Car Rental Information, Dublin

On my April 11 trip I got a rented car from Thrifty through Argus - the online search engine. They have an office in Terminal 1 arrivals - quick, helpful and efficient - but then it’s the shuttle bus to their site somewhere on the periphery.

Having said that, we didn’t have to wait either on arrival or departure, and it’s only a 5 minute trip. The formalities of pick up & drop off were also fast and efficient.

As usual, the quoted price ends up doubling when you add on the “excess elimination” insurance, but that’s better than being stuck with a €1,000 bill if some clown dents the car in a car park.

Prices - Here's the fun bit. When I booked the "all in cost" was to be €43. On arrival, I was told that leaves me exposed for the first €1,000 (yes, 3 zeroes) of a claim. So, to get rid of that it was an extra €51. Cute, huh?

I did once have the experience of having a rented car bashed in a station car park while I was away sightseeing, so I do believe in being fully insured. I just wish they'd be honest about the costs.

Anyway, those costs were from 9am Friday to lunchtime Sunday, so 3 days. €30 per day.

DAN DOOLEY Ireland's largest independent RENT-A-CAR company.

"If you require an economy or a luxury Self Drive Hire Car we are ready to cater for your needs.
Even though we are now one of the largest car rental companies in Ireland, we take great care to provide the personalised attention and reasonable rates of a family owned enterprise.

Our increasing volume of repeat business and referrals by satisfied clients are testament to our commitment to providing an efficient, yet caring service to our customers."

Their words.......give it a try!

I would not rent a car to visit Dublin but if you are starting your tour of Ireland from Dublin and heading straight out of the airport, then there are a few things you might want to know

1. Irish rental cars are notoriously dinged and dented, you should take a before picture of any damage to your car in case a dispute comes up later. Check for missing gas caps and mirrors.

2. If you are used to declining CDW because your credit card covers it, think again. Ireland is carved out of most credit card's CDW program, I've read that the only exception is a World Master Card and I believe the rental agencies require proof from your credit card that you are covered.

3. When I rented this car, this was the 1st time I had ever heard of Super CDW, basically if you take the Super CDW coverage, it limits your loss to 100€ instead of 1000€ (the amount varies by company). It was 12€ per day and we declined it, they will put a hold for the 1000€ on your credit card for the rental term.

4. If you are traveling on M50 from the airport, there is a barrier free electronic toll that needs to be paid which is currently 3€ each direction. You can purchase at the airport, pay online or at news agents. The barrier free toll is between exit 6 and exit 7, the toll must be paid before 8pm the following day or you may incur penalties which I assume the car rental company would pass along to you.

5. As with most European countries, most of the rental cars are manual. Expect to pay A LOT more for the luxury of not having to shift with your left hand

We rented from Dan Dooley based on recommendations on travel boards and had no problem with them, what I liked about them was that their quote included everything except for Super CDW and that there would be no haggling over insurance at the airport. Be careful to check that CDW is included in your quote, you will need that coverage. They did make us put down a 50€ gas deposit which was refunded at the end of the rental when we returned it full, we even made about 60 cents on the exchange rate fluctuation.

On our 2nd trip we booked through Aer Lingus Vacations and they also use Dan Dooley, this time the CDW was not included and we had to put up a €75 gas deposit which was refunded on return of the car with a full tank.

Not enough BAD things can be said about Dan Dooley. Let me start by saying, we encounted several other people on this trip that had this exact SAME experience with Dan Dooley. HORRIBLE customer service both before and during our trip. We booked TWO cars with GPS & NO GPS was available when we arrived (we had TWO paid for, as did several others in line who also did not receive even ONE!). The reps were incredibly rude both in email & in person. We did not encounter 1 rep that was nice in any way. They are unapologetic and unhelpful about not giving you what you reserved & paid for, and the wait in line for the car is hours! We had to call & go out of our way back to their office to retrieve a GPS on our 2nd day, when we were again given the run-around, and the car that we were given had a broken cigarette lighter fuse & the GPS was dead before we even reached our first destination. The car we were given also had one broken headlight. No attempt was made by Dan Dooley to make any kind of refund or even an apology for these things. We did not choose this company, but it was included w/an Aer Lingus vacation package. This company is a nightmare!

There is a wide choice in Dublin Airport of Irish and International car rental companies. Bookings can be made on line before your arrival at the airport. www.visitdublin.com. Driving is on the left hand side of the road. Safety belts must be worn both front and back of car. The metric system is used in Ireland. Speed limits are as follows: Mototways 120km. Build up areas 50km. National roads 80 to 100km.

For those of you coming from the UK and using 353 car hire.

a) they have by far the longest queue (took me half an hour to get to the front)

b) I booked online in advance through a 3rd party website, and finally when I got to the front of the queue was told that my Credit Card and Drivers License was not enough. They require the 'endorsements' section (for UK only) of the license. And they aren't polite about it either.

The car rental market in Ireland is highly competitive and prices can change daily. Spend time looking around at different rates and when you see what you want book it. As you get closer to the pick up date, prices will tend to go up, and availability will go down so you may have a problem getting the car you want.

All of the major car rental firms have locations at Dublin Airport. Before you go to pick up your car rental, have a clear idea about what insurance you want and whether you would be interested in an upgrade. I rented my last car (a Hyundai I30 which was very nice) from Thrifty Car Rental. I found them to be helpful and the whole renting process was extremely quick.

We got the cheapest rate at Budget Rental at Dublin Airport. (Ask them for any other car than a FIAT SEICENTO though ;)

But if you are just staying in Dublin a car is like a ball on a chain at your foot!!! Only get one when you want to drive around the country!

We rented this car at the airport, but the best way to getting around is to take the bus or a tram. And in the city centre, just walk around!! =)