Car hire Dublin Airport

I have been looking to hire a car for our two week holiday my first visit but a reunion for my husband who has cousins in Ireland. We fly in and out of Dublin late July and leave August. I am planning to head south the first day to Nenagh or Listowel to stay with relatives but we mostly want to see all of the country side with or without our family. Therefore a car is needed to give us the freedom to explore.The biggest hurdle I have found is the frightening comments on TripAdvisor it makes me very uneasy that I will not take the right cover. I don’t understand the terms on offer I want to hire a car with all the insurance necessary to protect us. Most of the sites I have found have two or more covers which one covers everything. I do not want the shocks people seem to have when it comes to either picking up or returning the vehicle. Also does my husband need an international licence we have Australian license written in English. It’s better to know all the cost before arriving rather then not having the funds available or put on hold taking from our spending money. This is just the first part of a longer Europe holiday so held funds could be disastrous.Thank you for any infoJulie

Hello Julie,

It's great that you are kicking off your adventures in Europe on the island of Ireland, and I completely understand you want to be fully prepared, and everything to run as smooth as possible. :)

You and your husband have chosen a lovely time of year to visit, and a car definitely gives you the freedom to explore and simply go where the road takes you. What else would you like to see and do during your two weeks here? Is there anything in particular that you wouldn't want to miss? 

I know there is a lot of information available out there about car rental, and I would love to point you in the right direction. You can find some helpful resources and tips on the vehicle rental page, as well as a list of all the companies approved by the Car Rental Council of Ireland. 

You can also read more about how our other members planned their road trips in the Rental Car Requirements and the I'm thinking of renting a car in Ireland - what do I need to know? threads, as well as this post about an International Drivers License. Most rental companies will require a valid driving license that was issued in the country of residence, but it's always handy to check with them just in case. 

I hope this was helpful, and that you'll receive more information from our other members and experts. :) Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any help with your plans! 

Warm regards, 

Melin

Hi Julie, 

Most car rental companies in Ireland offer to covers; CDW / SDW

- CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) which is the basic cover where you normally pay the excess from €1300. 
- SDW (Super Damage Waiver) which is the full cover where the excess is reduced to zero. 

As I work for Europcar.ie, our policy is 

- Driver must have a credit card in their name
- CDW excess is between €1500-2000 unless SDW is purchased, the premium for Super Damage Waiver Cover (SDW) costs EUR19.50 to EUR27.00 per day depending on vehicle size. Purchasing the SDW premium reduces the excess/deductible to zero.

Holders of Australian driving licence will not be required to supply an International driving permit.

I hope this clears up a few questions for you. 
Europcar