Compare Cambridge car hire

Once you’ve explored Cambridge’s historic colleges and had a punt on The Backs, hiring a car means you can also plot a course for the Fens, where you’ll discover pretty villages, thatched cottages and leafy watercourses that rival this grand university city.

Cambridge doesn't currently have an airport – the old Cambridge International closed to passengers back in 2016. If you’re flying into nearby London Stansted Airport (STN), however, you could hire a car from there – it's just 50km (31 miles) to the south along the M11 motorway.

If you do pick up a rental car from London Stansted, you can be in Cambridge in just over 30 minutes. A host of hire firms operate out of the airport’s Car Rental Village, so shop around to find a good cheap deal. The centre is open seven days a week and is easily accessed from the terminal via regular shuttle bus services.

Car rental companies that have a presence at London Stansted include:

• Alamo (Tel: 01279 682 955)
• Avis and Budget (Tel: 0844 544 6027)
• Enterprise (Tel: 01279 682 955)
• Europcar (Tel: 0371 384 3419)
• Hertz and Firefly (Tel: 0843 309 3071)
• InterRent (Tel: 01279 661 347)
• National (Tel: 01279 682 955)
• Sixt (Tel: 01279 661 919)

If you’re arriving in Cambridge from another location, you may prefer to pick up a car in the city centre. Most of the city’s car hire operators can be found on Newmarket Road and adjoining Swanns Road, but you can also collect a vehicle from the railway station.

Cambridge’s proximity to the M11 and the A14 bypass mean it’s easy to get to the city centre. Once you’re in town, it’s a different story – the narrow, one-way streets and alleys of the historic centre are best explored on foot or by bike (the preferred mode of transport for the city's huge student population).

Still, there are plenty of places to park on the edges of the centre and in the inner suburbs, including the multi-storey pay-and-display facilities at Park Street, Grafton West, Grafton East, Queen Anne Terrace and the Grand Arcade. If you only want to use your hire car for day trips outside Cambridge, you can use the Park & Ride facilities on Newmarket Road and Madingley Road, and in Trumpington.

If you’re staying outside the busy centre, you won’t have any issues with congestion, with wide, straight suburban roads and roundabouts keeping the traffic flowing.

Ely and Wicken Fen

Driving time: 30 minutes

Historic Ely sets glorious medieval architecture against the natural beauty of the Fens. The intriguing Octagon Tower at Ely Cathedral, which dominates the largely rural landscape, boasts a fine interior, while Oliver Cromwell’s House offers a fascinating insight into life during the English Civil War.

You might also enjoy the Eel Trail, which takes in the oldest parts of this small but culture-rich city and the leafy riverside. Once you’ve taken a boat trip, visited a museum and browsed the independent craft shops, head out of town to Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, one of the last remaining areas of traditional, undrained fenland.

Bletchley Park

Driving time: One hour

In a development that changed the course of World War II, mathematician Alan Turing cracked the Enigma code here, helping to defeat Nazi Germany and its allies. Now a heritage attraction, this museum on the outskirts of Milton Keynes is just an hour’s drive from central Cambridge. You can view exhibitions, visit the codebreakers’ huts and wander the hall and pretty grounds of this fascinating estate.

Nene Valley Railway

Driving time: 50 minutes

Just outside the attractive cathedral city of Peterborough, a short drive along the A1(M) from Cambridge, the Nene Valley Railway offers steam-powered family fun. The 12km (7.5-mile) heritage attraction weaves its way through the Cambridgeshire countryside, offering lovely rural views with all the sounds and smells of a Victorian railway, and you can jump off at any of the five stations to admire the railway architecture and explore the surrounding area. Regular Thomas the Tank Engine events have proved a hit with younger passengers.

Fair fuel policy

A fair fuel policy (also known as full-to-full or same-to-same) means you’ll only pay for the fuel you use. All car rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket come with a fair fuel policy, so you can book your hire car safe in the knowledge there will be no nasty surprises at drop-off. More information on TravelSupermarket’s commitment to fair fuel policies can be found here.

No hidden fees

All rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket include mandatory fees (for example, one-way and young driver surcharges) in your rental quote at the time of booking, meaning you’ll know the full price of your car hire upfront.