Hi Friends,
We need to rent a van in Dublin for 5 adults and 5 bags. I think we need a van to keep peace in the group. Does anyone have suggestions about which rental company is best? I look at the vans and have no idea what kind of vehicle would be best. Some of the descriptions state seats "9" and has room for "1" bag! Any tips would be great. I understand that many folks try to rent and drive from Galway but we need to leave in the van from Dublin. Thanks, friends!
I usually use Hertz or AutoEurope.com.
Be careful on renting a vehicle in Dublin. The comp & collision package is required by government regulations, and I've seen the coverage to be very expensive. In comparison, the same insurance is required in Italy, however their gov't mandated rates are very reasonable.
Just make sure you're aware of the add on's when you book the car. We went with Sixt in Dublin, and found out about the insurance the hard way.
A 9 seater van could be a nightmare to drive. Those are bigger than my minivan, which I would hate to drive there. Be ready to pull in your side mirrors often. Where are you going after Dublin?
Do any of you own a regular minivan that seats 7 (sometimes 8)? Or know anybody that does? If so, I would suggest you all meet up with the luggage you plan to bring (suitcases AND day bags), pack all your luggage, pile in, and see how it’s going to work. You’ll be surprised how little luggage space there is. We are a family of four who often rode in minivan taxis in Europe and really had to play luggage Tetris sometimes. It all depends on if the 3rd row seat splits. Whoever gets 3rd row will be squished regardless.
I would seriously consider renting two smaller cars. It might even be cheaper. Either way, you absolutely need the full insurance, which is very expensive.
Sixt offers a Rav-4 option (with a luggage rack) that might work for 5 people depending on just how encumbered with luggage you are. You could preview one at home to see if it can be made to work, knowing that the crunch will only come while you're in transit. Once arrived at a destination and free of the luggage it would probably be ideal for your purposes.
As was mentioned, a van would be a real challenge to drive on the narrow Irish roads, plus the cost jumps dramatically for that category of vehicle, so if the SUV isn't big enough the easier (and cheaper) option might be to just rent two sedans.
It's worth noting that the word 'van' in British and Irish speak refers to a commercial vehicle used for transporting goods. A minivan or people carrier is what you're looking for however you're right to acknowledge the restrictions in respect of luggage space. The large people carriers do suffer with very limited space for luggage and most would struggle to accommodate two medium suitcases at best although if you're all travelling with carry-on luggage you may be able to squeeze it in. Some of the large 7+ seaters allow the back row of seats to be folded which would considerably increase the storage space.
Also take heed of the advice about renting such a large vehicle if you're not experienced in driving on the left and on very narrow roads.
So, it sounds like a 9 seater van is out given the size of the vehicle. We will not be able to rent two vehicles as there are not enough drivers and the family wants to stay together. So, I think a 7 seat van is my next alternative? Has anyone had a truly terrible with a car rental agency in Dublin?
Many thanks,
Martha
We rented from Avis and it was a good experience. I checked and Avis doesn’t seem to offer minivans in Dublin.
We rented the largest SUV auto Europe had several times for five of us and it worked out fine. The two men sat up front and the three women sat in the second row and we had no problems. The idea of trying that at home is good. we have never had any problems renting in Ireland. Everyone was allowed a small to medium suitcase not the huge ones you sometimes see and I seem to remember a backpack or small carryon canvas bag. One time the SUV had a disgusting odor and we would not use it and they promptly brought another SUV for us. best of luck.
Yes, perhaps I should look into a large SUV. Many thanks@
Just a thought about a luggage rack, which in the abstract sounds great. It rains a lot in Ireland and the rain is often very heavy. Depending what kind of luggage you have, exposing it to rain may be a problem unless you have some kind of waterproof tarp to protect it.
I am following this post. Did folks reserve and pay ahead of time or just make a reservation on Hertz or Avis? How about experience with Auto Europe? We need a vehicle for 5 adults and really need an automatic. I made a reservation with Hertz but did not get a confirmation, just a reservation number. We are just 5 weeks away from our trip to Cork. I am nervous the larger automatic SUV may not be available. Remember the old Seinfeld skit? Taking a reservation should mean the desired car is there but sometimes it's not.
I’ve used AutoEurope many times including for a 28-day Ireland rental in 2019. AutoEurope is a broker that works with most of the major car rental agencies—our rental car came from Enterprise. With AE you prepay for the rental and receive a voucher that you present to the agency counter. Usually there are some additional small fees that must be paid on site (ie additional driver). I did extensive comparison shopping for Ireland rental cars and no one could beat the price or the terms of AutoEurope.
Yes, perhaps I should look into a large SUV.
Actually, SUVs are usually pretty bad when it comes to interior space. An MPV or similar will probably be a better option.
We too have settled on AuroEurope as our preferred rental car provider, and that after a lot of trial and error booking with individual companies directly. Though you pay up front their cancelation policy is quite liberal - we've never had any issues getting reimbursed on the couple of occasions we've had to do a little surgery on an itinerary ... including in Ireland.
As was mentioned, do take care to understand exactly what you're getting - some of our commonly used terms for SUV's, etc. don't translate accurately into what's understood in Ireland ... or in Britspeak come to that. Could be a problem for the unwary.
I am sure already pointed out, but you will not be guaranteed any specific vehicle although you can reserve a class (and may not get that either!)
2019 we rented a intermediate sedan (Jetta or A-3) and were given a (brand new) Renault Kadjar SUV in Dublin. The Kadjar was a 4 door SUV that I would consider a mid-size by American standards (Think Ford Edge or such), it was much larger than I expected to drive in Ireland - and I am not a timid driver. Tight squeezes on secondary Irish roads and parking.
Having said that I could not imagine comfortably seating 5 adults with baggage in this vehicle for any extended period of time. I see Sixt car rental quoting Toyota Sienna/Dodge Caravan/or Mercedes Metra in Ireland. These would be larger but I would not care to drive one on secondary roads in Ireland. I am sure AutoEurope could quote you on a similar vehicle, I see a VW Caravelle on their website, appears to be an actual mini-van with seating for seven. With only 5 passengers there should be enough space left over for luggage. What the Europeans sometimes consider a "van" does not translate well to American sometimes:)
