Car Rental Overseas

[NOMAAA 1696]

Headed to the british open next summer.  anyone got any recommendations on car rental in ireland, northern ireland and scotland?  will be there for about 9 days.  would it make sense to get it somewhere other than the airport?  maybe ride the train to galway (flying into shannon) to avoid the airport gouge?  first time crossing the atlantic.

thanks dudes.

[Digdogger 1344]

The public transportation outside of cuties sucks, just get a car at the airport.  We had a full size (I think) car for a week for $100 from Hertz, they’re pretty cheap over there.  That was in and out of Dublin, but I suspect Shannon couldn’t be much different.

That being said, highway driving is great, other than being on the wrong side.  Driving in the country is kind of hairy, rock walls line most country roads with no shoulder and barely fit 2 cars and are like your dad, not even close to straight

Edited September 25, 2018 by Digdogger

[52-80 19252]

The airport premium is not that high.  Either way, it's 2018 and you can see all the prices online so there are no surprises.  The big US suspects are represented in Europe - Hertz, budget, advantage - and add in continental players like Sixt and Europcar.

 

You can always use online consolidators the same way, like kayak.

 

Though I've never had it happen to me, it is common for the rental companies to be very precious about every dent and ding.  When you pick the car up, inspect every single panel and note every imperfection. 

 

If planning on crossing national borders, make it known to the rental agency for compliance, and also to be made aware of different requirements (such as toll stickers or vignettes). 

 

Other than that....stay the fuck out of the passing lane unless passing.

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19144]

In Ireland, get insurance. Your credit card will not cover you.

[SimonBolivar 10959]

I like Sixt. Its was cheap and I got a free upgrade to a luxury vehicle.

[HornOnTheBayou 8946]

3 hours ago, Digdogger said:

 Driving in the country is kind of hairy, rock walls line most country roads with no shoulder and barely fit 2 cars and are like your dad, not even close to straight

Yep. Get the smallest car you can handle.

[conVINCEd 21469]

The wheels on the left side of the car will most likely be fucked due to tourists not being used to driving on the left side of the road.  Take pics and email them to yourself so you have a time/date stamp.

[Mo Horn 8855]

Some rental companies require you to have an international driver's license, so make sure what the rules are for whoever you choose. I'd you need one you can get it at AAA. i think it's less than $20.00.

[Surly Bevo 25158]

I used Sixt in Germany last year.  They didn't have whatever bullshit Skoda Wagon my wife signed up for so they gave me a Mercedes for the same price and I drove it to Prague.

[Gil Bang 26025]

15 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Some rental companies require you to have an international driver's license, so make sure what the rules are for whoever you choose. I'd you need one you can get it at AAA. i think it's less than $20.00.

Yeah, that's the experience that we had in Italy.  The rental company said that it's a requirement, and that if you get pulled over without it it can be a big problem.  We got the AAA ones. 

[NOMAAA 1696]

Wasn’t expecting this many helpful replies. Thanks guys. 

[closetojumping 62872]

1 hour ago, NOMAAA said:

Wasn’t expecting this many helpful replies. Thanks guys. 

We rented in Shannon and drove to Galway to visit my wife’s family and then all over Ireland over like 8 days this summer. Expect to put down a massive deposit on your card because of the lack of insurability in the country. You gain no benefits from taking public transport into Galway and renting there. Just more hassle. We visit semi-annually, and this has consistently been our experience. It’s an awesome place, nonetheless. 

[Gil Bang 26025]

40 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

We rented in Shannon and drove to Galway to visit my wife’s family and then all over Ireland over like 8 days this summer. Expect to put down a massive deposit on your card because of the lack of insurability in the country. You gain no benefits from taking public transport into Galway and renting there. Just more hassle. We visit semi-annually, and this has consistently been our experience. It’s an awesome place, nonetheless. 

Oh yeah.  We rented in Italy for 3 days and they charged 600 Euros deposit up front.  I keep a high limit card with 0 balance (no humblebrag) so it wasn't an issue for me, but 15 years ago, it could have really been  an issue for me. 

[Digdogger 1344]

8 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

Some rental companies require you to have an international driver's license, so make sure what the rules are for whoever you choose. I'd you need one you can get it at AAA. i think it's less than $20.00.

I got one of those for our trip this summer (rented cars in 4 countries) and none of them cared about it, just the US Drivers License.  It’s only $20, so I’d do it again, but it seemed pointless.

 

And if you can’t drive a manual transmission, then you can expect to pay a lot more and have much fewer options

Edited September 26, 2018 by Digdogger

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Hertz. We rented a car for a week in Ireland, pretty affordable. The cars over there are small, 4 cylinder, and built like little plastic models.  I snapped off a fuel door just brushing up against it (and I mean just barely brushing past it, and it snapped off like piece of a model off one of those plastic "trees" in a model kit.  Had insurance, didn't care.

 

Most polite drivers I've ever encountered anywhere in the world, almost to a driver (city or country driving). You could easily cross three lanes of rush hour traffic if you put your signal on.  Stay out of the right lane if your not hauling ass, they respect the passing lane like the Lord our Savior.  

Do not drink, and drive.  Getting pulled over for anything means you get a sobriety check (we were told). They have harsh drunk driving laws.

[Bateshorn 9942]

11 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

The wheels on the left side of the car will most likely be fucked due to tourists not being used to driving on the left side of the road.  Take pics and email them to yourself so you have a time/date stamp.

This.  I'm literally fighting with Sixt right now.  They are trying to charge me 1000 GBP for curb rash.

I would strongly recommend getting all the insurance so you can return the car a smoking hulk and walk away. If you are going to go through your credit card, call them first and thoroughly understand how their coverage works with the country you are travelling too.  You made need a letter from your credit card company to decline the LDW. 

Edited September 26, 2018 by Bateshorn

[VinyVango 694]

pay extra for the automatic in Ireland and England... driving on the left side in itself is not that challenging, but shifting with your left hand while sitting on the right side of the vehicle tends to divert much needed focus from the mirror image driving and such... the less distractions the better

[Bateshorn 9942]

Most important of all:  LOOK RIGHT.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

3 minutes ago, VinyVango said:

pay extra for the automatic in Ireland and England... driving on the left side in itself is not that challenging, but shifting with your left hand while sitting on the right side of the vehicle tends to divert much needed focus from the mirror image driving and such... the less distractions the better

Didn't have any issue with that after about 20 minutes. It's a bit different, but I like a stick shift anyway.  

GET THE INSURANCE !!

[conVINCEd 21469]

11 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

This.  I'm literally fighting with Sixt right now.  They are trying to charge me 1000 GBP for curb rash.

I would strongly recommend getting all the insurance so you can return the car a smoking hulk and walk away. If you are going to go through your credit card, call them first and thoroughly understand how their coverage works with the country you are travelling too.  You made need a letter from your credit card company to decline the LDW. 

When we picked the car up and we're doing the pre-existing damage form, I wrote "the two left wheels are damaged to the point that it would be impossible to damage them any further" and we both initialed it.  They tried to charge us for damage but gave in with the damage form and pics.  Every single car in the lot was the exact same.  Driving is not that difficult, parking is the issue, and parallel parking should be avoided at all costs. I probably added 3 or 4 scuffs to the hundreds that were already there.  We ended up not using the car after the second day and just ubered everywhere.  And getting the auto tranny should be a given.

[52-80 19252]

14 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

When we picked the car up and we're doing the pre-existing damage form, I wrote "the two left wheels are damaged to the point that it would be impossible to damage them any further" and we both initialed it.  They tried to charge us for damage but gave in with the damage form and pics.  Every single car in the lot was the exact same.  Driving is not that difficult, parking is the issue, and parallel parking should be avoided at all costs. I probably added 3 or 4 scuffs to the hundreds that were already there.  We ended up not using the car after the second day and just ubered everywhere.  And getting the auto tranny should be a given.

you should really let your husband do the driving next time.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Sixt sucks balls as a car rental co. Bottom of the barrel. Used em once, never again.  Stick with a known co. like Hertz, Avis, etc.

[NOMAAA 1696]

more helpful info.  thanks again dudes.

[Bat Guano 359]

4 hours ago, Digdogger said:

 

And if you can’t drive a manual transmission, then you can expect to pay a lot more and have much fewer options

This. First time in the UK I was nervous about learning to shift with the wrong hand at the same time as figuring out how to drive on the wrong side of the road, while jetlagged and hung over, and the only auto trans available was a full size car, which was more expensive and a bit more challenging to maneuver on the narrow roads. Pain in the ass all the way around.

[chitwood 155]

3 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Hertz. We rented a car for a week in Ireland, pretty affordable. The cars over there are small, 4 cylinder, and built like little plastic models.  I snapped off a fuel door just brushing up against it (and I mean just barely brushing past it, and it snapped off like piece of a model off one of those plastic "trees" in a model kit.  Had insurance, didn't care.

 

Most polite drivers I've ever encountered anywhere in the world, almost to a driver (city or country driving). You could easily cross three lanes of rush hour traffic if you put your signal on.  Stay out of the right lane if your not hauling ass, they respect the passing lane like the Lord our Savior.  

Do not drink, and drive.  Getting pulled over for anything means you get a sobriety check (we were told). They have harsh drunk driving laws.

This.  The roundabouts are awesome.  We got a slightly bigger car and it worked fine.  Some of the roads were a little hairy, but just slow down and it is fine.

2 hours ago, Bateshorn said:

This.  I'm literally fighting with Sixt right now.  They are trying to charge me 1000 GBP for curb rash.

I would strongly recommend getting all the insurance so you can return the car a smoking hulk and walk away. If you are going to go through your credit card, call them first and thoroughly understand how their coverage works with the country you are travelling too.  You made need a letter from your credit card company to decline the LDW. 

Get extra insurance.  Your credit card insurance is no good in Ireland.

2 hours ago, VinyVango said:

pay extra for the automatic in Ireland and England... driving on the left side in itself is not that challenging, but shifting with your left hand while sitting on the right side of the vehicle tends to divert much needed focus from the mirror image driving and such... the less distractions the better

This too.  We paid extra for the automatic.  Definitely worth it for us.

 

The freakiest thing is riding in the front left seat as a passenger on narrow roads.  Not used to that perspective and thought we were going to die multiple times.

[texasdago 7580]

Agree with Sixt.  Used them in Geneva.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Lots and lots and lots of small roads, (I mean really small) in Ireland. Get a small car.  

Many of the road ways are like sunken paths. Thick hedges are right up against both sides of the road in some places, and a bike (you won't see till you round the next blind  curve) will be on your side of the road, with a car (or a ginormous tour bus) coming the other direction.  That happened all the time as we traveled across the country.  You got used to it pretty quickly.

The driving over there is like a dance of cars as they pass each other on some of these roads. 

[Txzen 498]

I've had no problems with Sixt - rented in Kings Cross for a driving tour of southern England and a few times in France. The checkout girl in Toulouse was a lot cuter, that's the only comparison between the two. Price was great as were the cars. 

[Gil Bang 26025]

On 9/26/2018 at 7:07 AM, VinyVango said:

pay extra for the automatic in Ireland and England... driving on the left side in itself is not that challenging, but shifting with your left hand while sitting on the right side of the vehicle tends to divert much needed focus from the mirror image driving and such... the less distractions the better

I had the experience in Okinawa, and my only problem with the reverse side thing was with turn signals.  My wipers were on frequently. 

[gecko 1104]

In Ireland, get insurance. Your credit card will not cover you.

Actually....call your credit card company and tell them you plan to rent a car in Ireland. Mine, chase sapphire, then sent me a letter I had to show at rental car counter proving I had coverage through my card. I could then decline their coverages.

However, I think there was one coverage the card didn’t cover and I had to accept/pay for that, but chase explained all that in the letter they sent.

[gecko 1104]

I like Sixt. Its was cheap and I got a free upgrade to a luxury vehicle.

Concur....I’ve heard great things about them. In Germany the cars are retired after 20k miles.

[VinyVango 694]

On ‎9‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 11:39 PM, Gil Bang said:

I had the experience in Okinawa, and my only problem with the reverse side thing was with turn signals.  My wipers were on frequently. 

The turns in tight traffic and cruising in small lanes were crazy, as my mind and reflexes were conditioned to think a big chunk of vehicle was to my right side, which was no longer the case.

[closetojumping 62872]

On 9/26/2018 at 3:23 PM, Onboard 2.0 said:

Lots and lots and lots of small roads, (I mean really small) in Ireland. Get a small car.  

Many of the road ways are like sunken paths. Thick hedges are right up against both sides of the road in some places, and a bike (you won't see till you round the next blind  curve) will be on your side of the road, with a car (or a ginormous tour bus) coming the other direction.  That happened all the time as we traveled across the country.  You got used to it pretty quickly.

The driving over there is like a dance of cars as they pass each other on some of these roads. 

We go over there with 6-8 family members each time and rent their biggest van, which is still small by US standards. The width is pretty tight, but the length is fine. (yes, I know that’s probably what she said) I’m just not sure they really have wide enough vehicles to worry about. You’re getting by on those roads in a van that seats 8 or a car that squeezes 2 and you’ll be fine either way. 

[Bernard 879]

On 9/29/2018 at 12:21 AM, gecko said:

 

Actually....call your credit card company and tell them you plan to rent a car in Ireland. Mine, chase sapphire, then sent me a letter I had to show at rental car counter proving I had coverage through my card. I could then decline their coverages.

However, I think there was one coverage the card didn’t cover and I had to accept/pay for that, but chase explained all that in the letter they sent.

 

This. I assumed my AMEX Platinum would cover it like everywhere else. Should have read the fine print. Didn’t. They require a letter or some such shit. Cost me a couple hundred over nine days. Not the end of the world, but annoying. Read the fine print on your reservation.

CSB: rented a Hyundai I-40 Wagon which is huge by Ireland standards. Shifter broke and stranded us on a ferry of all places. Company delivered a Hyundai I-10 to the ferry as a replacement. It was a clown car by comparison, especially for my 6’5” self and 5’10” GF.

Bernard 

[gecko 1104]

My rental in Ireland was some VW Golf type thing through Hertz.  Picked it up at the Cork airport.  It had some anti-collision device on it that just decided to engage on the road to Dingle - just locked up the wheels in the middle of no where.  It eventually reset and released.  POS car.  The best rentals I saw had Eurocar stickers on them.  If I got back, I'll rent from them.

Edited October 3, 2018 by gecko