Renting a car in Ireland appears to be a fairly confusing and expensive process. Can anyone recommend an approach that renders the process a bit less daunting ? Thanks, Gerry
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Hi Gerry,
Everyone here has opinions about best companies to rent from, and deals change all the time. I usually rent from Irish Car Rentals (www.eirecar.com). When I have rented, they have had the best rates. But it's good to go ahead and rent somewhere when you find what you think is a good price, and then keep watching. There is no penalty for canceling a car reservation, so you can switch later if you find something better.
The Super CDW insurance is something I would definitely recommend, particularly if you have never driven on the left before.
You might have to try several companies if you are looking for an automatic -- most tend to have stick shifts. Also, keep in mind that roads can be narrow, so take the smallest car you think you can manage in (but remember your luggage has to fit, too).
Posted by
Poulsbo, WA, USA
147 posts
Use the internet. There are net deals from time to time, and there's a big difference between daily and weekly rates. Remember to compare apples to apples, but depending on how long and when you travel, you can get a small vehicle for as little as $20 a day by the week
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Check AutoEurope, a consolidator that finds you the best rate from among the companies with which it has contracts. You can book online, but it's good to call their toll-free number and ask about specials that may not appear on the Web site.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
A few weeks ago we booked a minivan with Hertz VIA THE RYANAIR website. It was €130 per week plus some €70 extra insurance which we paid upon pick-up for a non-deductable CDW - which we wouldn't have needed at all. Anybody can rent with Hertz thru ryanair.com. It's not limited to Ryanair customers. Ryanair makes lots of money on commission for those Hertz cars so they incourage anybody to use their rates!
Posted by
DeWitt, MI, USA
199 posts
It's really no big deal. You might try Alamo as well as AutoEurope and the others. In September we are picking up an Alamo car in Belfast, N. Ireland, and dropping it 8 days later at Shannon Airport in the Republic of Ireland. This is actually a rental between two countries, the UK and Ireland, but it is very reasonable. Our World MasterCard will cover collision damage.