Rent a car in South East London

Top Locations in South East London

For a more precise London car hire location, either search in the box above or view the areas below:

• Bexley

• Lewisham

• Orpington

• Peckham

• Southwark

Places to discover when you rent a car in South East London

One of the best things about having your hire car in South East London is that you have the freedom to explore at your own pace. From royal history buried in suburban side streets to world-class maritime heritage on the riverside, South East London has plenty to see. Here are four places well worth adding to your list when you’re visiting this area of London.

Greenwich

This historic area sits on a sharp bend of the Thames and is home to the Royal Naval College, the Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, and the Cutty Sark. The Royal Observatory is the home of the Prime Meridian, marking Longitude 0°, and you can literally stand astride the two hemispheres. The National Maritime Museum is free to enter and contains collections that span centuries of British seafaring!

Beyond the headline attractions, Greenwich Market offers a variety of food, arts and crafts stalls, and the 183-acre Greenwich Park has sweeping views over London. Driving here gives you the flexibility to explore further, including heading along the riverside towards Deptford or up towards Blackheath Common.

Eltham Palace

Eltham Palace is one of South East London's greatest attractions. In 1936, eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built their magnificent Art Deco mansion right next to the medieval Great Hall of Eltham Palace, creating a masterpiece of contrasting interiors. Edward IV built the Great Hall in the 1470s, and the future Henry VIII grew up here, making this site an incredibly layered piece of English history, rather than only a stately home.

Crystal Palace Park

Crystal Palace always surprises with how much it has to offer. It’s free to enter and packed with some unexpected features, such as the famous Victorian dinosaurs that stand on the banks of the lake, which were first created as part of a Victorian-era theme park. Other highlights include a maze and the ruins of the old Crystal Palace's aquarium.

Horniman Museum and Gardens

The Horniman Museum in Forest Hill is a genuine gem. Here you can interact with many of the artefacts, and alongside anthropology and natural history collections, the museum also has 16 acres of beautiful gardens. The famous stuffed walrus in the natural history gallery (taxidermied in the Victorian era) has become something of a local legend.

The gardens are free to visit and sit on a hillside with one of the best views of the London skyline you'll find without paying for it. The Horniman sits just off the South Circular Road (A205), making it easy to reach by car from elsewhere in South East London and is a great choice for families!

Driving your car hire in South East London

The two roads you'll lean on most when heading in and out of South East London are the A2 and the A20. The A2 connects London with Dover, following the ancient Roman route through New Cross and Lewisham before becoming a fast dual carriageway, out past Bexley towards Kent. The A20 also starts in Lewisham, heading south-east through Eltham, past Brands Hatch and on towards Maidstone, running alongside the M20 through Kent. For moving across the area without heading into central London, the South Circular (A205) links the eastern and western sides of South London, running through Eltham, Catford, Forest Hill, and Dulwich.

There are a few charging schemes worth knowing before you set off. The Dartford Crossing charges £3.50 per crossing (or £2.80 with a pre-pay Dart Charge account) between 6am and 10pm. The Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels also charge a toll between 6am and 10pm daily, with peak-hour rates of £4 for cars and an off-peak Auto Pay rate of £1.50. Both of these tunnels are camera-enforced, so there are no toll booths.