Car Hire Warrington

Car Hire

Situated equidistant from Liverpool and Manchester, the historic town of Warrington makes the perfect home base for enjoying either of those two English urban powerhouses without the hassles of their congestion. There is an excellent array of traveller amenities in Warrington, especially the shopping and dining in the town centre. This is one destination where a car will prove invaluable, so consider renting a vehicle during your stay if you don’t already have one.

Who to Book With
Big-name rental firms like National and Budget are in Warrington, along with local outfits such as KVS and Central Self Drive. The airports at Liverpool and Manchester are ideal places for renting vehicles, but you can also find most car hire companies near Warrington’s train stations and scattered around the fringes of the city core. Regardless of where you arrive at, it’s highly recommended to book your rental online early to avoid higher rates and a weaker vehicle selection.

Best Time to Go
Warrington’s location near the western coast of England keeps the climate wet and mild all year round. It rarely gets cold enough to snow in winter, but this is when most of the rain falls. It’s fairly cool in spring months of April and May, but this is when the skies are clearest. Summer temperatures reach a balmy 20°C, but this is also the busiest season in Warrington.

Need to Know Essentials
Most car rental firms need to see these documents upon arrival:

- A valid EU or UK driving license or International Driving Permit
- A second picture ID
- The credit card used for the online reservation
- A printed confirmation sheet (if possible)

For more info read our FAQ's.

Driving
Unless it is the morning or evening weekday rush hour, the driving conditions around Warrington are very fluid. Trunk roads provide fast and easy access to the M6, M56 and M62 motorways, while the city centre is laid out in a logical grid formation. There are many routes out of the city, no matter which direction you are going in.

There are several city-operated car parks situated around the core of Warrington. The largest one is at Golden Square Shopping Centre, with other useful facilities at Cockhedge and Warrington Market. Most are pay and display lots, averaging rates of £1 per hour with specific opening hours. The only free parking in Warrington is at Riverside Retail Park after 09:30.

See our guide to the UK for more information on driving here.

Transport

Travellers to Warrington have suburban trains, buses and taxis to help them get around. A car offers the most flexibility and cost-efficiency, but the local public transport system does a fine job of covering the major points of Warrington and its surrounding suburbs.

Trains
There are two major train stations in Warrington that handle frequent long-distance services. Warrington Central Station is the best choice for travel between Liverpool and Manchester, while Bank Quay Station handles most trains to London and Scotland on the Main West Coast Line. Warrington Central also provides access to the suburban stations at Birchwood, Padgate and Sankey.

Taxis
Taxis are readily available in Warrington, although by law they cannot stop on the street for a hailed fare. You can find them queued up at the bus interchange and the two train stations, but it’s also easy to call for a pick up from one of the major companies, such as 242 Cars.

Buses
The local buses in Warrington are managed by Network Warrington, while Arriva North West and First Manchester run services to surrounding cities. Single-trip adult tickets cost between £1 and £3.80 depending on the distance, although there are also day return tickets and family fares for better savings. For around £3.50 you can travel all over Warrington on the Day Pass. Local bus routes run between 06:00 and 23:00 Monday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sundays.

Exploring

The options for daytrips from Warrington are incredible. Two of England’s coolest cities (Liverpool and Manchester) are just minutes away, while the entire Merseyside coast is right on the doorstep. To the south, the landscape opens up, leading into Wales and dozens of quaint English market towns. Warrington is one destination where a car hire will prove worth every penny.

Recommended Drives

Delamere Forest Park - Whose name means Forest of the Lakes, is the largest public woodland in Cheshire. This 11th century hunting ground has a rich variety of landscape and wildlife, with excellent walking trails to match the winding scenic roads that cut through the park.

Walton Hall - One of England’s finest country manors, is located just down the road from Warrington. It’s an absolutely gorgeous mansion with even prettier gardens that are open to the public. For an easy getaway from Warrington, Walton Hall is the perfect choice.

The Wirral (pictured above) - This is a wild coastal peninsula just west of Liverpool that offers both neat seaside resort towns like Birkenhead and lovely beaches such as West Kirby. You can be on the sand in less than an hour when travelling from Warrington by car, and the drive there isn’t too shabby either.