Rental cars at Dublin Airport. Extra charges & apple car play

If you can, reserve your car through the well-reviewed company, AutoEurope. They broker car rentals and discount the prices of the big agencies all around Europe—including DUB airport. Sometimes, the insurance is included as part of the deal.

If your bank credit card offers Collision Coverage and Theft Protection in Ireland , be sure to bring a letter confirming this information with you to Ireland. Then you can decline the optional coverage at the rental counter. Without written confirmation, you will be forced to buy the rental agency’s insurance coverage. And it won’t be inexpensive.

Keep in mind. It’s the driving on the opposite side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side, and driving on those narrow country roads enclosed by stone walls —-that often have newbie American drivers scraping up their rental cars.

www.AutoEurope.com

Additional insurance fees even when covered by credit car?

Many credit cards exclude Ireland ( and Italy among a few others) from coverage.

Be sure you have coverage confirmation in writing

Another recommendation to use Auto Europe. Our rental through them was with Alamo, we had no issues with any additional charges at pickup. The paperwork from AutoEurope will clearly spell out the insurance coverage you selected and paid for at time of booking. I will say that even though I used an Amex card which has rental car coverage, I chose to pay for the car company insurance. Glad I did as we ended up with a flat tire and some scratches from stone walls.
I have never been charged for Apple Car Play in any rental. You will be shuttled to and from the airport to the car lot, as I recall the pickup/dropoff point is right outside baggage claim. Shuttles run frequently, I would allow 15-20 minutes.

My credit excludes Ireland. Best way to get coverage on rental car. Costly?

You can usually buy it with travel insurance or directly through AutoEurope.
www.InsureMyTrip.com

We've done this quite a few times and have ultimately settled on AutoEurope for our own rentals from Dublin airport. Their pricing is very competitive, and I've always found their explanation of the various insurance options to be straightforward. The zero deductible package is worth the cost just for the convenience and peace of mind.

We've rented five different times through the mainstay providers. We book 9 months in advance, and I've always found low prices without resorting to a consolidator like AutoEurope. (I'll triple check next time).

The desk workers appear to be on a commission for any extras they can sell you. I bring my own dashboard GPS, so GPS, window/glass coverage, tire/wheel coverage, and of course a larger car are popular items to push. If they claim to be out of the size reserved, hold your ground and wait for the free upgrade. My card provides coverage, so that battle is sometimes being required to show some proof. One year, there was a decal on the counter that stated it cost 7 euros per day to use your card insurance, although that was several trips ago, and the notice has since disappeared.

I was informed by a Thrifty return agent that nearly 50% of the cars come back with damage. Sounds unlikely.

My credit excludes Ireland. Best way to get coverage on rental car. Costly?

We just bought insurance through the company we rented from (Hertz) and opted for full coverage. We wanted it to be as hassle free as possible and to be able to just walk away at the end of the trip. I think some travel insurance companies offer car insurance for an extra fee, though. As others have said Ireland is often excluded, so best to double check.

My credit excludes Ireland. Best way to get coverage on rental car.

The best way, if you have a bit of time, is to get another credit card that doesn't have that exclusion. Costco Citi cards don't exclude Irish car rentals. Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $95 annual fee that is likely a lot less than the added car rental company coverage fee.