Car Hire Huddersfield

Car Hire

The sprawling West Yorkshire city of Huddersfield is famous for its role in the Industrial Revolution, although its early Victorian dark satanic mills are now converted to residential or commercial use. Enthusiasts of Victorian architecture will find much to admire here from the vast Huddersfield Town Hall and the grand, colonnaded railway station to rows of tiny workers’ terraces. Surrounded by Pennine moorlands, the city is a good base for exploring the region by hired car.

Who to Book With
Huddersfield’s commercial success means there’s a great choice of car hire companies, including representatives of international brand leaders such as Avis and Hertz. Booking online can save time and money, as well as ensuring the car of your choice.

Best Time to Go
Winters in the Pennines can be snowy, with spring, autumn and summer the best times to holiday in Yorkshire. Spring sees the moors come to life with small streams fed by the winter rains, and in summer the skies seem to go on forever. Autumn on the moors is a riot of purple as the heather comes into its late bloom.

Need to Know Essentials
The following documents will need to be shown at the car hire collection point:

- A valid UK photo driving license or International Driving Permit
- Alternative photo ID such as your passport
- The credit card used for the initial booking
- A printed receipt of rental confirmation if possible

More information can be found in our FAQ's.

Driving
Apart from rush hours in the city, driving in and around Huddersfield is a pleasant experience. The city and moorland roads are well-kept, and the M62 cross-Pennine motorway linking Manchester and Leeds and the M1 to London are nearby. Petrol stations are found all over the city and accept payment by major credit cards. Seatbelts must be worn by all occupants of the car, and visibility vests and warning triangles should be carried. Speed limits on open moorland roads are 95kph (60mph) and on motorways the limit, often exceeded, is 110kmh (70kph). Parking in the city is provided with pay-as-you-park car parks as well as underground car parks in the centre.

See our guide to the UK for more tips on driving in Britain.

Transport

Self-drive is the best way to tour the Yorkshire Pennines and their quaint hillside and valet villages, as buses between remote destinations run infrequently and there is little in the way of train services on the uplands. Both Leeds-Bradford and Manchester Airports are convenient air hubs for Huddersfield.

Trains
Huddersfield’s main train station is in the city centre and offers trains to Manchester, Leeds, York, Hull, Liverpool and Newcastle as well as local commuter services. The route to London involves a change of trains at either Manchester or Leeds, making long-distance bus or self-drive the most convenient and least expensive choices for the 4-5 hour journey. National Rail UK’s website offers ticket booking and journey planning.

Buses
WyMetro provides public bus transport in Huddersfield, with routes fanning out from the central bus station on Upperhead Row. Buses run around town as well to Manchester, Leeds, the moorland village of Todmorden and other rural locations. A FreeTownBus operates in the city centre between key locations.

Taxis
The most convenient way to grab a cab in Huddersfield is by phone, with a long list of reliable companies such as Bob's Taxis, established for 25 years and bookable online.

Exploring

Huddersfield is a convenient base for self-drive touring around the Yorkshire and Lancashire moorlands with their charming, stone-built villages as well as the Derbyshire Peak District’s stunning valleys, great houses and historic towns.

Recommended Drives

A cross-Pennine route - This includes Snake Pass, the highest driveable pass in the UK, begins in Huddersfield with the AA637 to the Wakefield junction of the M62. Come off at Barnsley and head towards Glossop on the A628, then follow the signs to Snake Pass. The narrow road wanders through forested slopes over the Pennine watershed and down to Ladybower Reservoir, leading to Sheffield and back to the M1.

Yorkshire Dales National Park - Heading to Leeds on the M62 and turning north on the A1M leads to the elegant Georgian spa town of Harrogate and on to the A59 for Skipton and the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park with its drystone walls, cave systems, rivers, lakes and waterfalls, traditional stone houses and quaint local pubs.

Scarborough - For a day-trip to a traditional northern seaside town, the A65 runs from Leeds to Scarborough on England’s breezy North Sea coast. Although the trunk road route gets busy in summer, it’s well worth the journey for the seafront with its fish quay and harbour, as well as Scarborough Castle and the chance to head a few miles north to historic Whitby.