Here’s a scenario that happens way too often: you arrive at Dublin Airport, excited to get on the road. You reach the car rental desks, happy with your online booking, and find a €2,000 hold on your credit card, a €25 daily surcharge you didn’t expect, and confusion about whether you can actually drive to Northern Ireland.

Sadly, this exact scenario plays out daily for visitors to Ireland, where car rental has some unique challenges, according to countless forums. I lived out of the country for a few years and rented a car when I got home and I’ve suffered almost every variation of the extras!

I’ve learned that a successful trip comes down to these three factors: age restrictions, insurance reality, and the cross-border nuances between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In good news, if you understand the system, renting a car in Ireland in 2025 is very straightforward and absolutely worth it. Having your own wheels transforms your trip from a tourist checklist into a real exploration of the country and coastline. I love a “let’s see what’s down this road” moment!

The Irish Car Rental Reality Check

Here’s the elephant in the room: Irish car rental is different from what many international visitors expect. Most cars are manual transmission, insurance policies can be confusing, and the “great deal” you found online might not include every option you actually need.

The reality: the companies that seem expensive upfront often provide better value when you factor in what’s actually included. The cheapest option can become the most expensive when you arrive at pickup. Plan carefully.

The essentials you need to know right away:

  • Most rental cars are manual transmission: automatics cost 30-50% more and need early booking
  • Under-25 drivers face daily surcharges ranging from €15-35, and some companies won’t rent to you at all
  • Basic insurance leaves you liable for €800-2,500 in damage costs
  • Driving to Northern Ireland requires permission and usually costs extra
  • You absolutely don’t need a car for exploring Dublin city

Now, let’s look a little deeper into each area so you’re entirely prepared.

Age Isn’t Just a Number: Under-25s

My 22-year old niece Danielle, visiting from Madrid, found out about Ireland’s age policies the hard way. She found a great deal online, only to discover at pickup that her age meant an additional €175 to her week-long rental. Her chosen company didn’t even rent to under-23s, so she had to scramble for an alternative.

The problem is more complex than “you must be 25”. Different companies have different policies and surcharge amounts.

Here’s how the major companies handle young drivers:

Here’s where you need your calculator if you’re <25. Take a 22 year old renting for a week: Enterprise’s higher €35 daily surcharge adds €245 to your bill. But if their base rate is €20/day less than Budget’s, you actually save money. Always calculate the total cost, not just the daily rate.

Smart strategies for young drivers:

  • Book directly with companies that accept your age rather than through third-party sites that might not mention restrictions
  • Consider shorter rental periods: maybe rent only for countryside portions of your trip
  • Look at slightly larger car categories, which sometimes have better availability for automatics

Age Isn’t Just a Number: Drivers over 75

At the other end of the spectrum, drivers over 75 face a different set of challenges. Contrary to myths circulating online, including in my Ireland Travel Tips Facebook group (!), it’s not illegal to rent a car in Ireland if you’re over 70, but policies vary significantly between companies. These are the facts at the time of writing, please confirm during your search.

Companies with no upper age limit:

  • My Irish Cousin: No upper age limit and requires no additional documentation for drivers over 75
  • Irish Car Rentals: No limitations for drivers aged 75+, just need a valid license
  • Enterprise: Recent reports suggest no current upper age limit at Dublin location

Companies requiring documentation for 75+:

  • Hertz: Medical certificate and insurance letter required, maximum age 79
  • Sixt: Medical certificate and insurance letter confirming no accidents in past 5 years
  • Europcar: Letter from insurance company and medical proof of good health

What the documentation typically includes:

  • Medical certificate (within 3 months) confirming fitness to drive
  • Insurance company letter stating no accidents in past 5 years
  • Some companies may request a brief driving assessment

For senior visitors, My Irish Cousin and Irish Car Rentals offer the most straightforward experience, treating age as irrelevant if you’re licensed to drive at home.

Car rental desks at Dublin Airport, Terminal 1

Documentation: More Than Just Your License

Don’t get turned away because your documentation is wrong!

Everyone needs: A full driving license (held for at least two years), a major credit card in the main driver’s name, and a passport or national ID.

The International Driving Permit question: This causes more confusion than almost any other topic. EU and UK license holders don’t need anything extra. US and Canadian visitors usually don’t need an IDP, but some companies request one “just in case.”

My advice? If you’re from outside Europe, get an IDP anyway ($20 from AAA in the US). It takes five minutes to obtain and prevents potential pickup problems. The alternative, being turned away at the rental desk, isn’t worth the savings.

Non-English licenses: If your license isn’t in English, an IDP is mandatory, not optional. Plan for this well before travel.

The Credit vs Debit Card Reality

Most Irish rental companies won’t accept debit cards, even if you booked online with one. The issue is insurance holds a sum of €1,500-2,500 and debit cards tie up your actual cash, while credit cards use available credit limits.

If you only have a debit card:

  • My Irish Cousin: no credit card hold (you pay in full at the time of contract)
  • Enterprise: Accepts debit cards from Irish license holders only at city centre locations (not airports)
  • Brokers: Companies like Discover have great advice for debit-card travellers

Bottom line: Get a basic credit card before you board the plane, or try My Irish Cousin. Don’t discover this limitation at pickup! You will be left standing at the counter and looking up bus times!

The Real Cost of Irish Car Rental

Let me walk you through what a typical rental actually costs, because the sticker shock at pickup often comes from not understanding what’s included versus what’s extra. I’ve had that exact fight with both Hertz and Avis!

For my example, a week-long rental of an economy car from Dublin Airport, here’s the real breakdown:

The lesson? Budget for the real total cost, not just the advertised rate. A seemingly expensive company that includes more upfront often provides better value than a “cheap” option loaded with extras.

Insurance: Decoding the Confusion

Car rental insurance in Ireland is intentionally complicated, with companies using terms like CDW, SCDW, and excess in ways that aren’t immediately clear. Let me translate this into plain English.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is mandatory and usually included in quoted rates. It covers major damage to the car, but, and this is crucial, you’re still liable for the first €800-2,500 of any damage. This amount, called the “excess,” gets held on your credit card.

Super CDW (SCDW) reduces your excess to zero. It typically costs €20-30 per day, which seems expensive until you consider that a minor scrape on Ireland’s narrow roads could otherwise cost you €1,500.

**Credit Card Insurance: **some people try to use their credit card’s rental car insurance instead of the rental company’s coverage. That can work, but be warned: you still pay the excess upfront (with a €1,500-2,500 on your card) that, in the event of a problem, you would claim back from your credit card company later. PLUS not all rental companies will accept credit card insurance letters, and you should know a claim could take months.

**Annual Rental Car Insurance: **if you buy an annual policy, my advice is exactly the same as Credit Card Insurance above.

My recommendation: Unless you have premium credit card coverage and fully understand the claims process and the risks, buy the Super CDW. The peace of mind is worth the cost, especially when you’re navigating unfamiliar narrow roads.

Cross-Border Adventures: Northern Ireland

The border on the island of Ireland is seamless and you should absolutely visit the North! However, your rental company wants to know if you’re popping across! They treat this journey as international travel and that can trigger an additional fee and paperwork.

Companies that allow cross-border travel:

Declare your intentions when booking, don’t surprise them at pickup. Failure to do so can void your insurance coverage, leaving you unprotected in Northern Ireland.

Why visit Northern Ireland? The Causeway Coastal Route ranks among the world’s most beautiful drives, Belfast offers fascinating history and culture, and the Giant’s Causeway is simply unmissable. The small cross-border fee is absolutely worth paying for these experiences.

**Related: **do you need an ETA visa to visit Northern Ireland?

The Automatic Transmission Challenge

Another reality check: 85% of Irish rental cars have manual transmission. If you can’t drive stick shift, you need to plan carefully.

Of course, automatic cars exist (I drive one every day), but they’re in limited supply at rental companies and can cost more. A manual economy car might rent for €25-35 per day, while the automatic equivalent could cost €35-50 per day, a 30-50% premium.

To guarantee your automatic, book 2-3 months ahead, target larger companies and you’ll find more automatics in larger car categories. Compare the options here.

Choosing the Right Company for Your Needs

With dozens of car rental companies operating in Ireland, choosing the right one depends on your priorities and travel style.

Where to Pickup and Drop-off

Dublin Airport logistics: Most companies operate from off-site locations, unless you have “gold membership” already, requiring a 15-20 minute shuttle bus ride. Allow 45-60 minutes total for the pickup process, longer during peak times. If you’re not comfortable driving immediately after a long flight, consider staying in Dublin for a night and collecting your car the next day.

Money-saving locations: Dublin city center rentals often cost €10-20 less per day than airport locations. Cork and Shannon airports frequently offer better rates than Dublin. The tradeoff is convenience – you’ll need to get yourself to these locations.

Return timing: For international flights from Dublin, allow 3-4 hours between car return and departure. The shuttle back to the terminal, plus potential delays, can eat up time quickly.

**One-way drop-off: **the larger companies will permit a pick-up in one location and drop-off elsewhere. Example: Hertz charges €70 to pick-up in Dublin and drop-off in Shannon.

When to Skip the Rental Car

Not every Irish holiday requires a rental car. Dublin has very good public transportation, with buses, trams, and trains connecting most attractions. Parking in Dublin city centre costs €2-4 per hour when you can find it, making car rental a bad idea for city exploration.

Similarly, Galway’s compact city center is perfectly walkable, and Cork offers good bus connections to nearby attractions.

Where cars become essential: Rural destinations, coastal drives like the Wild Atlantic Way or Ring of Kerry, and accessing remote attractions like the Cliffs of Moher or Dingle Peninsula. These experiences simply aren’t possible without your own transportation.

Booking Strategy: Timing and Platforms

When to book: Summer travel (June-August) requires booking 2-3 months ahead for good rates and automatic transmission availability. Winter offers more last-minute flexibility and better pricing.

Best booking approaches:

Comparison shopping tips: Always compare total costs including insurance, not just base rates. Read cancellation policies carefully, flexible cancellation becomes valuable when travel plans change.

Essential Irish Driving Knowledge

Driving in Ireland means adapting to left-side traffic, roundabouts every few kilometers, and roads that can narrow to single-lane without warning. Take your first day slowly, allowing extra time and avoiding ambitious driving goals.

Navigation essentials: Download offline maps before leaving home. Get yourself an eSIM so you always have data availability for Maps. Irish road signs show destinations in both Irish (Gaeilge) and English, which can initially confuse sat-nav systems programmed for English-only.

The M50 toll reality: Dublin’s ring road uses a barrier-free toll system that photographs license plates. You must pay online at eflow.ie by 8pm the following day, or face escalating fines. The €3.50 toll becomes a €45+ penalty if ignored.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

The most expensive rental car mistakes happen before you even start driving. Arriving without proper documentation, choosing companies that don’t serve your age group, or failing to declare cross-border travel plans can derail your trip before it begins.

At pickup: Photograph existing damage from multiple angles. Verify that your credit card has sufficient available credit for the insurance hold. Understand exactly what your rental agreement includes and excludes.

During your rental: Irish roads reward patience over speed. Stone walls, hedgerows, and oncoming traffic on narrow roads demand careful attention. That sense of adventure is worth the occasional scrape, but prevention is better than explaining damage at return.

Begin your Irish Road Trip

I wouldn’t say this if I didn’t believe it: driving in Ireland opens up experiences you won’t get any other way. Don’t be put off renting a car, but it does mean doing a bit of homework first.

Yes, the rental process has complexities. Yes, it costs more than you might expect. But the freedom to explore Ireland at your own pace, following recommendations from people you meet along the way, transforms a good trip into a fantastic trip.

Safe travels, and prepare to fall in love with our country, one wee narrow country road at a time!

Ready for your Irish adventure? Explore my guides to the Wild Atlantic Way, Northern Ireland, and what to pack for Ireland’s unpredictable weather.