at least 21 years old and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. Some suppliers have a maximum age limit of 69 years. Seatbelts are mandatory and children up to age 3 must be in a child seat.
Cars rented in the United Kingdom are not allowed into the following countries: Albania, Bosnia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and Yugoslavia. Luxury cars are not allowed into Italy.
Driving Restrictions
In the United Kingdom, driving is on the left and overtaking on the right. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.8‰. Seatbelts must be worn at all times. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to sit in the front, except for infants or very young children in child seats.
Flashing amber lights indicate that you must give priority to pedestrians on the crossing. Generally, priority is given to vehicles on the right. If there are two white lines on the centre of the road, you are not allowed to cross the line or overtake, but are allowed to turn right. When multiple lines go in one direction, you should overtake using the lane toward the centre of the road. When you are intending to pass, do not flash your headlights as this may offend the driver ahead of you.
You are only allowed to use a mobile phone while driving if you have a hands-free system.
Pay-and-display machines are very common in the UK. Do not park where there is a yellow line painted on the curb.
Speed cameras are used throughout the United Kingdom. Penalties for drunk driving and parking offences can be severe.
Speed limits:| Area | Speed |
| Built-up area | 48KM/H |
| Outside built-up area | 96KM/H |
Motorway |
112KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police/ambulance/fire: 999
Road Tolls
There are no tolls on motorways in the UK. There are, however, some bridges and tunnels that have tolls.
About Birmingham
Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city, both in area and population and is the centre of water, road and rail transportation in the Midlands. It was severely damaged in World War I and after that has been modernised, especially the city centre. There are many notable buildings in the city, including the town hall, the Cathedral of St. Philip and the Cathedral of St. Chad. Birmingham is home to museums, art galleries, a symphony orchestra and a ballet company. Music festivals are organised annually.
Birmingham has a lot to offer its visitors: a world-class cultural scene, diverse shopping facilities, attractions, great nightlife and easy access to beautiful countryside.
Area:
Population: 977,087
Country: England
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +0 (+1 in summer)
Telephone Area Code: 121
Monetary unit: Pound Sterling
