UPDATED 3/19/2020 –A few things have changed on the Ireland car rental scene. I though you were due for an update!
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[As I am rereading this post before I publish, I recognize it is long. What was a simple “how-to” became comprehensive guide to renting a car in Ireland. I debated splitting up the content into two posts, but one of the reasons I created Infinite Ireland was to be sure first-time travelers to Ireland would have all the information in one place. It is a lot to take in, but I hope that the information will help you better understand how to rent a car in Ireland.
Before you get started, I created a template to help you compare apples to apples. Grab that sheet here. Happy planning friends!]
To really get intimate, to discover places and to meet people, requires renting a car in Ireland. Simply put, we have gone places in a rental car that buses and large tour groups cannot go. We’ve chatted with locals for hours past closing time. We’ve eaten amazing dinners in remote restaurants. We’ve been the only people at some of Ireland’s best attractions.
All because we didn’t have to abide by someone else’s schedule. Because we opted for a rental car.
There are more rules and nuances for renting a car in Ireland than almost anywhere else in the world. It can be challenging, but as soon as you understand the lingo and what impacts the bottom line, you can get a good deal and be equipped with the wheels for a great trip.
Demystifying Renting a Car in Ireland
Each rental car website will ask you for basically the same information. These selections decide how much your quote will be so it is a good idea to check these details carefully.
Pick up and drop off location: The easiest and most convenient place to get your rental car is at the airport. Airport pickups have a small location surcharge, but I think the convenience of not driving in the city is well-worth the minimal extra cost.
If it works with your itinerary, I love flying in and out of Shannon Airport. It is much smaller and it sees a lot less traffic. Going through customs, picking up checked luggage, and renting a car should be quick and easy. We have landed and been on the road in less than 45 minutes.
The lovely and often quiet, Shannon Airport via Sean MacEntee
If you fly into Dublin and plan to see the city, pick up the rental car after exploring for a day or two. It is easy to get around the capital using public transport. Plus you will avoid driving in the city and paying for extra days that you won’t use the car.
Date and time of pick up and drop off: Obviously the longer you rent a car in Ireland, the costlier it will be. I try to time my pick-up and drop off within an hour of each other (e.g. pick up at 7:00 AM and drop off at 8:00 AM). In doing so, I am not usually charged any extra/partial days. Working out the timing is usually pretty easy for us as most transatlantic flights to the US arrive and depart in the morning.
Age at the time of rental: Renters between the ages of 25 and 74 will receive the lowest rates available. If you are between 21 and 24, you will likely have to pay an extra fee for each day. Unfortunately those under 21 cannot rent in Ireland. Similarly, seniors over 75 may find it difficult to rent a car because of age restrictions, but if you’re able to provide good health and no accidents within the last five years that will help!
Transmission: Automatic or manual (stick shift) transmission cars differ greatly in cost. Manual transmissions are much less expensive and are more common among the local drivers. However, if you do not drive a manual transmission vehicle in your daily life, I would stick to an automatic in Ireland. While a manual is tempting since the price difference is so big, the ease of driving an automatic is worth the extra cost especially on winding and narrow roads!
Extra Drivers: The number of additional driver’s increases the cost of your daily rental fee. Most companies charge an extra €11 per day. If you think you will need more than one driver to break up the trip or fear someone not feeling up to driving, it may be worth the extra cost.
In our family, my husband Joe is usually the designated driver and I am the navigator. We don’t typically pay the extra cost per day to have two people at the wheel. But when we knew Joe was feeling under the weather before our last trip, we opted for the extra driver upon arrival (they are always happy to sell you more options when you arrive).
Vehicle Size: I generally like a small vehicle–a compact for two people, intermediate or full size for four. If you’re traveling with more than 5 or 6 people and have two people who can drive, I’d opt for two cars rather than try to all fit into a “people-mover”, or large van. You really need to pay attention to the luggage space available (it can often be a bit tighter than you anticipate).
Currency: Some rental websites will ask which currency the quote should be displayed. I always look at quotes in euros so I know I am comparing apples to apples across all websites.
Extras: A number of extra services are available at checkout such as child seats, GPS, and even a mobile hot spot. I think most first-time visitors are comforted by having a GPS, but they aren’t perfect. A good one-two-punch is using GPS (either Garmin or your phone is fine) and paper maps will help you get you where you are going.
Rental Car Insurance
Insurance is by far the biggest headache when renting a car in Ireland. There are several different types of insurance in a rental agreement. Understanding which ones to purchase and why to buy them can be really important.
CDW/Collision Damage Waiver/Basic Insurance/LLI/Limited Liability Insurance/CDI/Collision Damage Insurance (sooo many names…): Everyone* is mandated to have Collision Damage Waiver Insurance (CDW for short) when renting a car in Ireland. CDW reduces your personal financial responsibility for damage to your vehicle. After purchasing CDW, you will have a minimum deductible of €1500-3000 for any damage when you return. CDW typically does not include tire, window, or undercarriage damage.
This €1500-3000 deductible will be held on your account until you bring the car back without any dents or scratches. If you do, the hold is removed. If there is any damage, they will charge the card the amount it takes to fix it. Right then and there (a good reason to get the Super Collision Damage insurance–see below).
The cost of CDW can vary greatly from company to company. All car rental websites ending in .ie (versus .com) include it in the quote online. If you use a non-Irish based site like Orbitz or Hertz.com, it won’t be included. So best to use Irish website.
*World MasterCard and Chase Insurance CDW Coverage: You can utilize credit card insurance coverage in Ireland with World MasterCard and Chase. If you have either card, call the card benefits line and find out if they cover the Republic and Northern Ireland.
It’s important to know that car rental company will place a hold on your credit card for the duration of the rental if you decline their insurance. The hold will be removed or refunded once the car is returned with no damage or the amount of damage will be charged to your card (just like with CDW only rentals). You will need to work with Chase or MasterCard to complete the claims process.
A small administration fee is also usually charged when declining the CDW, about €25-€30.
I used this coverage with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card for the first time in 2015. I was really pleased with the service and it did save me some money, but it may not be for everyone. Check out all the details in this post.
Excess Insurance/Super Damage Waiver: This is the ultimate car insurance that will cover all sorts of scratches and bruises to your rental vehicle. By purchasing this extra insurance your liability for the vehicle will be down to €0.00-€300. Car rental agencies usually like to hide how much this is per day. Look in the terms and conditions for this information (usually on the second page of the booking process). Again always check what is included. Most still don’t cover tires or glass.
We almost always purchase this and have been glad we did on a few occasions. Scratches from roadside branches are inevitable. Plus, you get to easily drop off your car at the end of your rental without having to wait for the inspection or worry about what they’ll find.
Theft Insurance: Theft insurance protects against the obvious, the theft of a rental car. This hasn’t ever been something we have worried too much about. It is often included in CDW/Excess/Super Damage Waiver Insurance.
Personal Liability Insurance: Personal effects insurance is injury and accidental death coverage for the driver and passengers.
Taxes, Fees:
The final payment will also include a few other add-ons. Not all rental companies charge all of these fees, but you should at least be aware of them.
Money, money, money!
- Value Added Tax (VAT) at 13.5% –mandatory
- Road tax
- Airport tax or location charge
- Licensing fee
- Cross border driving fee
- M50 toll fee (Toll road outside of Dublin now has barrier free toll—basically you pay rental car company rather than a toll booth)
- Late fees (returning the car later than indicated on reservation)
- Cancellation fees
Fuel
Gas or petrol is expensive in Ireland. Really expensive. The average current price is €1.38/liter (7/20/2019). Yikes!
Silver lining here: a fill up in an automatic Nissan Micra can last us most of our two-week trip.
Petrol Station–make sure you pay attention to which type of fuel you need!
When filling up the tank, check which type of fuel the car requires. Accidentally insert diesel and you will not only be in trouble mechanically, but you may need to pay the car rental company for the mistake.
You should also know your rental car’s fuel return policy—some want it full on return, others want it empty. Just check so you don’t pay more than you have to.
Begin the Search Process
First Steps to Freedom–A Rental Car!
So now that you know what impacts the bottom line–how do you begin your search process? Listed below are the rental agencies that I am aware of at the Shannon and Dublin airports. Almost all the links end in .ie, which is Ireland’s website domain registration. As mentioned above, .ie will usually contain CDW insurance and is therefore a little easier to compare apples to apples.
Select one and insert your travel information. Trips a year or more away may need to wait until six months or closer for some agencies to give you a quote. Pay close attention to what is included in each estimate.
Again, if something isn’t included, look in the terms and conditions of the rental agreement. Most companies list their prices for SCDW and extras like GPS there, if not don’t hesitate to give them a call to get accurate information.
When car rental shopping, I create a spreadsheet to organize everything. It includes: all of the companies above; the quote; what is included; what is not included and their approximate costs; and any other details important to that company. This helps me better compare each agency and remember all the details.
As long as you plan to get the full Super Collision Damage Waiver insurance, you can rent from any one of these companies without much worry since you will be fully covered.
Miscellaneous Car Rental Tips:
Payment must be by credit card in the name of the primary driver. Cash, check, or debit card are usuallynot accepted.
Give your flight information with your reservation. If the plane is delayed longer than two hours, the car rental company may consider you a no-show if they don’t have this information, but if they do, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Don’t worry about air conditioning. It rarely gets hot enough to call for spending extra money on it.
Trunks are smaller, so pack light.
Take copies of your reservation and the total cost you expect to pay to the rental counter. If it doesn’t match up make sure they give you an explanation.
Before you leave the airport, check the car for scratches, dings, bulges in the tire, etc., and make sure they are noted on the rental sheet. Take pictures with a date stamp too—just in case you need it after you return.
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Shew! That’s a lot of information, but I know it’s helpful to have everything at your fingertips!
If you read the comments below, you’ll notice I used to love Dan Dooley. I don’t as much any more. I turned the comments back on in case you have any new questions! :-)
Now’s the time to start planning that car rental my friends. Grab the best car rental spreadsheet organizer and book that rental :-)
This is great information, but compared to insurance in the US, there is a piece missing – liability for causing injury or property damage to someone else. For example, if you crash into someone else, you have to pay for:
1) Their medical bills for injuries
2) Damage to their vehicle and belongings
3) Damage to the vehicle you are driving
It appears CDW only covers item number 3. And most US car insurance only covers you in the US or Canada.
Is there other insurance available for items 1 and 2, or are the laws in Ireland different that the person that causes the crash isn’t responsible for any of those items?
Your car rental information was right on point. Dan Dooley was very easy to deal with and since we were arriving and departing from Shannon, it was simple, uncrowded, and very low key. They publish all the costs upfront and you know exactly what it is going to cost.
I highly recommend the extra coverages for damage and for glass and tire damage. We were in Connemara for a full week and the roads are narrow, twisty, and there is hedge and/or stone walls right up to the edge of the pavement everywhere and the buses and commercial vans drive down the middle of the road so there is a high probability of loosing a mirror, getting a flat tire or scraping the side of the car. We were lucky and had no issues other than our designated parking spot was under a tree where flocks of rooks continually defecated on our car.
Have a question about what TYPE of car to rent for our January tour. Wife, daughter and I will rent a car and travel all over, including the Ring of Kerry. Do I get a tiny car for the ROK , or would an SUV be better to handle the roads and shoulders, or are there other suggestion. Thank you.
Hi Richard, I am an SUV-guy, and drive a Range Rover here in the US. In planning my first trip to IE I was originally set on hiring a Rover or possibly the BMW SUV, as we were driving round most of the country except Northern Ireland. But after speaking with several veterans of IE travel I saw the light and in retrospect now after many Km’s on IE’s many backroads I am quite happy with my decision to go with something smaller.
We actually intended on something smaller but on pickup in DUB at the agency our car wasn’t ready so they offered us a Mazda 3 ‘upgrade’. It really was a great car- quite sporty, new, well appointed. It’s not a large car but still even bigger than we needed for just me and my wife.
The main inter-regional motorways in IE are as wide and modern as any you will find in any major country, but not long after you exit you will easily find yourself on some of the most narrow and winding ways anywhere.
ROK and Ring Of Dingle are spectacular, and looking at it obectively now I can say with confidence it’s my opinion that you would spend more time worrying about getting the SUV through the ring (either of them) unscathed, and less time enjoying some of the most magical scenery on the planet.
On the first trip the Mazda 3 cam through with no dents but quite a few light scrape marks on the sides. In many areas the roads are so small, when two cars are approaching each other from different directions one MUST pull over to let the other pass, and you don’t always have the time to full stop as you pull off. And the brush and vegetation often comes right up to the very edge of the roadway so you will be pulling right into it at times and the branches will leave their marks.
Second trip we went with a small Volkswagon Golf and it was even better for us. Easier to get in and out of almost anywhere and much less worry about squeezing through areas that feel like you are threading a needle!
Since there will be 3 in your party, if you decide to heed my advice you might want to look for a very compact 4 door, like the Volkswagon “New Up” or similar. Small, yet easy to load and get in and out.
I expect you will have more than a few opinions, so you may also want to checkout some Youtube videos – search: ‘driving in ireland’ and you will find lots of good firsthand records to help make your decision.
Slainte!
Stephanie. What a fantastic Blog on a subject that unfortunately confuses far too many people.
Well done.
Bryan
Thanks Bryan! :-)
My wife and I intend to spend about two and a half months in Ireland starting in late September 2020 and are looking for a long term rental car. We will begin in Dublin and end at Shannon.
I will be 71 years old at the time and have no problems with a manual transmission.
What should I look for in my rental agreement.
I can use a Capital One Quicksilver or Discover It card for my rental or do you suggest I obtain a different card for the few insurance.
I had a bad experience with Hertz in 2017 during our last trip and am hesitant to deal with them.
Hi Joe!
I usually suggest checking out Irish Car Rentals.com for long term coverage. They are the Irish arm of EuropCar. All the details are here on this page: https://www.irishcarrentals.com/long-term-car-rental.php Long term rentals with credit card coverage can be tricky. You may be able to split the rental up if you have a half way point or so in the trip where you can return the first rental–hang out in the city or an area that you don’t need a rental for. Then pick up another rental for the remainder of your trip–depending on how long each rental is that might work for you.
Good luck! Enjoy your trip!!
Stephanie
Spellchecker changed cdw to few. Sorry
I’ve read this through. Thanks for the great advice. I am seriously reconsidering renting the car right off the bat and waiting until done with touring dublin. I have a few questions, however.
1. Is renting via travel agency a good possibility?
2. There’s an option to get insurance via credit card company. Will I still be required to pay basic insurances at the rental company yielding double charges? Is going with local insurance (Israel) a good option or should I get Irish insurance?
3. You said they put a hold on the credit card for the duration of the rent aka the duration of the trip. Does this mean my credit card becomes unusable in Ireland? Cash is not always possible. Solutions?
4. You mentioned World MasterCard and Chase. Is Visa ok?
5. As we will be driving a lot (around the whole island) I expect considerable wear and tear on the tires maybe even a flat at some point. As you said tires are not included should I expect paying for it? How much?
6. Probably a stupid question but music during driving is important. Need I check that the car has a USB socket I can plug in a thumb drive or is it commonplace? (All new cars here have one as far as I know)
7. Basically we’ll be like snails with all our possessions on our backs (or rather in the car) Is there a car that will not support 2 people (driver and passenger) with an 8kg suitcase and 8kg trolly EACH or can I feel safe getting the smallest car available?
8. If the car is in trouble out on the road is there AAA or something like that to call? Is this included in the rentals? (Towing etc.)
9. Is going through Northern Ireland a consideration when renting?
Thanks.
Hi Eddie!
Such great questions. I’ve added your questions below with response underneath each one. I hope this helps!
Stephanie
1. Is renting via travel agency a good possibility?
You can do it, but you have to be really careful to understand what your quote actually includes. Most travel agencies (especially those based in the US) do not include the minimum collision damage waiver that Ireland requires (let alone the Super Coverage I often recommend). So read the terms and conditions and make sure you understand what you will be responsible for at the counter.
2. There’s an option to get insurance via credit card company. Will I still be required to pay basic insurances at the rental company yielding double charges? Is going with local insurance (Israel) a good option or should I get Irish insurance?
You cannot have credit card company insurance and insurance from the Irish car rental companies as well. The Irish car rental company will require that you decline all of their insurances if you use your credit card insurance. So no, you will not have double charges (but they do usually charge a $25 fee for declining theirs).
3. You said they put a hold on the credit card for the duration of the rent aka the duration of the trip. Does this mean my credit card becomes unusable in Ireland? Cash is not always possible. Solutions?
Yes, they place a hold on your credit card for the amount of the deductible (~2500 euros depending on the class of vehicle you choose). So long as you have more than a ~2500 limit on your card, you should be fine. If you only have that much credit available, I’d bring another card for your everyday spending.
4. You mentioned World MasterCard and Chase. Is Visa ok?
Visa is widely accepted in Ireland, but you’ll have to check with the credit card company that you use in order to know if they cover car rentals in Ireland (most don’t credit card companies don’t).
5. As we will be driving a lot (around the whole island) I expect considerable wear and tear on the tires maybe even a flat at some point. As you said tires are not included should I expect paying for it? How much?
You can purchase additional windshield and tire insurance (ten euros a day typically), or pay out of pocket when you get a flat. We had a flat a few years ago and it cost us about 90 euros to have it fixed.
6. Probably a stupid question but music during driving is important. Need I check that the car has a USB socket I can plug in a thumb drive or is it commonplace? (All new cars here have one as far as I know)
Most do, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. :-)
7. Basically we’ll be like snails with all our possessions on our backs (or rather in the car) Is there a car that will not support 2 people (driver and passenger) with an 8kg suitcase and 8kg trolly EACH or can I feel safe getting the smallest car available?
You really have to pay attention to how many bags each vehicle type will allow you, which is typically shown by icons on the booking form. For a compact or economy car, you are usually limited to 2 bags total in the back. If you will have more than that, you might want to consider upgrading so you don’t have store items in the backseat.
8. If the car is in trouble out on the road is there AAA or something like that to call? Is this included in the rentals? (Towing etc.)
AA is the Irish version of AAA and I have found them to be quick and efficient! We call our car rental company and they forward us on to the nearest AA branch to help.
9. Is going through Northern Ireland a consideration when renting?
Only in that some companies charge a cross border fee when traveling between the two countries. Read the terms and conditions to find out how much depending on the rental company.