4mimi

Arriving at Shannon airport and will be renting a car. I'm confused about insurance and how much I should get (I know it's mandatory). There seems to be a lot of very costly add ons. Should I pre-rent a car at a base price and then discuss insurance coverage when I get there? Or, is there a better plan of action? Any guidance would be appreciated!

artsbabe

We rented a car at Shannon and didn't get insurance. Maybe the rule has changed during the last couple of years, though.

4mimi

Maybe I got misinformation about mandatory insurance. I'll have to check. thank you!!

4mimi

Has anyone rented a car in Ireland?

hetismij

I hired a car in Cork, but as a European I can't use my credit card for the extra insurance so paid for what I felt we needed.
Your car will come with compulsory third party insurance, included in the hire price. Any other insurance (CDW etc) can be added - but if you have a US credit card this may well cover those insurances, you need to check this.
Having done that pre-book and pay for your car - it will be cheaper than doing it on arrival- only paying for the insurance you need extra or stating you will be using your credit card insurance.
It should be clear for you on the website of the hire company - they often have a section about insurance and US credit cards. Certainly http://www.carhire.ie/ has a pop-up window which explains about declining CDW.

Pegontheroad

I rented a car in Ireland in 2007. My understanding was that my credit card would not cover CDW in Ireland, unless the card was World Card. I got a World Card from Citicard, and it worked like a charm. Someone said the card's number should begin with 5466, and sure enough, when I got my card, the numbers began with 5466.

PastTimesWriter

Some good info here. We rented a car from Dublin last year. We did pay for the added insurance...this allowed us to 'walk away from the car and just give them the keys if it ended up in the sea' kind of insurance. While not everyone wants this kind of coverage, I will admit that it put my sister's mind at ease. This was her first time driving on the opposite side of the road in about 25 years and she was very nervous. As mentioned by others, check what added coverage you get from your credit card as special cards cover certain insurance programs. It has been my experience to book from your home country as you get seem to get far better deals (I book from Canada and get some great rates). Have fun!

blessemun

Car rental is difficult no matter which country you go to because operators are too eager to sell services that bring them in bonus at the expense of the traveler. We used Budget and was dreadfully dispapoined. Apparently Ireland has opted out of some insurance scheme which means that you pay as much for two weeks insurance in ireland as you would for 6 months in the US. My other advice is to buy a decent map. No one in Ireland appears to provide directions and that includes the Garda. I visited the Garda in Clifden to find our B & B and was provided with the number for directory inquiries. The Garmin navigator is not accurate and took us into a farmyard and asked us to turn right into a field when trying to return to our Bed and Breakfast in Dingle. We took it as part of lifes rich pattern and it did create interest for sure. The cost of 120 euros for 2 weeks is expensive and one could probably buy a navigator cheaper than renting one in ireland. Garmin are ripping people off with the cost of maps. When trying to return the car to Budget they tried to tell us we had to deliver the Garmin to a different location to the car despite the fact that we had 4 large suicases and no means of transport to the terminal. My advice steer clear of Budget in Ireland.

alihutch

I find that we managed with maps fpr years and they worked very well and I see no reason to change that. I
m not suprised that the Garda didn't give you directions....theyb are there to solve and prevent crime, not offer directions to tourists....I certainly wouldn't be asking the US cops for directions to my hotel...

34barbara

We rented a car and prepaid it with Hertz before we left the US. The CDW and theft ins. was included in the prepaid price. In Shannon we opted for the super CDW which had a zero deductible. Make sure of the deductible amount in case you have any incidents. Also, we found that the US based car companies didn't do that ridiculous "leave it empty" scam with the gas. You have to return it at the level you got it, so insist that it have at least half a tank. Be sure to shop around on the rates for an addl. driver. In Scotland, Enterprise included the spouse for free. Not sure if they did so in Ireland.
A word of caution. If you drop off the car in the morning be sure to get a final receipt of all the costs, even if it's hand written. They told us that the computers were down and tried to throw in addl charges for gas after we left. They also may take a deposit on your credit card at the time of rental. BE SURE THEY CREDIT IT BACK LATER!
I've read here about World Card handling the insurance but when I called them they said absolutely not. Double check this with your cc company and don't assume anything. This is the mantra for the trip..."LOOK RIGHT, DRIVE LEFT". Happy travels.

artsbabe

Our experience was that only some types of credit cards covered any CDW in Ireland. Our credit cards explicitly excluded coverage in Ireland. We just went without any CDW and were fine, and driving on the "opposite" side was new to us. But we just kind of lucked out, I guess.

dakotapie

We called Citibank (having a World card) and they were very unclear about which companies would wave the extra CDW with their cards.

floridapugmom

4mimi;
we just got back from 5 days in Ireland and rented from Dan Dooley. We flew into and out of Shannon also and got all the insurance possible. We felt this was enough until we blew a tire and were told we are responsible for the first $100 damage to the car; this included tires which we did not know. We had to go replace the tire which ended up costing us 75 euros. The roads are very narrow, the cars drive crazy and you have stone walls on both sides of most roads, get the insurance. You will love Ireland, it is such a beatiful country. I am ready to go back right now. b.

GreenDragon

You've got good advice above, but I'll summarize:

For insurance, you are required to have CDW (Collision Damage Waiver). If you do not have a World Card Mastercard, or another card that covers it (some credit union cards will, as well, I think, and some Canadian cards), you will have to pay it. If you do have the coverage, you have to sign something saying you waive it. This CDW can double the cost of the rental, so it pays to do some research and make CERTAIN it is covered. I have talked to several clerks at Mastercard in the past, and they don't know the details. Speak to someone with the MasterCare Insurance coverage (I think that's the name) for WRITTEN proof that you are covered. You may have to have the rental company call them for approval from Ireland. I had to do that from Scotland.

On top of that, you can purchase Super CDW, which brings your deductible down to zero from probably E1000. This, as mentioned above, doesn't always include tires, side view mirrors, windshields, etc.

If you are getting a more expensive car to rent, you may run afoul of the $50,000 limit on most card rental coverages. This happened to us in Scotland as well, since the pound was so strong vs. the dollar last summer, and we weren't covered. Shouldn't be a problem with most cars, but if you get a minivan, watch out for it.

I find the best deals are online before you go, and I would recommend going with a reputable company, someone you've heard of. I've done well with Enterprise, Alamo, and Dan Dooley (an Irish renter). I've gone through AutoEurope before as well, and gotten decent treatment.

readyforadven

We traveled in Ireland and actually lived there. I did extensive research about fees, CDW and using credit card insurance. Each time I talked with our card companies, I would get different information and the possibilities of charges kept changing. We rented twice from O'Scanlin and were more than pleased with their help in renting and getting the super CDW which in our opinion was worth the cost. You turn in the car regardless of anything that happened and it was walk away. Believe me when I say that anything can happen on the lovely and beautiful roads or wagon "roads" that you want to take to see the beauty. Hope this helps.

gpotvin

We were in Ireland in June and before we left I called three credit card companies and was advised by all three that CDW was not included in Ireland - also Jamaica, Israel and one other country which I do not remember. Check the web-sites for your credit cards; I found everything I need to know there.

CDW is required and will be included in the rental cost unless you have a letter from the credit card company, which IMO is highly unlikely. The driving is different and difficult and we took the super CDW for the ease of mind (about $12/day).

We have driven all over Europe and this was by far the most stressful, so I think you might be wise to consider adding the extra coverage.

GreenDragon

Oh, and if are going to get have trip insurance anyhow, you may want to look into some of the policies that include CDW. Some do, and seem no more expensive than the others. Check out www.insuremytrip.com.