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Renting a car in Ireland is NOTHING like renting a car in the United States.  One of the most complicated and confusing aspects of planning a trip to Ireland is the process of renting a car.  I have rented a lot of cars at this point and had lots of experiences both good and bad.  You don’t want your amazing and thoroughly planned trip to Ireland ruined by worrying about the fine print when you rent a car, so read on!

Renting a car at the airport

Your first decision is where you will pick up and drop off your car.  If you are flying into Dublin Airport and plan on visiting Dublin first, you probably are better off waiting to rent your car until you are ready to leave Dublin.  Dublin has a good bus system and plenty of taxis.  Most accommodations are unlikely to have free parking for you (though it is worth checking) especially the closer you are to the city centre.  My personal preference is to fly into Shannon as the airport is far less busy and the driving is much, much less stressful.  When renting at an airport you should expect to pay an airport surcharge (this also might be true if you rent a car in Dublin City). So, if you don’t need a car right away you should consider renting from a location in town and saving some money on those days you wouldn’t drive the car.

Finding the best price for a rental car

There are a lot of different companies to choose from when renting a car in Ireland.  Most of the American companies also rent cars in Europe.  At the moment Dublin Airport has the following choices: Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Budget, Dooley and Sixt.  Shannon has Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Dooley, and Europcar.  Dan Dooley is an Irish company and has lots of satisfied American customers as well as a toll-free phone number in the US.  I personally have only used Avis both at Shannon and Dublin airports as well as Donegal airport.  Avis has always had the best price for what I wanted, but you should check all of the companies before committing.  I also recommend that when renting from an American company you check the prices on their Irish website (if using Avis.com, also check Avis.ie).  I have found that the price has been different on the two different sites every time.  The Irish quote also will include all of the mandatory items (such as CDW), while the American quote usually does not and might give you a false impression of being drastically cheaper.

Selecting which car to rent

The roads in Ireland are of good quality, but are not as wide as the equivalent road in North America.  I strongly recommend you rent the smallest car you can manage.  My personal favorite is the Opal Corsa.  The size is easy to manage even on a small rural road.  This car only will hold one suitcase and another smaller bag in the trunk (boot) though.  Even though Ireland is a wonderful place, if your bags are in view you are inviting theft.

With the family (two adults and two children) we have been hiring a Nissan Qashqui which you can guarantee on booking with Avis (this is the main reason I have used Avis lately).  I find it very helpful to know exactly what size trunk (boot) we will have when packing.  As far as I know Avis is the only company that will guarantee you a specific car at this time.

Since most Americans now own automatic transmissions in their cars, it is important to know that if you cannot drive a manual transmission (stick-shift) it will cost you.  The cheaper quotes will all be for a manual. Automatic transmission cars are limited and thus will cost you extra.  If you are used to driving a manual transmission at home, it is not a big transition to the Irish car as the pedals are the same and only the gear shift will be “backwards”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s the story with car insurance?

This is confusing very confusing for North Americans.  When pricing your cars, if the prices are significantly different it is likely because they do not include the same insurance coverage in the quotes.  All car hires in Ireland are required to include Basic Collision Damage Waiver with the rental, but not all online quotes include this in the price.  Most of the time this also includes Theft insurance (covering theft of the vehicle).  Make sure to read the Terms and Conditions of each company to ensure you know what you are getting.  Avis’s basic quote (on avis.ie) includes: Collision Damage Insurance, Theft Protection, Third Party Insurance, Premium Location Fee (if applicable) and unlimited free mileage.

Some credit cards will cover you (as in North America), but not all so you need to make sure that Ireland and/or Northern Ireland are included with your card.  If you opt for this route you need to decline all of the rental company’s coverages.  You then deal directly with your credit card on any claims.  The downside to this is that the car company will place a “hold” on your credit card for as much as €5000.  In addition you will need a “letter of coverage” from your credit card that is no more than 28 days old.  Keep in mind that the rental company does not have to accept your insurance, so I recommend that you call ahead to avoid any bleary-eyed surprises on the other side of the ocean.  The rental company will also charge you an “Administration Fee” if you decline their insurance (about €30 usually).

Optional Insurances

It is not unlikely for your car to have some marks on it when you return the car.  There are many hedges that line the scenic roads throughout Ireland and these alone are enough to scratch the paint on your car.  There are also stone walls (which might be within a foot of the edge of the road) and many other things that are normal in Ireland but not in North America.  While unlikely to significantly damage your car, you could do everything correctly and still end up with scratch marks on your car.  For this reason, many people (including myself) enjoy the peace of mind that comes with Super CDW (sometimes called “Excess”).  If you get Super CDW with Avis it does cover tire (tyre) damage, but not windshield (windscreen) damage.  Some companies do not include tyre coverage, but you can find this information in the Terms & Conditions on their website.

Summary:

• Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection are required by law – make sure your quote includes them
• Third Party Liability covers damage you cause to people or property
• Personal Injury (sometimes called Personal Accident) covers any medical expenses to you or your passengers
• Road Hazzard Insurance covers tyres (tires), wheels and glass
• Super CDW covers most likely events and is usually about €20 or €25 per day (this typically can only be arranged at the desk in Ireland)

Other Important Things to Keep In Mind

• Pay attention to whether your car uses Diesel or Petrol (what Americans call gasoline).  If you put in the incorrect fuel you are responsible for any damage.
• There will be fees for any extra drivers, if you return to the car to a different location than the original rental site, some charge to enter Northern Ireland and most companies do not allow you to take the car off the island.
• You might need to be 25 in order to rent a car and some companies are reluctant to rent to someone who is over 75 unless you can show that you are a regular driver at home.
• Remember that the Irish use a different dating format than North America.  For example, June 10, 2009 is written like this in America: 6/10/09.  In Ireland it is written like this: 10/6/09.
• You don’t need Air Conditioning.  In your car or hotel.  On the news if the weather reaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit it is labeled in red the same way it would be here if it was 90 degrees.
• If you are a good, safe driver in North America you will do fine driving in Ireland.  Just don’t rush and let the locals go by you if they want to drive faster than you.

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