Car rental in Ireland

I am confused about the car rental - Auto or Manual?
...I'd suggest an automatic unless you currently drive on the left side and shift with your left hand in an area where hedges grow right up to the roadway.

I reserved a manual car on Auto Europe and purchased the insurance but they will hold about $1800 on my CC. is that standard?

...That may have to do with your age if you're young-did you ask why? I presume they would not put the hold if you bought full coverage? We rented a car for a week five years ago and at that time FULL cover cost an additional $70-80. There are LOTS of hazards and narrow roads, and also plenty of natural beauty to keep you distracted...

I have a price of $158 for a week rental plus $121 due now for a collision damage plan.
about $279. that seems rather expensive no?

...No, not especially-$40 per day sounds like US pricing. I'm pretty sure I paid $400 or so with full cover. And, somebody sideswiped us while we were parked in Tralee, and kept right on going after doing significant damage to our rental car. I turned the FULL COVER CAR in at the Cork Airport a few days later, explained it and walked away. Full cover, again, was an extra $70-80 at the time.

I rent from Avis prior to going over and specify an automatic. That eliminates that whole left shift dilemma. I can’t remember if on our Ireland trip I got insurance through Avis or Allianz. I generally prepay for the rental as it is a little less. I don’t ever recall, in any country, having a large hold placed on my card. Whether you get the zero deductible is up to you. If you don’t get into an accident it isn’t worth the extra expense, but if you do, then it is. It’s a chance you take and a personal choice. Taxes for a car rental are what I find expensive, similar to taxes on airline tickets.

I’m in Ireland now and if you know how to drive a manual or stick at home you will be fine. I’ve found driving here extremely easy. Roads are tight but almost all have been two lanes and if you can judge distance your fine. As for driving on the left no a big deal you do have to think about it but usually your going with the flow of traffic so no biggie just follow the leader!

thank you all! I am in my 50's fyi...and maybe the car I reserved is w/ a deductible. - so probably not such a great price.\
so glad you reminded me about the shift on the left side!! so no - thinking auto is the way to go.

How do people feel about Payless ?? I am renting from Shannon Airport.

We always rent from Hertz through Auto Europe. We get a small automatic with the full, no-deductible Super CDW insurance. Yes, it’s more expensive, BUT the cost of even a small ding would far exceed the extra amount it costs for full coverage. And it’s easy. Once, we actually scraped a stone wall pulling out of the Gap of Dunloe and, when we returned the car to the Dublin airport, they saw we had full coverage and we were able to just walk away. The other thing is, when you get full coverage, the hold that Hertz puts on your credit card equals the average cost of a tank of gas. If the company Auto Europe is using (Payless) is going to put on an $1800 hold on your credit card, it’s because you’re not buying full coverage. Now, having dealt with Auto Europe for over 25 years, I will say that not all of their providers offer full Super CDW insurance, and that might be the case with Payless. I'd call them back for a price comparison.

The roads in Ireland are narrow; many of them are lined with stone walls or hedges that can easily ding and scratch up a car. I can’t stress enough the importance of full coverage. Without it, one tiny mishap can end up costing thousands.

One other thing about Auto Europe. For many of their rentals you can include what's known as a "refundable zero deductible". Here's how it works. First, it brings the cost of the rental down considerably, and the provider will still put a hefty hold on your credit card. IF you bring the car back undamaged, the hold is taken off and you're on your way. IF, however, the car gets damaged, they will charge your card whatever the estimated cost of repairs comes to (up to the amount of the hold), and then Auto Europe will refund that amount to you. Now, all this doesn't happen overnight; there's a process you have to go through, and it can take a while. It might be something to look into. For me personally, I just don't want the potential hassle...another reason I go with full coverage.

Hope this helps.

-Russ

I just booked my car, 9 days out of Dublin Airport, for May, through Hertz/Auto Europe. I just get the most basic tiny car with manual transmission. I've driven with the stick on the "wrong side" before and it takes about two seconds to get used to. Easier than getting used to driving on the wrong side.

The car cost $61, picking up at the airport costs 30 euro, add taxes and it's up to a total of roughly $190. That's declining collision damage waiver, which generally runs (I'd guess) another $25 per day. I'll use my credit card insurance (I checked and it will work for Ireland and North Ireland). I decided to pay extra to rent from the airport because it will be easy to pick it up out of town going north and drop it when I'm done driving. I'm more comfortable taking a bus into and out of Dublin than driving in traffic.

Brad when is your trip. We are a group of 7 coming from NY State we have rented 2 standard size automatic vehicles. We are picking up and dropping off at Airport. Will have for 1 week. Will not keep car while we are in Dublin. We rented via Dollar and we are paying 259.00 USDollars. I have declined all insurance as I have a Chase Card and the have provided me a letter stating they will provide the coverage in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We leave in 3 weeks and and start the first 3 days in Iceland then arrive in Dublin on April 14. So looking forward to it.

We always rent manual-gearbox cars, regardless of the side of the road on which traffic moves... we both drive manuals at home, and are both left-handed, so it's actually a pleasure to be able to engage that arm (and the relevant side of the brain) for a change. Being able to manually downshift on narrow, twisty Irish roads is a blessing, if it works for you. And they're cheaper than automatics - more money for seafood chowder!

For our last trip in September 2018, we rented from Enterprise, directly thru their Website, as they offered the best price for picking up in Galway and dropping off in Dublin.

Whichever company and transmission type you use, two bits of advice: Keep reminding yourself to not get too far to the right - think farther to the left than you might otherwise think, so you don't have a brush with hedges, stone walls, or rough pavement drop-offs; and make sure whether your car is gasoline or diesel, so you top it up with the correct fuel. that actually leads to a third thing: make sure whether you're supposed to bring the car back with a full tank of petrol, so you aren't charged an arm and both legs for them doing the refueling.

If you're not happy with the price, or what you've booked, look around and see if there's anything more suitable, and have a great trip. Happy motoring!