Vehicle rental

We are coming to Ireland (again) in September 2020.  There will be 6 of us, all seniors, and we are interested in renting a van that will accommodate all of us plus luggage but we are not familiar with the models.  Can someone recommend one that would enable all to see out and be comfortable?  We have driven in Ireland before so we know about the narrow roads!  I am comfortable with the manual transmission but unfortunately my brother in law who will be sharing the driving requires an automatic transmission.  Any recommendations on vehicle, rental agencies and prices are greatly appreciated.  We will be arriving in Dublin and leaving from Shannon for a total of 15 days.  

Hi Gary, 

It's great that you'll be back in September 2020! It's great that it'll be six of you that are going on a road trip around the island, and I'd love to provide you with some tips to help you find the perfect type of transportation!. 

I've had a look at what the different car rental companies offer, and most of them have vans available, which will leave enough room for you and your travel companions, as well as all of your luggage. Would this be an option, and have you been in touch with any of the approved car rental companies yet? For more info, take a look at this helpful thread here as well. 

When you get in touch with the car rental company of your choice, and you let them know you prefer an automatic transmission, they will definitely do their best to provide you with the right car. :)

Have you planned out your route for the 15 days between Dublin and Shannon yet? This is a great place to ask for more tips and suggestions for your itinerary.

Thanks Melin for the reply.  I have checked with some companies and have a Ford Galaxy reserved but then I read that the back seats are miserable and no room for luggage.  Also the company (easirent) has mixed reviews that makes me a little uneasy.  Has anyone dealt with them before?  I just don't want to get a van that is uncomfortable and the rear passengers won't be able to see all the fabulous country.  We have 3 days in Dublin, 4 days in Kilkenny, 3 days in Cork, 4 days In Dingle Town and 3 days in Limerick where we fly out of Shannon.  As I mentioned I'm just not familiar with the different models available and don't know whether to go with the 7 passenger or the 9 passenger for the extra space.  Would you recommend one rental agency over another?  On our last visit we had to upgrade to a larger vehicle and that ended up costing us quite a bit more so I hope not to repeat that mistake.  Some companies offer the Renault Traffic,  VW Caravelle , the Opel Zafira or Renault Scenic and the Nissan Qashqai.  I'm sure there are probably other options but these seem to be the most common.  Ease of entry and exit is also a plus, especially for the rear seats.  Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Hi Gary,

The Ford Galaxy, while an excellent people carrier, is one that would suit people with children rather than 6 adults and luggage! The rear seats, while removable do sit in the rear luggage space and you need to use the back door to get in and out.

Of the others you mentioned, the Renault Traffic, and VW Caravelle are more like mini buses so the rear seats are accessed from the large side door and as they are bigger would have more luggage space and plenty of seating options.

Please feel free to have a look at our link Melin mentioned on car rental companies for options and providers. You will also need to check on one-way rentals as you intend to fly into Dublin and out of Shannon.

I hope this helps a little more, some of our fellow members may also have some suggestions.

Is the van for wandering around or just to go from a city to another?

The cities you are naming are major places so public transport shouldn't be a problem. Then you can book some group bus trips to see the attractions around (i.e. from Dublin, there are buses that go to the Wicklows, Glendalough, and so on)

Automatic vehicles are a "novelty" in Europe in general and you'll pay a premium for it in Ireland.

And being an american, you'll absolutely need a letter from your insurance/credit card company stating that you are covered for the "collision damage waiver", Otherwise, the rental cie will charge you a ton for it on their side.

Don't get me wrong, if there's a country that deserves to be visited in an autonomous fashion, going everywhere, taking every little "tracks", it's Ireland.

But (IF) being a group of seniors only wanting to visit the major attractions/cities, it could be a good idea to ditch the rental honestly.

Thanks Fredrick for the reply.  The van is for wandering around and transport between cities.  We want to use the cities for a home base and do day trips from there so we are looking for something comfortable and with high visibility for the passengers.  We are not getting a vehicle till we leave Dublin.  I know automatics are a rarity but we have found them before and I also know about having the letter for the CDW wavier.  It might come down to us having to get 2 vehicles but we would rather travel as a group. 

Oh, then the vehicle makes sense.

You'll see, this country has soooo much to offer.

Everything beautiful, wonderful, everybody's nice, everyhting's good...damn, this country is a pure jewel...a green emerald that is! ;)

You'll have a great time wandering around. Don't be shy and use this "little back road" you'll see everywhere.

And good call bout renting the vehicle only when leaving Dublin. You'll save on the rent, you don't need a car in Dublin, you don't want to learn how to drive "on the other side" while in a big city and you'd have no place to park it anyway.

If I can give you an advice or two. Since you land on DUB but leave from Shannon airport, you could take the round-trip Airlink Express pass. Take the first one to enter Dublin city and take the return to go back to the airport to rent the car there. You won't have to leave from the city center and it's easier, I think, to become accustomed to the "wrong" driving side on a highway than on a small and crowded street.

There's a mega renting center beside the airport where a lot of big names have a booth (AVIS, Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise, name it), just beside the M1 and the interchange with the M50.

While I don't suggest to stay on the highway in Ireland (national and, more importantly, regional roads have so much to offer), it's easier to start there in my humble opinion.

Take the M50 to go around Dublin and then switch to any other road to your destination.

Have a nice trip!

Thanks again Frederic for the great advice.  This will be our 3rd trip to this beautiful country and I couldn't agree more about the sites and the people.  We like to find the smaller, out of the way spots and always look forward to our trips to the truly Emerald Isle.  I personally have never had a problem with the manual shift vehicles but on our first visit my brother in law had burned the clutch out of his just from Dublin to Cork so he has to have an automatic as we hope to split the driving between the 2 of us.  On our last visit we got "lost" and took some really interesting, non paved (virtually cow paths) trails and loved every minute of it so we are somewhat used to the roads and conditions.  Even when you're "lost" in paradise....you're still in Paradise.  We have seen most of the big tourist draws so we are looking for those scenic back roads and sites.  Love the pubs and music and the people!!!

I stand corrected, I see that you're a seasoned traveler! ;)

You Gary are the man! I think that I'll borrow you this awesome sentence "Even when you're "lost" in paradise....you're still in Paradise" from now on! It's so true!

I guess that you took some "trails" with 2 tracks, of what I'd call chip seal, and a turf track in the center? How many times did we take our little Opel Corsa off the beaten track!

Watch for the tractors though! ;)

Have a nice trip (again) with your relatives Gary!

Frederic,  that is the exact type of trail we were on (2 rocky tracks with grass in the middle) and I wouldn't call myself or my group "seasoned" travelers but we do enjoy the beauty of Ireland and it's people.  I always tell people there is one big problem with going to Ireland and that is you can hardly wait to go again!  On our first trip we talked to a gentleman on the streets of Lough Ree and he advvised us to not make the big mistake of the 2 "Johns" from the US.  The one was John Kennedy who visited Ireland once, said he was coming back but never made it back and the same can be said for John Wayne.  We have took him to his word and thoroughly enjoy our Irish adventures!