Skip to content

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) · Updated October 2026

The 8 Best Car Rental Companies at London Gatwick (2026)

8 fleet operators compared on deposit, excess, tolls and customer record. Nobody pays for placement.

Top 3 at London Gatwick Airport

See all 8
  1. 1EnterpriseInternational brand9.1/10
  2. 2SixtInternational brand8.7/10
  3. 3Green MotionUK independent8.4/10

The short answer

The best car rental company at London Gatwick in 2026 is Enterprise (9.1/10) — desks in both terminals, the friendliest debit-card policy, and cars parked a short walk from arrivals rather than a shuttle ride away. Sixt (8.7/10) is the premium pick, and Green Motion (8.4/10) is the value play: off-airport, shuttle-included, low-CO2 fleet.

Why Enterprise ranks first

London Gatwick Airport car rental: the comparison

Score, pickup, deposit and toll handling for all 8 operators, side by side.

  1. 1EnterpriseOur pick · International brand9.1/10
    Pickup
    Desks in both terminal arrivals halls; cars on the airport campus
    Deposit & excess
    £200–£1,000 hold depending on vehicle class
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after; Europe coverage £325
  2. 2SixtInternational brand8.7/10
    Pickup
    South Terminal car rental desks; inter-terminal shuttle from North
    Deposit & excess
    £300 minimum card approval; debit debited + reimbursed
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after
  3. 3Green MotionUK independent8.4/10
    Pickup
    Gatwick Business Park, Kennel Lane — on-demand shuttle (NT stop 12 / ST stop 9)
    Deposit & excess
    Credit card only for deposit; holds £150–£1,500
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after
  4. 4AvisInternational brand8.2/10
    Pickup
    Desks in both North and South terminals
    Deposit & excess
    Rental + £300 hold; debit accepted (no Maestro/Electron)
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after + admin fee
  5. 5HertzInternational brand8.1/10
    Pickup
    Desks in both terminals; cars on-airport
    Deposit & excess
    Rental + fuel + £500 without SuperCover
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after + admin fee
  6. 6EuropcarInternational brand7.8/10
    Pickup
    Desks in both terminals; self check-in kiosks
    Deposit & excess
    £250 if prepaid; rental + £250 otherwise
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after
  7. 7U-SaveUK independent7.5/10
    Pickup
    Gatwick Business Park, Kennel Lane — shuttle per booking
    Deposit & excess
    Credit card in main driver's name required
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after
  8. 8DrivaliaInternational brand7.3/10
    Pickup
    Sofitel London Gatwick desk, connected to North Terminal
    Deposit & excess
    Varies by booking; confirm at desk
    Tolls
    Congestion + ULEZ billed after

The full ranking, reviewed

Enterprise

9.1/10

Our pick · International brand · Also serves National & Alamo bookings

At Gatwick, where collection is walk-up rather than shuttle-based, Enterprise's edge is its service and payment flexibility: desks in both terminals, debit cards accepted for most classes, and the deepest one-way network if you're planning to end your trip elsewhere in the UK.

The £325 European Travel Coverage surcharge applies if you're taking the car to Ireland or the continent — factor it into any cross-border plans.

What's good

  • Desks in both terminals — walk-up collection
  • Debit cards accepted for most classes
  • Deepest one-way network in the UK

Worth knowing

  • Desks close overnight — late arrivals use key-drop
  • £325 coverage surcharge for Europe/Ireland
  • Age 25+ floor

Sixt

8.7/10

International brand

Sixt's Gatwick desk is in the South Terminal (North Terminal passengers take the free inter-terminal shuttle), and the fleet is the premium standout: BMW, Audi, Mercedes and electric models.

Premium pricing, and debit cards are actually debited rather than held — but for the car quality and accelerated app check-in, it's the strongest 'treat yourself' option at Gatwick.

What's good

  • Premium, near-new fleet with EVs
  • Accelerated app check-in
  • Walk-up South Terminal collection

Worth knowing

  • Premium pricing
  • Debit cards debited, not just held
  • South Terminal only

Green Motion

8.4/10

UK independent

Green Motion undercuts the majors materially at Gatwick, with a low-CO2 and electric fleet and an on-demand pickup from the Business Park site. Call ahead and the shuttle comes to you — it's not a fixed-timetable wait.

Credit-card-only deposits are the sting: no debit, no exceptions (unless you buy full waivers at the desk), and releases take 7–10 business days. Bring your DVLA licence check code.

What's good

  • Cheapest honest rates at Gatwick
  • Low-emission and electric fleet
  • On-demand shuttle pickup

Worth knowing

  • Credit-card-only deposits
  • Deposit release takes 7–10 business days
  • Off-airport collection

Avis

8.2/10

International brand · Also serves Budget bookings

Avis keeps the classic strengths: Preferred members skip the counter, both terminals are covered, and Visa/Mastercard debit is accepted. High-value vehicles may demand two cards, one credit.

Budget bookings come from the same desk, so the brand choice is largely cosmetic at Gatwick.

What's good

  • Preferred members skip the counter
  • Desks in both terminals
  • Debit cards accepted (Visa/Mastercard)

Worth knowing

  • Two-card rule for high-value vehicles
  • Reduced weekend hours

Hertz

8.1/10

International brand · Also serves Dollar, Thrifty & Firefly bookings

Hertz's Gatwick operation is walk-up in both terminals with on-airport cars, and Dollar even has its own listed South Terminal desk. Gold Plus members get the fast lane.

The deposit structure remains the harshest among majors without SuperCover: rental + fuel + £500 held. Buy SuperCover and it drops to extras + fuel or £200.

What's good

  • Desks in both terminals, walk-up
  • Gold Plus fast-lane
  • Dollar has its own South Terminal desk

Worth knowing

  • +£500 deposit hold without SuperCover
  • Premium pricing

Europcar

7.8/10

International brand · Also serves Keddy by Europcar bookings

Europcar at Gatwick offers desks in both terminals with self-serve kiosks and a friendly deposit: £250 prepaid, rental + £250 otherwise. Keddy budget bookings are served from the same operation.

A safe, unspectacular middle option — fine if the kiosk queue beats the counter queue.

What's good

  • Desks in both terminals
  • Self-serve kiosks
  • Friendly deposit structure

Worth knowing

  • Standard fleet, less premium than Sixt
  • Peak-time queues

U-Save

7.5/10

UK independent

U-Save (Green Motion-owned) shares the Kennel Lane site and undercuts most desks at Gatwick. Same credit-card-only deposit policy, same off-airport shuttle trade-off.

Worth it purely on price; confirm the deposit amount before committing if you're deposit-sensitive.

What's good

  • Among the cheapest rates at Gatwick
  • Shuttle included

Worth knowing

  • Credit-card-only deposits
  • Variable service quality
  • Off-airport collection

Drivalia

7.3/10

International brand

Drivalia's Sofitel desk is adjacent to the North Terminal and the economy/EV fleet is built for weekly rates. Thin on premium classes and vans, strong on price for longer hires.

A niche pick — right for a long stay on a budget, wrong for a two-day premium upgrade.

What's good

  • Strong weekly rates
  • Economy and EV fleet
  • Hotel-desk adjacent to North Terminal

Worth knowing

  • Limited vehicle range
  • Deposit terms vary by booking

How we score

Every company is scored out of 10 on the same four weighted criteria. Rankings are editorial and cannot be bought.

We rank fleet operators only. Brokers and aggregators don't own a single car, so they don't appear. Sister brands that share desks and fleet are ranked once, together.

See the scores applied ↑

  1. Price transparency30%

    What the headline rate hides: deposits, card holds, excess, toll handling and desk upsells. All-inclusive pricing scores highest.

  2. Customer record30%

    Verified public ratings — Google reviews first — weighted by volume. A 5.0 across 1,800 reviews beats a 4.9 across twelve.

  3. Pickup experience20%

    In-terminal desks versus shuttles, queue reality at peak season, paperwork friction and out-of-hours returns.

  4. Fleet & flexibility20%

    Fleet age and range, automatic availability, one-way options, minimum-age rules and payment-card flexibility.

Renting at London Gatwick Airport: what the desks don't advertise

  1. Gatwick is one of the few UK airports with genuinely walkable collection: every major brand has desks in both the North and South terminal arrivals halls, with cars parked in on-airport car parks a short walk away — no shuttle theatre.

  2. South Terminal desks sit on the lower forecourt (Level 0, reachable from arrivals by lift); North Terminal desks are past Jubilee House. If your flight lands North and your rental is South-side, you'll walk the inter-terminal link.

  3. Off-airport budget operators cluster at Gatwick Business Park (Kennel Lane): Green Motion (NT bus stop 12 / ST stop 9, on-demand pickup) and U-Save share the site with Interrent (Windmill Garage) nearby.

  4. Drivalia runs from a desk at the Sofitel London Gatwick, connected to the North Terminal — a hotel-desk model that suits budget weekly rentals.

  5. London charges apply the moment you drive into the city: Congestion Charge £18/day (in advance or same day), ULEZ £12.50/day for non-compliant cars, 24/7. Fleets are Auto Pay-registered and pass the charges plus admin fees to you after the rental.

London Gatwick Airport car rental FAQ

Do I need a shuttle to collect a rental car at Gatwick?

Not with the majors. Enterprise, Avis, Hertz and Europcar have desks in both the North and South terminal arrivals halls, with cars in on-airport car parks a short walk away. Only the off-airport value brands — Green Motion and U-Save at Gatwick Business Park — use a shuttle.

Where are the car rental desks in each Gatwick terminal?

South Terminal desks are on the lower forecourt (Level 0, by lift from arrivals). North Terminal desks are past Jubilee House. Sixt operates from the South Terminal, with the inter-terminal shuttle for North arrivals.

Will I pay the Congestion Charge or ULEZ in a Gatwick rental?

Only if you drive into central London. The Congestion Charge is £18 a day (07:00–18:00 weekdays) and ULEZ is £12.50 a day for non-compliant vehicles, 24/7. Rental fleets are registered on Auto Pay, so the charges land on your card after the hire — usually with an admin fee from Enterprise, Hertz and Avis.

Can I rent a car at Gatwick with a debit card?

Often, yes. Enterprise has the friendliest debit-card policy, Avis accepts debit cards (not Maestro or Electron) with a £300 hold, and Sixt debits a £300 minimum and reimburses it. Green Motion and U-Save need a credit card in the main driver's name.

Where do Green Motion and U-Save collect at Gatwick?

At Gatwick Business Park on Kennel Lane, by on-demand shuttle — from North Terminal bus stop 12 or South Terminal stop 9. Drivalia works from a desk at the Sofitel London Gatwick, connected to the North Terminal.

More rankings in United Kingdom