Car Hire in Inverness

The location of Inverness, in the midst of the Highlands and at the mouth of the River Ness, lends itself to a quintessential Scottish adventure. While the city is far in the north of the country, it is accessible by plane from nearest large cities Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

The rough and often remote Scottish terrain means that some of the best parts are only accessible by car.

There are 2 stations for Europcar car hire in Inverness. Pick up your rental car from Inverness Airport or at our city centre station at Eastgate Shopping Centre. Get maximum flexibility with Europcar car hire, and begin and end your Scottish road trip where you want.

If you are a small group, popular models include the Vauxhall Corsa and Hyundai I30. If you want something with a bit more space, the Skoda Octavia will do the job.

Car hire in Inverness is available on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. There is no long-term car hire offered for this location.

Like the rest of the UK and Scotland, in Inverness cars drive on the left side of the road. In Inverness, if you come from within the EU, you need a valid driver’s license to rent a car.

Signs are labelled in miles per hour. The speed limit is 70 miles per hour (112 km/h) for cars on motorways and dual carriageways, 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) for single track roads, and 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) for built up areas.

If you are driving in remote areas of the Highlands around Inverness, plan your journey carefully, considering the weather that may affect driving conditions. Also, be aware that some areas have less petrol stations than others. There are no toll fees on Scottish roads or bridges.

In the city, parking is divided between on-street and off-street. From Monday to Saturday, ‘pay and display’ systems are enforced on street parking zones. Here you can buy a ticket for stays of 1 to 2 hours. In off-street car parks, you can usually stay from 2 to 24 hours and longer.

Like any other busy city, road traffic is increased at the beginning and end of the working day (7.30am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm).

Driving while using a handheld phone is illegal. Scotland has harsher penalties for drink driving than in the UK.

Aside from countless natural wonders, Inverness is a great city to spend time in. Its foodie reputation is well-deserved thanks to some excellent brasseries and old coach houses. Car hire allows you to make the most of Inverness’ central location. Popular day trips from include the Cairngorms National Park, Ness Islands and Loch Ness, and the Isle of Skye. 

By car from Inverness you can head on to the historic cathedral town of Elgin (39 miles/62 kilometres) and Aberdeen (105 miles/168 kilometres).

We are proud to be European leaders in car rental. To find out more about the Europcar car hire experience, be sure to visit our car rental page!