Car Rental Preston

A quick guide to Preston

Though Preston is fantastically well positioned to get round the north-west of England quickly and easily, the city has attractions of its own and offers a great opportunity to explore somewhere off the beaten track.

Explore the Guild Wheel on two wheels

First, head to the city’s Harris Museum and Gallery, housed in a stunning Grade I-listed building. Inside you’ll discover superb collections of fine art, costumes and textiles, ceramics and glass, and local history.

If the weather’s nice, head for Avenham and Miller Parks, two beautiful Victorian parks adjacent to each other on the banks of the River Ribble, perfect for a pleasant stroll and a picnic.

If you’re feeling energetic then you can hire bikes and cycle round the fantastic Preston Guild Wheel, a 21-mile circular route that starts from Avenham Park and runs anti-clockwise along paths and a few minor roads, through riverside meadows and ancient woodlands and finally along the banks of the canal and river.

There are many cafés en route, so take your time and enjoy the beautiful and diverse scenery along the way.

Dance the afternoon away at the seaside

Only a stone’s throw from Preston you’ll find Blackpool, the most famous and best-loved of the UK’s traditional seaside towns.

Spend some time on the sands, experience the thrills of some of the UK’s biggest rollercoasters or sample the more sedate pleasures of afternoon tea in the sumptuous surroundings of the Tower Ballroom, the home of British ballroom dancing. You can even take a spin on its legendary dancefloor.

Golf fans should head south to the Blackpool’s more genteel neighbours, Lytham St Annes, home of the renowned Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, one of the world’s great seaside links courses and regular host of the British Open Golf Championship.

Enjoy inspirational landscapes

Preston is the ideal base from which to explore the spectacular, diverse landscapes and fascinating cultural heritage of the Forest of Bowland, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

There’s plenty to see and do, from forest walks to hill climbs and mountain biking, and with your hire car, you can not only enjoy the scenery, but also stop off for tea and cake or lunch in one of many charming market towns and quaint villages.

Hurst Green, an idyllic village on the edge of the Forest of Bowland, is home to the famous Stonyhurst College, inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles as well as Tolkien’s iconic Lord of the Rings.

Shop till you drop in fashionable cities

Less than an hour south of Preston you can discover Liverpool, with its many excellent museums and galleries, Beatles landmarks and some of the best shopping in the north-west of England. That’s a claim that could easily be disputed by neighbouring Manchester, only 45 minutes from Preston via the M61. It’s home to the huge Trafford Centre shopping complex, as well as the many funky little boutiques and artisan shops that are packed into its vibrant Northern District.

Car hire in Preston allows you to discover this heritage-packed city, as well as the freedom to easily explore the wider north-west region.

Driving in and around Preston

Preston stands at the very crossroads of the main road network of the north-west of England. The M6 motorway is the main route up and down the western side of Britain, running from Birmingham to the Scottish border.

Only 15 minutes east of the city centre via the A59 is junction 31 of the M6. From here the M6 heads south to meet the M58 which takes you right into Liverpool city centre in under an hour.

Just to the south of Preston, the M61 branches off the M6 and takes you to Manchester, where it joins the M60 Manchester Orbital which leads to the Trafford Centre for shopping, The Lowry for art galleries and Old Trafford for lovers of the beautiful game (that’s football, by the way).

The M60 also leads to the M62 motorway which runs north of Manchester then continues to Hull on the Yorkshire coast, passing close to the city of Leeds. Here it meets the M1, which heads south towards London and north as the A1(M) to Newcastle and the north-east of England.

The M6 meanwhile continues south to Birmingham, two hours away, where it meets the M5 to the south-west of England.

Driving in and around Preston city centre should present few problems. Pay and display on-street parking is available in the centre but it’s best to use one of the many car parks signposted around the city. There’s also a car park close to Avenham and Miller parks.

Driving in the UK, unlike the rest of Europe, is on the left-hand side of the road. Speed limits on UK roads range from 30mph (48km/h) or lower in built-up areas to 70mph (112km/h) on motorways and dual carriageways.