FAQs

You can have as many additional drivers as you require. All drivers will be required to show their driving licences and a small charge will apply for each additional driver.

Additional drivers will be required to show appropriate identification on collection of your hire vehicle. Please see 'What documentation is required to hire a vehicle?' for details.

U-Drive vehicles may be taken outside of the UK with prior permission and the correct documentation being supplied. Our pricing structure includes:

• Breakdown Cover
• Green Card or equivalent
• Hire Charges
• Insurance
• Generous Mileage Allowance
• VE103B form

We also include the following European Travel Kits:

• Carry Bag
• Spare Bulbs and Fuses
• First Aid Kit
• High Viz Vest(s)
• Warning Triangle(s)
• Breathalyser(s)

It is the hirer's responsibility to check what documentation, equipment and additional requirements are required in the countries that you will be travelling in or through. U-Drive cannot be held responsible for any fines or penalties imposed.

Users of vans, or cars towing a trailer, where the vehicle or combined weight is between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes, and who use them for any commercial purpose on journeys from the UK into, or through, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein must hold a Standard International Operators Licence. This applies whether you are carrying your own business goods or goods for a third party. Private individuals moving their own belongings abroad with no commercial purpose are not affected.

Without the correct licence your business may face enforcement action. Depending on the country where you are stopped this could include fines, the vehicle being impounded, or being required to return to the UK.

You may also need to make posting declarations for journeys to the EU:

If you’re transporting goods between two points in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway for commercial purposes, (known as cabotage or cross trade), you must now make a “posting declaration”, which means registering the operator, driver, driver employment details, dates of travel, and the vehicle used.

From 1 July 2026, additional requirements apply under EU Mobility Package I. All vans and car and trailer combinations used for qualifying international journeys must be fitted with a second-generation smart tachograph (G2V2) before travel — please speak to our team before hiring to confirm vehicle suitability. Drivers must also comply with EU hours rules: a maximum of 9 hours driving per day (extendable to 10 hours twice per week), 56 hours per week, and 90 hours across any two consecutive weeks, with a 45-minute break after every 4.5 hours of driving. Minimum rest periods of 11 hours daily and 45 hours weekly apply, and drivers must carry tachograph records for the current day and the previous 56 days.

Please note that compliance with these requirements is the responsibility of the operator, not U-Drive as the vehicle owner.

France as introduced a “clean air” scheme for some cities, known as the CRIT’Air. Vehicles are required to display a sticker or “vignettes” to show the emissions that the vehicle produces. The scheme is currently operating in Paris, Lyon, Genoble, Lille, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Chambery and Marseille. U-Drive can apply for the sticker on your behalf but must be given at least 7 days notice. An additional admin charge of £12.00 inclusive of VAT will apply.

Please note: The refundable deposit for any vehicle booking that includes European Travel increases to £220.

Useful Websites:

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad/

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/driving-abroad/checklist/

https://www.theaa.com/european-breakdown-cover/driving-in-europe

https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/

If you need to cancel your booking, please notify the branch that you have booked from as soon as possible. We do not charge for cancellations and process refunds straight away. However, please note that your credit card provider may take at least 5 working days to process the refund and return your money.

Each driver will be required to show their driving licence at the time of hire. If you do not have a photocard licence, then the older paper licence version must be accompanied with a passport or debit/credit card as additional proof of identification.

Each driver will also be required to show 2 additional documents with their name and personal address. Documents must be no older than 3 months’ acceptable documents include, Bank Statement, Credit Card Statement, Current Council Tax Bill, Utility Bill, Letting agreement or Proof of Home Ownership.

Please also refer to the FAQ headed: What are the driving licence requirements needed to hire a vehicle?

Please contact your chosen U-Drive location if you envisage any difficulty with providing this identification or if you are hiring a vehicle to be taken outside of the UK.

Each driver must produce their driving licence on collection of the vehicle.

Details of any endorsements/penalty points for people who hold a UK driving licence are now kept online and not on the driving licence or paper counterpart. Each driver will need to visit www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence before arrival to create a licence check code which they must produce when they come in to collect the vehicle. The code is only valid for 21 days, can only be used once and is case sensitive, so please print or take a picture using a smart phone.

Alternatively, if you do not have access to a computer please bring your Driving Licence, National Insurance Number and identification, with this information you will be asked to access the Share My Driver Record website by means of a computer. There currently is no charge for this service.

If you are unable to do any of the above, you will be asked to give your permission verbally over the telephone to DVLA, so that they can disclose your driving licence information to us. This is a premium rate telephone service and there will be a charge of £10.20 inclusive of VAT per licence for choosing this option. Please note this service is only available Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and Saturdays 8am to 2pm (not including Bank Holidays). We will be unable to hire to you if you select this option outside of their operating hours.

Drivers must meet the following minimum ages and driving experience to hire.

Cars
Between 25 and 75, having held a full driving licence for at least 1 year.

MPV’s, All Tippers, VW Kombi and 4x4’s
Between 25 and 75, having held a full driving licence for at least 3 years.

Light Commercial Vehicles
Between 23 and 75, having held a full driving licence for at least 1 year.

9 Seater Tourneo
Between 25 and 75, having held a full driving licence for at least 3 years.

17 Seater Minibus
Between 25 and 70, having held a full driving licence for at least 5 years.

7½ Ton Commercial Vehicles
Between 25 and 75, having held a full driving licence for at least 3 years.

Maximum age is the day of your 70th or 75th birthday.

For minibuses and 7½ Ton Commercial Vehicles, hirers must have passed their test prior to January 1997 or hold the relevant categories on their licence. Please check all endorsements with your local office when booking as some endorsements are not acceptable.

Licence issued in the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) countries are treated equally. For ease of reference the Countries are listed below:

EU Countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

EEA Countries

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Therefore, if you are from an EU/EEA country holding a valid community licence you can drive in line with the appropriate entitlement as per your driving licence.

It is a criminal offence to drive using a licence that is not valid in the UK.  In addition, if you do so, the insurance will be invalidated and you will be committing a further criminal offence of ‘driving without valid motor insurance’.

Non UK, EU, EEA Licences

Non UK, EU, EEA licences must be valid for the duration of the rental period. Should such foreign licences be in a foreign alphabet they must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit.

Customers are required to return vehicles with the same amount of fuel as when they collected the hire vehicle. If a vehicle is returned with less fuel a charge will be applied. Current charges per litre are displayed in the rental office. Please note that our charges are higher than the forecourt prices.

Refunds will not be given for vehicles returned with excess fuel.

The Congestion Charge is an £18 daily charge for driving within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday, and between 12:00 and 18:00 at weekends and bank holidays. There is no charge from Christmas Day to New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive. If you do not pay on the day of travel or in advance, a higher charge of £21 applies if paid within three days of travel. Please note that the previous exemption for electric vehicles has ended; electric cars now receive a 25% discount only.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge

To help improve air quality in London, an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year across all 33 London boroughs — an area covering most of Greater London inside the M25. This is significantly larger than the Congestion Charge zone. Most vehicles, including cars and vans, must meet the ULEZ emissions standards or pay a daily charge of £12.50 to drive within the zone.

If you inform U-Drive in advance that you will be entering the ULEZ area, you will be supplied with a rental vehicle that meets the ULEZ emissions standard.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone

Clean Air Zones (CAZ) are now operating in a number of cities across England, including Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead), with further zones likely in coming years. Each zone sets its own rules and charges depending on vehicle type and emissions standard — some charge only commercial vehicles such as vans and HGVs, while others also charge cars. Whether a charge applies will depend on the specific zone and the vehicle you are hiring.

The majority of our fleet meets current emissions standards and will be exempt from charges in most zones. However, if you are planning to drive within any Clean Air Zone, please let us know in advance so our team can ensure you have a compliant vehicle wherever possible.

For details of current charges, exemptions and discounts, and to check whether your journey will be affected, visit:

gov.uk/guidance/driving-in-a-clean-air-zone.

As a general rule, up to 6 points within the past 3 years can be accepted, for offences such as speeding, parking or construction and use. If you have endorsements for Driving while under the influence of Drink or Drugs, driving with No Insurance, Careless Driving, Reckless Driving, Theft or Unauthorised Taking of a motor vehicle or if you have been banned from driving within the last 10 years, it is recommended that you contact your nearest U-Drive location to check your entitlement to hire. If you have been banned or have more than 6 points on your licence you may still be able to hire subject to conditions.

Similarly, please contact us if you have had any motor accidents within the last 5 years, whether at fault or not.

Charging an electric vehicle is straightforward and broadly similar across all models. Your vehicle will be provided with at least 80% charge on collection, and we ask that you return it with a reasonable level of charge remaining.

To charge the vehicle:

1. Park and switch off the vehicle — ensure the vehicle is in park with the parking brake applied before opening the charge port cover. The charge port is typically located on the exterior of the vehicle and the release button or lever will be shown in the vehicle handbook.
2. Connect the cable to the vehicle — your vehicle comes with the appropriate charging cable for that model. Insert the connector firmly into the vehicle charge port, where it will lock into place. Do not attempt to remove it while charging is in progress.
3. Connect to the charging point — insert the other end of the cable into the charging station. Most charging points will prompt you to authenticate via an app, contactless payment, or membership card before charging begins. Once authorised, the charging station will confirm that charging has started, usually with a light or sound indicator.
4. When you are ready to leave — end the charging session via the app or charging point controls before attempting to remove the cable. The cable will unlock from the vehicle once the session has ended, though on some vehicles you may also need to press a button to release it. Stow the cable back in the vehicle before setting off.

Many public charging stations have their own fixed cables attached, in which case you simply connect directly to the vehicle without needing your own cable.

To find your nearest charging points, we recommend using Zap-Map, which provides a comprehensive, up-to-date map of public charging locations across the UK, filterable by connector type, network and charging speed. You may use any public charging network during your hire.

For further information about electric vehicles please visit our EV Knowledge Hub.

A Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) reduces the excess payable by the hirer in the event that the hired vehicle has been involved in a collision. This is a contractual waiver that must be taken at the start of the rental period rather than an insurance product. Typically, this will reduce the excess from £1,500 down to £125 - £75, depending on endorsements, driving experience, type of vehicle being hire and the intended use of the vehicle. The hirer is normally responsible for the excess if:

• The accident is their fault.
• There is no one to claim against, typically this will be as a result of the third party details not being obtained.
• The other driver has no insurance.

Collision Damage Waiver does not cover:

• All Glass, (excluding windscreen) and tyre damage.
• Damage caused above windscreen height of a commercial vehicle.
• Damage caused to the vehicle when not on the public highway.
• Theft of the vehicle, where the original keys cannot be returned.
• Acts of Vandalism.
• Malicious Acts.
• Damage caused by the negligence of the hirer (for example, racing or driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs).
• If the terms and conditions of the rental agreement are breached.

A vast majority of U-Drive cars and commercial vehicles have Bluetooth built-in as standard.

Manufactures of Commercial Vehicles, use names and codes that are not consistent across all manufactures, for example VW and Mercedes may refer to a vehicle being MWB (Medium Wheel Base), which another manufacturer categorises as LWB (Long Wheel Base). To help consumers understand vehicle dimensions and to make evaluations across a marquee of manufacturers, codes such as L1, L2, L3 and L4 are used.

As a general guide the following applies but is important to acknowledge that this is a guide and should not be relied upon as the exact dimensions of any specific Make, Model or Derivative.

• L1 – (Short Length), typical load area 2,500mm-2,600mm
• L2 – (Medium Length), typical load area 2,850mm – 2,950mm
• L3 – (Long Length), typical load area 3,400mm – 3,750mm
• L4 – (Extra Long Length) typical load area 4,000mm – 4,300mm

What do I need to know about hiring an electric vehicle?

Hiring an electric vehicle (EV) is straightforward but there are a few important differences from hiring a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle. Rather than visiting a fuel station, you will need to charge the vehicle during your hire using the public charging network or, where available, a dedicated workplace charger. The vehicle will be supplied with a full charge and we ask that you return it in the same condition. Each vehicle comes supplied with the appropriate charging cable for that vehicle, and many public charging stations also have their own fixed cables attached. Before setting off, we recommend familiarising yourself with the vehicle's range and planning your journey accordingly, particularly for longer trips. If you have any questions about a specific vehicle before hiring, please speak to our team.

Where can I charge a hired electric vehicle?

You may use any public charging network during your hire. There are a large number of networks operating across the UK including BP Pulse, Pod Point, Osprey, Gridserve and Shell Recharge, among many others. A useful tool for locating charging points is Zap-Map, which provides a comprehensive, up-to-date map of public charging locations across the UK and allows you to filter by connector type, network and charging speed.

We would ask that you do not charge the vehicle using a standard domestic three-pin plug socket. While this is technically possible on some vehicles, it is a very slow method of charging and carries a risk of overheating if used for extended periods, which could cause damage to the vehicle or the property where it is parked. If in doubt, please use a dedicated EV charger.

What happens if I run out of charge?

Running out of charge is treated in the same way as running out of fuel in a conventional vehicle — it is the hirer's responsibility to ensure the vehicle is adequately charged throughout the hire. If you do run out of charge and require recovery, this will be treated as a breakdown caused by the hirer and any recovery or call-out costs will be passed on to you. To avoid this, plan your journey carefully, make use of Zap-Map or your preferred charging network app to locate chargers along your route, and allow plenty of time for charging stops on longer journeys.

Are electric vehicles exempt from the Congestion Charge, ULEZ and Clean Air Zone charges?

The position on each is slightly different:

ULEZ — Fully electric vehicles are exempt from the London ULEZ charge and this exemption remains in place.

London Congestion Charge — Electric vehicles are no longer exempt. The 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount ended on 25 December 2025 and all vehicles, including fully electric ones, must now pay the daily Congestion Charge when driving within the zone during charging hours. A 25% discount is available for electric cars registered on Auto Pay.

Clean Air Zones — Fully electric vehicles are generally exempt from charges in Clean Air Zones across England, as these zones are designed to penalise high-emission vehicles. However, individual zones set their own rules and you should always check the requirements for any specific zone you plan to enter.

Drive in a clean air zone - GOV.UK