Good morning! We are arriving into Dublin on Sat Aug 10 at 340pm and have Oscar Wilde Tour tickets at 6pm. Do you think we have enough time to exit the flight process AND pick up the rental AND make it to the tour by 6pm? The tour staff have encouraged me to keep the tour because we have an OW fan in our family and said the tour is wonderful. However, they will refund our tour if asked and we can take some time to visit the next day. Thanks.
Posted by
698 posts
You have to factor in whether your flight is on time; getting through immigration; picking up a rental car; getting to your hotel and parking. Then getting to the tour. Sounds unlikely.
Is there a reason you are picking up a rental car while staying in Dublin city center. I wouldn't pick up a car until I was heading out of Dublin for other parts of Ireland. You can take the express bus to the city center.
Posted by
Mountains of S. Oregon
696 posts
The flight arrival is the big factor. I've always found immigration and customs to be practically walking speed, but I always get seats towards the front so I'm at the head of the phalanx heading to immigration. You might make your tour, but unless you're a really good traveler, you won't have gotten much sleep and will be very tired, so you won't remember a thing about it. I second the idea that renting a car to drive into Dublin is a little silly, unless you're a regular wrong-side driver and have a good navigator. All the car agencies have "in town" offices, and sometimes their demand pricing makes it cheaper, although they may charge a "one way drop-off" fee - maddening!
Posted by
OP
56 posts
We are arriving from Bristol, Wales. The flight is an hour and 5 minutes, but prior to that we will have to get to the airport from Cardiff, so it’s a bit of traveling that day, but not across the Atlantic. Could you suggest an alternate pickup site? I’d rather not have to take a long bus ride. Maybe a location just outside of city limits?
Posted by
1524 posts
Is this the tour you’re hoping to take? https://oscarwildehouse.com/?v=7516fd43adaa If so, it is located in the heart of the city center and if memory serves, parking in that area will be very difficult. Your fastest option wouldmost likely be to take a taxi directly to the house for the tour. There are multiple car rental agencies in the city center from which you can rent a car for onward travel.
Posted by
Lake District, England
7218 posts
If you go to Google maps, put in Dublin Oscar Wilde House, and then put in car rental into the search box, you will find a Sixt and a Hertz Office both within 1 km. The bigger issue is that, like probably all rental offices in the City Centre they will close by 5pm or 6pm on a weekday (Hertz closes at 6pm). On a Saturday they will likely close at lunchtime.
So in practice it may be easier to pick up the car the next day, or early evening same day, back at the Airport.
Coming in from Bristol you are on a CTA (Common Travel Area- basically domestic) flight so there is no immigration. So if the flight is on time you should make the tour with ease. The unknown variable, of course, is the flight being on time.
You will know at Bristol if the flight is on time, so can presumably call them from there if needs be to reschedule.
Posted by
OP
56 posts
I appreciate the helpful insight. Thanks, everyone!