twiggers

I have called Hertz several times and keep getting conflicting messages. There is no charge to take the car into N. Ireland, but one rep said that we needed to be AA 5* insurance and the other one said no.

When I log onto the AA site it asks for a ton of information about the car in order to buy the AA 5* insurance.

Does anyone have any personal experience with this? If I need to buy the insurance, where can I get it from? Will Hertz provide it for us? Is there an AA office at the DUB airport near the rental cars?

Maybe I can force Hertz to call the local office and find out what is going on, but was trying to avoid that!

jaja

Well, I took a Hertz vehicle into Northern Ireland but that was back in '03 so things may have changed. At that time it was as simple as telling them at the rental counter.

janisj

"<i>I have called Hertz several times</i>"

You are calling Hertz where? I've found most of the US based agencies know next to nothing about the rules/requirements overseas. And especially for Ireland. Why not e-mail the Hertz depot in Dublin and get the answer from the horses mouth.

Rastaguytoday

I just ran your request through the Hertz website, as I use them a lot.

There were no 'warnings', but there was a drop fee of
141 Euros for the trip. Remember. they are separate countries.

It was airport to airport. Have you tried the online booking site?

Tony2phones

OK you are taking the car from Dublin back to Dublin no problems. You have to Tell Hertz you are taking the car into the North. This information is compulsory. For the North you may need extra insurance and recovery (back to the south) if anything happens. If the AA cover is compulsory and not just the rep trying for commission, then the cover is needed Only for the days in the North.

Contact your local US office tell them that Hertz Dublin are giving you the run around an as they are not the only Hire Car operator in the world it needs sorting or you will go somewhere else. It might even work out cheaper booking through the US office.

Also try Dan Dooley for a quote. or contact http://easytourireland.com/ by email (address on the site) as they seem to be the agency of choice at the moment using Hertz.

twiggers

Sorry all! I should have clarified some information.

We are dropping and picking up in DUB. So there are no extra fees.

I have been calling the local Hertz reservations line here in the US and they seem pretty clueless.

Janis - I will see if I can locate the email and do just that!

Tony - Thank you! Dooley's prices were quite a bit higher than Hertz's, even after factoring in the extra driver and superCDW.

egnolive

I used Hertz in 06 and took the car to NI and returned to Dublin. No problem or extra charge then.

Just to let you know. When comparing car rental prices online, Hertz does come out much lower than Dan Dooley, but if you read the fine print, it may not include insurance, and if so, you may be charged for it at the counter. Dan Dooley is the only car rental I know that gives you the complete quote up front. Makes it hard to compare prices but that's the way it is.

Also, for my trip this month, I noticed when I got a quote from Dan Dooley's US site, it was quite a bit more than the quote from the Ireland site. Might be worth a check for peace of mind.

Have a great trip.

twiggers

Hi egnolive,

Thank you! I was comparing with the superCDW and extra driver...and it was a tad bit cheaper. Hertz is also a little cheaper (about 6 euros) on the Ireland site too.

I will continue to keep checking both Hertz and Dooley up until we leave. Might be able to snag a last minute deal or something.

--
And to answer my own question: I received confirmation from the Dublin office that you only need the 5* AA when you take the car to the mainland UK.

Tony2phones

Yes you DO have to tell Whichever hire company you use that you are going into another Nation which has different laws relating to vehicles and different Insurance criteria Just because Ireland is an Ireland and I consider it as such do not assume that corporate power considers it so.

Fine if nothing happens and nobody gets to know. But break down and look at 200+euro to have the car collected. Have an accident and wave goodbye to the hold on your credit card.

janisj

"<i>With Hertz, you do NOT have to tell them that you are even going into Northern Ireland</i>"

Absolutely <B>NOT</B> true . . .

jaja

Is it just me, or does JeanneV appear to work for easytourireland?

Tony2phones

To be fair I think she has just had a really good deal and wants to spread the word. They are new players in the Irish rental market (or maybe I just hadn't heard about them until this year)how good or bad they turn out to be remains to be seen.

If they are giving misleading information then perhaps they are Rick Steves approved?

janisj

"<i>Is it just me, or does JeanneV appear to work for easytourireland?</i>"

I thought so too at first, looking at some of the posts. But there are others that don't mention Easy Tour Ireland. So maybe give her the benefit of the doubt??

"<i>If they are giving misleading information then perhaps they are Rick Steves approved?</i>"

twiggers

I'm pleased with my Hertz rate. It's cheaper than Dooley's, but I will be continuing to check until we leave.

PaulH

I did it last year and no problems. I can't recall if I informed the Hertz desk. The strange thing is, I was expecting a border check point and had my passport ready, but there was none. The first inkling I had that I was in NI was British flags flying over a petrol station.

Tony2phones

Tis right Jeanne there are those who think I work for Tescomobile, Ryanair, and lots of other places except perhaps the Dingle Tourist Board or Rick Steves inc.

I have not heard of them before this year and hope you have an experience as good as the deal. Please come back and tell.