I have four people taking this trip in July 2025. I'm thinking that I may need some sort of van to accommodate all four of us plus luggage. Can you recommend a company that rents vans or larger SUV's with automatic transmission? Pickup in Galway and drop-off in Dublin.
Thanks
Take the train
Irish rail
Galway to Dublin, Heuston Station,,, 2 and 1/2 hrs, super easy
Thanks, but the itinerary is Galway > Westport > Derry > Portrush > Belfast > Trim > Dublin.
I don't think this is doable by train.
That's what was meant by the Northern route.
Westport is served by train (indirectly from Galway), and of course Derry to Portrush is, and there is an hourly bus service from Drogheda to Trim and 2 hourly from Trim to Dublin.
From Galway to Westport anyone who wanted to do the route by public transport would take the bus, from Westport to Derry they would drop back from Westport to Claremorris on the train, then the bus to Derry.
So it is possible by public transport with relative ease. But that wasn't your question, so it is a red herring other than placing a point of reference for future readers.
Enterprise and Europcar both have offices in Galway. Both would need to know that you were routeing via the Province, but either should be able to provide a suitable vehicle.
Thanks, but we are all in our 70's and schlepping luggage on and off a coach/train is something we'd like to avoid. Driving would be our best option.
Don't use Budget in Galway. I just returned and am (trying) to fight with them from home. They refused to print out an invoice when I dropped the car, they said that they had to check it out before they could do that and that they would email it to me. There was no one in the garage from Budget when I dropped it. The office is five blocks away from the drop garage and I had to catch a train.
They charged me for 4 days, not 3. They added a "premium location" charge that was never part of the agreement. They added a toll service that's for unlimited monthly tolls. (I was on one toll road for less than 15 minutes returning to Galway). And....they made the toll charge recurring, that's fraud. I learned that they made the charge recurring from my credit card company when I disputed the charge.
There's actually more, but you get the idea. I will be contacting the tourist board and not sure who else if I can't get things resolved. (I thought they were part of Budget/Avis US, but they're not, no resolution from within the US). I'll update this post if anything changes, but in the meantime - AVOID.
Take a look at AutoEurope to get an idea of what size vehicles are available. They usually show you how many people and how many of what size bags will fit. If you don’t want to schlep a bunch of luggage, don’t bring a bunch of luggage. If everyone packs light, you can easily fit into a full-size sedan or mid-size SUV.
Are you familiar with Skyscanner? They search thousands of carriers to find the get prices. Download the app and give it a go
We rented a regular size SUV and it fit five fairly comfortably with luggage. I would definitely not rent a van due to the narrow roads. Be sure the agency knows you are going to Northern Ireland and being able to rent over age 70. We used Dan Dooley once and also Hertz and I think then Auto Europe and had only one issue and it was handled immediately by Auto Europe. We had just started out of the car lot and realized someone had been sick in the car and we absolutely could not use the car and they replaced it immediately. Best of luck.
you will be entering the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) across the International land border
few things to consider
1) the UK drives in Miles per hour Ireland drives in Kilometres
2) road signs and markings are different in the UK compared to Ireland
3) come july 2025 all americans will be required to have a UK electronic travel authorisation from the British government, you will be required to have this when crossing the border into the UK without it you willbe breaking British law and will be liable for being deported or banned from the UK i will post the link for this below also i will post the UK highway code this is the British road rules also remember you will need Pounds for NI not Euros
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta (from spring 25 for americans )
I'm not certain for every company, but a couple of places we checked won't rent us a vehicle as we are over 70.
We just returned from Ireland and have some tips for driving. After researching all of the car rental companies and finding them each to be about a 1 star rating, we went with Enterprise since we've always had good luck with them in the US. After a terrible experience with Avis at the Frankfurt airport we opted for the full walk- away insurance so we could relax (Avis Frankfurt told us after we were back home that our car had "been in an accident" and wanted over $1000, a total scam, and a nightmare to resolve). The added insurance will double your price but it was worth it to us for peace of mind. The roads are narrow and there is usually no shoulder, there are unforgiving stone hedgerows lining the roads, and you are driving on the left side, so get the smallest car you can that will fit your luggage. Make sure you allow plenty of time to return your car so you have an agent to inspect the return and complete your paperwork. Take photos of your car before you leave and again when you return it in case you have any problems later. Definitely book an automatic transmission, that costs more too but again, worth it.
One more tip for Westport, we stayed at the Westport Coast Hotel, it was very reasonable, lovely setting, included a full breakfast, just a short drive into town and to Charles Fort, and a pleasant flat walk to Westport House.
