Do you need to rent a car when visiting Ireland?
Ireland is a beautiful country with hundreds of acres of rolling fields, soaring cliffs coming out of the ocean, and incredibly friendly people. It’s absolutely a country worth exploring. But do you need to rent a car in Ireland? If you plan on staying in the capital of Dublin, or the nearby tourist attractions, then don’t rent a car in Ireland. There is great public transportation in Dublin. And tour buses that go from there to many of the other nearby attractions. Or even try this Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour of Dublin that we spent two days riding around on.
Get the best deal on a car rental here!
But, if you plan on leaving Dublin and want to explore a bit more of Ireland’s countryside on your own, then you’ll want to rent a car. Although there are some larger cities in Ireland, everything in between can really only be accessed by driving. If you read about our road trip around Ireland, you can learn more about some of those must-see destinations. If you’re uncomfortable driving a car in Ireland (and trust me, it is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced driver), then you also have the option to hire a driver instead.
Choosing The Right Rental Vehicle
Renting a car in Ireland is similar to renting it anywhere else in the world. But there are some differences to be aware of. There are more significant differences in driving in Ireland than there are when you rent a car in Ireland, but we’ll cover those later. The biggest things to consider are the company, the car size, manual or automatic, and gas or diesel.
Rental Car Companies
There are numerous rental car companies, including many that you’ve definitely heard of before. These include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, and Hertz. Less common car rental companies include NewWay, Sixt, Europcar, and Dooley Car Rentals. That’s just the list of what is located at the rental car center at the airport. If you have a favorite (or are a rewards member of) car rental place, I suggest you start there in your search for the perfect car rental.
Choosing The Right Sized Car
You can choose nearly any of the same sized cars that you can at most rental car companies. Ranging from little sedans to vans and trucks. But, roads are VERY narrow in Ireland, so I would recommend to rent the smallest car that will fit your group and your stuff. Just two of you with a couple of bags? Get the smallest car they offer. A bigger group of 5 or more? I would recommend you rent two small cars before I would recommend getting a van in Ireland.
Of course, we saw tour buses driving down these tiny, narrow, winding roads. So it was very possible to get large vehicles down them. But I held my breath every time a tour bus tried to squeeze past our little car on some of these back roads. You’ll also save money on gas by getting a smaller vehicle.
Choosing Between A Manual And Automatic
This is the first, and likely most important decision that you’ll need to make when you start the process to rent a car in Ireland. Ireland, like most of Europe, prefers manual cars. As such, you’ll find significantly more of them available, and at a much lower cost. But, a huge number of people, particularly Americans, don’t know how to drive a manual car.
PRO TIP: Don’t try to learn Manual while driving in Ireland.
If you currently drive a manual car or have lots of experience with one, then you could go ahead and get one. If you have a little experience but aren’t really comfortable (this is the category that I fit in), then I would still suggest an automatic car. Additionally, if you’ve never driven a manual, don’t even think about it
Pay the extra for an automatic car. Although nobody likes to pay more for something, there are enough other complications with driving in Ireland, that not feeling comfortable with the vehicle itself isn’t worth the additional hassle. The cost of an automatic over a manual cost can be greater than 100 euros.
If you’re going to get an automatic car though, request it early. Ensure that you in fact requesting an automatic car. It might be worth confirming with the car rental agency a few days before arrival that they have an automatic car reserved for you.
Choosing Between A Gas Or Diesel Vehicle
Diesel vehicles for the general public are more common in Ireland than here in the United States. But, if you get a diesel vehicle, remember that you can only put diesel fuel into it. Although diesel fuel may be cheaper at most gas stations, it’s not as common as regular gas (petrol). If you put gas in a diesel engine, you’ll ruin it, so don’t make that mistake. It could cost you a lot and insurance may not cover.
Choosing The Driver(s) for your Ireland Rental Car
Now that you have a car picked out, let’s determine the best people to drive the rental car. The two factors that you’ll want to consider are the age of your drivers and the number of drivers.
Considering The Age Of Your Drivers
Ireland generally doesn’t allow for drivers under 21 years old to rent a car. Driver’s below 25 may have additional restrictions or fees, of up to 25 euros per day. Similarly, drivers over 75 may have some restrictions or fees, but it varies by rental agency. If you fit into the categories of below 25 or above 75, take the additional time to review the requirements directly with the rental agencies. It could save you a lot of time, trouble, and money.
Determine The Number of Drivers
In Ireland, you can list up to three drivers as authorized drivers on your rental car. Each driver will need to provide a driver’s license in English. Note that, as mentioned in the age of drivers section, that drivers under 25 or over 75, there may be additional restrictions or costs. So keep that in mind when deciding who your drivers are going to be when you rent a car in Ireland.
Rent A Car In Ireland: Common Questions
What documents do I need?
You’ll need to bring your driver’s license, and it must be either in English or Irish. If your driver’s license is not in one of these two languages, you’ll need to get an International Driver’s License. An International Driver’s License is essentially a translation of your local driver’s license. If you are using your credit card insurance policy, you’ll need to bring a copy of your insurance plan that indicates that it covers rental cars in Ireland. Finally, many rental car companies want to see a return plane ticket.
Do I need a credit card to rent a car in Ireland?
Most car rental agencies require a credit card, in the name of one of the listed drivers. There are some exceptions where they will allow a debit card with a deposit, but they are rare. Remember that the credit card that you’re using to hold the reservation doesn’t need to be the card that you pay with. When you return the car, you can either pay with a different credit or debit card, or even cash in some places, although that is less commonly accepted.
Are child car seats available?
Generally, booster seats are available for children over the age of 6 months old. You may need to request a car seat or booster seat in advance when you make the reservation to rent a car in Ireland. Confirming with the rental agency a few days before arrival that they have the car seat or booster seat reservation is recommended.
Can I drive my rental car to Northern Ireland?
Most car rental agencies will let you drive your car to Northern Ireland. Remember that it’s technically a different country, so ensure that you bring your passport when crossing the border. Some car rental agencies charge a “cross-border fee” if you plan on taking the car into Northern Ireland. So check on this before renting if you plan on doing both. When you pick up the car, ensure that you tell the agent that you plan on taking it across the border.
Choosing The Right Insurance
As I’ve hinted at a few times before, the roads are narrow, and scratching the car at least once seems inevitable. As such, I would highly recommend getting the offered insurance. I generally don’t recommend car rental insurance, especially if it’s included with your credit card. This is that exception. Also worth noting is that many credit card rental insurances don’t apply to international car rentals, so you’ll want to confirm that if you plan on using that for your insurance.
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
The collision damage waiver is required for all car rentals in Ireland. Sometimes it’s referred to as “Limited Liability Insurance” (LLI). It’s normally automatically included in the base cost of every car rental. The CDW pays for damage to another person or their property if you’re in an accident that was your fault. It does not cover you, your family, or your rental car. This coverage may be included with your credit card rental coverage. If that’s the case, you can decline this insurance, but you’ll need to bring documentation from your credit card policy specifically indicating that it is covered.
Super Collision Damage Waiver (S-CDW)
Sometimes known as Excess Protection, this protects your rental car in case of an accident. Now, you often can decline this coverage, especially if your credit card rental car coverage includes this. But the rental car company will likely increase the hold on the credit card by thousands of dollars. If you don’t have that amount available on your credit card, you may not be able to rent.
Because the roads are narrow and driving on the opposite of the road can through you off, and the very high hold if you decline it, I cannot personally ever suggest not getting the S-CDW. Yeah, it costs a few hundred dollars, but the peace of mind it brings was so worth it. With the S-CDW, you’re covered for any minor damage to the car with a $0 deductible in most cases. Unless you are a very good and confident driver and have enough open credit for the significant hold on your credit card, just get the extra coverage.
Note: that this insurance does not cover your belongings, or what they deem to be intentional or negligent damage. Such as scratching the roof and trying to drive under something with a marked clearance. It also may not cover theft of the vehicle, so it’s worth clarifying with the rental agent what is or is not covered.
Pre-Trip Rental Car Inspection
Regardless of what type of insurance you choose, always do a pre-trip inspection. Do a full walk around of the car and look for any damage. Scrapes, dents, paint chips, etc. Take pictures of anything you find. Ensure that your date/time stamp is on for your photos, and ideally the location as well. It’ll make proving that this was pre-existing damage easier. Same with the inside of the car. Don’t forget to check the back seat and trunk. Finally, start the car and ensure that the fuel gauge matches what the contract says you should have. Look for any warning lights that come on as well. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to the rental car agency BEFORE you leave the lot.
Potential Additional Fees To Renting A Car In Ireland
Just when you thought that renting a car in Ireland was expensive enough, there are additional fees to consider. Although most of these are pretty common to rent a car anywhere, it’s worth a quick mention. Although you can get out of some of these fees, some are inevitable.
GPS Fees
When you rent a car in Ireland, they will often offer you a GPS unit. Some are one-time fees, whereas some charge a daily fee for each day that you use them. On our recent road trip to Ireland, we considered this, but instead got a data plan for our phone and used Google Maps. It worked out great!
Cross-Border Fees
If you plan on crossing the border into Northern Ireland, there may be an additional fee for that. In our research, we found several that charge it and several that don’t. We didn’t venture across the border during our road trip, but if you think you might keep an eye out for that fee and decide if another rental agency may be cheaper for you.
Don’t want to head to Northern Ireland? Head to Cork! Check out all the fun things to do in Cork.
Airport Fees
Most rental car agencies charge a little extra for picking up a car at the airport. We found that in most cases this was just added directly to the initial base price of the rental, but we did find that it was added separately in one agency. The only way to avoid this is to get your car somewhere off-airport. Since we were spending one day in Dublin before starting our road trip, picking up a rental car in Dublin just before we left was easier and cheaper.
Tolls
There are currently eleven toll roads in Southern Ireland, and none in Northern Ireland. Most accept cash or debit/credit cards. Some roads did toll by plate and you were required to pay the fee online. There are a few that require cash only, so it’s worth keeping some euros handy for those. Tolls were reasonable overall, even during a road trip that hit most big cities within Southern Ireland.
Admin Fees
There are some additional fees that range between 5 euros to 30 euros for things like using a credit card, declining CDW or S-CDW, getting a one-way rental, or adding an additional driver. These vary widely between car rental agencies, so look them up before choosing a car. Although they aren’t a lot, they can add up if there are a number of them.
Gas (Known as Petrol) or Refueling Fees
You’ll be expected to return the car with the same amount of fuel that was in it when you picked it up. So, plan on stopping by somewhere and getting some petrol before returning the car. There are plenty of places near the Dublin airport if that’s where you are heading to drop off the car. Not filling up the car will result in refueling fees, in addition to the cost of the gas to return the car to the pickup amount.
Tips for Driving in Ireland
After you rent a car in Ireland, let’s quickly review some tips that you’ll want for driving in Ireland.
If you’re going to go driving around Ireland, might we suggest making these stops for some incredible food?
Important Irish Driving Laws
Driving on the Left Side of the Road
This is one of the most challenging things about learning to drive in Ireland. As an American, I had never driven on the left and was concerned about how hard it would be to learn without causing an accident.
It was easy. When you first leave the car rental center at the airport, you’re directed onto a number of one-way streets, so you can’t get it wrong. Then onto highways. Although it looks odd to have the traffic on my right, it quickly felt normal. During our road trip, we did everything from major highways to little tiny roads that were too small to have a number or name.
I only really had a few things that I really needed to think about when driving on the left side of the road.
Overall, I quickly became comfortable with driving on the left side of the road and had no real issues with it. But, the narrow roads? That’s a different story.
Narrow Winding Roads
When we started researching driving to Ireland, I was mostly worried about driving on the left side of the road. But over and over we found more people stressing their concerns with the narrow roads. They weren’t kidding.When you’re driving around a road that seems to barely fit your car, and you’re approaching another car at 50k/m, it got tense.
If your immediate thought is that you’ll just pull into the shoulder to give yourself more space, you’ll be unpleasantly surprised to learn most roads don’t have shoulders. There is a fence, wall, or even buildings within inches of the edge of the road. There were plenty of times when I was shocked that I didn’t lose my mirror from a passing car. My wife also thought we were about to crash into a wall or fence on the side of the road a few times. It was a delicate balance. I can say that I was glad to have the zero deductible insurance coverage.
Miles Per Hour (MPH) vs Kilometers Per Miles (KPM)
In the United States, we generally commonly use miles per hour (MPH) to track our speeds. We also see distances in miles. In Southern Ireland, they use kilometers per hour (KPH) for speeds and kilometers for distances. Although we never needed to translate it because the vehicle was also in KPM. There were enough signs indicating how far away exits on the highway were, for example, that we didn’t really need to know how many miles away it was. An important note is that Northern Ireland uses MPH and Miles, so keep that in mind if you decide to cross the border.
Slow Lanes & Fast Lanes
Similar to most highways around the world, there are often passing lanes for the faster cars. Ireland, as expected, has them too, just remember that everything is the opposite. Unlike the United States, the passing lanes are on the right, with the slowest lanes being the ones on the left.
Using A Roundabout
Ireland loves their roundabouts. You can go through a dozen of them driving through a town. We even found places in which large roundabouts were on highways. The process of navigating the roundabouts is the same as in the United States with one critical difference, you enter the roundabout and go to the left (clockwise). If you’re taking the first or second exit, stay in the outside lane (furthest left) and if you’re taking the third or greater exit, stay in the right-hand lane. Keep an eye out for traffic entering and leaving the circle, and keep in mind that a vehicle inside of the roundabout already gets priority over those entering the roundabout.
Navigating Ireland
As we mentioned above, car rental folks will offer to sell you a GPS, but you don’t really need it. We used Google Maps or Apple Maps for our road trip and had no issues with it. We went to some very remote places with it without a problem. If you need to get a data plan for your phone, we would recommend Airalo E-Sims.
Many roads didn’t seem to have a name, just a number. Most street signs are in both English and Irish, so they were generally easy to understand in conjunction with the Google Maps instructions.
If you’re heading to Ireland, here are some tips and tricks you’ll need to know for the best vacation experience.
Roadway Labeling
The roads generally start with a letter and then a number. The letter tells you what kind of road you are on, whereas the number is the number of the road as you’ll find on Google Maps or directions to places.
If you do cross into Northern Ireland, just note that they use “M” for Motorway, and then “A” and “B” for Primary and Non-Primary roads. Motorways are one-way traffic, but secondary roads generally have two-way traffic.
Toll Roads in Ireland
There are currently eleven toll roads in Southern Ireland, and none in Northern Ireland. Most accept cash or debit/credit cards. There are a few that require cash only, so it’s worth keeping some euros handy for those.
An important note: the M50 around Dublin is a “barrier-free toll road,” which means that cameras and sensors track your use and keep track of your bill. You MUST pay your bill before 8 PM the following day or the bill increases. You can pay online, via an app, or at gas stations with a PayZone sign. There is also a pay station at the airport if you’re dropping off there. Note: that the website version doesn’t tell you the total of what you owe, it just asks you to pay what you think you owe. So, keep track of those tolls as you pass them to ensure that you’re paying the correct amount.
Gas (petrol) in Ireland
Gas stations, known locally as petrol stations, were plentiful. The process for purchasing petrol was very similar to purchasing gas in the United States. The most significant difference is that prices are in euros per liter, and the pump measures gasoline pumped in liters. Gas prices, like here in the United States, varied greatly depending on company, location, and ease of access to the station. For example, those petrol stations near the highway in Dublin were more expensive than those in rural areas of Ireland.
Traffic Lights in Ireland
The cities and larger towns have traffic lights. The traffic lights similarly match what we are used to in the United States.
What to do if you get in an accident with a rental car in Ireland?
If you’re in an accident, first assess if there are injuries or dangers, such as fire. If you need emergency assistance, call 999 or 112 to reach the police dispatch. Otherwise, look at the key fob or car rental agreement to see if they have a phone number to call for roadside assistance. They should be able to assist you with getting the car picked up and assigning you a new rental car for the remainder of your vacation.
What do you do if your rental car breaks down in Ireland?
Similar to the accident scenario above, look at the key fob or car rental agreement to see if they have a phone number to call for roadside assistance. Ideally, they can send somebody out who can make the repairs immediately, otherwise, they’ll need to tow it to a shop and assign you a new rental.
What do the “N” and “L” stickers on cars in Ireland mean?
We wondered this too as we were driving around Ireland, so we’re adding this question as a bonus. It’s not something that you’ll need to worry about when you rent a car in Ireland, but you will commonly see it on vehicles while you’re driving around. If you stop at a gas station, you can often find the vehicle stickers for sale.
Wrapping Up: Renting & Driving a Car in Ireland
Wow, we’ve covered a lot about renting and driving a car in Ireland. But I want to first stress that it’s not that challenging as long as you are a generally comfortable driver. I would stick to the bigger, main roads and highways whenever possible, avoid driving at night or in torrential downpour. Only get a manual car if you’re really comfortable with one. Once you’ve been driving for an hour or so, it starts to feel more natural. Renting a car doesn’t feel that much different than renting it in most other places in the world. Just note that the names and amounts of fees can vary greatly.
There are so many beautiful places to visit in Ireland that I highly recommend renting a car in Ireland and going on a road trip. Take your time, enjoy the incredible landscapes, and meet the friendly people of Ireland.
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