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Search for the best car hire deals in Norwich
With cobbled streets, medieval churches and Tudor buildings, history pulses with life in Norwich. But with the spectacular Norfolk Broads on your doorstep, you can't just stay in town. Grab a hire car in Norwich and head into the Broads National Park in search of wildlife, pleasure cruises and waterside windmills.
Hiring a car in Norwich city centre
You can pick up a rental vehicle easily in the city, with Hertz, Enterprise and Thrifty rental offices located around the ring road, and Sixt and Europcar in the area of Heigham Grove, just outside the city centre. Thrifty operates a meet-and-greet service at the railway station.
Fast facts about hiring a car from Norwich Airport
You'll have no problems hiring a car at Norwich Airport (NWI), with approved rental companies Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz operating from the terminal. Once you've collected your car rental, it's a mere 2.8-mile (4.5-kilometre) drive south into the city.
Turning left out of the airport, head south along Cromer Road and Aylsham Road through the northern suburbs, then take a right on to St Martin's Road. This will take you as far as the A147 inner ring road (St Crispins Road) approaching the city centre.
The car hire rental offices are located by the main entrance of the terminal building, opposite the Bristow Lounge. Make a booking in advance of your flight, comparing prices online to get a great deal, then fill out the paperwork and collect your hire car from the car park outside.
Car rental companies that have desks at Norwich Airport include:
- Avis (Tel: +44344 544 6023)
- Budget (Tel: +44344 544 8752)
- Europcar (Tel: +44371 384 3416)
- Hertz (Tel: +44843 309 3055)
Driving in Norwich city centre
Peak-time traffic has long been a thorn in the side of transport planners, despite an extensive network of ring roads and bypasses. The fundamental issue is that all roads in East Anglia lead to Norwich. However, the new Broadland Northway bypass and remodelled Postwick junction on the A47 have been designed to ease congestion, so there are reasons to be cheerful.
Local flashpoints include the busy Heartsease roundabout and the tricky junction between King Street and Carrow Road. It's worth packing your satnav – or a GPS-enabled smartphone – as this will help you get in lane, avoid the bottlenecks and master Norwich's one-way systems.
Providing you plan your route and steer clear of rush hour, Norwich is navigable enough. The dual-carriageway ring roads are linked by wide, straight spoke roads, including the A11, A1402 and A1242, and the cultural attractions are well-signposted. When it's time to head out to the Norfolk Broads, make a beeline for the A47 (north and east) or A146 (south east).
Much of the city centre has now been pedestrianised, making it increasingly difficult for motorists to get around. So, if you're heading to the castle, cathedrals, market or Jarrold department store, park up your hire car and make your way on foot.
There are three council-run multi-storeys car parks to choose from – St Giles, St Andrews and Rose Lane – and a decent supply of on-street pay-and-display spaces. There are also six Park and Ride sites in a ring around the city, including one at the airport.
Recommended day trips from Norwich
Great Yarmouth
Driving time: 45 minutes
For good, old-fashioned seaside fun, head east along the A47 to coastal Great Yarmouth with its famous Golden Mile. Set against a long, golden beach, this family-friendly resort offers rollercoasters at the Pleasure Beach, penguins and sharks at its Sea Life aquarium, and hand-crafted curiosities in its model village. Just outside of town, you can visit Burgh Castle, one of the best-preserved Saxon shore forts in the country. You're also a mere 30 minutes up the coast from sandy Lowestoft, the most easterly point in the UK.
Sandringham House
Driving time: One hour 10 minutes
To see how the royal family live, take a road trip to Sandringham House just outside of King's Lynn. The Queen's rural retreat is set on a vast country estate, where the varied landscape features gardens, woodland, farms, wetlands and the tidal mudflats of The Wash. The house itself is Norfolk's grandest stately home, a lavishly-decorated 19th-century mansion filled with chandeliers, mirrors and priceless artwork. You can explore the ground floor rooms and visit the Sandringham Museum, housed in the former coach houses and stable block.
Norfolk Broads
Driving time: 30 minutes
The Norfolk Broads, a vast network of countryside waterways, is East Anglia's signature tourist attraction. A short drive out of Norwich, you'll soon find yourself surrounded by rivers, reedbeds, flooded woodlands and grazing marshes. On a day out in this wetland National Park, you can take a peaceful boat cruise or country bike ride, go birdwatching or hike on one of the Norfolk Trails. Afterwards, you can visit one of the Broads' pretty villages – such as Wroxham, Reepham or Woodbastwick – for a pub lunch, drink or picnic.