Bath city centre is pretty compact, which means you can explore most of it on foot easily. However, the city also has a unique location in the heart of beautiful countryside, with lots of fantastic attractions a short distance away.

These include the Mendip Hills (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Stourbridge House and Gardens and Longleat Safari Park, as well as the neighbouring city of Bristol and charming town of Frome. With all of these great days out just a short drive away, there’s only one thing for it if you haven’t come to Bath in a vehicle – you’ll need to rent a car.

Renting a car in Bath is simple, as there are a number of centrally located car hire firms to choose from. Here’s a quick round-up of the best places to rent a car in Bath:

• Enterprise – Lower Bristol Road
• Hertz – Windsor Bridge Road
• Europcar – Brassmill Lane
• Thrifty – Burnett Business Park, Gypsy Lane, Burnett Keynsham (around halfway between Bath and Bristol).
• Alamo Rent A Car – Lower Bristol Road.

All the usual rules apply to car hire in Bath, including the requirement to provide a valid driving licence, credit card and proof of address. Many car hire firms also require the driver to be over 23 years old.  

Info for driving in Bath city centre

As we’ve mentioned, the centre of Bath is great for exploring on foot, but it’s not the most car-friendly place (which is what makes it so great for exploring pedestrians). Many of the roads are narrow and one-way streets can often pop up and surprise you, and it can also become easily congested at busy times.

It’s recommended to avoid driving right in the centre if you can, but if you are using car hire in Bath, another handy option is to make use of the many Park and Ride facilities just outside of town. You can park there and hop on one of the many frequent bus services that take you into the city centre. The Park and Ride spots are all very well signposted.

Parking is available in the centre in one of 13 car parks, and a number of our central Bath Holiday Rentals properties also come with parking – take a look at all our properties here, and please make use of the filters to quickly and easily find a property with a parking space, permit or even a garage for your car.

There’s bicycle rental in Bath too

If you want to get around the city centre on two wheels, or enjoy one of the many stunning countryside, riverside and canal side bike rides just outside of Bath, why not hire a bike for the day? Bath Bike Hire (from Bath Narrow Boats on Sydney Wharf) is a great choice for bike hire in Bath.  You can also make use of NextBike, a convenient self-service bike hire service available 24 hours a day from rental stations across the city centre.