Although driving in London is something of an exhilarating experience, the car remains the best mode of transport to use if you want to leave the capital and seek out the provincial treasures of England.
London is the proud owner of the infamous CONGESTION CHARGE. Lots of Londoner's who have no choice but to drive into central London every day still see this charge (which was first introduced in 2003) as an unavoidable tax.
To ensure that you don't fall foul of this charge we recommend speaking to your hire car company who will be delighted to advise you on the best options. It really isn't that tricky once you've got the hang of it.
No form of public transport is able to allow you to explore pretty hidden villages or meander down innumerable country lanes. The UK is also incredibly diverse in terms of scenery, architecture, accents and culture - within a relatively small area there is a cornucopia of fascinating places to visit and hiring a car is frankly the best way to see them.
London has now become even more reliant on the public transport system and the people who run the buses, tubes and railways than ever. Now it's just another opinion, but the trade unions will almost certainly realise this when it comes to pay 'negotiations' later this year. Possibly another summer of discontent may be looming up on the horizon?
The really good news is that cities across the globe are monitoring the 'success' of the scheme, and congestion tax (oops charge) could be coming to a city near you. Apart from Paris of course, as there is no way on this earth that Parisians would ever accept a scheme as ill thought out as this.