Hello! I am trying to decide which airport would be easier to pick up the rental car and ease into driving, as well as getting back and dropping off. Price difference isn't much between the airports; just hoping for some advice from someone who's been through.
Shannon would seem to be easier, since it is smaller, but I would like to hear any feedback!
I am planning on driving in a big circle one way or another!
Thanks in advance!
No question, Shannon is a breeze!
But even Dublin is no Heathrow!
I made it through CDG twice last year so I figure if I can make it through there, I can make it anywhere! I really just kind of want to start small. Thank you for your advice!
I cannot comment on Dublin as we flew in and out of Shannon. We were very pleased with our choice. The Shannon airport is small but very efficient. Public transport was right outside the door. (we didn't have a rental car) The best part of all was going through US customs at the Shannon airport. They have a separate large room just for that purpose and it appeared they only allowed entrance to one flight at a time to that area. As a result we were the only two people in the entire area going through US customs. Quite astounding experience compared to entry points within the US like SFO, Newark, Dulles, etc
If it were me I would return the rental car a day ahead and stay at the Bunratty Castle Hotel. It is only a few miles from the Shannon airport. We arrived early to the hotel, checked in and walked across the street to the Bunratty Castle park. https://www.shannonheritage.com/BunrattyCastleAndFolkPark/
It was a lovely way to end our trip. We spent a few hours strolling the park , looking at the exhibits and having a pint at the pub in the park. Lovely small shops inside the park with homemade items from sweaters to pottery and jewelry. Outside the park is a woolen mills outlet. We had a "senior" package that afforded us dinner at the hotel. The next morning the hotel called a cab to take us to the airport. It was inexpensive- under 20 Euro. This plan created a lovely reflective ending to our trip and made the beginning of the trip home very easy and stress free.
Shannon is definitely much easier than Dublin. Smaller airport, smaller town, fewer roads, less busy.
Have a wonderful trip!
I agree that starting from Shannon would be a much more mellow experience than beginning your driving adventure from Dublin.
It'll be a steep learning curve if you're new to driving on the left, but you can ease into it somewhat by previewing your routes using the street view feature on Google maps. Helps to have seen the sight picture (and signage, turnoffs, roundabouts, etc) before you have to tackle the roads at normal driving speed.
Even with a few days of practice under your belt I'd suggest that you avoid driving in central Dublin ... unfamiliar traffic patterns and congestion can make it a pretty daunting experience even for experienced drivers.
The determining factors for me would be which has the best flight connections from where you’re flying from and where in Ireland you plan on going. I found Dublin to be easy for picking up and dropping off a rental.
We much prefer Shannon over Dublin. Once you pick up the rental car you can take a loop or two around the airport to get used to driving on the left. Be aware that there are some roundabouts as you exit either airport, so take your time and remember LEFT!
I have flown into both and rented a car. Shannon is a breeze. It's a small airport out in the country. No traffic, open spaces to get used to driving on the other side of the road. Flying into Dublin, you exit onto a very busy, multi-lane road. The rental agency showed me a back way out to avoid the traffic on that road, but it put me right onto the motorway after a short distance on a small road. Given the choice, I would definitely go with Shannon!
