How long do I need to hire a car for?

Need to hire a car or van but not sure how long you should rent it for? We've written this guide to help you figure out how long you may need to hire a vehicle for, depending on your needs. Plus, we'll cover the positives and negatives of each choice.

Hire we go!

Hiring a car for one day

Do you need to drive somewhere and back in a day but don't have a car or van to use? Some car rental companies offer one-day car hire. They usually last a full 24 hours, so can be a cost-effective way to help navigate:

Moving day or those times when you need to move heavy, bulky items
Family day trips, e.g. hiring a car to escape the city and explore the countryside
Wanting your own space instead of catching a train or using other public transport (perhaps for a work trip)

Some rental companies allow you to do a "one-way rental", meaning you could return the car or van to other branch locations.

An example would be moving house – under this system, you wouldn't need to make the return journey, because you could simply return it to a closer branch. 

Here at Metro Vehicle Hire, we offer 24-hour hires and even half-day hires for up to four hours from 08:30–12:30 and 13:00–17:00. 

Hiring a car for two days

Think you're going to need a car for more than 24 hours, or two full days? Most rental companies operate on 24-hour periods, so instead of rushing back, it's always worth putting your sensible hat on and booking an extra 24 hours. Take your time on the way back, or even plan a nice meal or activity to make it worth it.

Hiring a car for one week

Want to do a few day trips on holiday? Or enjoy the freedom of a car when you're staying away from home? Try hiring a car for a week instead of ordering it for the odd day. You may even get a better deal if you tell them you'll hire it for the week instead of individual days.

Whether it's a week-long family reunion or that dreaded work conference, there are always those situations when you need to have an escape route ready. Hiring a car for a week for situations like this means you can get out, take a breather, and go back refreshed and ready to face the music.

Hiring a car for two weeks

Did somebody say road trip? Whether it's with your pals or your family, road trips can be super fun. No car? No problem. Rent a car or SUV to ferry you around all the sights you want to see, without an annoying tour guide jabbering on (unless you have one in the car…).

Hiring a car for one month

Businesses sometimes need to hire a car or van for a month at a time to offer to their salespeople, deliver items, or allow their employees to travel for work. This is usually the case when there simply aren't enough funds in the piggy bank to buy or regularly lease a car, but an influx of work or new business has secured work for at least a month.

Testing the waters like this can be useful to see if renting vehicles for months at a time is more beneficial than buying a car or van outright, or leasing. You're not tied into a lengthy contract, but you still get the luxury of a vehicle while you decide.

Hiring a car for three months

The longest typical rental period is around three months. If you strike up a good deal, this can be a very cost-effective way to get around, as it means a long-term income stream for vehicle rental companies. 

You may need to hire a car or van for three months for short-term contracting work that doesn't warrant buying a car. Renting can also be a good stop-gap for when you're looking to buy a car, as this isn't something to enter lightly. It's a great opportunity to do some serious window shopping and should give you an insight into how much you will use a vehicle and whether you need one or not.

Why not just lease or finance?

Not so sure about renting a car, but still need to get around? There are some great car and van lease deals around that still give some of the flexibility and freedom that renting does, while usually being more cost-effective in the long term. All your payments go towards paying for your car, which you have the choice of owning at the end of the contract (for a fee).

Our rental fleet

If you need to rent a vehicle in Newcastle, Gateshead or the North East, come and check out our vehicles for hire!

We supply small, medium, and large cars and SUVs. We have 9-, 12-, 14-, 15- and 17-seater minibuses. And we lease a large range of vans for short- and long-term rental in the UK. They also come with insurance, breakdown cover and unlimited mileage options.