Ireland - Rental Car Insurnace

When I rented a car in Ireland in 2005, my MasterCard DID provide coverage. Shortly after that things changed. While I can't verify it for sure, I believe that the only card that still provides coverage in Ireland is the WORLD MasterCard, not any platinum MasterCard. If you have that card, check your Master Rental Agreement.

I doubt that you'll find a credit card that covers Ireland anymore. Even if you do, be cautious. Mine claimed to cover me, too, until I had a little scrape. Then they told me that my credit limit (not available credit) was insufficient to qualify for the insurance -- though they knew my limit when they told me I was covered before the trip. Super CDW is a smaller price to pay than what I had to pay when the credit card insurance declined payment.

Do you guys take out Travel Insurance? Most of the Travel Insurance covers taken out in Oz cover you for the Car Hire Insurance/Excess.

When we dropped our car off last week in Ireland, I was told Gold Mastercard would have taken care of insurance (by the man working at Hertz where we rented the car). FYI, it cost me about $400 USD to pick the little car up in Shannon and drop it off at Nock airport 3 days later (less than 72 hrs)- including a prepaid tank of gas, which came in handy.

Jennifer, you got robbed! On my last trip to Ireland I rented a car from Irish Car Rental and paid 90 euro for 5 days (2006)! I picked the car up and dropped it off at Shannon. On a previous trip in 2004 I paid about 120 euro for five days, picking up and dropping off in Dublin. Knock airport isn't that far from Shannon, either. I've also picked a car up from Shannon and dropped it off in Dublin after a week at nowhere near the cost you incurred. If you take the car back full of gas, you get the fuel charge back (you paid for it up front).

As for insurance, Gold Mastercard no longer covers Ireland.

always rent by the week. Even if you used it for 4 days it's much cheaper. My AE card insures me in Ireland.

Steve, I'd be interested to see the details of how your AE covers you in Ireland. My credit card agreement with AE specifically excludes Ireland and when I called them, they verified the information. I have a Gold AE card. Do you have a Platinum one?

Nancy,
Yes, feels like highway robery...the car was nothing to rent but the tax, drop off fee (different airport), collision, CDW etc added up.
I believe they did charge me the cheapest/weekly rate for the car but might have also charged me the weekly rate for insurance, too (daily would have been alot cheeper). Also, I accidentally signed up for the theft (and personal?) protection...wasn't thinking when I initialled everthing. Just said "yes" to insurance and signed away.
I made a claim a few days ago. It will take another week to hear back from Hertz in Ireland just in case they did charge me the weekly instead of daily rate for insurance. I did use most of the gas, though. Normally I wouldn't pre-pay gas but it came in handy the week before in England. Bye the way, in England it was $814 for 5 days (definitely charged me weekly insurance instead of daily). I have a claim for this, too, because I KNOW it should have only been about $500/week.

Wow, I guess I've really been spoiled! I have never paid remotely that much -- but I have always rented from an Irish company, not an American one, in Ireland.

I was recently told by Capital One that the World MasterCard does cover Ireland. I believe this only covers collision. Is there separate insurance for liability?

Liability coverage is provided by the car rental company.