Compare Tonbridge car hire

Sitting just north of the lush High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Kent on the River Medway, Tonbridge is a quaint, timeless and quintessentially English market town. Highlights here include Tonbridge Castle, Haysden Country Park and the Tonbridge Battle of Britain Museum.

Being in Tonbridge also sets you up nicely for day trips around the South East of England, whether you fancy driving north for a day trip to London or south to the coast. You can find a cheap hire car for your adventures using our search tool above.

There are some local and lesser-known hire car providers in Tonbridge, including Ton Hire, and Practical Car & Van Rental. The latter has an office near the town centre, which is handy for picking up your keys.

Elsewhere, Enterprise Car & Van Hire is down the road in Royal Tunbridge Wells, while at London Gatwick Airport, 35–40 minutes from Tonbridge, you’ll find Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Budget among the better-known providers offering a variety of cars.

Once you have your wheels, there’s plenty to explore nearby, with your hire car making easy work of short day trips to the countryside. Think scenic walks through the nature trail at Haysden Country Park or exploring the grounds of Penshurst Place. Ightham Mote is another quick drive, with Hever Castle and Gardens, once Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, less than half an hour away.

Beyond the immediate area, the A21 is one of the main roads that takes you out of Tonbridge, heading both north and south. It’s often busy and the journey can be slow as you travel down towards the coast – so do leave plenty of time and be aware of the varying speed limits along the route.

Potential for traffic aside, the A21 weaves through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has some lovely views. Follow the road for approximately an hour to get to Hastings, where you can enjoy fish and chips on the beach. Stop at the National Trust’s Scotney Castle on the way for a walk around the gardens and leave time to visit historic Battle, too.

To explore a different part of the coast, the A26 leads to Brighton’s pebbly beach in a little more than an hour, or there’s Eastbourne via the A22. Alternatively, head north on the A21 for the M25, which leads to Surrey Hills and around London. You can drive to Greenwich or Hampton Court Palace in about an hour, or consider parking in Croydon, where there’s ample public transport into London city centre.