Orlando Car Hire For UK Visitors: Choosing, Booking & Using A Hire Car
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Hiring a car for a holiday in Orlando from the UK in 2026 is a choice many people are questioning, especially when it comes to staying on-site. While hitting the i-4 in a mid-size SUV, or maybe a Jeep Wrangler, is the dream for many, car hire comes with more costs and more planning, but also more flexibility and freedom.
Do You Need A Hire Car For A Florida Holiday?
A hire car in Florida isn’t essential and it is a personal decision, but the flexibility of being able to explore what Florida has to offer makes it a nice to have. Hiring a car does depend on what you plan to do during your holiday, if you plan on being mainly at Disney World it might not be worth it as explored in Hiring a car and staying on-site at Disney World: Is It Worth it
If you plan on exploring Florida, or even just the Orlando area, car hire can give you flexibility and make airport transfers easier, but there are some key costs to consider that add to the price of hiring a car. So you really need to weigh up how much you’ll use the car. If you’re staying in a villa for example, it will likely be essential.
How Do You Rent a Hire Car For A Holiday In Florida?
There are a couple of ways that UK holidaymakers can rent a car for a Florida holiday, but booking in the UK before you travel is the best way for most holidaymakers as it saves money.
One of the best ways to book a car is to book it separately but with free cancellations so you can book, and then cancel and rebook if you can get a better price. Booking your car hire in advance will help you secure better prices, but with free cancellation you can check back later and if prices drop rebook and save yourself some money. 6 weeks before flying is often a sweet spot for getting a good price, but it’s not guaranteed.
Where To Pick Up A Hire Car?
Many UK visitors find it easier to pick-up their hire car at the airport, at MCO or Tampa for example, as this is convenient for bundling in transfers to accommodation too. However, if you’re not using a hire car all holiday you can pick up a hire car from locations around Orlando.
What Type Of Car To Rent?
Choosing the type of car to hire is also part of renting a car in Florida. I always go for a mid-sized SUV because cars in Florida are big and small car can feel very small. Plus as I use the hire car to do the airport transfers a mid-size SUV is good for four suitcases. When choosing what car to pick consider how many people are in your group and how much luggage you'll have, but also think about the mpg if you are trying to keep costs down. A truck is awesome, but they drink fuel.
Who Can Rent A Car & What Documents Do You Need?
In Florida most car hire companies expect you to be 21 or older to rent a car, and those between 21 and 24 can find an additional “young driver’s charge added”.
To rent a car, you’ll definitely need the following documents, but always check with the rental company what they need when you book:
Insurance To Check When Hiring A Car In Florida
UK drivers need to make sure that they insurance cover for their hire car in Florida, this is best to include:
- Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): This covers damage to the car in case of an accident.
- Theft Protection: This protects you in the case of your rental car being stolen.
- Liability Insurance: This covers damage or injury to others, but it might be minimal. Check with your car hire company to ensure you have adequate coverage. If not consider Supplemental Liability Insurance.
- Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI / ALI): this increases liability cover to a higher amount. In Florida, the state minimum liability requirement is extremely low, so having a higher rate of protection up to $1 million gives peace of mind if the worst happened. Improvement: Strongly advise UK renters to ensure their package includes SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance) up to $1M.
- Adding or checking for Uninsured Motorist Protection (UMP) can also be wise as Florida has one of the highest rates of uninsured drivers in the US, with around 20% of drivers in 2026 opens in a new tabhaving no insurance.
Picking Up & Dropping Off Your Car: What To Do & What To Avoid
When you pick up a hire car, often at the airport, you need to make sure you have your documentation. Making sure you bring all the necessary documents, including your passport, UK driving license, and credit card is crucial or you won’t be able to rent the car. If you've booked online, have a copy of your confirmation handy: I print mine off and take it with me. If you use a skip the counter service, this doesn’t change the documentation you need.
At MCO you get to pick your hire car from a line-up in the section you’ve paid for. Before you drive off, always take a video of both the outside and the inside of the car before you put anything in it so you catalogue any existing damage, in case of a dispute later. I’ve never had to use it, but it’s peace of mind.
What to avoid
Upselling happens, so know what you have and need and don’t be upsold at the counter when you collect your car. Check what you are signing and avoid signing for anything that isn’t clearly explained. When it comes to tolls, make sure you know how to deal with them.
Choosing collect and return times that leave you paying for an extra days car hire when you don’t need it. Normally people will just put in an hour after they land and three hours before they take off, but this can add an extra days car hire cost to your total bill. Putting in the same time to collect and drop off, can save you £50 or more on the price of hire car.
Car hire companies offer a full-to-full policy which means you need to return the hire car with a full tank of fuel, or a full-to-empty policy. If you choose full-to-empty or fail to return the car full you’ll be charged for fuel and the cost is a lot higher than filling the tank yourself. When you take your hire car back fill up near your resort and then top the tank up a few junctions before MCO, as petrol at the stations immediately nearby are inflated. In the past we have topped up at WaWa at 6500 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32812.
Extra Costs On Top Of Car Hire
Driving a hire car in Florida means being aware of the other costs you’ll need to pay:
- Fuel, which is usually cheaper than in the UK, but is a cost you’ll need to pay. To look at the cost of fuel in Florida in more detail see our fuel cost comparison in Is petrol cheaper in Florida than the UK? Fuel guide for UK visitors with car hire
- Car Parking at theme parks, including Disney World if you are not staying on-site. To find out how much that will cost for your trip head to Disney World Car Parking Cost Calculator: How Much Is Car Parking For UK Visitors?
- Tolls: although you can avoid toll roads, this can mean diverting. To find out how tolls work in Florida read Florida Tolls Guide: Paying and Using Tolls In A Hire Car
- Roaming charges to use Google Maps on your phone, or the cost of an ESim.
- Car parking at hotels: some hotels charge a nightly charge for parking your hire car, so always check and budget.
Car Seats & Car Hire
By Florida Law:
- Children aged 0-3 must be fully harnessed in a rear facing child seat
- Children aged 4-5 can use a forward facing booster
- From age 6 children only need a seat belt, but the seat belt must be secured properly, so realistically they still need a booster.
For more on the exact laws in Florida about Child Seats head to Safety Belts and Child Restraints - Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles opens in a new tab which is where our information is sourced from for 2026 car hire.
Car seats need to be federally approved carrying the fmvss213 label, (although there was an attempt to change this in 2026 it didn’t pass, so this is still the standard). This is usually what insurance companies expect children to be in for insurance to be valid, so if you plan to take one from home, check with you insurance that it won’t be invalidated. The other option is to find a car seat that meets this standard by:
What’s it like driving in Florida from the UK?
This is a question we get asked a lot, especially as we have driven in Florida on all our recent trips. The answer is that is surprisingly easy. Yes, you drive on a different side of the road and you do need to understand that there are some different rules. One of the most helpful documents to read is the State of Florida.com | Florida Traffic Signals opens in a new tab page in the Florida Driver Handbook.
Driving in Orlando is different, and the roads can be a bit chaotic given the number of tourists on the roads. Getting chopped up and stuck in queue at 1am on the I-4 happens. As most cars you hire are automatic, driving and parking is simple. Car park spaces are a bit bigger, but then so are the cars. Hiring a mid-size SUV is often best even if you are only a couple travelling, as a small car can feel very small on a 5 lane motorway in Florida.
Key Differences for UK Drivers: Driving In Florida For The First Time
Driving in Florida has some key differences in comparison to driving in the UK, and for first time drives some may be quite a surprise. Here are some of the different rules that apply when driving in Florida:
Check the Fuel Policy Before Leaving the Rental Desk
When you a hire a car in Florida you will choose how much fuel you return your car with. You’ll normally find four options: to return with a full tank of fuel, same amount to same amount, to prepay for a tank of fuel or to return empty for rental company refuelling. The best policy if to return your car with a full tank of fuel as this will save you the most money. Both prepaid and rental company refuelling is notoriously more expensive.
Before collecting your Florida hire car, confirm:
- How much fuel is currently in the tank
- What level must be present when you return it
- Whether you have purchased prepaid fuel
- The rental company's refuelling price
- Whether an additional service charge applies
- Whether you need to retain your final petrol receipt
Keep a copy of the rental agreement and photograph the fuel gauge at both collection and return. This gives you a record of the vehicle's fuel level if an unexpected charge later appears on your card.
Pros & Cons Of Hiring A Car In Florida
Hiring a car for a Florida holiday comes own to personal choice and personally I like to have a car, and usually hire one. From that perspective, here are the pros and cons.
Pros of Car Hire | Cons of Car Hire |
|---|---|
Walmart and supermarket trips without waiting | Tolls add up when you explore Florida, ringfencing £50 to cover costs on a 2 week trip is a good starting point |
Flexibility to explore at your own pace no matter where you go. | Theme Park car parking is high. No matter which theme park you go to there is a charge to park |
Comfort, and somewhere to stash a coat, spare clothes, and even a drink in a cooler box. | Fuel costs. Filling up a Toyota Rav 4 cost around £30.00 ($40.00) - £37.49 ($50.00) on our last trip, |
Easy to get to your resorts and can save time and money in comparison to other airport transfer options | If you don’t plan to use your car for more than a few Walmart trips, the cost will likely not be worth it and you could end up out of pocket. |
Privacy and peace |
Car hire and staying at Universal Resorts
Universal is a spread out resort, especially since the opening of EPIC Universe, so having a car may seem like an advantage. It is for convenience, but not for cost, even if you are staying on-site. At Universal it does work out cheaper to not have a car as they charge car parking both at the hotel and at the theme parks.
This is something to keep in mind if you book 14 nights from the UK here and plan to use the car. Your best option is to leave the car at the hotel and use the free Universal resort transport for Universal park days.
Is It Worth Hiring A Car For A Florida Holiday?
Yes, but it depends on what you want from your holiday. For some UK families, hiring a car for one of the two weeks of your trip can provide a happy in between, especially if you plan on heading further afield to the Gulf Coast or Kennedy Space Centre. Hiring a car is not an essential part of a Disney World, Orlando or Florida holiday; it’s possible to explore without a hire car. However, I would always recommend hiring a car for the convenience and flexibility but mostly because it gives you the chance to explore more places.
Next steps
Where to go next
The next steps from here
Planning A Disney World Holiday From The UK: Ultimate Guide (2026-2027)Find out about heading to Disney World from the UK here, from turning the dream into a holiday plan, booking, and planning your days in the parks
Where Can You Buy Walt Disney World Tickets In The UK?Find out the best places to buy Disney World tickets in the UK, from booking direct to authorised sellers and holiday packages.
Where To Stay On A Walt Disney World Trip From The UK?Helping you start the planning journey with where to stay, an overview of options, on-site and offsite, Disney resort categories and upgrades.Questions About Car Hire In Florida From The UK
How old do you need to be to rent a car in Florida?
You need to be at least 21 years old to rent a hire car in Florida, but many drivers between the ages of 21 and 24 get charged a “young drivers premium”.
Do you need to pay for petrol before filling up in Florida?
Yes, you’ll pay either at the pump or in the shop before you fill up your tank.
Do children need car seats in Florida?
Yes, children up to the age of 6 need a car seat, a rear facing harnessed seat between the ages of 0-3, and a booster between ages 4 and 5. At 6 the seat belt must fit properly for a child to not need a booster.
Can you take a UK car seat and use it in Florida with a hire car?
Legally all car seats used in the US must have a fmvss213 label, and UK and EU car seats don’t normally have this. Always check that your car seat complies before taking it, and that it will be covered by the insurance you have when driving.
