Car hire · Deals checked today
Airport car hire: Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester compared
The quick answer
The lowest price for a car hire deal on 26 Oct 2026 is £42.95 from VIP Cars: Mini car (mini · Manchester · 7 days, 4 to 11 Dec). The table compares 29 prices from 2 sellers, read from each seller's own site. Same mini car, same week: Heathrow £59.97 with VIP Cars against £124.92 with Europcar; Gatwick £50.77 with VIP Cars against £109.37 with Europcar; Manchester £42.95 with VIP Cars against £159.66 with Europcar.
Cheapest for the weekAffiliate
VIP Cars
Mini car
mini · Manchester · 7 days, 4 to 11 Dec
Price
£42.95
29 deals · best value first
The deals, ranked by what you really pay
AffiliateRanked by price, read from each seller's own site. Prices checked on each provider's own site, 26 Oct 2026.
Rental company or broker?
Choose a rental company for its own cars, or a broker to search many companies at once. A rental company rents its own cars. A broker searches many rental companies in one go.
Europcar is a car and van hire company with desks at UK airports and stations. You can see its details on the Europcar provider page.
VIP Cars is a car hire booking site. One search covers several rental suppliers, so you can compare more prices at once. Read more on the VIP Cars provider page.
Our table compares both side by side at Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports. Every price comes from the provider's own website, with the date it was last checked. Real cost alone sets the order. Prices are quotes for a sample week, so check your own dates.
How to pay less for car hire
Compare the total hire price for your exact dates and pick-up airport. Car hire prices change with your dates, where you collect the car and the driver's age.
Try a smaller class, such as mini or economy, and compare it with the car you need. Only pick a bigger car if you need the space for luggage or passengers.
Younger drivers often pay more. Enter the real driver age in each quote so you see the true price before you book.
Each table shows the date its prices were last checked. Look at that date, then sort the table by real cost to find the best value today.
Cover the excess before you go
The excess is the amount you pay towards damage or theft before the rental company's own cover starts.
Standalone excess insurance is a separate policy. It pays you back that amount, and it is usually cheaper than the excess cover sold at the rental desk.
Sort it before you go, so you are not rushed into a choice at the counter. Read our Reduce My Excess review first, then compare it with the desk cover.
Straight answers
Questions people ask
- Which is cheapest for car hire at Heathrow?
- The top deal in our Heathrow table is the best value today, because we rank every deal by real cost. Those prices are quotes for a sample week, so your price depends on your dates, pick-up point and driver's age. Check the date each table was last checked, then search your own dates.
- Is a car hire broker cheaper?
- Not automatically. A car hire broker searches many rental companies in one go, so you see several prices at once. A rental company such as Europcar sells its own cars, so check its price for your dates too. Our tables rank every deal by real cost, so compare them there.
- Do I need car hire excess insurance?
- Not always, but it can save you money. Standalone car hire excess insurance pays you back the excess you'd pay for damage or theft. It is usually cheaper than the excess cover sold at the rental desk.
Keep comparing
Your next question, answered
- EuropcarEuropcar car hire prices for a sample week at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, read from Europcar's own search and set beside rivals.
- VIP CarsVIP Cars car hire prices for a sample week at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, read from VIP Cars's own search and set beside rivals.
- Reduce My ExcessReduce My Excess car hire excess insurance: what it covers, single trip and annual prices from its own quote, and how it compares with cover at the rental desk.
- Heathrow parkingHeathrow parking compared: meet and greet, park and ride and hotel packages, priced for a sample week from each seller's own search. Book with your own dates.
