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Travel and car rental tips in Ireland

Noemi Beres ⁽²⁰⁾ Ireland

Noemi Beres

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6 Fuel Saving Tips When You Drive Your Rental Car

Posted Thursday, June 12, 2008 (1 year 165 days ago.) Viewed 31 times.

Fuel prices have climbed record levels. It affects our everyday life, and it even makes us conscious when we are on holiday.

Here are 6 tips how to save money on fuel when you drive your rental car in Dublin and in Ireland.

1. Choose the right rental car

When you book your car rental, reserve the smallest available model that suits your needs. Smaller cars are more fuel-efficient. In Ireland is very popular to rent economy cars, for example Ford Fiesta. It is easy and comfortable to drive on the narrow Irish roads and it also delivers good fuel economy. Its fuel efficiency is around 6l/100km. While an intermediate size rental car could consume 9l/100km. An SUV's fuel efficiency is over 10l/100km.

2. Rent a car with a manual transmission

Cars with manual transmission are more fuel efficient and have more power than vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission. Hiring a car with manual transmission would help you to save money on fuel because you decide when you need to change gear.

3. Plan ahead

Plan your travel ahead while you are at home and plan your route too. There are many good route planner sites are available online, check them out. Buy a good map, but most of the rental cars come with free Ireland map. You can hire your rental car with GPS navigation or you can bring your own. It helps you to navigate to any town in Ireland , it can save you time, money and headache.

4. Air conditioning or no air conditioning

Ireland 's summers are not really hot, the country doesn't really suffer from extreme temperatures. Average annual temperature is about 9C, so air conditioning is not a must. When you drive in the city at low speed, opening windows do not greatly increase your rental car's aerodynamic drag, it means that your car will use less petrol than if you used your air conditioner. However at high speed, close windows and sun roofs, so your engine doesn't have to work that hard and you may switch on the air conditioning if you really need it.

5. Turn off the lights

This tip might be a safety concern. Most rental cars have daylights enabled which are rather efficient. Every electrical equipment, which is powered from the alternator, will increase its load on the engine. When you use them, the engine burns more fuel. When you can do it safely, turn off the headlights. If you rental car has fog lights, do not turn it on unless the weather is foggy. Many drivers in Ireland use them for no reason, don't follow their example, use it if it is only necessary.

6. Turn your rental car off

When you are on a driving holiday, you tend to stop frequently. You take a picture or you check your travel guide where the next Irish village is. Turn your car off when you know that you will not be moving for more than 1 minute.

These tips will help you to keep your driving vacation in Ireland on a budget. If you want to save even more money, it is advisable to plan your holiday ahead and book your car online.

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Extra Car Rental Charges – Avoid Surprises When You Rent a Car

Posted Friday, May 02, 2008 (1 year 206 days ago.) Viewed 22 times.

When you visit Ireland, you can rent a car for your holiday. Good car rental deals are available online or over the phone. Athough there are a couple of extra charges that you should not overlook.

Here are a few hints how to avoid surprises when you hire a car.

Airport fee/ Premium location

It is common with most car rental companies to charge an airport fee for collection at an airport or at a premium location. When you book a car with airport pick-up, always make sure that your quote includes airport fee or you have to pay locally.

Young and mature drivers surcharge

These age-based fees depend on the car rental company, the location and the size of the rental vehicle. If you are under 24 or older than 70 years, the young or the mature drivers surcharge may apply. You may find more flexible age restrictions with some car rental agencies. When you make an online car hire booking, in most cases you need to give your age too.

Additional driver

If your partner or spouse is planning to drive your rental car, it may come as a surprise to find out that most car hire companies charge 5 to 10 euros per day for each additional driver. In certain countries you may have one additional driver for free.

Special equipment

You can also request special equipment for additional charge, like infant child seat, child toddler seat and booster seat. It is usually around 50 euros per rental. It is also possible to rent cars with GPS navigation. It will cost you around 15 euros per rental.

These are available on request and payable at the car rental counter. If you are travelling with your children, you can save money by bringing your own child safety seat. You can also use your own GPS navigation in your rental car.

Fuel surcharge

Fuel is not included in the rental price. There are some different fuel policies:

Pick up full, return full, it means that your car will be supplied with a full tank of fuel and you need to refill the vehicle before you return it.
Pick up full, return empty, upon collection of your rental car you will be charged by the car rental company for a full tank of petrol.
Same level fuel policy, at the end of the hire you return the car with the same amount of petrol as when the vehicle was collected.

Out of hours extra charge

Out of hours pick up or drop off is also available for additional charge. Confirm always with the car hire provider company.

Oneway rental fee

Oneway rentals usually have an extra charge. This fee is based on the distance between the rental and the return locations. It always depends on the length of your rental.

The collision damage waiver CDW

It is also known as loss damage waiver (LDW), this is not technically an insurance product, but instead shifts liability for collision damage from the person renting the car to the car rental company. If the vehicle is damaged, you will be covered for the cost of repairing the rental car. You will, however, have to pay an excess charge towards the cost of repair.

For example, let's say you want to hire a car at Dublin Airport in Ireland . Depends on the size of the rental car your liability (excess) would be 800-2000 euros. If you want to reduce your excess, you can purchase additional coverage online from 2.99 euros per day before you travel to Ireland . Here are some companies who protect you against excess charges, for example: carhireecxess.com or dailyexcess.com.

Your holiday in Ireland is supposed to be relaxing, so don't forget to check the fine print when you rent your car. Plan always ahead and book your car online, so you can save time and get a good car rental deal for your money.

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4 Places To Visit When You Rent a Car In Dublin

Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 (1 year 243 days ago.) Viewed 86 times.

In Dublin's surroundings you can find many beautiful historic places, gardens and castles. These tourist attractions are usually open all year around and well worth taking the time to visit them. There are two ways to get there, either you book a coach day trip or you rent a car. Renting a car is great because it gives you the freedom and independence to come and go. You are not tied to strict times and that means you can start and finish your day whenever you please. It is always possible to pick your rental car up and drop it off in Dublin City Centre or at Dublin Airport.

Explore these wonderful places on your own time.

Here are four day trip destinations that you would definitely enjoy.

Powerscourt House and Gardens

Powerscourt is one of Ireland 's most famous estates and gardens; it is about 20km from Dublin City Centre. Powerscourt House was designed by Richard Castle around 1730, and was burned down accidentally in 1974.

An exhibition called " Bloody O'Tooles, Rebels & Royalty, Fame & Fire" and an audio visual presentation tell the story of this magnificent and elegant mansion. Ballroom and Garden Rooms open Sundays 9:30-1:30 all year, Mondays 9:30-1:30 from May to September. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy a nice cup of tee or coffee on the terrace of Powerscourt House.

Further down is the arboretum with its splendid collection of trees, including a Sitka Spruce Ireland's tallest tree. Other important features of the garden are the Walled Garden with its colourful rose beds, the Dolphin Pond, The Pet's Cemetery and the Japanese Garden from 1908.

Powerscourt Estate also contains the highest waterfall - 90 meters in Ireland . It is called Powerscourt Waterfall and is surrounded by woods. You can picnic there or go for a long refreshing walk.

Malahide Castle

Malahide Castle is situated south-west from the small seaside resort Malahide, set on 250 acres of park land. It is really unique because it was inhabited continuously by the Talbot family from 1185 until 1976. You can find many beautiful period furniture in this medieval castle and a large collection of Irish portrait paintings.

The Castle has its own ghosts too, not only one but five: Lord Galtrim, Lady Maud Plunkett, Chief Justice, Miles Corbett and last but not least Puck. Be prepared, you will definitely feel their presence amongst the ancient walls.

Guided audio tours run every 15 minutes; duration of the tour is about 35 minutes. Malahide Castle 's restaurant is famous for its tasty meal, so why not have a nice lunch after your tour.

Howth

It is also worthwhile taking a day trip to Howth which is a fishing and yachting port, popular suburban resort. You can start your walk in the harbour where Howth Lighthouse can also be found. It is the best place to spot sea lions in the sea.

There is also a 12th century Abbey and graveyard in the heart of the town with beautiful view of the harbour. To the west of the harbour are Howth Castle and demesne, seat of the St. Lawrence Family. The demesne is famous for its rhododendrons - over 2000 varieties and azaelas.

Beside the castle is the National Transport Museum containing old double-decker buses, horse-drawn fire engine, tractors and the rustic Hill of Howth Tram.

There are plenty of nice restaurants with mouthwatering fresh seafood dishes in Howth, although it is advisable to book your table in advance because they can be rather busy at weekends.

Loughcrew Historic Gardens

Loughcrew Historic Gardens are situated in the heart of County Meath, 85km from Dublin. It belonged to the Plunkett family, Ireland's most recent saint - St. Oliver Plunkett was born and raised there. The Plunketts' church still stands in Loughcrew.

Picture from Loughcrew Historic Gardens

The Loughcrew estate also contains The Temple of the Rains, which was the Entrance Portico of the Loughcrew House. It was built by Welsh buliders and named after the constant Irish rain that fell during the building process. The gardens and the woodlands are dotted with 'fairies', beautiful contemporary sculptures made by Ann Meldon Hugh.

If you visit Lougcrew during the summer months and you like music, buy ticket for the annual Rhythm & Blues Festival. The Opera a la Carte Company will entertain the opera lovers on 27-28th of June.

Loughcrew Cairns are about 3 km from Loughcrew Gardens, these prehistoric passage graves are the oldest feature of this extraordinary area. Visit them in the winter or midweek because it can be quite crowded.

You can enjoy these day trips to the full by car. Even if your holiday focuses only on Dublin, you would be still able to visit one of these beautiful places. Several car hire companies offer car rental in Dublin City or you can rent a car at Dublin Airport When you book your car online in advance, you can save time and get a good car rental deal for your money.

Keep left on the road and have a safe driving holiday in Dublin's surroundings.

For further information on car rental in Dublin, please visit www.reservacar-dublinairport.com

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