Reading Car Rental Guide
The following page introduces you to the car rental possibilities available in Reading and describes the main car rental and driving restrictions valid in the United Kingdom.
Rental Restrictions
To rent a car in the United Kingdom, 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.
Cars rented in the United Kingdom are not allowed into the following countries: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the republics of the former 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 are mandatory for all passengers. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to sit in the front, except for infants or very young children in child seats.
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.
Flashing amber lights indicate that you must give priority to pedestrians on the crossing.
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 are 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. Some bridges and tunnels are tolled.
About Reading
Reading is situated at the heart of the beautiful Thames Valley and is a great centre of business, shopping, transport and leisure.
Various events and festivals are organised in the city all year round. Reading offers you a wide variety of green parks, play and sports facilities and theatres. The Oracle Shopping and Leisure Destination has something to offer to everybody. The Museum of Reading introduces you to the history of the town. The Lookout Discovery Park is a great science and nature exhibition.
In Reading, you can find many excellent restaurants and pubs. The city also enjoys a busy nightlife.
Population: 228,800
Country: England
Time Zone: GMT (+1 in summer)
Telephone Area Code: 1734
Monetary unit: Pound Sterling
