What to do with the rental on our last full day?? We will be driving from Belfast to Dublin and plan to stay in Dublin for the last night of our trip. Should we return the rental to the Dublin airport and then take public transportation into the city to check in, then taxi back to airport the next morning? Or keep the car til morning?
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
If it's an early morning flight it might make more sense to stay in an airport hotel rather than trying to squeeze in an extra night in the city.
Either way, having a car in Dublin is more of a hassle that it's worth, which is why most people recommend picking up a rental outside the city center...usually at the airport. Driving in city traffic can be challenging even for experienced drivers. I'd try to avoid it if I had a choice.
Also, per your other post, one way to minimize the stress of learning how to drive on the left is to specify an automatic transmission when booking your vehicle. Can cost half-again as much as a manual but it's worth it (IMO) just for the peace of mind.
We had good luck using the Google Maps street view feature to preview the route each day and to generally become familiar with the sight picture of driving on the left. Helped to have seen signage, intersections, roundabouts, etc before having to negotiate them at speed. Might work for you too.
Posted by
OP
Portland, OR
13 posts
Airport hotel makes sense but sure seems like an anti-climactic way to end a trip. I don't want to waste a bunch of time shuttling ourselves all over the place on our last day though. :)
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7158 posts
Do you have to return the car to the airport? Is there a city location you can return it to instead? That would make much more sense if possible. For me it would all depend on exactly what time that 'early' flight is. My choice of course would be to stay in the city if at all possible.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
"Airport hotel makes sense but sure seems like an anti-climactic way to end a trip."
Depends upon how you plan to spend that last day. If you'll be stopping enroute at Newgrange, the Boyne Valley (both highly recommended), or Howth and then returning to Dublin in the late evening then just dumping the car and getting a good night's sleep at an airport hotel before an early flight is probably the preferred way to go.
Your other post implied that you would be spending a few days in Dublin at the front end of your trip. If that's the case then your time that last day might be better spent exploring a little further afield during the drive down from Belfast.
If you decide to spend that last night in the city, know that there's an efficient shuttle to the airport that will save you a few dollars versus a taxi:
http://www.dublinbus.ie/Your-Journey1/Timetables/Airport-Services/
Posted by
OP
Portland, OR
13 posts
Great! I will look into Newgrange and/or Boyne valley as better options on our final day.
I didn't see any airport hotels listed in Rick's book, which is expected. :)
Do you guys have any airport hotels you can recommend based on experience?
Thanks!
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
Can't help with any recent experiences, but we typically use Booking.com for single night stays like this. Most will run a shuttle to the airport, and might even arrange to collect you at the car rental drop point with prior arrangement.
Newgrange and the Battle of the Boyne visitor center are only a few minutes apart, and each is worth several hours given their respective significance in the history of Ireland.
Post script: On our last trip we stumbled upon the village of Carlingford - just across the border coming south from Belfast. Made for a pleasant enroute stop exploring the small town and its surrounds, including King John's Castle - an ancient ruin just north of the village. Has a nice pedestrian main street, lined with little shops and tea rooms, heading up from a 12th century gate in the old city wall. Made for a good stretch of the legs - about an hour out of Belfast on our drive.