Great news for you, Tim - what bank? Mine used to cover it, but the fine print on a recent update lists it as no longer available. It is so confusing - despite carrying the same MC or Visa brand, each card is issued with different terms. Guess the best thing is to call the bank issuing the card and verify.

If you have never travelled outside the U.S. you might not be familiar with things like round-a-bouts. Everywhere in Ireland they have these and you should google to see what is expected of you when you come across them. (One thing is not to panic. If you miss your turn off on a round-a-bout you can go around again and again until your sure of where your going so you don't end up on the wrong exit. Relax and it will be fine.)

Also in Ireland they turn a 2 lane highway into 4 lanes by driving on the shoulder of the road. If you see someone coming toward you it's expected that you will move to the shoulder and let two cars meet you where it would seem there is not enough room. You'll quickly see how they share the road and you'll enjoy the experience (and you'll be annoyed at stupid drivers when you come back home!)

Also if you rent a car you can stay at B&B's in Ireland the B&B's are super. Exactly like a small motel with breakfast included but 1/2 the price of hotels. I'd never go any other way in Ireland!

We rented a small car and drove all over Ireland. It was one of the best holidays ever in my life and I was shocked to realize I was crying as Ireland disappeared from sight as we took the ferry to Scotland.

I hope whatever you decide you enjoy every minute!

Seamus - I have a CapitalOne platinum Mastercard. It covered my car rental in Ireland this past May, but I can't tell you if the "fine print" shows any changes since then.

Dear Seamus, TimLin and TimS, I appreciate your suggestions. I think hiring a private driver maybe a little more pricey than I can afford for this trip but sounds like the perfect way to go if one can afford it. Looks like my trip now includes two additional 70ish women which makes me sort of 'in charge.' I'm starting to rethink this idea, maybe we should just to to Vegas or something... ha ha! The left side driving with the interchangable lanes has me a bit nervous although I think I would be ok. I picked up several of the books suggested yesterday, Fodor's and Rick's book and have started to leisurely read. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences, they will be helpful as I begin to make some definite decisions about the trip and itinerary, etc. hiltonk

Careful, hiltonk. If things keep going in their current direction you're going to need to get a bus driver's license <g>. Seriously, you'll need to choose your rental car carefully. A small car is best for negotiating Ireland's narrow country roads where, when meeting a lorry (truck), you may literally need to move far enough to the left to brush against the vegetation that grows right up to the edge of the road. (That's why side-view mirrors are spring-loaded.) But you also need a car with enough space to conceal all your luggage. For example, the Ford Focus hatchback we rented had ample passenger room for four people, but it's fortunate that there were only three of us. We had three 22" carry-on wheeled bags and three daypacks. The luggage area was shallow so we couldn't lay bags flat in a two-deep position. It was just wide enough to place them side by side in an upright yet covered position. We put our daypacks in the emtpy space in the back seat and took them with us whenever we left the car unattended. So tell your party to pack light!

One more thing. I recommend AutoEurope (www.autoeurope.com), a consolidator that finds you the best deal from among several agencies. (For example, Budget provided our car in Ireland and Europcar in France.) Book from home and well in advance to get the best deal.

Well, as the size of the crowd increases the cost per person may actually decrease to an acceptable level. With the possibility of 4 in the group I would even more strongly endorse the private driver approach. Before you rule it out, run the numbers - and remember that you will not be paying for parking or gas, will not have to worry about finding either, and not have to contend with driving in an unfamiliar fashion in an unfamiliar area. I am among the most frugal of travelers and avoid cringe at the thought of needless (save for an occasional indulgence) expenditures, but thought our private driver tour of Ireland one of the best values I ever found.

hiltonk, I have been planning our first trip to Ireland for many months as well. We're going in July 2006. The best resources I have found are this web-site, the Fodors guidebook, and Michelle Erdvig's Best Little Guide to Ireland and her web-site www.IrelandYes.com, especially the forums, where she personally answers your questions, and other travellers will answer you as well.

I have found both this fodors web-site and Michelle's web-site to be valuable tools! Unfortunately Rick Steves guidebook doesn't have enough info on the hotels, though his section about the Dingle peninsula is excellent.

I think it is great fun planning our trips myself. But if you really feel like you just want to throw up your hands, Michelle Erdvig also offers an itinerary planning service. She can plan the trip for you. I chose to plan the trip myself because as I mentioned for me that's half the fun!

There are many kind and helpful folks on the web.