V-Flyer

Ok, I'm an idiot, I shouldn't have left it this late I know!

However, I'm flying into LHR on Monday morning from Newark. I need to get to Manchester, and I normally rent a car and drive up. However, NOBODY seems to have cars at Heathrow over Christmas week.

I just looked on Virgin Vacations and I'm not sure if its a website flaw or if this is how they do it, but....
There was no option to say where I wanted to rent the car from, I could just choose UK, and the dates I wanted the car from. Then it gave me an option of 4 vehicles, I chose a mondeo.

Then you have to select your 'handling type' which makes no sense:

Standard - Fee Price: $12.00 Signature may be required at time of document delivery.
Expedited - Fee Price: $32.00 Departure from the U.S. is within 7 days of full payment. Signature is required at time of delivery.
International Priority - Fee Price: $40.00 Delivery may take up to 5 days. Signature is required at time of delivery.
US Postal Service - Fee Price: $0.00 I will be paying with a money order or a cashier's check, not a credit card but I will submit a credit card number to book. My departure is 21 days or more out and I am assuming financial responsibility for any and all charges for lost, damaged, or delayed documents.

The next screen is the checkout screen, you have to put a daytime delivery address in (delivery address?!?!), and your billing information. Obviously this is as far as I have gotten, I'm not giving my credit card out to purchase something that might be completely wrong.

Now, how the hell could I be taken to the checkout screen after having simply asked for a Mondeo, somewhere in the UK, from the 22nd to the 29th December?????

Has anyone rented a car through VV before?

Finally, does anyone have a clue where else I could try to get a car at Heathrow?!

Can't help with VV. If none of the major renters have anything try a search engine like http://www.carrentals.co.uk -won't be cheap though. How about flying up to MAN and renting a car from there?
DL

Being the US arm of Virgin, I too have no experience of VV.

ISTBC, but over the Christmas period, car rental companies tend to have minimum rental periods (as well as hiking the prices)[n]

This year however, with the downturn, you might be able to do a deal if you (or someone here in the UK) makes a direct approach

buns

I would try ringing one of the UK Car Rental companies directly.

Alternatively, you could get the Heathrow Express and then get a train up to Manchester.

As I am a nice guy and also bored I have completed a dummy booking for you with National.Cars are available for the dates you require at LHR.

http://www.nationalcar.co.uk/

Regards
Bryan

Thanks everyone!

I tried National and they had nothing. I called Avis, Hertz, National, Enterprise, and Budget to no avail. One way flight with BMI was 150 quid, but then Manchester airport has no cars either!

I've booked a train ticket for 35 quid with Virgin Trains, and found Budget has a couple of cars left at Piccadilly train station in Manchester.

If I didn't have two big bags filled with presents, this would be a great way of getting up. I'd forgotten the new west coast mainline now only takes 2 hours from London to Manchester, which to be honest is about as quick as flying up (with all the waiting around at airport).

I'm just not looking forward to navigating the heathrow express, then the circle line and then paddington with my two big bags. At least I'll finally get to use the heathrow express upgrade coupon thingy! Ah well, I shall make a mental note to book next years Christmas trip MUCH earlier!