hiring a car

 Are we going to have any problems hiring a car when we arrive? We will need one to get from Southampton to Alsager. We will have , of course, American liscences and we were wondering if you can hire a car in one place and leave it at another. Much like you can in the US. Is cash better or since we would have to take it from one town to another would an American credit card be accepted?? In fact we will have two dogs and a cat with us too. are mini vans or anything similar available? And one last thing, my aunt says we would be crazy to come up the M6 as she doesnt even drive it  . Is that the best way or would you think small roads so we can make frequent stops for the dogs to pee? Thanks for any advice. 

when i first moved her my company car wasn't ready so i hired a car for 2 weeks.  no problem on my uk licence.

the only issue i had is that i need an automatic car- which from airports shouldn't be a problem, but from small town depots it was a slight problem.

in terms of payment- i think the oppositie.  i've never tried to rent a car with cash, and you could try, but i think they would prefer a credit card.  that way, if there's damage etc they can charge the card extra.

i drive the M6 weekly.  it definitely depends on the time of day and which day you're driving.  think normal rush hour traffic then double it- that's what it's like very often from 3am-10am and then again 4-7pm.  i would def avoid during those hours.  outside those you shoudl be fine.  you may be caught up in an accident but that's chance.

as for dog walking etc.  there are service stations every 30 miles or so.  all i've been to have amble grass area for walking around, good food (expensive though).

happy driving!

Dropping off in a different place shouldn't be a problem with the larger companies, although be prepared to pay an extra premium.      As automatic transmission is relatively uncommon here, you can also expect to pay a substantial extra fee and possibly have to reserve in advance if you don't want to drive stick. 

Depending on which company you book thru there is a one way drop off fee. When we book Europcar, they only charges about £10.00 but also depends on where you are dropping it off and how far you have taken it. Other companies charge alot more.

Taking a cats and dogs..they will also charge extra insurance on this in case of destruction to interior..not saying your animals would or will. Just standard procedure. Some auto companies do not even allow them.

You will have to either leave a deposit for the excess on the car in cash or they will swipe/imprint your credit card..yes they will take an American credit card.

I would also suggest pre-booking your car to insure availability of the standard of car you are requiring. Southampton won't have the wide selection as say Gatwick or Manchester Airports. As Paul said automatics are harder to come by and in my experience in booking car hire they tend to charge more for them as well because of this.

Also read the fine print about the excess on insurance you can pay more and have the excess you pay in case of a accident lowered.

If you have any questions PM me.

Thanks for the replies. I think we should be on the M6 at the right time then, between the tie ups. The stick shift wont be a problem just as long as we can get something to accomodate 2 grownups, two teens, two dogs and one cat. Oh, and some luggage. Another thing, has anyone made roughly that trip or equivilent lately so can average the expense of petrol? We looked into a train but at about 500 pounds we are hoping to come out better driving.