Car Rentals in Ireland

Enterprise outside the US is not the same as the domestic version. Same applies to Hertz and Avis. Once outside the US its a whole different animal. Contact your credit card company and see what insurance applies to your card. AMEX offered me a complete insurance coverage, even overseas, for a small price... i think $19.50 per rental. Lastly, check sixti.com. Its a european company, and their rates were much more competitive than the US brands, and the cars were very reliable. In Paris we got a Fiat and it was such a luxury car for 19 euros a day. They don't provide unlimited miles, so keep that in mind.

The best company to rent from is the one that gives you the best deal. You could book now, and then keep watching for better deals, canceling the first if you find something better (I've done that several times). In Ireland, also, it's important to take the "super CDW" insurance so that you have no deductible should something happen. I don't know that Enterprise has the same pickup policy abroad that they do here - no one has mentioned it. If you're going to be spending a couple of days in Dublin at the start of your trip, wait till you are leaving the Dublin area to get a car.

I believe Michelle means Sixt, not sixti.

@Michelle - AMEX rental car coverage excludes Ireland.

I've not heard anyone claim their credit card covers Ireland rental car insurance. The Super CDW is pricey but in my experience it is well worth the price. I brought back a car with a damaged side mirror and scratches on the side from driving too close to a hedge on a narrow road. All the guy did was make sure my spare tire was in good shape. Enterprise will pick you up in Edinburgh from what I've seen but never used. I'm not sure about anywhere else in the UK or the ROI. The problem I found was that you have to bring it back to the same location. They also don't work the same out of airports with the same deals. It's like it's two different companies.

I was in Ireland in June and rented from Dan Dooley car rental. You did have to be driven to get the car but that was really a good thing. It was economical and suffient for 6 of us.

We have used Dan Dooley several times and were pleased. That said, go for the one with the best deal and you really need the CDW, it is expensive but I don't know of any credit card that covers insurance in the ROi. Also be sure you reserve a car big enough for 4 people with luggage, we got a mid sized economy car and fortunately there were only 2 of us as the trunk was really small and we did not have much luggage, well I didn't but my sister did. We were also able to pick up car in Dublin (they had to drive us there) and drop off in Shannon with no extra fee. Do not need car in Dublin.

Don't know where Sun Prairie is Kathy, but a Canadian Visa (at least my TD Travel Infinite) does cover the damage excess, but you have to pay it first and then claim it back. I have never had to use it myself, but my brother-in-law brought the car back after the rental company was closed in Spain. He had done damage to the car to a minor extent, but had to leave it as there was no-one there. He had a nightmare getting his money back! The problem being he left the paperwork with the car in Spain. Saying that, he eventually did but it took 6 months or so. We are going for to Ireland for 2 weeks in September. We are useing Carhire3000. They offer an option to purchase a plan that repays your if you incur damage, so you still have to pay for the damage but then are re-embursed by them. We have never used them before, but they come very highly rated. They are a broker and so you know what kind of car, but not neccecarily which company you will get.

In 2005 I rented a car in Ireland that I booked through Auto Europe. The car was provided by Budget. At that time my World MasterCard provided CDW coverage. I didn't buy super CDW because that would have cost me extra. If I were to do it again, I probably would play it safe and buy the super CDW for the peace of mind offered by not having to pay any deductible. If you have a World MasterCard, the terms of the Master Rental Agreement will tell you if CDW coverage in Ireland is still available. Make sure you have it in writing.

Shop around. I booked with Budget in August 2011 for two weeks, and they beat the competition by at least a few hundred dollars - sometimes substantially more. Budget's standard contract fine print says that they charge in your local currency and their exchange rate is $0.05 per Euro more expensive. If you're stuck with that, make sure you factor in the extra cost. Check back periodically because the rates do change, sometimes from one day to the next. In Ireland, I pay extra for the zero deductible super CDW and enjoy the peace of mind. The roads and parking spaces are much narrower than in the states, so I think at least one parking lot ding per trip is to be expected. Some super CDWs have a 100 Euro deductible and some do not cover windshields. Most do not cover tires. Airport pick-up fees are 25-30 Euros, but most companies seem to charge the same pick-up fee for Irish centre city pick-up. "Centre city" is liberally construed and seems to apply to all of Dublin. Next time, we will just take a bus to the airport to get our car rather than take the DART and a taxi to the "centre city" rental pick-up - - it would have been cheaper. We did not experience any other fees, although there is a road tax that budget tried to charge us even though our reserved rate from the internet said it was inclusive of all government taxes. When questioned, they removed it right away. Don't be rushed at the rental counter or it could cost you! We rented a Renault Fluence, which is in Budget's Ford Mondeo class. It was a good size for two adults and three teens, but mind how much you pack. We had enough room, but only because we found out how much trunk space the car would have and practiced packing with a similar-sized car trunk at home. Ask for a diesel. We averaged 48 mpg. (Petrol and diesel are cheaper in the Republic than in the North.)

I just had a nice experience with Carhire3000. We had rented a car for 10 days with them in September. I got what I thought was a good price. We are going in another week or so and so the voucher arrived by email. Carhire3000 is a broker, and the company they sent us the voucher for was Budget. I was looking at the Budget site to see where to pick the car up and they had a little button that said "Get a Quote". I did that only to find out that it would be about 80 pounds cheaper to rent directly from Budget. I called Carhire3000 and they, without hassle or attitude, gave me a better deal than Budget would. The car is 209 pounds with all insurance. They have a product that cost about 60 pounds and what that does is reimburse you the company wants you to pay the damage excess. This is included in the 209 pounds
They were great to deal with. They get top ratings, and I think this must be why.

Carhire 3000 looks very interesting. We will be first-time visitors to Ireland next spring and are looking for a reasonably priced rental car --- but we are very concerned about insurance/CDW coverages and costs. I can find no confirmation on their website that Carhire 3000 rents to US residents/citizens; can anyone confirm this? THANKS.

Hi: I am still hoping to receive information from anyone who has rented through Carhire 3000 for Ireland rentals. . . . Last night, I called them and booked a car and purchased their "damage excess refund" insurance for 5 GBP per day. That will cover the "excess" over the basic CDW insurance that comes with the rental. Their rates would significantly less than anything I had found elsewhere. I would love to hear from anyone who has had an experience with a claim against this coverage. The booking process was smooth and pleasant; the booking itself is through Europcar. The initial quote was for a rental through Thrifty, but I know friends who very recently had a terrible experience with Thrifty at the Dublin Airport (where we will be renting), and the Europcar quote was just 2GBP more expensive. Any additional information on Carhire 3000 would be greatly appreciated.

Just curious - why is the pricing in GBP? Ireland uses the euro.

Hi: The pricing was in GBP because Carhire 3000 is in Manchester, England. They offered a quote in Euros, but it was all the same to me.