Rental Car options

Cheryl, I am renting a car for my upcoming May trip through a booking agency named Celtic Legend (using Arthur Clark rentals). I am picking my car up at the Arnold Clark office on 1330 South Street in Glasgow and returning it to their Edinburgh office at 16-18 Bankhead Drive in Edinburgh. Neither of these locations are at the airport.

I have been very happy with this company so far - they come highly recommended here on the forum, and have been very courteous and prompt in communications with me.

I also used Arnold Clark in July - but picked up and returned in Edinburgh. Their location is by the airport but not AT the airport. They have a a shuttle service to and from the airport - and it is very easy to get from town to the airport, as well as onto the highway from their location. I also drove in town a couple of times and while it’s not as terrifying as some cities, if you are new to left-side driving, you might want to avoid it.

We are renting through Arnold Clark in April, we'll be picking up and dropping off in Stirling. But they seem to serve a lot of locations. While we haven't used them before, they've been incredibly responsive to our questions over email.

Arnold Clarke and Celtic Legend consistently get good reviews and come highly recommended on here and Trip Advisor

How much $$ we talking about folks?

Wow! Thank you. Sounds like Arnold Clarke deserves some looking into. I had not even heard of them. I will be reaching out today. Can you tell me if they were ok with your CDW via your credit card. We have AMX and always use that without issues. Many thanks.

The 2 locations I used (Edinburgh and York) were fine with my cc insurance.

I will add they both asked me for a telephone number. For the first I had a French # so no problem; but for the second I was using data only and it caused the young man doing my paperwork some hesitation.

I do find it amusing seeing the good reviews Arnold Clark get as a hire car company on here. As living here they are a car dealership chain with a below average reputation in an industry that does not have a good reputation to begin with, they are nicknamed Arnold Shark for a reason.

But if they work for you they work for you.

How much $$ we talking about folks?

We used Celtic Legend last June for 6 days. Picked up in Edinburgh and dropped off in Glasgow. All-in for an automatic, £0 deductible insurance and drop-off charge was £329.50

Mike, I am paying £736 for 17 days. That is for manual transmission, and GPS included. Pick up is in Glasgow and return is in Edinburgh.

MC-Glasgow, it IS funny to have a knowledgeable perspective. Lol. But for myself, the only comparisons I could find were actually more expensive, i.e. the “big names”. I always feel like there must be better local options (used such in Croatia and Greece and doing so again in June) - but they are just harder to find online!

Any ideas? I will be back next year!

Allan and Mardee, those are very reasonable rates. Thank you.

I recall driving a car out of the rental company in Dublin, focusing intently on STAYING LEFT. I doggone nearly popped a tire hitting the curb. I kept repeating the following mantra regarding turns: "Hard left, wide right." I'm not as tough as an Aussie, but I'm glad I didn't start driving until the next day. Yes, yes... I wish I were made of sturdier stuff. I would never have driven INTO Dublin to our hotel on arrival day. Whoa, Nelly!

I'm sure those following me were thinking, "Oh, boy. Another damned American."

@bigmike

I'm sure those following me were thinking, "Oh, boy. Another damned American."

Nah, Trust me, we cannot tell the nationality of the driver of a hire car. But we can tell a hire car driven by someone used to driving on the wrong side of the road by the positioning of the car on the road. And I am sure in places like France, Spain, Canada, and Belgium, someone used to driving on the left is obvious if you spot the signs. I just can't tell you the signs we spot as they are not consistent.

Most of the time the locals are forgiving. Though of course this is not always. I am sure I stood out with my first hire car,.

Just take your time, get to know where the controls are, how it moves. And of course if you need to spend an hour in a supermarket car park, do it. I have happy memories of trying to change the gear of a Peugeot 206 in France with the window handle, and also even in a hire car designed for French roads pulling so far to the right the passenger was saying 'pull left'

MC-Glasgow, it IS funny to have a knowledgeable perspective. Lol. But for myself, the only comparisons I could find were actually more expensive, i.e. the “big names”. I always feel like there must be better local options (used such in Croatia and Greece and doing so again in June) - but they are just harder to find online!

@Texastravelmom. Not aware of any other local companies. I think the issue is the season here is short, so it is difficult for a company to establish itself. So having a link with a car dealer makes sense, on Orkney they are linked to the local Ford dealer who have just passed 100 years as a Ford dealer.