Car & Van Hire - Winchester

With Enterprise, you’ll find a selection of vehicles to suit all customers, from small economy cars for zipping around the city, to larger vehicles for business use, or family road trips out to the South Downs. Car hire options start with mini vehicles, such as a Toyota Aygo, and 3 or 5-door economy class vehicles such as Vauxhall Corsa, and the range extends through medium-sized cars, such as Ford Focus, Skoda Octavia and Vauxhall Insignia, to compact and full-sized MPVs, such as Vauxhall Zafira Tourer and SEAT Alhambra. There are also larger 4x4s, vans and executive vehicles available.

No visit to Winchester would be complete without seeing Winchester Cathedral, of course, and ruined Wolvesey Castle, just next door, can be easily visited at the same time. There are military museums such as the Gurkha Museum, the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, the Museum of the Kings Royal Hussars and the Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum.

Showcasing the very best of the area’s historical credentials are attractions such as the impressive 13th-century Great Hall, home to King Arthur's legendary Round Table, the charming City Mill working watermill, now owned by the National Trust, and Westgate Museum, a wonderfully refurbished medieval city gate and Grade-I listed building with great views across the city. The Theatre Royal and Winchester College are also worth a visit.

There are many other attractions to explore in the wider area, several of which can only be easily accessed by car, which is where a car rental can make all the difference. These attractions include the ever-popular Marwell Zoo, delightful Avington Park with its Georgian manor house, and the intriguing Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill, where you can take part in various tours and experiences. Jane Austen’s House Museum is located at Chawton and it was here that she wrote her novels; the house is now a museum packed with portraits, memorabilia, manuscripts and personal items such as jewellery and clothing.

The countryside around Winchester is spectacular, from the rolling South Downs and its many breath-taking walks, rustic pubs and traditional villages to the New Forest where just a short drive will take you into the heart of this area of heathland and forest, famous for its ponies which can frequently be seen from the road.

Families taking advantage of rental options in Winchester may want to visit Paultons Family Theme Park at nearby Romsey, with over 60 rides and attractions in 140 acres. Golden Gecko Climbing, also at Romsey, could be taken in at the same time, and for active kids there is also Go Ape! at Southampton.

Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium is a short drive out of town and well worth the trip for its incredible exhibits – over 100 hands-on displays exploring all kinds of scientific investigations, from brain waves and physiology to mechanics, electronics and music. It’s a great place to visit at any time, with free parking, a café and the country’s largest capacity digital planetarium featuring regular shows.

Southampton airport is just a 30-minute drive from Winchester and visitors arriving by plane may find it more convenient to pick up and drop off their vehicle at the airport. The same extensive range of vehicles is available here as at the Enterprise facility in Winchester.

While owing to the nature of the historical city some roads can be narrow and congested at times, there are also several car parks to make life easier and visitors can also make use of the four Park-and-Ride sites with buses direct into the city. There are several short-stay pay and display car parks run by the council, for example in Colebrook Street, Cossack Lane, Gladstone Street, Jewry Street, St. Peter’s and the largest at Tower Street. Most of these are for a maximum of four hours, though Tower Street is longer. Long stay car parks include the multistorey Chesil Street and there are three others on Worthy Lane (Cattle Market, Coach Park and Worthy Lane) which are convenient for the cathedral and other city centre attractions.

From large people carriers to smaller economy cars, Enterprise Rent-a-Car guarantees cheap rates on car hire from our Winchester branch. Our economy cars are renowned for being cheap to hire as well as low running costs with great fuel efficiency. Book online in advance for our cheapest prices, alternatively book in branch and get the car that suits your needs.

Moving house? Moving furniture? Enterprise has vans available at our Winchester branches to ensure that you can get a vehicle to suit your needs. From smaller passenger vans to larger commercial vans – give our branches a call or book online to guarantee you a van hire that will suit your needs. Van hire is cheap and easy through Enterprise online or in branch, we promise to provide a vehicle to suit you for as long as you require it.