Renting a car under 25

Can Dan Dooley provide a breakdown on the various costs that seem to be jacking up your rate? Am thinking that the one way international rental might be a large part of it, so you might save money be returning the car to Dublin and then taking the train up to Belfast ... relying on public transport from there to get you where you want to go.
You might also consider foregoing the car altogether for such a short trip. If you're a first time visitor to Ireland there are lots of convenient day trips to nearby attractions (Glendalough, the Wicklow Mtns., Powerscourt, Tara, the Boyne Valley and Newgrange, etc.) that will keep you occupied without the need for a car.

You have three problems in hiring a car. Firstly, you are hiring in one country and returning it in another, so there will be a hefty fee to repatriate the car. I have just tried a dummy booking and this quadruples the base fee of returning it to where it was hired from. Secondly, you are under 25, so a higher risk for the hire company, so this adds another 50% to the fee. Thirdly, most people here drive manual cars, so you will be paying a premium for guaranteed automatic transmission.

Your best option would be to use public transport, which will come in at a fraction of the cost.

Thank you Robert and Jennifer, I appreciate the replies. I've thought about doing public transportation but my problem doing that is we'll be in London for two weeks after Ireland and we'll need to bring decent sized suitcases (my wife won't be able to pack light). I feel like bringing around suitcases on trains and in taxis constantly would be draining and not worth the saved money. Maybe considering my circumstances (under 25, wanting an automatic car and wanting to drop off in a different location) I just pay the amount for the ease of travel. Thanks again for your help!

Just curious, but is getting from Dublin to Belfast the primary reason you want to rent the car? If so you won't need the rental for the full 5 days, in fact most here would recommend not having a car in Dublin City at all - just too much of a hassle. Better to collect it at the airport on your way north if you must do it that way.
And depending upon how tight your schedule is, know that Dublin airport is only about a 1+45 hr drive from Belfast (all modern Motorway) if the cost saving would make that an option for you.

My plan (and maybe I'm being too ambitious) was to fly into Dublin, spend a day there and then travel out to the Cliffs of Moher and spend a night in Galway, then make my way up to Ballycastle in Northern Ireland (where my family is) from Galway and spend the rest of the time up there before catching our flight out of Belfast. I booked a flight out of Belfast thinking it would be easier to get to from Ballycastle, but I should have looked more into booking a car rental first before finalizing my flights to see what would've been best.

I agree, if I was just doing Dublin and Belfast, I would definitely use public transportation because I've read driving in Dublin is a nightmare especially. But wanting to see the Cliffs of Moher and wanting to get up to Ballycastle makes things complicated without a car I think.

That's an awful lot of driving just to see the Cliffs and Galway.
With all of the terrific things to see and do in NI, especially the part in the vicinity of Ballycastle, you might be better off just concentrating on Ulster rather than running yourselves ragged trying to fit in a visit to the Cliffs.
Google maps is saying that it's about 5 hours driving from Galway to Ballycastle, which I think is understated by about 2 hours. The drive is on N roads the whole way which are notorious for being slow and meandering - point being that it'll take you a lot longer than you think to make that drive.
If you flew into Dublin, took the train up to Belfast, collected your car there and concentrated on the wonders of the north this time around it would sure simplify the logistics of your trip. Just a thought.

That's really helpful, thank you Robert! I think you're right, I'm trying to fit too much in. And picking up/dropping off a car in Belfast would be a lot cheaper than picking up in Dublin and dropping off in Belfast. Do you happen to know if it would be relatively easy to bring decently sized suitcases on a train from Dublin to Belfast?

Do you also have any suggestions of what to see in Northern Ireland? The family I'm visiting up in Ballycastle is only there for a year and they have some ideas of what to do (like Giants Causeway), but I'm always curious to hear what other people think.

I have 2 words for you: do laundry. In the room, at a laundromat yourself or leave it at one for others to do for you.

Both of you should take a close look at these links:

Packing Light

Sarah Murdoch's Packing Light and Right

Packing Forum

Best Walking Shoes for Travel

If your wife needs advice and inspiration, the Vivienne Files is a good place to find it.

As a carry-on only person, I'm not sure what a decent size suitcase might mean. I do know that you'll save a lot of hassles and money by not bringing a lot of luggage.

You don't say when you'll be traveling, but expect it to be rainy, windy and cold. By making sure everything goes with everything else, you can still be warm, dry and look good.

For my next trip, Scandinavia, my basic wardrobe including what I'm wearing, will consist of 4 tops, 3 pants, 2 scarves, 2 pairs of shoes, 1 warm jacket and 1 rain jacket. If I can do it, anybody can!

Besides the popular attractions along the Causeway coast, I'd suggest heading south along the A2 and explore what I think they call the Glens of Antrim. On a sunny day the coastal drive down to Carrickfergus is as scenic as any you'll find anywhere - reminded us of Highway 1 in California.. There are a number of old castles along the way, and each of the glens is picturesque and unique in their own right. Our favorite was the castle and gardens at Glenarm. It's the kind of drive that you really should devote an entire day to ... just meandering along and stopping where the spirit moves you. The abandoned village of Galboly might be of interest. Google it for more info.
The walled city of Derry is worth a day in our opinion. Lots of history in the small city, plus it's just a beautiful place to explore on foot - it's really bounced back from The Troubles with a vengeance.
Belfast City has quite a history of its own and is worth a day as well. The world class Titanic Belfast is one of the finest museums of its type that we've seen, and the city itself is relatively pedestrian friendly. The Black Cab tours of the areas most affected by the sectarian troubles makes for a good history lesson.
There's a very pretty loop drive around Donegal, west of Derry, that might be of interest too.
Suggest looking at a few guidebooks at your local library for other ideas. If your into off the beaten track adventures take a look at "Back Roads Ireland" from DK publishing. It's the only guide we ever bring with us - lots of scenic drives and lesser known points of interest in there. Can usually find used copies on Amazon for just a few dollars.
And I agree with Lo about packing light.

Meant to add that the Ulster-American Folk Park near Armagh is really well done, especially if your heritage traces to the province of Ulster. Does a good job explaining the history of the out-migrations that started around 1715. There's a well stocked research facility there too, with helpful docents who can help guide a "roots quest" search if you're so inclined.

Not sure about under 25 but we rent with Easirent Car Rental .... they are less expensive and FAR less hassles than we had w other companies there.

Cliffs of Moher are beautiful but tourist congested. Not worth the hassles and a 7 hour drive. Galway is a nice city but there are plenty of better, calmer fun towns and villages in NI or in Donegal. There is insanely gorgeous scenery in the north that would more than make up for "missing" Moher. Save the driving time , the money and the hassles. Enjoy the spectacular north !

Have a great trip

There's nothing like the freedom you get by packing light and doing laundry along the way. Sarah Murdoch's packing info revolutionalized my packing. FYI I handle all my luggage myself-my husband packs more stuff than I do but that's his problem to (literally) handle.

If you take Robert’s good advice and end up in Donegal, you can visit Slieve League. Not as popular and crowded as the Cliffs of Moher but quite phenomenal! (And free!)

Awesome, thank you so much Robert, Lo, ewewoolknit, cala and AlliM! I really appreciate everyone's help. I will definitely look more into the places you mentioned, I feel much better about my trip now. And I'll definitely check out Easirent Car Rental!

I agree with what others have said about learning to pack light, and about narrowing your focus to just the north. If you don't have a lot of time you don't want to spend half of it in the car. Many years ago I did three weeks in Ireland with a bus/rail pass and a 30 litre backpack and since then I have always travelled with just a carry on size bag. If you buy the right clothes you can wash items in the sink in your room and they will be dry and wrinkle free in the morning. So much better to travel this way than dragging a large suitcase around and worrying about where to do laundry. Eddie Bauer has a line of clothes, Travex, that are made specifically for travel in mind and it's all I took on my trip to Italy a couple years ago.