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 :-)
Hi,
I will be traveling in Ireland for 13 days and have been trying to come up with a self drive itinerary for the trip. We are arriving on a Saturday Morning in Dublin and planning on:
2 days in Dublin.
1 day Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, Kilkenny
1 day Waterford, Tipperary, Blarney, Cork
1 day Kinsale, Clonakilty, Kilarney
1 day Ring of Kerry
1 day Dingle
1 day Limmerick/Clare
1 day Galway
1 day Westport/Sligo
1 day Donegal
1 day Antrim
1 day Boyne Valley
Does this sound feasible?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Have you received a reply yet?
Seth. Hi and first of all CONGRATS on your upcoming holiday in Ireland.
Personal opinion based on our first trip last May, I would absolutely, positively, cut out at least half of your planned stops, and instead of having what may literally turn out to be only a few short hours at many of the planned stops, spend some REAL QUALITY TIME at less stops, and save the others for some other time (understand that’s not an option for everyone but need to suggest it anyway).
We split 14 days between Ireland, Scotland and the UK.
When planing the trip I thought 2 days in Dublin sounded good. Reality: We flew into Dublin on a Sunday afternoon & were checked into The Shelbourne by around 3.30PM. By the time we got into the room, changed clothes, and headed out for a walk around town it was almost 5. So we had maybe 3 hours to kick around before dinner, then a fun night out on the town. Up the next day (sleepy? yes!) and we got in a full day of sightseeing, but only very superficially. Trinity College, & the city center & walking around made up about 8 hours & again time for a nice dinner at Flame. Out again for a little music that evening and up early the next morning for our drive down to Waterford. So out two days really ended up netting us about 12 hours of actual hands-on sightseeing. Not doing it justice for an amazing city like Dublin!
The Tuesday morning drive down to Waterford ended up taking almost two hours longer than the Google Maps estimate. In fact EVERY drive we made came in at 25-50% longer than I had planned based on Google Maps times.
So, long story short, We got to Waterford mid day & had about 6 hours of daylight to explore and enjoy waterford castle, then dinner, then on the road again to Dingle. Google Maps estimated 3.49min & it took us a little over 6 including a short stop to eat and a couple of necessary stops along the way to stretch and take care of business.
Our ‘two days’ allocated to Dingle then ended up being a few hours (very few) on the first day as we arrived around 5.30pm and one more full day before hitting the road again for the drive up to Ashford Castle.
And, as with the drive to Dingle, the drive up to Ashford castle was 4hr 11 min on Google, but in reality took as again almost 6 hours- and that with minimal stops.
The main highways in IE are fantastic, modern, wide, and fast. But once off those, the quality and width of the roads that lead into the smaller areas can vary wildly. In some areas heading out to Dingle we were on roads that were only slightly wider than our car. For miles and miles and miles.
Beautiful, stunning, but slow going sometimes.
So the point to all this is- the travel time for so many stops is going to eat up SO MUCH OF YOUR PRECIOUS STAY.
We had 7 nights in IE then 7 more split between Scotland and the Lakes district of UK. Our nightly stops were: Dublin-2, Waterford-1, Dingle-2, Ashford-2.
Just 4 stops, but in retrospect I wish now I had done it as only 3 stops split over 7 nights because we just fell in love with every one of them and felt like the rug was yanked out form under us each time because we had to up and leave so quickly.
While every one of your stops listed would be fantastic, I feel very very sure that you will end up kicking yourself if you keep them all in the final itinerary.
We are already planning our next trip back. This time we will spend the full two weeks in IE, and I plan on doing 4 stops max, giving us 4 days at 3 and 2 days at one of those. I haven’t selected those final four but I will do so carefully.
We loved Dingle, and the peninsula.. really loved it. But while you CAN make the drive around The Slea Head in a couple of hours doesnt mean you SHOULD. We could have spent 2 full days just stopping and visiting some of the ancient ruins, the famine homes, the Fahan Beehive Huts. THERE ARE 6000 years of HISTORY TO EXPLORE ON DINGLE ALONE…… think about it.
Anyway, I’m going on too long- but I’m super passionate about it & want to share with others so you may take advantage of my mistakes. Don’t get me wrong – the trip was magic beyond words, but next time will be smarter and more leisurely.
I wish you the very best!!
I hundred percent agree with Jay. I have yet to go to Ireland, we do that this summer, but the last two summers we have done France and Italy. We did much slower travel than most people and everyone we talked to that was doing fast travel felt like they were just exhausted. We learned this method from my in-laws who are now in their mid-80s but were “professional travelers” and they told us to slow down and always do less than you thought you were going to. Best advise ever. Plus we pack super light, one carry on each and a daypack. (One last thing to try out and see if u like it- For the next few days while at home pack your bag in the morning and and unpack it at night (getting out all your bathroom articles out as well). Then repack in the morning and repeat over and over for a few days.)
It is feasible but it’s a lot of time driving. Roads are mostly two lane and narrow and driving can be slow going with a farm implement in front for instance. Also, depending on the time of year popular spots like the ring of Kerry and dingle can be very congested. Plan on a lot of driving doing no more than 35mph. The tours at boyne valley sell out early during busy times so plan to get there as early as you can…you cannot access the sites on your own.
Have a great trip.
Hi Seth,
I have a personal question to ask you, any way you can send me your email?
Thanks!
First, this website is amazing. I think you may have just saved me a hundred euros. On the other hand, it has also scared me – I’m a very experienced traveler and even managed to get a rental car last month in South Africa without my driver’s license on me, but because I am on a tight budget all this information has convinced me that I should avoid renting a car in ireland at all. So I’m hoping for your wisdom on a short simple trip I have to Ireland at the end of the month. A musician friend and I are meeting up in Doolin for a weekend music festival. He will have a rental car. I thought the cheapest travel would be renting a car myself, but after reading this blog I just don’t trust the cheap deals I find, so I’m looking at a bus or train, but want to check this with you.
I arrive in Dublin at 15:45 on Thurs Apr 28 (from Frankfurt).
On Thursday night we plan to meet in Ennis (since no bus or train goes to Doolin). So question (1): Which transport option should I take?
OPTION A: Rent a car. I would only want to do this if it will in the end cost about the same as the public transportation options. According to an earlier post by Jan, the only reliable, transparent site for such estimates is http://www.easytourireland.com/ which puts the whole thing at around 113 euros, excluding gas. Yikes!!!
OPTION B: Take a bus (http://www.dublincoach.ie/) leaves from Dublin Airport at 16:30 with a transfer at Red Cow Luas (park and ride on the outskirts of Dublin) departing at 17:05, finally arriving in Ennis at 20:15. I will only have a small carry-on bag, but if customs delays me to miss the 16:30 bus the next one is at 17:30 arriving in Ennis at 21:15. Total price 20 euros.
OPTION C: Take a train (http://www.irishrail.ie/) leaves from Dublin – Heuston at 17:25 and arrives in Ennis at 20:22. [20 euros]. I presume this is the ideal for comfort and reliability, but I still have to get from the airport to Dublin – Heuston station which appears to take 45 minutes to an hour, and again I’m not sure how long customs will take. If I miss that one the next leaves Dublin – Heuston at 18:00 arriving in Ennis at 21:10pm [29 euros]. So, if I were to take this option, do you know how (and whether) I could get from the airport to Heuston in time for the 17:25?
RETURN
I depart on Sunday May 1 at 18:55pm. I predict I should be at the airport by 16:55am. My friend flies out of Shannon Airport at 9am, so (presuming I don’t rent my own car) he will drop me off back in Ennis for the train around 6:45am.
There is a 7am bus from Ennis arriving in Dublin (Abby Street Luas Stop) at 10:30am.
Question (2): what should I do on a Dublin Sunday between 10:30am and 16:55?
Final Question (3): whats the best (cheapest) way back to the airport then?
Remember that using public transportation is priced per SEAT (passenger) so if there are TWO of you the €20 becomes €40….etc. The car rental is the better option as you can drive YOUR OWN itinerary rather than be forced to a train or bus route.
First, this website is amazing. I think you may have just saved me a hundred euros. On the other hand, it has also scared me – I’m a very experienced traveler and even managed to get a rental car last month in South Africa without my driver’s license on me, but because I am on a tight budget all this information has convinced me that I should avoid renting a car in ireland at all. So I’m hoping for your wisdom on a short simple trip I have to Ireland at the end of the month. A musician friend and I are meeting up in Doolin for a weekend music festival. He will have a rental car. I thought the cheapest travel would be renting a car myself, but after reading this blog I just don’t trust the cheap deals I find, so I’m looking at a bus or train, but want to check this with you.
I arrive in Dublin at 15:45 on Thurs Apr 28 (from Frankfurt).
On Thursday night we plan to meet in Ennis (since no bus or train goes to Doolin). So question (1): Which transport option should I take?
OPTION A: Rent a car. I would only want to do this if it will in the end cost about the same as the public transportation options. According to an earlier post by Jan, the only reliable, transparent site for such estimates is http://www.easytourireland.com/ which puts the whole thing at around 113 euros, excluding gas. Yikes!!!
OPTION B: Take a bus (http://www.dublincoach.ie/) leaves from Dublin Airport at 16:30 with a transfer at Red Cow Luas (park and ride on the outskirts of Dublin) departing at 17:05, finally arriving in Ennis at 20:15. I will only have a small carry-on bag, but if customs delays me to miss the 16:30 bus the next one is at 17:30 arriving in Ennis at 21:15. Total price 20 euros.
OPTION C: Take a train (http://www.irishrail.ie/) leaves from Dublin – Heuston at 17:25 and arrives in Ennis at 20:22. [20 euros]. I presume this is the ideal for comfort and reliability, but I still have to get from the airport to Dublin – Heuston station which appears to take 45 minutes to an hour, and again I’m not sure how long customs will take. If I miss that one the next leaves Dublin – Heuston at 18:00 arriving in Ennis at 21:10pm [29 euros]. So, if I were to take this option, do you know how (and whether) I could get from the airport to Heuston in time for the 17:25?
RETURN
I depart on Sunday May 1 at 18:55pm. I predict I should be at the airport by 16:55am. My friend flies out of Shannon Airport at 9am, so (presuming I don’t rent my own car) he will drop me off back in Ennis for the train around 6:45am.
There is a 7am bus from Ennis arriving in Dublin (Abby Street Luas Stop) at 10:30am.
Question (2): what should I do on a Dublin Sunday between 10:30am and 16:55?
Final Question (3): whats the best (cheapest) way back to the airport then?
THANK YOU!!!!
Hi. The is a fantastic site, agree 1000%! They do a wonderful job, and I have heard fantastic things about their travel planning services!
So as far as the train goes….Let’s assume best case and your flight arrives ON TIME at 15.45 / 3.45PM.
That’s a pretty good time to arrive since many of the flights coming in from the US arrive early in the mornings before 10.00. Baggage & Customs could take you 30-40 minutes on the low side to 60-70 minutes or more if any glitches or heavy incoming flight loads.
So from an on-time landing at 15.45 to the 17.25 out of Heuston (and it WILL leave at 17.25 spot-on) that’s 1hr 40.
IF you got best-case on-time landing, AND low range through customs of 40 minutes, and a 45 min ride the Heuston thats 1hr. 25 leaving you 15 minutes to grab your ticket and make it to the platform for your train.
Heuston isn’t huge compared to Euston in London -it has 12 platforms (including 3 for the Dublin light rail) but if there’s any queue for tickets you would be stuffed. If you have tickets in advance- you might be ok.
But.. all that was pretty much best case. IF your flight is on time. IF you get through customs on the low end. IF there’s no unusual traffic…
It could happen, but it would be the best luck ever..;)
Even if you push back to the later train that’s only 35 minutes more. Worst part is the 18:00 is the last departure for Ennis for the day.
If this is an important gig for you, and if you have ANY flexibility in booking an earlier flight in from Frankfurt I would have to recommend that. Otherwise, you risk missing the 18.00 and your best time to get to Ennis would be on the 07.00 for a 09.53 arrival the next morning.
As for q#3 – Check Aircoach and also the City Bus routes. I think around 7 to 9 eu vs. 30ish for a cabbie.
Have fun!
Thank you Jay!!!
Agreed with what Jay said. I found Immigration/Customs at DUB to be very very fast and efficient for my morning arrival from LHR last month. (Customs basically consisted of walking through a corridor marked “nothing to declare”, though I assumed they’d have stopped me if they’d had any questions about what they saw on CCTV.)
With respect to bus vs train, they sound very similar, with similar timing and fares. Both offer Wi-Fi. If it were me, I’d probably take the bus because I could change on the outskirts to the M7 and not have to go into Central Dublin with its attendant traffic slowdowns. Also because there are more buses than trains, so you have more flexibility if you were to miss a particular departure.
The 747 Airlink bus fare is €6 each way, and took us about 45mins-1hr from Christchurch to the airport. Maybe add another 10-15mins to Heuston?
An alternative to Ennis may be Limerick — the Eireagle offers a nonstop bus from Dublin Airport to Limerick City Center at 18:30 (arriving 2100) for €20 if bought via web. Or Bus Eireann has the X12 leaving from Dublin Airport at 1630, 1800 and 2000 arriving in Limerick 3h25m after departure. There are trains to Limerick as well. However: Limerick, though close to SNN, is the other direction from Doolin and isn’t as attractive a place in which to kill time.
The only place where I’d depart from what Jay recommended would be to note that if you decide to go by rail and miss the 1800 train from Heuston to Ennis, you wouldn’t necessarily be stranded overnight; I’d just take the LUAS to Red Cow and catch the 1835/1905/every half hour M7 to Ennis from there. (or get from Heuston to Burgh Quay near Tara St Station and catch the M7 there.)
oh, and while lots will be closed on a Sunday afternoon in Dublin, I enjoyed visiting the Teeling whiskey distillery for a tour on a Sunday a couple weeks ago, as well as visiting the adjacent antiques/craft market, et cetera. Some of the big attractions, such as the Book of Kells, are open seven days a week. The Archaeological Museum is excellent and is open from 2p-5p on Sundays, and of course you can always wander around O’Connell or Grafton Streets or hole up in a pub. :)
Thank you Sam!!!
Hello,
Thank you, Stephanie for this great site and to everyone who has contributed to this thread! I will be traveling to Ireland for my 2nd time in late June/ early July for my best friend’s daughter’s wedding in Killarney. We will be there nine nights/ten days.
The last time I was in Ireland, (2002), I traveled with this same friend and our daughters (who were teens then) over a very nice long 10-day spring break in early April. This time I will be traveling with my husband, who has never been.
So far, I’ve gotten great prices on both airfare and self-catering accommodations in a village neighboring Killarney via Airbnb, having spent a little less than $2K on both. Next step is the car rental and I’m hoping to pull that off for less than $1K. (Fingers crossed). Again, thanks for all the tips about car rentals.
Just wanted to add: I TOTALLY agree with Jay and others who have advised against trying to do/see too much. During the last trip we stayed at a different B&B for each of eight nights, plus one glorious night at Ashford Castle. And although we saw and did A LOT, I remember feeling that I would’ve liked to have experienced less, but for longer. I also agree about the roads being narrow and sometimes desperately so. I don’t recall driving above 35 mph, ever.
Time just seemed to move more slowly in Ireland, and I think to rush through from site to site is not the way to experience it.
That said, after the wedding festivities, the plan is to maximize sightseeing through day trips with my husband and my friend and her husband. We will primarily explore the Southwest coast with Killarney as a our base point. I also hope to travel to the far South coast for one gloriously warm day sunbathing on the beach. Hey, it could happen–especially with a little luck o’ the Irish. ; ) Believe me — I will trade a castle tour any day of the week just for a warm day on the beach on or near Inchadoney. And I am packing my bathing suit with that intention.
So we have an outline of an itinerary TBD as our mood and the weather permits. Nevertheless, the one place I ABSOLUTELY want my husband to see is the Cliffs of Moher.
And I am thinking…perhaps…that it might be wiser for us to drive to the Cliffs of Moher straight from Shannon Airport upon arrival before we head south to Killarney. This will delay our arrival in Killarney probably 7-8 hours, and granted, we will have just gotten off the plane. But I think we’ll have slept on the plane. And my concern is that between the wedding and all there is to see and do in the Southwest area, we might not find the time to travel north again to see the Cliffs of Moher. And certainly we will not have time to visit them the day of departure. My inkling is to visit them while we are near.
I think my main fear is leaving our luggage in the rental car while we make the hike. I believe we’d be leaving the car in the parking lot for 2-3 hours. And from my recollection, I don’t remember that the parking lot was guarded, or even tended.
Thoughts, please?
Hi Mary Ann! I think your plan of doing the Cliffs first is a great idea for a couple of reasons. #1 – what an AWESOME first impression of IE after just landing in the country!! He will never be the same AND you will probably be dealing with him ‘dragging’ you back to IE every time money and schedule allow from there forward! ;)
#2 – you are right that once you get caught up in all the wedding stuff it may be hard to break away.
Regarding your bags- good idea to be concerned, but I did some research prior to our last trip and found that you can use the on-site facility bag-store service free of charge.
about halfway down this page see ‘Barrage Store’: http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/plan-your-visit/eat-refresh-shop/refresh/
SO envious of your laid-back approach to this coming trip. I think it will be a world of difference for you. Dona & I are planning on 3 weeks next summer for our 20th anniversary trip and I hope to do just 4, possibly 5 stops of 4 to 5 days each so we can really immerse and soak it in without the constant ‘hurry up and go’ routine!
Glad you enjoyed Ashford also. It was amazing. We had two nights there in the suite with that giant sandstone tub you may have seen on promotional photos of Ashford. Glad we did it but don’t feel the need to do it again. The two nights cost more than the other 13 nights combined.. and then some. ;)
I hope you have a blessed and magical journey!
sorry about my many typo errors! BAGGAGE STORE! ;)
Hi Stephanie,
Great website! We are leaving for Ireland in a little less than a month and this has helped so much!
Quick question…when renting a car, would you recommend getting a GPS unit or WiFi? We’re probably renting through Dan Dooley and they offer both. Just wondering how the WiFi works and if it would work everywhere.
Thanks in advance!
Hey Larry,
The WiFi gizmo from Dan Dooley that we got last month worked really well. A couple places (Ballinastoe, Glendalough, some really rural parts of Co. Roscommon) it didn’t have cell service, but that was rare and fleeting, and didn’t really inconvenience us much…when we got to a more built-up area everything was fine.
We liked it because we could use my phone’s GPS and Google Maps rather than learn some GPS’s interface, and that way we could also get email and look up directions, opening hours, et cetera on museum and restaurant websites. We also took the Wifi unit inside the one B&B that didn’t offer Wifi itself. Very convenient and I thought surprisingly reasonable.
Hi Larry. Sam’s wifi unit sounds nice if you do have a good GPS on your smartphone, but you do face the risk of finding yourself w/o any wifi and thus no navigation either. Rare in Sam’s case, but if you were to really get sideways in some of the backroads you could definitely get lost.
Stephanie and many of us on here are subscribers of the ‘getting lost is half the fun’ mindset, but if you had a hard deadline to make (like a flight!), getting lost would not be on your top 10 list at the time.
We had 2 GPS on our last trip to IE and UK. In IE we got the Garmin portable unit. It was fantastic and much much better than the one built into our rental car in UK. The UK model used a combination of screen prompts and physical buttons placed round the outside of the screen and it was clunky at best and impossible at times.
The Garmin was full touchscreen, highly intuitive, and for sure what we would request on our next visit.
HAVE FUN!!
Dear Stephanie,
Thanks for the great website, it certainly help us a lot before the trip. :)
I want to try Dan Dooley. And the price right now (May 18- May 28) is $589.82 by using CDW waived. If we decided to choose the supper coverage, can they make the changes?
Thanks so much,
Monica
Monica, you should be able to make any modifications you wish on the agreement prior to the time you actually sign off on possession of the car.
Would you mind telling me what optional services you have selected – such as ‘additional driver(s)’ or GPS?
That price seems very high with all coverage waived. does that include ANY coverage?
Are you a US or Canadian citizen? If not then the price makes more sense. But if you are US or CA it really does seem high. I just checked Europcar and my rate for 10 days would be about $166 for 10 days, Dublin Airport pickup and return. That was the entry level Ford Ka. Upgrading to a VW Golf would put it at $253. We got a Mazda 3 last time & it was beautiful and drive like a champ, but on the back roads a little too large. Next time we go for the tennis-shoe with wheels.;) good luck
My sister and I are road tripping Ireland in a month. We’re taking the train from Dublin to Kilkenny, where we will rent a car. (Just avoiding Dublin traffic, and plus a train sounds nice and relaxing to take in the views while adjusting to the time zone.) We will return it in about 10 days. Our question is: We may return it in Dublin, but if we hit Galway and decide we’d rather turn the car in there and take the train back to Dublin, can you turn the car in a day early without a penalty (but with a discount for one fewer day)? I don’t even know where to ask a company this when looking at online quotes.
Traveling by train in Ireland is expensive when compared to a rental car. When you take a train you are paying per person and when you rent a car you are paying a daily rate for all the passengers. Also if you are taking the train on your arrival day you have the cost of getting from the airport to the train station which is in downtown Dublin. The same would be true on your returning the car. You can drive across the country, see more sites that day (Clonmacnoise, Boyne Valley Center…burial tombs that predate the Pyramids of Egypt) and turn in the car at Dublin Airport. EasyTourIreland.com who has the Hertz Ireland Fully Inclusive Rate with NO Deductible and NO Hidden Charges works with Fintan Murray who provides a transfer and PILOT service. He can meet you at your hotel or meet your flight and transfer you to the Hertz location, wait until you are assigned a car and then transfer your luggage, go over the instrumentation of the car with you, program your GPS (if you are renting one of those) and PILOT you to the N7 (the road for Kilkenny). He is very economical and a great way to eliminate the anxiety. His cost for that service would be less than two tickets on the train to Kilkenny! The same would be true when you return the car. Fintan can meet you at the Hertz location at Dublin Airport and transfer you into Dublin, if your plan is to stay in Dublin. You can reach Fintan at corporatetransfers.ie or call him from the USA at 801 6493949. Hope that helps.
Just find the tel number for your rental agency and give them a call. Better than trying to find stuff like this in the mountains of policy legalese.
I’ve found most agents to be extremely helpful for pre-sales questions. Dooley has a US number. I called Europcar directly in IE and they also were helpful.
If you are pre-paying, at the time of pickup, the answer will most likely be NO, but there may be an option of you explain your floating schedule to them.
Hope this helps. And Have fun!
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the info, it’s very helpful. Based on your recommendation I’ve decided to spend a few days in Dublin then head back the the airport (DUB) to pickup our rental from Hertz. My question is where do I go to pick it up? T1? T2? Maybe the Car Rental Return? Thanks.
If you are renting from Hertz they have several locations in the Dublin area. Either T1 or T2 at Dublin Airport which both have counters in the Arrival Hall, downtown they have a location at North Circular Road and South Circular Road, If you are staying in Dublin and then heading to Kilkenny make your reservation for the South Circular Road location. No need to go to the airport (which is 6 miles north of the city) to head southwest. If you are nervous about the first time behind the wheel of the car then use Fintan Murray’s Transfer & Pilot Service (corporate transfers.ie or call from USA 801 6493949). He is not expensive! You should make your reservation for Hertz through easytourireland.com as they have the only discounted Fully Inclusive Rate with NO deductible and no Hidden Charges. Call them at 801 649 5353 with your questions. Hope that helps.
Thank you. I’ve switched my reservation and contacted Fintan Murry.
Hi Stephanie,
It’s been about a year since I last posted on your sight (June 2015). We’ve been backed to Ireland 3 times since, and had generally positive rental experiences each time. Although we sometimes rent a manual I’ve been finding that lately I’m more comfortable with an automatic. Automatics in the US are pretty much standard with every car rental but in Ireland they are generally priced considerably higher. Lately, I seem to be getting the best price quotes on the website carrentals.com. My last trip, which was over a month from April 1 to May 11th, I made two reservations. The credit card insurance rules (all the Chase cards) are limited to 30 days. So if you stay longer than 30 days you have to break up the trip on 2 rental contracts. So I made my first through carrentals.com from Dollar for 29 days, and then booked the second, also on carrentals.com with Thrifty. Turned out they’re both owned by Hertz now and at Shannon, all three are actually the same company – same cars, service, etc. So there’s no reason to pay extra for Hertz, if you think they’re more reliable or may have better cars.
We’re now planning two trips for the remainder of the year – one in October and another in December. When I go on the carrentals.com web site, Dollar and Thrifty are no longer displayed – only Hertz. The cheapest prices generally seem to be with a company called Fox. They are not in the terminal and require a shuttle to the rental site. They seem to have pretty poor reviews in the US and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with them in Ireland.
Take a look at easytourireland.com as they have a fully inclusive rate with NO deductible and NO hidden charges. They partner with Hertz exclusively. They have a great reputation and are well written up on Trip Advisor and on this site.
Hope that helps.
I know this site gives quality dependent articles or reviews and
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these data in quality?
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Hi Stephanie! I’ve enjoyed reading your website.
My mother and I will be traveling to Ireland in September. This week I booked an automatic compact car (VW Golf or similar) from Europcar. My Mastercard will cover the insurance so I know that I need to decline all CDW. And per Europcar’s rules I need to bring proof of US residency (since it is only US and Canadian citizens that can use credit card insurance) and a dated later from Citibank stating that they cover rentals in Ireland.
I’ve read lots of the posts on this website and other travel blogs regarding car rentals in Ireland, many of which relate very poor experiences! So now I feel like I’m being hyper-vigilant. I do plan on reading carefully the rental agreement and any boxes/lines to initial or sign, getting everything in writing, and doing a thorough job of checking the rental upon pick-up (and taking photos if I find so much as a scratch.)
Do any of you have experience with renting from Europcar at the Dublin airport? Does anyone have any other suggestions? I feel like I’ve dotted my i’s and crossed my t’s so far, but am I missing something that I should be aware of? Thanks!
Thanks for this breakdown; very helpful!
My husband and I are planning a trip to Dublin/Donegal and need to rent a car. The credit card to be used for booking is under my name but my husband will the be principal/only driver. Is this okay to do? Or do I need to be listed as the principal driver? If it’s me as the main driver, do you know if there will be an additional fee to add him as a driver?
I’ve been looking at many websites but I can’t tell for sure if there is a fee for a spouse as an additional driver.
Thanks!
If you are using the collision insurance provided as part of your rental agreement I would suggest changing the booking name in advance (now), so he’s already set to be the main/principal when they generate all the paperwork on pickup.
Then when it’s time to present the card just give it to them and as long as you are there to sign with him it should be no problem.
However, if you are using your credit card for insurance you should absolutely contact the card issuer and discuss with someone to confirm if only the primary cardholder is covered for damage to the vehicle.
Good luck, have fun!
Hi Stephanie and Friends –
My question concerns the Personal Liability Insurance. The article says that “Personal effects insurance is injury and accidental death coverage for the driver and passengers. My husband and I both have health insurance for injury and life insurance policies for the unhappy death part.”
However I could not find mention of pedestrians or of drivers and passengers in other vehicles with which we have had an accident. What insurance covers the injury and accidental death for those persons?
Thanks,
Steve
Hi
I want to rent a car from Shannon airport and drop off Dublin airport. My credit card covers CDW and Theft. Do I need to take Super CDW? or What kind of insurance I will take? Please be advise and thank you.
Hi! Thank you very much for this nice post!
Do you know why renting a car in the UK is much cheaper than in Ireland? For instance, 2 weeks in Belfast is around 300€, 2 weeks in Dublin is more than the double. Thank you very much for clarifying.
Best regards,
Remi
HI. In general cars tend to be more expensive to rent in IE for a few different reasons. Lot’s of drivers who are not used to right-hand drive. High taxes/tariffs to bring cars into IE. Very high insurance rates. High risk due to the high number of the very small and often rough roads away form the main highways.
However, I just did a quick quick on Europcar (the agency I have used in IE) and starting rates for the first 3 compacts in Belfast for two weeks (16-Aug, through 31-Aug) were $280.54, $287.87, and $321.57.
The first three compacts listed on the same site, same dates, but from Dublin City Center came out $234.07, $236.7, and $253.26
You should check Europcar and a few other sites to get to the bottom of it.
Best regards, J
Hi, I’ve CDW/Theft from Avis booked via my BA miles.
I’m wondering about how to add Super/Extra CDW via a 3rd party insurer.
Quick google search shows a lot of results, including yearly European wide SCDW coverage at cheaper than rates for a short rental in Ireland.
Is there any 3rd party insurers you would recommend?
Most I’ve found seem to be based in uk.
Worldwideinsure.com covers the residents of most countries for rental cars in Europe unlike others who require UK residency. I have an annual policy but have had no claims so I can’t recommend.
Hello,
I’m from Costa Rica and im wondering if i can rent a car in ireland with my Costa Rican license. It is in roman script (as mentioned previously) but it is in Spanish. All the information on it is standard and pretty straight forward. Any info on this?
Thanks!
Thank you for all your car rental information….we are flying into Dublin and your suggestion on see the city first is a great idea. But where would you keep your luggage if we did tour the city first?
Thank you for your great information about renting a car in Ireland. We flying into Dublin first and like your idea of see the city before we get our car. My question is would you have a take your luggage with you or is there a place you rent to leave it? Thank you for your time.
My family and I will be flying to dublin on 16th Sept. We plan to rent a car in dublin city and travel to belfast. Does this incur additional cost to cross the border? Or, will be it cheaper to return the car at dublin city and rent a car in belfast? We have 5 of us traveling.
In my experience there is a charge to take the car ‘across the border’ and cost depends on the rental company. Sixth charges around £20 whilst Enterprise charges £79. That’s for taking a car from Northern Ireland into Southern Ireland.
Thanks Dorothy for the reply.
I was thinking to rent the car from europcar or budget. Budget indicate free border card to northern island. Do not know what is the charge for europcar? I read about the insurance coverage and was thinking to apply the chase sapphire card but this card seem to be only offer to US? I’m from Singapore. Europcar also stated that the driver must be the same credit car owner. My husband is the driver but no credit card, I was thinking to use mine but not allowed for europcar? Not sure about others car rental company
Sorry, I don’t know what cross border charges are for europcar. I think to decline insurance in Ireland and cover it with a card you need a letter from your credit card provider confirming coverage. Most US cards specifically exclude Ireland but I don’t know about Singapore. In my experience with all the rental car companies I’ve used in Northern Ireland the credit card has to be in the name of the driver.
What a great site! I’m definitely a big fan of Ireland, having had the opportunity to live there for 2 years as a teen, and to visit again a few years ago with my husband and kids. I’m going again next year with some girlfriends, and expect it to be another unforgettable experience…
I just wanted to share a tip that might be helpful. If you’re able to visit a big box store (e.g. Tesco, etc…), you may be able to pick up a cheap GPS. We got a TomTom for a ridiculous price (it was a discontinued model, and cost something like €20), and it served us very well indeed. And now I get to take it with me for the next trip! We also got a prepaid cell from Tesco for about the same price. Gotta love deals!
I agree…a great site and a fun place to visit. That price was great!
We recently returned from a wonderful trip to Ireland. We rented a car (Dan Dooley or Dooley Car Rentals) and thought of getting a GPS. But since we had a smart phone we were able to use an offline version of Google Maps for navigation. So before we left home we downloaded an offline version of all areas to which we traveled in Ireland. Even though we didn’t have a cellular connection in Ireland the offline maps feature allowed us to use the navigation feature and to survey the roads outside our planned travel route.
BTW you could also download an offline map if you have a wireless connection at our place of lodging in Ireland. The internet connections are fast compared to our semi-rural US connection.