There will be 4 adults in my group. We are traveling around most of Ireland. I rented a midsize automatic SUV but am having second thoughts that it might be too big for the roads. What do you think?
Posted by
Chattanooga, TN USA
582 posts
I would get the smallest car you can that will accommodate 4 passengers + luggage. And have more than one driver on the contract.
Posted by
1001 posts
We rented the smallest car possible, and it was small! There were four of us--my husband at 6', son at 6'2" and his college buddy at 6'4". We still managed to hit a few outside mirrors. Do yourself a favor, go small.
Posted by
11467 posts
When we looked at the car we had rented in Ireland we realized we needed a larger car for our family of four adults and luggage!
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6978 posts
Like Suki stated, you may need that size vehicle just to fit your luggage. I’d be more worried about luggage fitting than the vehicle fitting on the roads. When you rented the vehicle, a make and model was mentioned. Find a similar sized vehicle and check if your luggage will fit.
The last time we traveled with another couple we reserved an intermediate car (Ford Kuga [Escape] or similar) and were given a Hyundai Tucson. Our luggage barely fit.
Posted by
Mountains of S. Oregon
696 posts
It's more dependent on luggage than people. Anything larger than the "mini" size will fit four adults (unless they're large or very tall). If everyone has just a carry-on, an "economy" should be okay. If there are four checked bags, you might have to go up another size. The rental counter will try to upgrade you as part of their pitch. As others said, don't expect American roads - there will be lots of single tracks where you have to squeeze past a tour bus at a passing turnout or narrow two lane roads that you're sure will lead to bashing mirrors on the hedgerow or opposing car.
Posted by
Seattle
1 posts
Does anyone here have any experience renting a cargo box for the roof of the car? We are also considering buying one in the states (the kind that folds up in to a small bag that can be packed,) and bringing it along by I was wondering if rental was possible...
Posted by
USA
3 posts
We were in Ireland just in Feb. for 8 nights and rented a car. There were 4 of us, two teens and two adults. The car we rented was a Toyota Camry. The car fit all our luggage (4 suitcases and 4 backpacks). Our suitcases are all carry-on-size. It worked great for us. As folks mentioned, the roads are narrow and we did a quite bit of moving out of the way. Hope this helps, have a great trip