Car Rental Drama in Ireland

If you’ve been reading my travel website you know that we rent a car and drive when we visit Ireland. I truly believe there is no better way to view the beauty of that country.

But we ran in to a problem with our rental car on our last trip. You see, I rented a mini van...

When we arrived to pick up the car on we found that mini van translated to "7 passenger vehicle". Which is not the same as a mini van. It was more like a small station wagon (think Subaru Outback). Needless to say, there was no way we could fit my mom in the back seat with two carseats. It was narrow and had low clearance. With all the driving we had planned there was just no way we could use it for a week. We had to upgrade- and pay in euros which nearly tripled our costs. Had I double checked with the rental agency a couple of days before I could have saved us hundreds of dollars by making the vehicle change from the US.

So, if you are planning for car hire Ireland, or any other European country for that matter, here are a couple of tips:

*Book before you leave and pay in American dollars. It’s much more economical.

*Know what you are getting. Research the website. Call a couple days before you leave and confirm the vehicle. Make any changes before leaving home.

Because it sucks to have car drama at 7am (which is really 1am your time) after an 8 hour flight. Trust me.