The River Thames was England’s original trading centre leading the growth of the British Empire. The river provided safe harbour for ships and the fortified City of London housed some of the Worlds most famous and powerful.

Today London retains its economic importance in the World and it still revolves around money and trade! The main difference now is the importance of the River Thames in London’s continued global status. Although London was once the centre of trade and commerce due to it’s links to the rest of the World through the River Thames it is now linked by satellite and cables. Trade now happens on the floors of the stock exchange not the waters of the River Thames. The World is a much smaller place with messages transmitted between countries in seconds and conversations happening simultaneously across continents. The importance of the River in the modern economy is small, mainly now being used for leisure purposes. The wealthy and powerful in London are still ‘traders’, but they use the Thames in a totally different way. They now hire boats for celebrations, important meetings and entertaining clients. Christmas Parties and Wedding receptions of the elite and wealthiest take place on some of the stunning London party boats. Although there are many party boats and luxury boats for hire on the Thames in London, the commercial craft that once powered the UK economy are long gone. The only commercial craft you see regularly now are refuse barges and the odd aggregate barge taking sand or building materials into the centre of town.

There is still trade coming into the outskirts of London on the River Thames. The Port of Tilbury is thriving, but compared to the size of the once great trading city of London the Tilbury Docks are tiny. Incidentally the amount of goods handled is probably not far away from what it was, but with modern vast ships, cranes and containerisation the speed and amount of load handling capacity of each vessel is simply huge.

The river maybe quiet and more of a vein than an artery to the city of London, but its history is remembered and obvious at every turn The most famous and important buildings, both old and new, line the banks of the Thames. Warehouses have been turned into luxury apartments housing some of the World’s wealthiest and providing stunning views out across the great river. Millions have been spent on interactive lighting systems making the river at night even more stunning than by day.

be journeying to the UK and will be needing car hire service, you should investigate cheap car hire at airports across the UK. Not only are there competitive rates to be found from many different companies, but also each company has different policies and protection which can give you the peace of mind you need while traveling abroad. If you’re unsure of which company to make your reservations with, you should check out some of their features online. Some companies may not operate in your destination, or may not have the type of car you’d like to hire.

Two of the biggest car hire companies in the UK are Hertz and Avis. Both Hertz and Avis offer competitive rates from more than 100 different airports located around the UK. Their car selection is also quite large, with both having a Prestige collection which includes some of the newer luxury models from Mercedes. You can also make your reservations online for a seamless experience and both of these companies work with travel planners such as Orbitz or Travelocity to include their car hire in your package. If you’re looking for cheap car hire on a budget, there are other options available to you.

Budget Car Hire offers deals from as little as £17 and include such perks as unlimited mileage, a collision damage waiver, and theft protection. Budget’s service area includes many of the major airports around the UK and reservations for their services can be made online, or by phone. They also offer a discount for those who book more than six weeks in advance. Those who do may receive up to 10% off of their total bill for car hire when you prepay your entire car hire service online. Budget has a great selection of small sized cars and vans to get you where you need to go. They also offer a small selection of luxury cars, if you need to travel with both class and style.

If you’re unsure of which company you’d like to hire your car from, or you’re just unsure of which features you’ll need in your hired car, your best bet is to compare the companies mentioned above, along with a few others to find the company which can tailor to your needs. You should definitely compare car hire prices in the UK with Avis, Budget, Dollar, Economy and Hertz to make sure you’re getting the best deal for both your time and your money. Always keep in mind that you’ll receive the best deals if you book your car hire a few weeks in advance instead of waiting until you’re in the country. There is usually an additional discount for customers who book online. So be sure to confirm your bookings as early as possible.