I'm heading over to Ireland in September and plan to rent a car. I'm very curious about EuropeByCar (www.europebycar.com) but know NOTHING about this consolidator. Not sure if it's a legit business or one which I'd regret using.
Can anyone share with me their experiences with this company and/or suggest other companies to use that are ECONOMICAL?
Many thanks!
Mary
I am also going in September and am using them. They were recommended by the person at Rick Steves I had a phone consult with to plan my trip. I pray they are legit!
My sister and I are going in September also - we are trying to determine the same thing....also do all the companies rent gps units?
I used Irish Car Rentals. They have a US toll free number to call and you talk to someone on the phone to get everything reserved. It used to be "Ann" -- but don't know now. She is very helpful and will answer all questions promptly.
I use Irish Car Rentals, too.
Auto Europe has worked well for me, in both Ireland and France.
Had the worst experience ever with Irish Cr Rentals. Ever. (they had no cars, and am still waiting 2+ months out for my refund). Please see my reply on your other post.
Check out Auto Europe. They are a broker, but still offer the best deals from what I could find. Easy to reserve, pick/drop off very easy. If you do get a car it was worth it to us to get the Super Collision Waiver Insurance, peace of mind and a few extra bucks made for a great trip!
Another vote for Auto Europe. Great web site that provides you with all of your alternatives and how many people / how much baggage each can handle.
Thanks to everyone for your input!!
I will be checking out Auto Europe's website this morning and compare with Europe By Car.
Please send along more suggestions if you have them. I'll be booking my car this week.
Mary
Make sure you check whats included and excluded in the rate you're given on any website. For example AutoEurope's basic rate excludes CDW and theft protection where this would be included as standard on other websites quotes. Make sure you are comparing apples with apples!
We went with Hertz.ie, it was competitive because when you added in the cost of the CDW to the rental, it came out cheaper. We did have to wait for our automatic but that is the price of traveling at the height of the season.
Anyone use Dan Dooley? They seem more expensive, but guarantee "no hidden fees" and their Excess CDW seems a little easier to calculate. But not sure. Anyone?
I used Enterprise...great service.
We have used Hertz in Dublin on four occasions. Have been extremely satisfied.
RE Car Rentals in Ireland: A word of caution; If you have paperwork for any kind of internet reservation for a rental car, make 3 copies...one to show the rental car company, one to keep with you and your important paperwork on the trip, and one on file at home. We presented our only copy at the rental desk and didn't get it back. Also presented our only copy of the rental contract, when returning the car, and also failed to ask for it to be returned. If possible, get a copy made (internet cafes sometimes have copy machines available) of that original contract and keep separate in a safe place. Our credit card statement just arrived, and there are $400.00 of extra charges on our world mastercard (yes I declined CDW with a signature on the contract) $400 more than what I specifically remember after carefully reading the contract prior to signing it when doing the original paperwork at the rental car counter. I made this reservation thru priceline.com, and have asked them for help in retrieving a copy of the original documents. So far they have only sent a standard form letter that was not helpful in resolving this. Also sent the rental car company an email, requesting a copy of the original contract that I signed. Got an email back with an invoice that looked foreign to me and had all kinds of charges that looked totally different than I remember signing. I blame this whole mess on a trans-continental flight from PDX to NYC, a 7 hour layover, and then a trans-Atlantic flight, that left us very jet lagged and not thinking clearly. This was our 2nd trip to Ireland, and the car rental process went flawlessly the 1st time, and I let my guard down this time, despite the warnings on various websights about the many scams the rental car companies in Ireland are getting away with....again be warned! (It wasn't EuropeByCar) Dan
I've been to Ireland three times and used Dan Dooley every time. They were very easy to deal with (I've always flown in to Shannon Airport) and have a US number to call to talk to a real person. I had a good experience at the rental counter at Shannon all three times and would use them again in a heartbeat. I don't know if they are the cheapest but there were no surprises when I got my credit card bill so that was important to me. Have a great time in Ireland. I'm going to England/Scotland the last of September and hope that I have as wonderful a time as I always have in Ireland which is my most favorite place on Earth (that I've been to anyway).
