Ireland Travel Answers

Try this one: http://www.autoeurope.it/

Car hire is tightly regulated in Ireland. You need not worry about that aspect, so simply google to find firms and get quotes, then choose the most convenient for you. Genrally, national companies are cheaper than multi-national ones.

We rented with Avis. Five days cost us a little under260. I thought this was pretty reasonable.

We rented a Hertz from the US, took awhile to find us an automatic when we got there. Be sure and make note of all the bumps and bruises the car has, they tend to get beat up on those narrow country roads. Goner

Yes, you do have to be very careful driving on narrow roads anywhere. The car doesn't bump itself! It is sensible to walk round any hire car with the agent before you take it away. Usually they have a sheet (which you sign) where any pre-existing dents/scratches/other damage are already noted. If you want an automatic you should book well in advance, as they are fairly uncommon in Ireland (and the UK).

Speaking of automatic vs manual gear shift..... While surfing Irish car hire sites, I realized that renting automatic cars cost at least double the same model's manual version. My own car is a manual one, so theoretically there is no reason to rent an automatic. However.....the driver's seat in Ireland is on the right side of the car due to the driving on the left side of the road, whereas I am from a right-side-of-the-road country. I would appreciate hearing from those with first-hand experience, whether it would be more prudent to rent an automatic, rather than to try and shift gears with my left hand (I'm right-handed as well).

It is definitely more prudent to drive an automatic when one is not familiar with the area and the driving on the other side of the road is not what you're accustomed to. This is not to say that a manual is not doable. We rented a stick shift just because, like you said, it was cheaper, and that also we had driven on the other side of the road when we lived in Japan years ago. However, it would have made the driving easier if we had an automatic. One does not have to concentrate on shifting with the left hand while trying to figure out how to go around the MANY roundabouts right outside the Dublin airport. :) Once you're out in the country, where there are few cars on the road, you may forget which side you're supposed to be on until you see a car driving on the lane you're on. This happened to me after I had just come out of a parking lot. My husband had to remind me which side I should be on, and vice versa. Automatic, if the extra cost does not matter that much.

Thanks. I think I'll post my question as a new thread to get more feedback.

I thought I had enough to worry about sitting on the wrong side of the car, shifting with my left hand and driving on the wrong side of the rode LOL - that's why I rented an automatic. Yeah, it does cost more.