What about the quote I got from Irish Car Rental, does that sound like a good deal?

It sounds like it covers almost everything, of course not the tires and misc.

There will only be one driver.

This is taken from the Irish Car Rental website: (sorry...so long!)

CDW Insurance. (Collision Damage Waiver):
Collision Damage Insurance covers damage to the rental car and limits the liability for damages to a vehicle whilst on hire. Irish Car Rentals include this insurance in the quoted rate (unless you specifically choose a rate exclusive of CDW insurance and Theft). However - In case of an accident resulting in damage to a rental vehicle the Customer is liable for the first EUR 900 of damage to the rental car. This liability of EUR 900 can be reduced to EUR 100 at an additional charge of EUR 9.95 per day. The excess on luxury cars, minivans and minibuses is EUR 1500 and can be reduced to EUR 100 for an additional charge of EUR 15.00 per day. These charges are collected at the point of collection by the rental agent.

Car Theft Protection. (Theft Loss Insurance):
This is included in your car rental quotation (unless you specifically choose a rate exclusive of CDW insurance and Theft) and covers the value of the car if it is stolen while in possession of the renter. The hirer is responsible for the excess insurance charges for the vehicle. Customers are liable for the first EUR 900 of damage to the rental car. Excess liability of EUR 900 can be reduced to EUR100 at a charge of EUR 9.95 per day. The excess on luxury cars, minivans and minibuses is EUR 1500 and can be reduced to EUR 100 for an additional charge of EUR 15.00 per day.

Third Party Liability Insurance:
Third party liability insurance is included in the quoted price. This insurance covers damage to people or property whilst the vehicle is under the care of the renter. It is compulsory to have minimum Third party Liability Insurance to drive in Ireland.

CDW Excess - Excess Liability:
If you choose a rate inclusive of CDW insurance, a CDW Excess will apply at all times. All rentals are subject to liability excess, ranging from EURO 900 to EURO 1,500 (depending on the vehicle group rented) for which you are responsible in the event of damage to the Irish Car Rentals vehicle during the rental.

Super Damage Waiver Insurance (SDW):
If you opt for CDW cover, you may also wish to purchase an additional protection, Super Damage Waiver Insurance (SDW) to reduce the already limited liability in case of damage to the Irish Car Rentals vehicle. SDW reduces your excess liability of EURO 900 to EURO 100 for a charge of EURO 9.95 per day on smaller vehicles. The excess on luxury cars, minivans and minibuses is EURO 1,500 and can be reduced to EURO 100 for an additional charge of EURO 15 per day.

I guess from what I've been reading everywhere that it pays to get the Super Insurance?

jedivader,

Rates for car rentals in Ireland are generally all over the place. Some companies are 3 to 10 times higher than others. That is why you must shop around. Compare apples to apples - i.e. the same type car, insurance and extras at each company. Add up the costs for a grand total. Only then can you know which is cheapest. It is a long involved process but if you want to rent a car in Ireland there is no getting around it.

The Irish Car Rental site says that with the basic CDW you will have a E900 to E1,500 deductible (depending on type of car). That means if you are in an accident, have damage to the car or the car is stolen you will have to pay that amount to the car company. If you are a gambler and can absorb that cost if necessary you could go with the basic CDW. If you cannot absorb such a cost you should get the Super CDW aka Super Damage Waiver Insurance (SDW). That is a personal decision and no one can make it for you. It depends on individual circumstances.

All car rental companies have their admirers and detractors. One person can have a horrible experience with XYZ company and many others have great experiences. Most companies rent comparable cars although Hertz tends to have older models. I have personally been renting from Kemwel (on my Car Rental page) for about the past 6 years and am very happy with the rates and experiences. Before that it was National for several years. I have heard pros and cons about Irish Car Rental (and many others). The key is to always take care of any problems or disputes immediately and to your satisfaction.

Shop around and take your lowest rate.

Michele

Cullen,

Do you live in the US or Canada? The reason I ask is that in the US only certain MasterCards and Diners Club cover car rental insurance in Ireland. In the US Visa does not cover. Please read my "Car Rental" page before you leave!!

Michele

Chutchin,

Haven't rented one yet, still trying to make up my mind. The cheapest so far seems to be Irish Rental Car. See my starting post.

Got this from ICR:

Glass and tyres are considered wearable items and are not covered by our
insurance policy, they will be your responsibility for the duration of
the hire period

Thank you and kind regards

Jordana Graham
Irish Car Rentals
Tel 00353 61 206088
Fax 00353 61 326766

Guess this is standard with all rental companies in Ireland?

I've posted this before, but will share again.  Like Michele noted, everyone has had pros and cons with various companies, so there is no stock answer.  I have rented from Dooley and found what they list as prices to be solid with no extra charges once you get there.  Nice to rent from and had no problems.  That's the only experiences I have had with rentals, and it was not a mess, so I thankfully don't have the chaos experiences to relate to.

Jedi...

Drive slowly and defensively here.. the general standard of driving/courtesy is poor still . The most common accident is "tailgating" as they drive far too close to each other. And in country areas, they tend to head down the middle of the road...Sound your horn approaching blind bends.....  

Bit; one writer describes the general difference between the UK and Ireland as between "messy" and "manicured"... so true..We notice this as we are so near the border now and the difference is clear.

Judy,

Kemwel usually books me with EuropCar. For Super CDW excess waiver that reduces your deductible from E800 to E100 you have to pay (for a small car) about $US14 per day. That will give you a ballpark figure to work with. You must get that insurance on arrival from the car rental firm. Kemwel does not provide it as part of their rates.

Please note that the cost of the Super CDW can differ a bit depending on type of car rented and length of rental. There is also a E25 fee for going into Northern Ireland.

You can phone Kemwel at 1-877-820-0668. They will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Michele

NI is of course under UK road laws; Ireland's are very different and the Gardai here are much more.. laid back. And there are fewer of them.

Random breath-testing was only, incredibly, introduced in March last year, since when arrests for drink-diriving have averaged almost 500 a week...

A learner driver is allowed to drive solo from the start; if they fail their test - and there is a loooooong waiting list - they are allowed to drive away solo, having been told they are not fit to drive....

As in water supply, Ireland has a lot of catching up to do yet..

I was contacted by Irish Car Rental after getting a rate quote online and was offered a discount. I e-mailed them back to get a total rate quote including various other fees and this is what they are offering.

Each rental incurs a standard airport fee of 22 euros plus VAT @ 13.5%
(25 euros inc VAT) and a road tax charge of 1.50 euros per day, there is
a fee of 23.83 euros including VAT for traveling to Northern Ireland,
this will cover insurance and breakdown assistance across the border.

The total cost for this rental including these fees, with your 5 euro
discount and free extra driver applied will be 205 euros.

The rate includes, CDW, theft and third party insurance cover with an
excess of 900 euros, unlimited mileage and 24 hour breakdown cover.

To proceed I will need the primary driver's name and an incoming flight
number

Thank you and kind regards

Jordana Graham
Irish Car Rentals

I booked and paid my rental through Avis for my November trip.
For 6 days, auto transmission - I got it for under $200.
Included in my price is: All Mandatory Charges , Vehicle Damage Cover (CDW), Vehicle Theft Cover (TP), Tax.

I couldn't believe the price.
I also booked it through the UK site, and not the standard .com site.

-- Edited by TxDevil at 19:19, 2007-09-25

Michele,

500 Euro.
But, I'm thinking of purchasing the Super CDW when I get there. I'm a fairly good driver, but one can never be too careful - especially on the 1.5 car lanes in rural Ireland. I don't know if you remember what happened last time.

First day driving on the back roads. Was coming up on a blind curve, and this truck came up from nowhere and it didn't seem there was enough room for both of us. I panicked and my American driver instincts kicked in and I veered to the RIGHT instead of the left to get out of his way. He was VERY VERY irate. Threatened to call the police. Had me crying and scared. So, I'll be more prepared this time.

I couldn't believe the quote. So much, that I closed out the page, cleared my cache and tried it again ... same quote. Made sure that it said AUTO Economy and that it was indeed for 6 days. Only problem that I see is finding the storefront. It's in Dublin City Centre.