Southampton Car Rental Guide
On this page, you will find information about car rental in Southampton as well as some useful data 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 Southampton
Southampton is a large university city with a history based on the docks. It is an industrial city, seaport and resort. During World War II, the city had to be rebuilt, but it has managed to preserve its mediaeval walls.
Art lovers will find plenty to do in Southampton, as its Art Gallery spans six centuries of European art history.
The city is home to many beautiful parks and gardens and a historic amphitheatre set in an 18 th century garden. There are many historic buildings in Southampton, including Romsey Abbey and the Holy Rood Church as well as several castles.
Population: 217,445
Country: England
Time Zone: GMT (+1 in summer)
Telephone Area Code: 23
Monetary unit: Pound Sterling
