If you’re planning to drive into London, or you’ve hired a car that might take you through it, there are two separate daily charges to know about: the Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). They’re run by Transport for London (TfL), they cover different areas, they’re charged for different reasons, and — this catches out a lot of visitors — both can apply to the same journey at the same time. Neither charge cares whether you live in London, live in the UK, or are driving a hire car on a two-day trip: the rules are identical for everyone, and TfL’s cameras don’t distinguish between a local commute and a tourist detour.

Details below were checked directly against Transport for London’s official website (tfl.gov.uk) on 3 September 2026, cross-referenced against TfL’s own public statements on the January 2026 charge increase, since TfL’s own page appeared to be showing an outdated cached price at the time of research. These charges are reviewed periodically — always check tfl.gov.uk directly before you travel, particularly if it’s been a while since you last drove in London.

What Are the Congestion Charge and ULEZ?

The Congestion Charge is a fee for driving any vehicle into central London during business hours, introduced in 2003 to reduce traffic in the city centre. It applies regardless of how clean or modern your vehicle is — a brand new car pays exactly the same as an old one, since the point of the charge is to cut the number of vehicles on the road, not their emissions.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a completely separate charge, introduced in 2019 and expanded several times since, aimed specifically at reducing air pollution. It only applies to vehicles that don’t meet certain emissions standards, and unlike the Congestion Charge, it covers nearly the whole of Greater London and operates 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas.

If you’re driving a non-compliant vehicle into central London during charging hours, you can be liable for both charges on the same day, since the zones overlap in the city centre.

Do Visitors and Tourists Have to Pay?

Yes, in full, with no visitor discount or grace period of any kind. This applies whether you’re a UK resident visiting London from elsewhere, a tourist who’s hired a car, or driving a vehicle with a non-UK number plate. TfL enforces both charges using automatic number plate recognition cameras, and it’s genuinely irrelevant to the system whether the driver lives locally or is passing through once. Hire car companies do not pay these charges on your behalf as standard — as the driver (or the person whose name the vehicle is registered to at the time), you’re responsible for checking whether a charge applies and paying it yourself.

Congestion Charge: Cost and Hours

The standard Congestion Charge is £18 per day if paid on the day or in advance, following an increase from £15 that took effect on 2 January 2026. It applies:

• Monday to Friday, 7am–6pm
• Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays, 12pm–6pm
• No charge between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day bank holiday (inclusive)

You only pay once per day no matter how many times you enter and exit the zone within charging hours. If you drive into the zone outside these hours — early morning, after 6pm on a weekday, or before midday at the weekend — no Congestion Charge applies, though ULEZ may still apply separately since it runs on a different schedule.

Electric vehicles are no longer automatically exempt. Since the end of the 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount on 25 December 2025, fully electric cars registered on TfL’s Auto Pay system receive a 25% discount (£13.50 instead of £18); without Auto Pay registration, EVs pay the full standard rate like any other vehicle. Motorcycles and mopeds remain fully exempt from the Congestion Charge.

ULEZ: Cost and Coverage

The ULEZ charge is £12.50 per day for cars, motorcycles and vans up to 3.5 tonnes that don’t meet the required emissions standard, and £100 per day for larger, more polluting vehicles such as lorries and coaches. Unlike the Congestion Charge, ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, with the sole exception of Christmas Day.

As a rough guide, your vehicle is likely to be ULEZ-compliant, and therefore free, if it’s a petrol vehicle first registered after 2006, or a diesel vehicle first registered after September 2015. Fully electric vehicles are exempt from ULEZ indefinitely, with no registration required to receive that exemption. If you’re at all unsure, don’t rely on rough guides — check your specific registration directly (see below).

Where Are the Zones? Central London vs All of Greater London

This is the single biggest source of confusion, since the two zones are very different sizes.

The Congestion Charge zone covers only central London — roughly the area bounded by Marylebone Road and Euston Road to the north, Park Lane to the west, Tower Bridge to the east, and Elephant & Castle to the south. This includes most of the major sightseeing area: the West End, the City, Westminster, and the South Bank around Tower Bridge and Elephant & Castle. Signs marked with a white “C” on a red background mark the zone boundary.

The ULEZ zone is vastly larger: since August 2023, it covers essentially all 33 London boroughs, right out to (but not including) the M25 motorway. This means popular attractions well outside central London, including Heathrow Airport, Wembley Stadium, Kew Gardens and Hampton Court Palace, all sit inside the ULEZ, even though none of them are anywhere near the much smaller Congestion Charge zone.

In practice, this means a non-compliant hire car can rack up a ULEZ charge simply by driving from Heathrow toward central London, well before it ever reaches the separate, smaller Congestion Charge zone in the city centre.

Checking If Your Hire Car Is ULEZ-Compliant

TfL provides a free vehicle checker on its own website where you can enter a UK number plate to instantly confirm ULEZ compliance status. If you’re hiring a car in the UK, most reputable rental companies now supply genuinely modern, compliant vehicles as standard, but it’s worth confirming directly with the rental company before you travel rather than assuming, particularly for older, larger or specialist vehicles. If you’re bringing your own vehicle from outside the UK, you’ll need to register it with TfL directly to pay or check charges, since it won’t appear in standard UK vehicle databases.

How to Pay

Both charges can be paid online directly through TfL, via the official TfL “Pay to Drive in London” app, or by phone. You can pay on the day of travel, in advance, or by midnight on the third day after you drove in the zone — after that point, you’re liable for a penalty rather than the standard charge. Congestion Charge payment machines and over-the-counter payment at shops were withdrawn some years ago, so card or online payment is now the only practical route for most visitors. If you expect to drive in London on more than one occasion during your trip, setting up an Auto Pay account can simplify things, though for a single short visit, paying per journey online is usually simpler.

Exemptions and Discounts

A handful of exemptions and discounts exist, though most require registering with TfL in advance rather than being applied automatically:

• Blue Badge holders can apply for a Congestion Charge discount, though this must be registered with TfL in advance rather than assumed.
• Motorcycles and mopeds are automatically exempt from the Congestion Charge.
• Fully electric vehicles are exempt from ULEZ indefinitely, and receive a 25% Congestion Charge discount if registered on Auto Pay.
• NHS patients and staff undertaking certain journeys can apply for reimbursement of the Congestion Charge.

There is no general visitor, tourist or short-stay exemption of any kind for either charge.

Penalties for Not Paying

If you drive in either zone without paying the correct charge by the deadline, TfL can issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). For the Congestion Charge, this has recently stood at £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days; ULEZ penalties are broadly similar in scale. These notices are sent by post to the registered keeper of the vehicle, which for hire cars usually means the rental company, who will typically then pass the charge (often with an added administration fee) on to the person who was driving at the time. This is worth knowing if you’re returning a hire car and heading home before any penalty notice would normally arrive — the charge doesn’t simply disappear because you’ve left the country.

Practical Tips for Visitors

Consider whether you need a car in London at all. For visitors focused on central London sightseeing, the Underground, buses, walking and the occasional taxi are usually genuinely cheaper and less stressful than driving and parking, once the Congestion Charge, ULEZ, and central London parking costs are all added up. A car becomes far more useful once you’re heading out to destinations like the Cotswolds, Stonehenge or the Yorkshire Dales, well outside London itself.

If you are driving, check both charges before you set off, not after. A quick check of your registration and route against TfL’s own maps and vehicle checker takes a few minutes and can save a genuinely unpleasant surprise weeks later.

Pay as early as possible, ideally on the day itself or the following day, rather than leaving it until close to the three-day deadline, in case of any delay or oversight.

Remember that driving through counts, not just parking. Simply passing through either zone without stopping still triggers the charge — there’s no exemption for transit journeys or for vehicles that don’t actually park within the zone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do tourists have to pay the London Congestion Charge and ULEZ?

Yes, in full, with no discount or exemption for visitors. The charges apply to any vehicle driven in the relevant zone, regardless of whether the driver is a resident or a tourist.

What’s the difference between the Congestion Charge and ULEZ?

The Congestion Charge is a flat £18 daily fee for any vehicle in central London during business hours. ULEZ is a separate £12.50 daily charge for non-compliant vehicles, covering nearly all of Greater London 24/7. Both can apply to the same journey.

How much could I pay in total for one day’s driving in central London?

If your vehicle isn’t ULEZ-compliant, you could owe both charges on the same day: £18 plus £12.50, a total of £30.50.

Is Heathrow Airport inside the ULEZ?

Yes. Since the August 2023 expansion, ULEZ covers all London boroughs, including Heathrow. It is not, however, inside the much smaller Congestion Charge zone, which is limited to central London.

Do electric hire cars avoid these charges?

Electric vehicles remain exempt from ULEZ indefinitely. However, since 25 December 2025, EVs are no longer automatically exempt from the Congestion Charge — they receive a 25% discount if registered on TfL’s Auto Pay system, or pay the full standard rate if not.

What happens if I don’t pay and I’ve already returned my hire car or left the UK?

The charge doesn’t disappear. A Penalty Charge Notice is sent to the vehicle’s registered keeper — usually the rental company for a hire car — who will typically pass the cost, often with an added fee, on to whoever was driving. It’s much simpler and cheaper to pay the correct charge on time in the first place.

Do I need a car to visit central London’s main sights?

Generally, no. Central London’s major attractions are well served by the Underground, buses and walking, and once you factor in the Congestion Charge, potential ULEZ charge, and parking costs, driving is rarely the cheapest or easiest way to sightsee in the city centre. A car tends to make more sense for trips out of London rather than within it.

If you’re planning a wider UK trip that involves driving beyond London, browse our other Wales and England guides for destinations well worth the drive once you’re clear of the capital’s charging zones.