Car Hire Reading

Getting to and from Reading is relatively straightforward – it sits just north of the major M4 motorway, while A-roads lead from it in various directions. Head east on the M4 and you’ll pass Maidenhead and Slough before reaching the M25, or the London Orbital, the huge ring road that circles England’s capital.

Alternatively, you can keep on the M4 and head into London, around a 70-kilometre drive in total. The M4 also heads west through the North Wessex Downs to Swindon and beyond.

The A33 begins in the heart of Reading and runs south. It gives you access to the M4, but also continues south to link up with Basingstoke and the M3, heading towards the coast.

For a more scenic drive through the Downs, you can leave Reading on the A4074 going north, or head north-east on the A4155 for Henley-on-Thames. From here, you can wind your way into the Chiltern Hills.

Road rules in England are similar to those at home, apart from speed limits, which are displayed in miles per hour, with distances also shown in miles. The top speed on the M4 and other motorways is 70mph (113km/h), while in Reading it’s 30mph on most streets, dropping to 20mph in some residential areas and school zones.

The A33 runs north to south through the centre of Reading, linking up with the A329 running east, following the River Kennet. Many of the main shopping areas and sights are located here, and the majority of the town centre is accessible by car.

Broad Street, which links two major shopping centres – The Oracle and Broad Street Malls – is pedestrianised, but there are plenty of car parks nearby.

Reading has been a town for almost a thousand years, and existed even before that. Despite its age and proximity to London, it has retained much of its charm and is one of the largest urban areas in England not to have city status. 

History has been played out here over the centuries, from the building – and destruction – of Reading Abbey, to the imprisonment of Oscar Wilde. As well as being close to the capital, it’s also a good launchpad for trips to historical sites such as Windsor Castle.

Roaming Reading

The best starting point to get to grips with the town’s history is at Reading Museum. It’s housed in the impressive town hall and leads you from the days when Reading was a Saxon outpost through medieval times, on to the industrial revolution and beyond.

The main attraction? A huge copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, 70 metres long and made in the late 19^th century. You’ll also find Roman artefacts and items found in the ruins of Reading Abbey.

That same abbey is close by, next to the handsome Forbury Park. This prime green space has a band stand, picnic-friendly lawns and stunning monuments. Originally the Abbey’s outer court, the area and its ruins are hugely atmospheric.

The abbey was founded in 1121, then dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538 during the period when he was at war with the church as he sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Jane Austen went to a school on this site too, and the Grade I-listed remains are well-preserved.

Mansions and gardens

Just outside Reading you’ll find a number of impressive houses, all of which have a different tale to tell. Some were homes to industrial magnates, others to the aristocracy.

Basildon Park, a 13-kilometre drive to the north-west, is a National Trust building set in rolling parkland. A late 18^th-century Palladian construction surrounded by gorgeous gardens, it’s open to the public and full of grand rooms and art collections.

Its splendour has only stayed intact by the skin of its teeth – it was used to house World War Two prisoners of war and was due to be demolished in the 1950s.

Even closer to Reading, Mapledurham House is a stately Elizabethan mansion from the 16^th century. Closed at weekends, you can visit the grounds and 14^th-century watermill during the week, where you’ll spot priest holes and a quaint 13^th-century church. It’s been widely used as a TV and film location, with some saying it was the inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows.

Royal residency

Make the most of Reading car hire by visiting the splendid Windsor Castle, a 32-kilometre drive to the east. The Queen spends more time here than she does at Buckingham Palace and it doesn’t disappoint, standing as a vast mass of impressive towers and battlements.

Take a tour and you’ll wander through chapels and state apartments, walking in the footsteps of the kings and queens who have lived here since William the Conqueror built it in 1080.

Fans of the royal family will love seeing St. George’s Chapel, where the Queen Mother lies at rest and Prince Harry married Meghan Markle. There’s also some fascinating military history to discover.

From castles to the English countryside, explore the wonders of Southern England with car hire in Reading with Hertz. Reserve your hire car online now.