Driving from Cork to Belfast

Posted by quball on 11/09/17 12:52 AM

My daughter and I are visiting Ireland for 27 days in May 2018 with a large part of the trip driving from Cork to Belfast. We are planning on approximately 12-14 days to do a scenic somewhat leisurely drive with no set itinerary...just drive and stop where/when we feel like it. We are taking the train from Dublin to Cork upon arrival thus choosing Cork as the start of our drive and finish in Belfast (or Derry?) as we will end with the Causeway Coastal Route. Is 12-14 days a good amount of time to a leisurely drive? Are there alternate (better) destinations for starting and ending other than airport pickup/drop off for rental car? Should we be having a set itinerary or just wing it like we plan? Any input into # of days, rental company referrals, winging it vs having a set itinerary? Input and suggestions on this and anything else is much appreciated:)

Suzanne & Shea

Posted by Chris F

Basel, Switzerland

11/09/17 12:24 PM

8889 posts

And if you pick up a car in Cork, and intend to return it in Belfast, there will probable be an hefty international drop-off surcharge. This is because it will be an Irish-registered car and someone will have to drive it back across the border.

Posted by inireland

Waterville, Ireland

11/09/17 01:30 PM

409 posts

Fun!
I'm a big fan of winging it. So I'd say pick 4 or 5 things you "must" see and stumble upon cool things the rest of the way!

Europcar (my favorite) charges 35 euros to go across into Northern Ireland. It's just an admin fee. They also have GPS on the cars so you can't sneak it over! The last time I checked with Budget they wouldn't let me take it to N.I. - but that might have been because it was high season. Definitely tell them you're taking it across the border in advance.

If you start in Cork, know that Cork Airport is WAY easier to deal with than Shannon or Dublin - it's small, less crowded, and you can land, get luggage, and get your car in about 15 minutes. It's awesome! They also have a wonderful travel book selection in the store on the first floor!

Enjoy!

Susan - ExPat in Waterville

Posted by quball OP

11/09/17 06:25 PM

21 posts

thanx for all the input and suggestions. I have been looking at Dan Dooley and Easirent, both whom allow cross border driving however, not sure if their quotes included the border charge...will check into that. Now I'm wondering if maybe renting x2, one for Ireland and one for N. Ireland...will look into that as well. We both love the idea of winging it so think we will stick with that plan while working around our "must see" locations along the way. Easirent offers a bit of a discount for 10 days or less rentals...is 10 days enough??..we do not want to rush it to save a few bucks although we also don't want to break the bank for a car rental. Again, appreciate the great suggestions and advise:)

Suzanne & Shea