Car Rental in Scotland and Ireland

I can't think of any modern cars that only have 4 gears. Most have 5 and a very few have 6. They are laid out like this: 1 3 5 2 4 R Reverse requires you to push down (or occasionally to pull up) on the gear lever and then move it to the R position, which on many cars is where I've shown it, on others it's up near first.

We generally use Autoeurope.com when we rent in the EU. They are a consolidator based in Maine. I like their web site: you can pick and choose cars, agencies, pick-up and off points, etc., and watch the affect on your pocketbook. And you can use sites like Kayak to also find/compare rentals, call Gemut and get a quote, etc. Read the fine print! Don't forget that your VISA,AMX, etc won't cover the "excess" (the collision and theft deductable). You will have to buy that from the actual rental agency, or thru a secondary insurance company. The "stick" will be much less than an auto. We are renting a stick for our May trip to Ireland, since we are quite familiar with them.

If you can drive a stick your options in car rentals are much greater. My problem with the automatics is that you usually need to get into a much bigger car to get the automatic and given the size of the roads smaller cars are much better. There are many threads in this forum with rental car advice and recommendations to sort through. It's expensive but I would just plan on getting the super CDW and price it that way. Ireland has the highest number of accidents per capita in Europe so "extra" insurance rarely applies there. The stick pattern and pedal layout is the same so it really isn't as confusing as it seems like it might be. Your feet are the same and shifting is the same it's just the wrong hand. Roundabouts are much less common in Ireland than in England but they are really helpful once you get used to them and get used to how to talk about them while driving. "Go right kinda" is not a helpful instruction in a roundabout. Have a great trip!
=Tod

I've also used autoeurope in the past and never had a problem. The stick on the left isn't a big deal after a short time. You're gonna grind a few gears until you get used to it, and usually in front of a large crowd if you have my luck. Get a GPS as well, you'll be glad you did - road signage, in Ireland at least, leaves a bit to be desired. The gear shift pattern noted in the above post is what I've encountered each time. Have a great time!

If you routinely drive stick shift then you can drive it in the UK. If you don't then I would recommend automatic. Also, check out the info on driving in Scotland here or here. I really enjoy driving in Scotland. I love Iain Banks book Raw Spirit on whisky and Scotland and the best roads. You can buy it on Amazon. I've usually rented from Autoeurope as well. BTW you don't need the car in Edinburgh, so think about when you want to pick it up or drop it off. Pam

Hi - For rental in Ireland we used Dan Dooley, Inc. an Irish company and were very satisfied. They have a USA office which you can call. They are the only ones who give you ALL the costs upfront. go to irelandyes.com for much info on rentals and everything about Eire. Julia

Thank you all very much for the information. I will be checking all leads soon!!!

We always use www.britishcarrental.com. Great service from a (Canadian)family business. We pay the big bucks for automatic.

We returned from a trip to Scotland a few weeks ago and rented our car from a company called Green Motion. They were extremely helpful, even loaned us a good detailed map book. Their prices were very good for the 10 days we were there and they made the process simple. When we returned the car we were in and out in 10 minutes. They are very upfront with charges, no hidden fees. I would recommend the super CDW also.

John, are the a national company in Scotland or based in Edinburgh or Glasgow. We used a local company to rent a car in Orkney and it was a great experience. PAm

Thank you all for the advice. I went with AutoEurope. I checked all the leads and felt good with what I got. I did rent a Vauxhall Insignia, which is not a small car. There are four of us traveling together and I did not want to be squished in the back. We are average size people. Is this car okay for the small roads in Ireland and Scotland?

Yes, with four of you, you are wise to get a slightly larger car. It's hard to squeeze the luggage in, so pack lightly! The trunk--boot--on some of the compacts is downright petit. :) PAm