Mary Beth

<BR>My daughter and I are travelling to Ireland the first part of August for two weeks. We will be arriving and departing from Shannon. Should we arrange for the vehicle rental from the states or wait until we arrive in Shannon? Any suggestions on a rental company (Avis,Hertz)? Also, I am a member of AARP and AAA auto club. Would either of these offer any discounts? Thanks for any advice.

Cathy

Rent before you land - it is way cheaper re the other questions I cann't help but I am sure others can, <BR> <BR>Good luck <BR> <BR>Cathy

Richard

Book the car hire here in the US.The best deal (usually) will be found at www.autoeurope.com. We have used them all over Europe, but you might want to try www.kemwel.com for comparison. You also might opt for an automatic transmission, usually priced at a premium but for some well worth the cost. Check with your insurance company for coverage, many credit cards cover the CDW, in some countries theft insurance is mandatory.

Bob

We are going to Shannon this Thursday, and rented for one week for $303.00 total including tax and insurance. We rented from the U.S. office of Dan Dooley Rent-A-Car. 1-800 331-9301. We had to pre pay in advance to get that rate, and also got the smallest car, but did get an automatic transmission. They give you the quote in U.S. dollars and you prepay in U.S. dollars. I don't know any thing about them, so can't recommend until after next week. Here's Hoping.

John

I heard some good things about Dan Dooly. I will be going myself in September, so I would like to hear your experience in Ireland. I have been using Auto-Europe and like the web page, yoiu can see the type of car you wil be driving! I just booked a Mercedes for Germany at a great rate from them. Have a great trip <BR>JOHN

Patrick

We used Dan Dooley for a three week rental from Dublin to Dublin. They were great! And they are all over Ireland, should you have any problems. They do this thing there, however, where you pay for the full gas tank when you get the car and there is no credit for returning it full. As we got back to Dublin we were running low on gas and then just never found any stations on the way to drop the car off. We got stuck in traffic. The red light was on for the fuel gage, and I think we barely coasted into Dan Dooley on fumes. <BR>I'm sure they thought we were the epitome of cheap Americans, but they said to return it empty.

Maggie

Definitely rent before you go. Like some of the others we have had great luck with Auto Europe but when we went to Ireland last September we flew Aer Lingus and found they offered the best rental rate with Avis. (Book thorugh Aer Lingus but car is from Avis) If you're going AerLingus you might want to check out what they offer. Avis even gave us a nice upgrade to an automatic BMW!!!! Have a wondrful time and stay to the left!!

Virginia

I have used Dan Dooley and the only complaint I had the car did not have power steering, coming from the States that was a shock, but the car was fine as there were just two of us. As far as AARP I used them renting from Hertz I made the arrangements here in the States and picked the car up and returned it in Chester, England, also had to prepay to get the cheaper rate. We will be in Ireland in September and will be renting a car for a week would like to know your experience with Dan Dooley

Rex

The general principle of renting before you go is definitely sound, but I don't think you should EVER have to agree to a pre-arranged rental that locks you in. All the reputable car rental agencies and consolidators allow you to cancel right up to the last minute with no penalty. <BR> <BR>This is an anecdote of one single experience, but I found myself in Dublin with no reservation last fall, and due to rain, the queue to get a taxi was over an hour long. My informal survey along the rental counters was that Murrays Europcar (their logo vaguely ressembles National, but it is not the same) was about 40% cheaper than almost every other company. So stop by and check them once you arrive. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

Bob

Re: See my reply above...I am now back from Ireland and had no problems with Dan Dooley. I did mention that my rate required that I pay in advance to get the cheaper rate, but could cancel for a full refund up to 14 days before rental date. This company seemed reputable, and had a rental counter among the major companies. No problem with the car...a car is a car, I guess. Could have gone cheaper with a standard shift, but would not attempt that with the left side of the road. I am not trying to advertise for Dan Dooley, but worth checking their rates since it is an 800 number. Rates will probably be higher in the summer. Hope you have a good trip, and the left side of the road is not as much as a problem as I thought it would be.