If you’re planning on a long road trip in the UK or overseas, an unlimited mileage car hire plan could save you a small fortune. This guide takes you through renting a car with limited or unlimited mileage, and explains the benefits of each.
What’s the difference between limited and unlimited mileage car hire?
How far can you drive a hire car? That depends on the mileage allowance you choose. Typically, you have two rental car options: unlimited mileage or limited mileage (otherwise known as a mileage cap).
Among the major rental companies it’s increasingly common to get unlimited mileage deals as standard, both in the UK and abroad. Many of the budget companies, however, use mileage caps to reduce prices and create more tempting deals. You’ll be able to see both when you browse through car hire deals on KAYAK.
Unlimited mileage car hire
Choose an unlimited mileage rental car and the price you pay to drive 10 miles or 1,000 miles is the same. This makes sense for long-distance and high-mileage trips. So you could take your unlimited mileage rental across the country on a family road trip without having to watch the odometer.
All rental companies will let you rent a car with unlimited miles, although not on all models and rental plans. Common exceptions include speciality rentals, like electric or luxury cars and large vans.
Limited mileage car hire
Hiring a car with a mileage cap restricts how far you can drive it during the rental period. This means you have to keep track of your mileage allowance to make sure you don’t drive go over it. If you do, you’ll be charged a fixed rate for every extra mile or kilometre you drive, depending on if you’re in the UK or abroad.
Mileage caps make sense for shorter trips where you’re more sure about the total distance you’ll drive. Most rental agencies will advise a daily distance limit but will only charge for the cumulative extra miles you’ve driven. So if the mileage cap is 100 miles a day for your five day rental, you’ll only be charged each mile over the 500-mile total limit. It makes no difference if you them all in one day, or spread it out over the rental period.
Mileage limits vary greatly by car hire company. As they don’t always make it super clear, always check before you commit to the rental. Having missed a mileage cap before, I can testify to how expensive it can be to find out only when returning the car!
Duncan Madden, travel writer
Below I’ve listed the price per mile fees charged by the major car rental companies in the UK, where applicable. Where a standardised fixed price or price range wasn’t available, I’ve based stated fees on a three-day rental from Heathrow Airport in June 2025.
Is it cheaper to hire cars with limited or unlimited mileage?
At first glance it may look cheaper to hire a car with limited mileage. That depends on two primary factors – how far you’re driving and what the daily limited mileage allowance is. Time for some quick maths to work out what suits your trip.
How far are you planning to drive? Is there a price difference between limited and unlimited mileage prices for the car you want to hire? If so, see how much each extra mile will cost and calculate that against the miles you expect to drive. Compare those costs and you’ll have your answer.
Use a maps app like Google Maps to estimate your expected mileage based on where you’re driving by plotting routes and adding them up. Don’t forget to add a mileage buffer for those little journeys you haven’t pre-planned – they can add up fast!
Duncan Madden, travel writer
Which companies offer car hire with unlimited mileage?
The major car rental companies including Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and SIXT offer unlimited mileage on most of their rental car categories. Exclusions typically come with luxury and electric cars, as well as some commercial options like vans.
At the other end of the market, popular budget rental companies like Drivalia and Green Motion often include mileage limits by default. This helps bring the initial rental price down but can cost you in the long run if you exceed them. You can usually pay a daily fee at the counter to upgrade to a car hire with unlimited mileage. If in doubt, ask!
How to use KAYAK to find a cheap unlimited mileage rental car
An unlimited mileage car rental offers freedom and flexibility without the worry of fees if you go over your allocated mileage.
When looking for a cheap rental car with unlimited mileage anywhere in the world, KAYAK can help. Just add your location and rental dates and set the filter to ‘Unlimited mileage’ under ‘Policies’. You’ll then see the best offers for cheap rental cars with unlimited miles.
Want to know more about hiring a car?
There are lots of other things to think about beyond unlimited mileage when hiring a car. From the best time to book to the best way to pay, you can save money by booking smart.
Then there’s the safety side – what insurance to get and how to deal with an accident should the worst happen. Whatever you need, KAYAK has dedicated car rental guides to help.
