ireland rental car tips

during our 10 day ireland road trip we rented a car. it is really the best way to see ireland! keep reading to get my ireland rental car tips. 

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why rent a car

in order to see the best sights of ireland you really need a rental car. there are bus tours that can take you to the main attractions but they don’t offer the same experience. while in ireland we did take a bus tour of northern ireland from dublin one day and enjoyed it. i would never trade our driving time throughout the rest of ireland for another bus tour. 

in order to stop whenever you want and wherever you want a rental car is a must. you will see so much more of ireland and get real local experiences. 

the one exception i have is if you are planning to stay only in dublin. dublin is a big city with a lot of traffic and public transport. if you aren’t venturing outside of dublin don’t add to your stress with a rental car. 

rental companies

the major rental companies in the us are also in ireland. there are also european and ireland specific companies. after a lot of research we ended up using budget rental. we made that decision based on price and location. we could walk to the rental car pick up from where we were staying in dublin. the total price was less than other companies we looked at. 

these two factors were all we needed to read reviews and book our rental car for our adventure!

rental insurance

in the us rental insurance is an option. often times you can even use your own insurance or insurance from your credit card you use to book. ireland is different in this regard. you are required to have basic insurance and a lot of credit card companies specifically exclude ireland from coverage. 

i highly recommend getting the full coverage insurance. this additional cost should be included when comparing prices. driving on the narrow and winding roads we found ourselves in the bushes that line the roads frequently. we didn’t have to worry about the scratches on the passenger side which was a great relief. 

driving on the left side of the road

driving on the left side of the road can be very nerve wracking! driving on the highways wasn’t too hard, but those small winding roads are stressful. 

i encourage you to make sure you have good navigation lined up and ready. you will also need a good co-pilot. i don’t know how many times nick caught me sitting waiting to turn left because i forgot it was like turning right in the states. 

when driving on narrow winding roads we always pulled our side mirrors in and saw many other drivers doing the same. 

everyone we came across was very patient and i didn’t see a single example of road rage. even if you are nervous i recommend giving driving a shot. you’d be surprised how adaptable the human brain can be. 

automatic vs manual

there is a big price difference between manual and automatic transmissions when it comes to rental cars in ireland. i have driven a manual (stick shift) car since i was 16 so i am very familiar with them. i still didn’t feel comfortable having to handle shifting with my left hand and driving on the “wrong” side of the road. 

whether you are used to driving a stick shift or not i would recommend springing for an automatic. knowing that you won’t have to remember shifting with your left hand will lighten your mental load. 

even with an automatic almost every time we got in the car my right hand instinctively reached for the gear shifter until i remembered it was on my left side now. if you can afford it, driving an automatic in a strange country while you are already on the “wrong” side of the road will only make your trip easier!

summary

renting a car is the best way to see the irish countryside. there is no better way! even if you are worried about driving on the “wrong” side of the road it will be a once in a lifetime experience. 

just be sure you get the extra insurance and have a good navigator to remove as much stress as possible and go for it! it will be an adventure you won’t forget. 

did you rent a car in ireland? do you have any other tips for car rental in ireland? share your comments below!

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