Are you going to Ireland for an extended trip and are wondering if there is such a thing as long-term car rental in Ireland for tourists and visitors? Discover whether it is possible right here and what your options are for long-term car rental in Ireland.
If you are fortunate enough to be planning an extended trip to Ireland, whether it is a month or more, having access to your own vehicle makes exploring the beautiful Emerald Isle much easier. It gives you the freedom to get around and experience all that Ireland has to offer. But, when it comes to long-term car rental in Ireland, there are some things you need to know beforehand.
It is important to note that many car rental providers in Ireland have restrictions on the length of time you can hire a car from them for, especially as a tourist. Most car hire providers in Ireland can give you a car for up to one month, but where does that leave you if you need to hire a car in Ireland for longer?
We are going to explain what options are available to those seeking long-term car hire in Ireland, from a tourist perspective.
Long-term car rental in Ireland
Long-term car rental in Ireland – Maximum rental period
When it comes to long-term car rental, Ireland has certain restrictions where car hire and tourists are concerned.
Generally, the maximum length of time someone from outside Ireland can hire a car from a car rental company is 28 days, (in certain circumstances 30 days is the maximum, such as with My Irish Cousin). This is deemed short-term rental and is the type of car hire tourists to the country will use.
This type of car rental has a more favourable sales tax associated with it which keeps the price competitive.
However for some people, 28 days is not sufficient if they are planning to spend 6 weeks in Ireland.
Long-term car rental options – The difference between hiring a car versus lease hire
Once a car rental exceeds the maximum short-term period, it is deemed to be a lease hire and there are a few things associated with this type of long-term car rental option that makes it unsuitable for tourists and visitors to Ireland.
Firstly, with this type of long term car hire, Ireland has a different tax bracket associated with it. After 28 days, VAT charges change, VAT (or sales tax) is higher, and this can add to the overall cost of the car.
Secondly, car rental over 28 days is deemed to be a lease hire and with that comes additional paperwork and often times a minimum lease hire period of 6 months.
Thirdly, in order to lease hire a car, you need to be a resident of the state with utility bills and a local bank account.
So leasing a car in Ireland is not an option for tourists and visitors to Ireland.
What about companies who advertise long term car rental options in Ireland?
There are a few companies online where you may see them offering long term rental car options, including some of the recognisable names.
However, upon closer inspection, these are lease hire options from 1 month upwards. These are long-term rental options more suited to businesses, for example for contractual work, seasonal work and new employee probation periods.
These long-term options come under the lease hire class and incur a higher rate of VAT along with additional paperwork and requirements.
These are not long-term car rental options for tourists and visitors.
Best options for long term car rental in Ireland for tourists
With lease hire not an option for tourists and visitors to Ireland, what is the best option for long term car rental?
There are two options for those seeking tourist long-term car hire in Ireland:
- Arrange back-to-back rentals with one or more car rental companies. However, you should be aware that this will involve additional paperwork for each rental term and most likely a return/change of car after your first rental period has expired. Some companies will not accommodate back-to-back rentals with the same person as it can be seen as a lease hire situation.
- Contact My Irish Cousin. We have experience of tourist-type long-term car rental. My Irish Cousin can arrange longer car hire for tourists and visitors with minimum additional paperwork and logistics. We have a streamlined process for making this a hassle-free experience for our customers.
Why choose My Irish Cousin for your long-term car hire in Ireland
My Irish Cousin have experience with arranging car hire for periods longer than our standard 30 days where necessary, as mentioned.
Our process is streamlined with minimal additional paperwork and logistics involved.
You get all the benefits of a My Irish Cousin rental agreement for the length of your car hire including
- Long term car rental with insurance included that also includes Super Collison Damage Waiver
- Unlimited mileage for the entire rental period
- You can take the car to Northern Ireland at no extra cost
- Full Roadside Assistance is included and both tyres and glass are also covered
- Second driver at no additional cost
- My Irish Cousin have desks in the 5 airports in Ireland and 30 other locations for pickup/drop-off throughout the country.
Click here to arrange a quote for your long-term car hire in Ireland from My Irish Cousin.
Different types of cars available for long term rental car
If you are looking to hire a car for an extended period while in Ireland, you may be wondering what types of cars are available. Well, everything from small run-arounds to big, luxury cars are normally available, depending on the time of year, when you book, and fleet availability.
Here are the different classes of cars available for long-term car hire and why you would choose them.
- Small, economy cars – If you are looking for something budget-friendly and for short driving distances around or between towns, then a cheap and cheerful small-type car should be your choice. Just be aware that luggage space is at a premium in these.
- Mid-size/full-size cars – This type of car is better suited to those who will be doing longer journeys, will be carrying lots of luggage, or are doing a road-trip travelling to different places every few days.
- Luxury cars – If you want to travel in style, then this is the option for you. But, with luxury cars come premium prices, especially for long-term rentals.
What to look for in a long-term car rental company
There are a few things to consider when comparing companies for renting a car long-term in Ireland for your vacation or extended stay.
- Does the company have a good reputation?
- Does the company have good online reviews with Google/TripAdvisor and a good reputation on Facebook? My Irish Cousin has 5-star reviews on both Google and TripAdvisor and has an excellent reputation on Facebook.
- Can the company offer you the car you want/need?
- Does the company have competitive long-term car rental rates and is it suitable for tourists?
- Can the company arrange a tourist-type long-term car rental and not a lease hire agreement?
- Does the company have a good customer service reputation? You can see the testimonials for My Irish Cousin here.
Remember, you need to be careful when searching online for long-term car rental in Ireland. With many of the companies who advertise this, the ‘long-term’ car rental is for lease hire agreements (business-to-business rentals) and not tourist car rental agreements (business-to-consumer rentals).
Tips for planning your extended trip to Ireland
Here are our tips for planning your extended trip to Ireland. You may have already started planning your trip, but you may have forgotten something that we mention here.
- Decide what type of trip you want to do. Are you going to do an extended road trip in Ireland? Do you want to immerse yourself in cultural experiences? Are you going to do a multi-stop trip or just one or two cities? Your choice of car may depend on this.
- How long are you going to stay in Ireland? My Irish Cousin will need to know this to arrange an accurate quotation for your long-term car hire. And, you need to plan your accommodation accordingly.
- Book your long-term rental car in Ireland in advance to get the best price and to access the widest choice of cars.
- Familiarise yourself with Irish driving laws before you arrive.
- Prepare yourself for driving on the left side of the road.
- Decide on what type of transmission you want to hire. Hiring an automatic versus a manual car will help calm the nerves of driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and will especially help if you are not used to driving a manual or stick-shift car.
- If you are spending time in Dublin, ensure Dublin is at the start or end of your trip. You do not need to have a hire car in Dublin, especially if you are staying in the centre of the city. Public transport is excellent in Dublin and the main tourist attractions are walkable.
Conclusion
So, if you have been wondering if long-term car rental is an option in Ireland for your extended trip, the answer is yes. But, you can only do it via two methods as we have explained. Back-to-back rental agreements with the added hassle of additional paperwork and return/change of vehicle. Or through My Irish Cousin who have experience and a streamlined process for exactly this type of car rental.
Contact My Irish Cousin today to discuss your long-term car rental needs.
Frequently Asked Questions about long-term car rental in Ireland
This depends on the type of touring you are going to be doing during your extended stay in Ireland. If you are simply moving from city to city or town to town and exploring the town/city, then a small, economy car would be ideal.
However, if you are planning a road trip, or moving from base to base and exploring the surrounding area, a mid-size or full-size car would be more comfortable for the longer distances and driving for all your exploration.
Yes, but you need to be careful because normally, long-term car rental in Ireland involves a lease hire agreement which is only an option for those with residency, utility bills and a bank account in Ireland. That said, My Irish Cousin has experience in arranging long-term car rental for tourists with minimal additional paperwork and vehicle logistics as explained in this article.
If you are looking to explore the country for longer than 28 days, then unless you are prepared to use public transport or join guided tours beyond that time, you will need to hire a car to enjoy the freedom of exploring at your own pace and on your own timetable. My Irish Cousin can arrange a quotation for car rental longer than our standard 30 days.
A great long-term car rental solution is arranging this through My Irish Cousin. They have experience of arranging this type of rental with a streamlined process with minimal additional paperwork and vehicle logistics. Pricing will depend on the length of car rental required and the type of car you want.
