Choosing to hire a car on your trip to Ireland is a smart choice. The country is easy to navigate, with twists and turns that reward exploration and spending a little extra time and effort.
However, driving in Ireland can bring its own challenges, especially since some of the roads are small and winding. Insurance is essential, and you might need more than what comes as standard with your rental. It is always a smart move to get in touch with local broker like the AA Car Insurance Ireland to have different quote for rental car cover. It saves money and helps a lot at the time of claim.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about renting a car in Ireland.
Know what time you’re landing and leaving
Step one is always to know when you hit the ground, especially if you’re hiring your car from the airport.
Remember to add some time to your itinerary when picking up a rental car. If you’re landing in Dublin, it can take upwards of an hour to run through the necessary checklist and get rolling, especially if there are multiple other people all looking to pick up or drop off their cars.
Shannon is significantly smaller and less busy, so expect a smaller queue, and commensurately smaller time.
If you’re hiring a car from a non-airport source, make note of their opening hours and be sure to leave adequate time.
Understand that you might not need a car for all of your trip
Spending time in Dublin might mean that a car isn’t necessary, as it’s highly urbanised with huge amounts of public transport options.
Staying elsewhere, make sure that you’ve got parking facilities. Nothing worse than hiring a car only to have to pay out a second time for parking.
Choosing the company
All the major companies operate in Ireland. When choosing a car rental company, there’s no major reason to choose one over another, so it’s much more personal.
Instead, you could choose based on these criteria:
- First, and most obviously, price. Some companies might be offering promotions or other deals on the dates you need
- Some rental companies offer bonuses for members, business rates or credit card bookings
- Availability. Depending on where you’re landing and your age, you might have better options.
Choosing a car
The best rule of thumb when choosing a hire car is to choose the absolute smallest vehicle you can.
The main reason for this is running costs. Compared to places like the US, petrol (gas) is much more expensive, as it’s heavily taxes. As of writing, petrol in Ireland is currently €1.44 per litre.
A smaller car will cost less to run, as well as being cheaper overall.
Remember that you’re taking luggage as well as people. Smaller cars tend to have less luggage space, and fitting four suitcases into a hatchback with your whole family inside is basically impossible.
Get your insurance
If you’ve never hired a car in Ireland, you might be surprised to know that excess insurance, sometimes called CDW insurance, is an absolute necessity.
This is because the vast majority of roads in Ireland are small and winding. Apparently, at times upwards of 90% of rental cars have returned with some form of minor cosmetic damage.
Irish car rental insurance terms
- Limited Liability Insurance
Every car has to have LLI when driven in Ireland, ad it’s always rolled into your rental quote.
This type of insurance covers the other driver in the case of a collision, but not your vehicle if you are at fault.
- Collision Damage Waiver
This is ‘additional’ insurance, but in the case of hiring a car in Ireland, it’s almost always worth it.
It covers damage to your vehicle and costs incurred, as well as theft, minus an excess or deductible.
It’s generally better to purchase your insurance before you fly, as for one, it will be cheaper, two, you’re covered as soon as you hit the ground and three, you’ll be out the door and ready to enjoy your holiday that much quicker.
- Other considerations
You might be offered a refuelling option. If so, buying it can save you money in the long run, as you can return the car without having to fill her up again.
Remember that the M50 motorway around Dublin is a toll road, and there are 8 other active toll roads in the country. Your rental might add the charges to your bill automatically, but you might also be required to pay them manually. It’s worth knowing which.
When picking up and dropping off your car, take photos of it from all angles, as further proof of condition, in case there’s damage that has been missed and is blamed on you.
Remember to clear the car out, and if possible give it a quick spruce up inside before you hand it back, to avoid cleaning costs.
By following these tips, you’re guaranteed to have a great holiday, with the minimum of fuss. Ireland is a gorgeous country, and there’s no better way to see it than from the comfort and convenience of the inside of your own vehicle.