We will be car touring England, Scotland, No Ireland, & Rep of Ireland next Spring. Plan is to start out from London & end up in Dublin. I'm not sure about ferrying a rental car across the Irish sea vs dropping off in Scotland & picking up a new one in No Ireland. We'll be spending a few days in the begin & end cities, & winging it on the road after that. So, total car rental would probably be about 14 days. Any pearls of wisdom on the car rental issue, for sure, and any other aspect? Thanks
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Any time you rent in one country and drop off in another you are going to incur fees. Sometimes they can be huge. It makes much more sense to drop your car in Scotland and get another in No. Ireland. Check the situation with renting in NI and dropping off in Dublin, too. If you only wanted to see Belfast, for example, you could take the fast train to Dublin from there, then pick up another car. Without more information about your plans we can't really offer any further advice. Think about taking a budget flight from Scotland to Ireland.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
I agree with nancy. At least two cars; one for England/Scotland, a separate one for Eire
Posted by
OP
Sacramento
32 posts
Thanks much Nancy & Brian! As far as my further plans, still working them.
Posted by
Stockton, CA
152 posts
I agree with other posts. Also, shop around on the web, but consider making your reservations by phone, rather than web sites. Remember, they speak your language, sort of. Major considerations, and MUST ASK QUESTIONS: what is cost of insurance, what is cost of extra driver, is insurance for extra driver EXTRA, exactly where are the pick-up and drop-off locations, what are the opening hours of those locations? This may seem overkill, but I had some problems with our last rental in Oct. 2010. Insurance is a big issue, especially since many credit cards do not cover rentals in Ireland. If you've never driven in the UK, be aware that it is much different than in CA: drive on left, very narrow roads, poor signage. Buy a GPS, and get the software updates for UK before leaving. Renting with the car is very costly. Have fun, stay alert!
Posted by
OP
Sacramento
32 posts
Thanks for the tips Jerry. Have driven in Australia & France, so have somewhat of a feel for the conditions.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32813 posts
The six counties of Northern Ireland are not in Eire. They are part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Different nation - just like Wales and Scotland - same country.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Yes, Nigel, that's why I said she will want to check on the drop fees between NI and Ireland (Dublin), too.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32813 posts
I had seen yours, Nancy, but I believe that not all understand the difference.