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Search for the best car hire deals in Plymouth
Plymouth is rightly celebrated for its lively waterfront and maritime attractions, but it also has fantastic road links to Dartmoor National Park and the rest of Devon, as well as neighbouring Cornwall. Hire a car in Plymouth and the coast of southwest Eng-land is yours to discover.
Fast facts about hiring a car from Plymouth
You'll find plenty of car hire companies on the outskirts of central Plymouth, close to the harbours that flank Hoe Park, including Thrifty, Budget and Hertz.
Car rental firms next to Sutton Harbour and the National Marine Aquarium:
- Thrifty (Tel: +44333 332 1222)
- Budget (Tel: +441752 227460)
- Avis (Tel: +44344 544 6090)
- Hertz (+44843 309 3061)
Car rental firms around Union Street, behind Plymouth Docks:
- Europcar (Tel: +44371 384 0238)
- Enterprise (Tel: +441752 601000)
- Plymouth Car Hire (Tel: +441752 668899)
There's also a Budget branch at Plymouth station, which as well as being handy for those arriving by train is useful for easy ac-cess onto the A386 (connecting to the A38 Devon Expressway). The wide choice makes it easy to find a cheap Plymouth car hire deal in 2020.
Driving in Plymouth city centre
The centre of Plymouth is split into two parts, which sit in a triangle beneath the station. The top half of the triangle is the busy shopping zone, bordered by the Royal Parade. The bottom half is the more traditional part of town, including the historic Barbi-can area (the original harbour, with around 100 listed buildings). This leads to seafront attractions including Hoe Park, where you’ll find the Naval Memorial, the Royal Citadel fortress and Tinside Lido.
Driving around the outskirts of Plymouth is made relatively easy by wide A and B roads that lead to the edge of Hoe Park. And the quiet streets at either side of the park – which are lined with smart white townhouses, pretty cottages and seaside guesthouses – also make for a fairly stress-free drive. The tiny cobbled lanes of the Barbican should be avoided, however, and the shopping zone can be tricky thanks to pedestrian-only streets, bus lanes, one-way streets and heavier traffic.
The good news is that there’s plenty of parking in the city centre. The large car park at Drake Circus mall is handy for the shops, while the Theatre Royal car park has good access to both parts of the city.
The wider Plymouth area is cut in half horizontally by the Devon Expressway, a scenic stretch of the A38. Leading north from this road is the A386, which runs along the edge of Dartmoor National Park and up to the popular north Devon seaside resorts.
Recommended day trips from Plymouth
Dartmoor National Park
Driving time: 20 minutes
If you enjoy outdoor adventure, Dartmoor is the perfect playground. Plymouth is just 20 minutes from the southern edge of its wild, craggy landscape, and around 40 minutes from the Visitor Centre at Princetown. Walking, cycling and horse riding are all popular activities here.
Dartmouth
Driving time: One hour
This pretty seaside town sits on the River Dart, with a lovely string of colourful buildings overlooking the harbour. Set behind these is a jumble of cobbled streets lined with little galleries, boutiques, ice-cream parlours and pubs. Take the ferry to the castle and enjoy a dip in the tiny cove behind it.
Woodlands Themepark
Driving time: 45 minutes
Woodlands is a must for families with young children. It's split into several themed zones packed with funfair rides, slides, indoor play areas, sandpits, boating pools and more. There's also a mini zoo.