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Driving in Ireland can be an adventure, especially if you’re a right-side-of-the-road driver! I would like to start this topic because I have a story about that.
When we landed in Dublin, we were fortunate to have Noel Treanor (was bearded) pick us up and tour us through Dublin. I recommend this if you can talk Noel into it. But when we were going to tour more of Ireland we needed our own car. We picked our car up at Avis in Dublin City Center and eventually dropped it off at the airport. Different pick-up and drop-off locations can be confusing if you’re going through a third-party car-hire service. We tried to use carental.com, which was very accommodating but had trouble with this. They can find you a good deal if you’re picking up and dropping off at the airport, but otherwise they have trouble coordinating this.
Our credit card offered their international Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver benefit, which saved us some money. We almost purchased that from RentalCover.com, $126.56 for $79,100 coverage just to give you an idea. That covered theft and vandalism and was technically called Loss Damage Waiver. RentalCover says if you pick this up at the rental desk, you may be getting this with an “excess limit,” which means you are responsible for some of the damage. We did not go this way, so I can’t be sure. Be sure to get a letter from your credit card company saying they have you covered! We needed that letter at the counter.
We have since picked up an umbrella policy from our homeowners insurance, and that covers the liability insurance part of your rental. That will be good for our Gathering ’21.
We drove all over Ireland, first through New Ross (for the Famine ship), then Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork, Killnarney, Birr (for the castle), and Monaghan. I recommend designating a driver assist. My dear spouse reminded me what to do at every approaching turn or traffic circle, which sounds annoying but I really liked it. “You’re turning right, so look first to your right, then left, then go to the other side of the road.” A quick Hail Mary and we made it. On a Ring of Kerry bus tour we came across what the driver recognized as a rental car that had been totaled. The driver side was crushed and it looked like it had pulled out to make a right turn. This is the too-common way things go bad. Sorry to be a downer.
Our Nissan Juke was great. Good gas mileage, unlimited miles, smooth, and enough room for two people and 10-day’s worth of luggage. $550 for the 10 days. Confirming the credit card purchase at the desk with an iffy connection to my email was tricky. See if you can get onto their wi-fi before you start the transaction, if that’s how your credit card will confirm the transaction.
I recommend getting as small of a car as you fit into (with your luggage). If you’re used to driving in the States, you’ll notice that the minor roads are no wider than absolutely necessary, and the roadside foliage is self trimmed by the traffic driving by (especially noticeable on the Ring of Kerry). More than once I tried to make myself smaller to help the car fit through where we were driving.
The car we had was a smallish (by U.S. standards) Opel SUV and just could fit 3 people plus luggage. I really wouldn’t have wanted anything larger, and would have preferred something smaller if possible.
Good idea about the umbrella policy on your homeowner’s insurance! I’ll have to look into that. The car rental cost wasn’t too bad, but the insurance was expensive.
We didn’t always have the best of luck navigating with Google Maps. It usually worked, but sometimes took us to a completely incorrect location. Does anyone know if another app works better in Ireland?
I recommend getting as small of a car as you fit into (with your luggage). If you’re used to driving in the States, you’ll notice that the minor roads are no wider than absolutely necessary, and the roadside foliage is self trimmed by the traffic driving by (especially noticeable on the Ring of Kerry). More than once I tried to make myself smaller to help the car fit through where we were driving.
The car we had was a smallish (by U.S. standards) Opel SUV and just could fit 3 people plus luggage. I really wouldn’t have wanted anything larger, and would have preferred something smaller if possible.
Good idea about the umbrella policy on your homeowner’s insurance! I’ll have to look into that. The car rental cost wasn’t too bad, but the insurance was expensive.
We didn’t always have the best of luck navigating with Google Maps. It usually worked, but sometimes took us to a completely incorrect location. Does anyone know if another app works better in Ireland?
We’ve always rented a car in Dún Laoghaire because it is so much more affordable than the airport. My brother-in-law lived in Dún Laoghaire and was happy to pick us up at the airport. He’s moved to Arklow, so probably not an option this trip! I’m looking for suggestions for a car hire closer to the airport that would be an easy taxi or Uber trip to get to. Or, is renting at the airport my best bet? Thanks!
Hi Angela
We are looking forward to seeing you in Monaghan
The experience of my family when they come home from the UK on visits is that the car hire at the airport is comparatively cheap. The main issue to be sure of, as Scott points out is to ensure you have the right insurance, as buying from the vendor may be expensive.
If there are a good many people arriving together, the cheapest option may be to hire a minibus (with a driver of course) to pick you up at the airport. If this is an option for you, we can assist with arrangements
regards
Noel
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