Vibrant Putney is just 20 minutes by road or public transport from the very heart of bustling London. For centuries it was the place to which the gentrified folk of the city would flock to breathe the clean air and play games on the green spaces. Putney is still a place to find city professionals playing out their lives among the parks, leafy lanes and down by the river, where rowing is a popular pursuit, or - if you're slightly younger - feeding the ducks makes for the most pleasing hobby. 

Shopping is good here and restaurants are in plentiful supply, though Putney is better known for its seemingly endless stock of excellent and welcoming pubs. Some have sprawling gardens that could almost convince you that you're supping in a country pub instead of a watering-hole just minutes from the non-stop comings and goings of the city. 

The river is the undisputed star of Putney. Known for being the start of the annual Oxford and Cambridge University Boat Race, Putney Bridge is an iconic piece of the local landscape - becoming shrouded in people when the rowers take their marks. 

If you are thinking of arranging car hire, don't waste any time - booking in advance means that you will secure the vehicle you want at a price that will make you happy. Enter your requirements into TravelSupermarket's search tool to compare a range of deals. Then, collect your vehicle at a convenient location in the downtown area of Putney. 

It's easy to zip around the capital using the network of public transportation, which includes buses, tube trains, overground trains and river taxis. If you want to take things at your own pace however, hiring a car enables you to see London and its attractions at your leisure. 

It's a mere 20-minute drive into central London from Putney, though car parking is at a premium in the throbbing heart of the city. There's a wealth of tourist attractions in this historic and beguiling metropolis, which is consistently voted one of the world's best. You can visit excellent museums and art galleries; take time out in glorious parks; see iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben clock, Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge; survey the city skyline from the London Eye; go shopping in some of the finest stores to be found anywhere on the planet or pick up market bargains; catch a show in the West End; and take a bite out of the cutting-edge cuisine that is being whipped up here to put Britain's culinary scene back on the map. 

Closer to Putney, take a breath of fresh air in Richmond Park, which is less than a 10-minute drive away. It's a place in which deer saunter freely and where walkers and cyclists criss-cross the vast patch of green. Such is the vastness of Richmond Park the area easily swallows two standard golf courses and a driving range. 

To the west, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (a 15-minute drive) are home to peacocks and a stunning array of treasures from the natural world. 

Putney is a great base for sports fans too. By road, Wimbledon is just 10 minutes south of Putney, while cricket at the Oval and rugby at Twickenham can be seen in around 20 minutes of Putney. 

With a car, it takes around 30 minutes to break free of the city and be in the countryside that surrounds Greater London - just another great reason to book car hire in Putney.