Best Car Rental Stornoway Airport

RENTING CAR IN STORNOWAY AIRPORT? – Read Things to be considered before hiring a car in Stornoway, Scotland

Are you planning a trip to Stornoway? Do you intend to drive yourself around this Scottish town? Do you know the best car rental company at Stornoway airport you wish to hire a car from? All the information you need, to make your trip or holiday a successful and memorable one is included in this article for you.

The Stornoway is a town in Scotland which is part of the United Kingdom, so the general driving rules and regulations apply with some little differences that citizens and tourists must abide by while driving around the country. The hardest task for any tourist is getting a good rental company that offers the best deals when it comes to renting a car. In this article, we will be looking at the road rules and regulations, government policies, car rental age requirements, toll gates, road signs and many more.

Driving Directions to Stornoway Airport

If you have a satellite navigation system, simply enter HS2 0BN and follow the directions to get to the airport. If you are in Stornoway ton, it will take you around 5-8 minutes depending on traffic on the roads. Get onto Matheson Road/B8027 until you get to the roundabout. At the roundabout, get out on the first exit onto Sandwick Road/A866 then follow it through and then a left turn towards Melbost you will be able to locate the airport terminal easily.

Car Hire Companies at Stornoway Airport

COMPANY NAME	PHONE NUMBER	ADDRESS
Car Hire Hebrides - Stornoway Airport	+44 1851 706500	Terminal Building, Stornoway Airport, Stornoway HS2 0BN, United Kingdom
Stornoway Car Hire	+44 1851 702658	18 Inaclete Rd, Isle of Lewis HS1 2RB, UK
Mackinnon Self Drive	+44 1851 702984	18 Inaclete Rd, Stornoway HS1 2RB, UK

Car collection desk at Stornoway airport

Stornoway airport has a single terminal building with the arrivals and departures halls. Car rental stand is located in the airport terminal not too far from the arrivals carousel.

Best Car hire companies at Stornoway Airport

To get a good car rental company, you have to be prepared and learn more about their policy. There is no better way to explore Scotland's towns without actually driving yourself where public transports don't get to. This gives you the leverage to stop and start wherever you so wish to stop and take some snapshots or fresh Scottish air. Here is some information about the best rental companies in and around Stornoway airport.

CAR HIRE HEBRIDES

Eric Hounslow on Google Review said Car Hire Hebrides at Stornoway airport offers a service next to none and I quote:

“Have used this company for several years - the service is second to none”.

• Another user Dave McKay also recommends this rental company saying:

"Fast, helpful staff, good prices, and clean, modern vehicles. Effortless collection and drop off. Recommended."

STORNOWAY CAR HIRE

Stornoway car hire has only two Google reviews but it is promising as it got a 4.5 Star rating from David Beckett and Donald Cowan. Davids said the van he rented was very handy while Donald simply gave a 5-Star rating:

“Very handy van hire” David Beckett

To get yourself a good car hire company in Stornoway or any destination you may be travelling to, always check out http://www.tripindicator.com/ to compare local and international car rental company prices and deals and also get yourself the best deals for the trip through Stornoway airport, or to Stornoway and around the United Kingdom as a whole.

COMPARE STORNOWAY AIRPORT CAR HIRE PRICES NOW >>

DON’T HIRE CAR FROM THIS:

You can hire a car from this rental company at your own expense. Based on customer reviews, this company is in between good and bad because what works for others might not work for you and vice-versa.

MACKINNON SELF DRIVE

Tim Pickering, on Google Reviews, says:

“Since it has been taken over I don't know what the service is like”

Another user by the name Marina Truckel also gave them a bad review saying:

“We booked a car hire with Mackinnon Car Hire in Stornoway. They cancelled the reservation a few days before we were supposed to pick up the vehicle and offered no alternative.”

Document required for Hiring a car at Stornoway Airport

Hiring and driving a car is Stornoway involves having the general required documents. These documents are the same for all countries in the United Kingdom and it shows you are qualified to hire and drive a car on UK roads. The documents include:

1. A valid driver’s license
2. A valid means of identification (International Passport)
3. Driver must be 25 years and above to rent a car in the UK
4. Non-EU persons must possess an international driving permit if their license is not in English.
5. Proof of return travel & residency information as an international traveller in the U.K
6. A valid Credit or Debit Card (Debit Card must have the same details as your International Passport).

Credit/Debit Card Requirements at Stornoway Airport

If you hire a car in the UK or any other place in the world, you are required to make a down payment which is held for the duration of time you want to use the car for. The cash is put on hold on your credit card or charged on your debit card to cover any damage to the car from the time you hire to when you return it back. The money is refundable to you once the car is back in the same condition when you picked it up. So you may be required to give out personal information when using your card payment and also a deposit which also depends on the company from £300-£1000.

NOTE: You may be required to present your return tick & residency, photo ID and an International driving permit at Stornoway airport if your license is not in English.

Driver Min and Max Age requirements to rent a car at Stornoway Airport

The minimum age requirements depend on car hire companies and in Stornoway, UK, it is from 21 years to 75 years (79 for all UK license holders). Also, if you have had convictions for driving against the law some companies might allow you to hire a car from then if you meet their criteria. The driver from age 21-22 must not have any convictions to hire a car, up to 3 points for 23-24 can hire, and up to 8 points from 25 to 75 year old.

Road Rules & Laws Tourists Should Know When Renting a Car in Stornoway

General road rules and regulations apply in the United Kingdom for all drivers on the UK roads. Tourists are not exempted from these rules and regulations so you must abide by them at all times to avoid getting arrested by traffic police.

1. Driving is on the left lane on all UK roads, if you are used to the driver seat on the left side of the car, well in the UK it is on the right side of the car and you shift the gear with your left and instead of the right hand.
2. Always enter the roundabout on the left and keep left in the UK.
3. Always watch out for speed limit signs, as there are a lot in the UK. Also, there are hidden speed cameras that will capture illegal speeding or other car-related offense.
4. Always wear your seat-belt including all passengers while driving in the UK.
5. Use of mobile phones or other mobile devices while driving in the UK, you are only allowed to use hand-free.

Few Road Signs

• NO WAITING: This means you can’t wait for anyone on this road, but you can drop off passengers and continue moving.
• NO STOPPING: it means you can’t stop on this road just keep moving unless times are indicated when you can stop in that area.
• CONTROLLED ZONE: It means you can’t enter or get access to such places from the times indicated on the sign either Mon-Fri and so on.
• NO U-TURNS: When you see this sign, it means you can’t make a u-turn to the right lane.
• PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY: This indicates you can’t park in such areas without a parking permit. It is for permit holders only.

You can read more UK road usage rules here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code

Tips to avoid car rental companies Rip-Offs

In Stornoway, there are a few car hire companies within and around the airport, so you don’t really have a lot of choices to make. You can not really avoid been ripped off, but you can only minimize it at this point due to the limited number of rental companies. So always do the following before you hire a car in Stornoway.

COMPARE CAR HIRE EXCESS INSURANCE

Car hire companies will always present their insurance policies to you in the best way to convince tourists. The insurance policy is to help drivers pay for the excess in the event of an accident or damage, during the period he or she hired the car. But in reality, you get to pay more cash when added to your rental cost. So make sure to check the excess insurance policy before you book for a car in Stornoway.

To Avoid Rip Off, You Must:

1. Get your own standalone car insurance policy which is cheaper than what these companies advertise to customers.
2. Also, get travel insurance before your trip as it covers car hire damages too.

BOOK IN ADVANCE

Always remember to book for cars before you arrive at the airport. By doing so, you will save hugely on extra cost because it is cheaper and delivered to you at the airport on arrival. Car hire companies will charge you more when you book on arrival in person and sometimes you get to queue up for a long time to get your car. So save money and time by reserving online.

FUEL POLICY

Car rental companies will offer you cars on arrival with an empty tank and tell you to return it full. By doing so, you avoid paying for what you didn't use. It is advisable you go through their policies and make sure they accept full-to-full fuel policy. This means you get the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank.

EXTRAS

Always carry extras you may need during your journeys, such as satellite navigation systems, baby seats, and others. Getting this from car hire companies means you get to pay more than it costs to get new ones, so be prepared for the trip and pack from home before your journey.

Toll Gates and toll fees in Stornoway

There are toll gates around the United Kingdom so you should carry some change just in case you come across one. You also have to pay for parking in some areas and cities in the UK. Use this site to check for parking spaces in Stornoway city entre https://en.parkopedia.co.uk/.

Stornoway Airport Contact Details

For inquiries about Stornoway Airport, call +441637860600. alternatively, you can also leave feedback on their website at https://www.hial.co.uk/stornoway-airport/airport-information/.