I'm hoping someone can give me some insight into what I may be missing. I'd like to rent a car that can seat 6 people in Galway on June 22 of 2023. I'd like to return it on June 30th, ideally in Tralee or Mallow, before taking the train to Dublin but I could drive it back to Galway if I had to.
I've checked every website I can think of (both US sites and Irish), but nothing shows a minivan available. Is it really impossible to rent a car that seats 6 people??
Thank you!!
I would not want to drive that large a vehicle in Irish roads.
Be sure whatever vehicle you rent will accommodate your luggage as well as your human cargo. From what I've read on the forum, luggage space can be a real issue.
Thank you for your replies!
We were actually planning to rent 2 cars -- one that will seat all 6 of us and one regular sized car. The plan was to drive both cars any time we needed to transport our luggage, but to have all of us go in one car for day trips once we arrived at each destination.
My husband drove a minivan around the Cotswolds last summer, so we figured he'd be okay driving a car that size in Ireland. My father would be driving the other car, and he'd prefer to drive as little as possible.
The problem may be that smaller agencies are simply not going to have a vehicle like that to rent. You probably need to go with a larger rental location, and probably a name brand company.
As an example, Hertz at the Dublin airport seems to offer a small van/crossover that they say seats 7, a Renault Grand Scenic, but only 3 bags, for comfortable travel, that would be a tight fit. They also have 9 passenger vans and 6 bags...in both manual and automatic. Just be prepared for a bit of sticker shock.
Also, be aware, credit card insurance coverage is not accepted, you will wind up buying at least some extra insurance in Ireland, and most credit cards explicitly state that they do not cover rentals in Ireland. With a large vehicle, and being responsible for that many people, you want full coverage. There are more ins and outs to the insurance situation, but that is the quick and dirty version.
How are you searching. What you are looking for would usually be called a ”people carrier”.
I just randomly checked the Budget Car Rental website for your dates and pick up in Galway and I saw 2 ”people carriers” that seat 7. Both are manual transmission. One is an ”Opel Combo Life (7 seats) or similar”.
As the others have said, part of the problem is that you're searching for a specialty vehicle in a place where they're hard to come by - there just typically isn't much demand for them in Galway. You're likely going to have to rethink where you collect and return the vehicle and adjust your itinerary accordingly.
Dublin (the airport) is probably your best bet at getting the type of car or van that you want. The concessions there have the largest selection of vehicles to choose from in the country. There will also be a better chance of finding a vehicle with automatic transmission in Dublin too, and believe me that's what you want unless you're very experienced at driving on the left while at the same time manually shifting with your left hand..
Fortunately the drive from Dublin airport to Galway is only a couple of hours on the modern motorway so the inconvenience will likely be minimized. Then, too, the rental car offices at the airport open very early - as early as 5:30 AM - allowing you to get an early start and on your way with a minimum of hassle.
As was also mentioned, stepping up in size to a van is going to be very expensive, whereas renting a couple of relatively smaller vehicles (station wagon, SUV, etc.) will likely save a lot of money if you can make that work.
When I looked for cars for May '23, almost everyone's cheapest rental was a "van". Not great for more than two passengers, but great for lots of luggage. Added to a six seater SUV would handle everything. Alternatively, you could reserve an SUV and a smaller vehicle, and when you pick them up, maybe you'll find the SUV will hold everything. If it won't, use the smaller car as well.
Both my Visa and Mastercard offer free coverage in Ireland. Read your Ts & Cs carefully, and carry paper proof if they cover IE. My bank provides an email to request "certificates" to present at the rental counter.
It's relatively hard to get a minivan in the US, and it's a premium price rental product. I always worry that the vehicle I reserved won't be available anyway, when I get to the pickup point. That has even happened with something as simple as automatic transmissions. Luckily I can drive a standard.
I agree that an giant American car is often a hindrance in many places.
