This Spring I am traveling to the UK for 3 weeks and 1 week of it will be in Ireland. Would appreciate advice. Which of these options is the best:
1. Fly into Belfast and pick up a rental car there that we will take from Northern Ireland to Galway area/ Shannon airport for drop off and then fly to England. (The trip would start along Atrim Coast- Derry- Silgo- Westport- Galway- Shannon)
2. Fly into Shannon, pick up rental and do the trip the opposite way ending in Belfast to fly out.
3. Fly into Belfast, rent car but do a loop in Northern Ireland (Derry and Atrim coast). TRAIN from Belfast to Galway via Dublin. Then rent car in Galway for exploring Connemara and Clare.
When looking for best option I am considering:
- Which place will allow me to rent a car in one country and drop off in the other more easily?
-Which is more difficult or more stressful- the trip from Derry to Westport by car OR returning to Belfast to take train all the way to Galway.
-Is is easier and cheaper to rent a car in each of the 2 areas we want to visit in Ireland (Belfast and Galway)? Or would it be less complicated and take less time in the long run to rent 1 car for the entire week?
I realize that during this week I have us sleeping in a different place each night aside from 2 possible nights in Galway. The week before and the week after this I am trying to keep us in more central locations so there will be less traveling and changing of hotels. For our time in Ireland we wanted to soak up as much of the countryside as possible so I may be putting too much in our itinerary. Any thoughts or input on the areas we would like to travel to would be great as well.
Posted by
Glasgow, Scotland
1646 posts
IMHO having one car would be better as you would have a better chance of getting used to it over the week.
The big issue with cars in Ireland is the border. You would need to check what the hire company you are looking at says about taking cars across the border. Some might be sniffy, some might not.
Also Northern Ireland registered cars will be UK spec so have MPH on the speedometer as that is what Northern Ireland uses, but will also have km/h, cars registered in the Republic of Ireland only km/h on the dial so taking a Republic car into the North would mean more mental arithmetic than vice versa.
However Ireland, both Northern and Republic of are better if you do have a car.
Posted by
Land of La
8688 posts
Did this in November 2 years ago. I mention the month because I had nearly all the places I'm about to mention to myself.
Was staying with my GOT friends in Belfast. Rented car there and drove from Belfast to Dingle to spend 3 nights in Dingle.
Visited the gorgeous Killarney National Park, meandered along Inch Beach, hiked half of the Gap of Dunloe, returned to the car and drove over it and back into Dingle. Drove along Slea Head to Coumeenooole Beach, hiked out to the Devils Horn then followed the cliff path. Beautiful views of the Blasket Islands. Farther up the road enjoyed a brief respite at Clogher Strand and then returned to Dingle and some pints at the wonderful Foxy John's.
I will say many restaurants in Dingle had closed for the season. So had Kate's Cottage but the fact that in the entire 4 hours it took me to hike and then drive over the Gap of Dunloe where I only saw 1 trap, 4 hikers, 2 rock climbers, 1 biker, 3 lorries, 3 other cars and countless sheep was wonderful.
Fall hues combined with blue skies, bright sun and threatening dark grey clouds with rain that never fell defined that day as my best ever in Eire. It was the solitude.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2831 posts
Am not aware of any restrictions driving a vehicle from the Republic into NI (or the reverse) but there is usually a pretty stiff one-way drop charge involved in picking up from one country and dropping off in the other. If you're already committed to flying into Shannon and out of Belfast then your idea of doing separate rentals in each country would likely save you some money. Might still be cost-effective for you to pay the penalty for the comfort and convenience involved...especially if it will save you a full day of travel by taking the train from Belfast to Galway.
Could avoid the whole issue if you were able to pick up the car in Shannon, drive it thru NI, and then drop off in Dublin before flying out of there. We've done it that way a couple of times and were never hit with a one-way drop charge as long as we were picking up and dropping off within the Republic. Our most recent journey (summer '14) included 2 weeks in the North (Derry & Belfast mainly) and there were no issues re insurance coverage, driving restrictions, etc.