My husband and I are travelling to Ireland for 10 days in June. We will be going from Belfast, to the Antrim Coast, to Dublin, to Galway. We are planning to rent a car for the duration of the trip. There is just two of us, but I have been reading that compact cars are EXTREMELY compact. We will obviously have some luggage with us, so is it advisable to go with at least a midsized car? Also, should I expect to be hit with very large rental fees once I get the car at the airport? If so, how much? Thanks!
Posted by
Bellingham, WA, USA
94 posts
Probably the biggest cost for car rentals in Ireland is the insurance which is required and many (most) credit cards do not cover car rental insurance in Ireland (among a few other countries). I would first check with your credit card companies and be sure to specify that you will be in Ireland. For example, neither American Express nor Bank of America VISA cards will cover Ireland. The daily rate the rental car companies charge is really high. I got around this by buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy for my trip that included car rental insurance and brought along a copy of the policy as proof for when I picked up my car. When I rented last year, I took the next category up from economy but not up to mid-sized even though I was traveling my myself because I wanted to be sure I have enough room in the trunk (boot) for my luggage as leaving any in the back seat would make car risk to theft. The smallest economy cars have very little trunk space. That said having a small car is very handy on those very narrow, at times, Irish roads. I would check with a variety of websites and companies to get rates as they vary greatly. Also ask if they will guarantee vehicle size. I had a great problem with Hertz at Dublin Airport as they wanted to switch me to a large vehicle which would have been hell on the narrow roads I was planning on driving.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
I have driven in Ireland four times, twice alone, and twice with one other person in my car. In all cases, I took the smallest possible car (last time it was an Opel 4-door) and it was plenty of room. Take the smallest car you can fit yourselves and your luggage into. Since you will be driving in the countryside, you will appreciate the smaller size on the narrower roads. Shop around on the internet and take whoever gives you the best deal. Then continue to shop - you never know what else can come up, and you can easily cancel one and take the other. Many companies have US tollfree numbers if you have questions. Oh, and don't bother with credit card insurance. Virtually all cards prohibit coverage in Ireland, and even if they say they cover it, they may not if push comes to shove.