car hire in ireland

Choosing your car hire in Ireland

Ireland is a truly beautiful and diverse country - offering both stunning countryside and bustling city centers.

If you're planning to see as much of Ireland as possible, hire a car that will provide the comfort you need.

If, however, you plan to stay in a busy city like Dublin, then a small compact hire car is ideal for parking and zipping in and out of city traffic. Either way, we've got what you need.

Car hire locations in Ireland

gosimply.com provides Ireland car hire across hundreds of town, city and airport locations across the country - too many in fact to list here (well we could, but the page would be rather long) so here are just a few of the more popular locations where we can provide Ireland car rental:

Towns and Cities	Airports
Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Belfast, Derry, Lisburn, Newry	Belfast City Airport, Cork Airport, Derry Airport, Dublin Airport, Kerry International Airport, Galway Airport and Shannon Airport

Get around the Emerald Isle in style

We like to listen to our customers here at gosimply. You tell us what you want, and we provide it. Simple.

When it comes to car hire in Ireland we appreciate it's all about choice, convenience and reliability at a fair price. That's why we compare the leading Ireland car rental suppliers to find you a fantastic choice of hire cars. From economy and mid-size, to luxury cars that get you around in style.

Driving in Ireland

Thankfully, driving a hire car in Ireland is a doddle if you're from the UK, everyone drives on the right side of the road (by that we mean the left) and all the road signs are in English allowing you to relax and take in the sites as you navigate your away around the Emerald Isle.

Road safety tips to help you on your way:

• Children under 12 cannot travel in the front unless using a suitable restraint system.
• Seat belts are compulsory in Ireland for front and rear seat occupants, if fitted.
• Motoring regulations and laws in Northern Ireland are the same as in the mainland of Great Britain.
• Some areas of Ireland are notoriously wet, misty and shrouded in fog (thankfully not all of the time). Sheep and cows are often a common sight on some of the more remote twisty winding roads, so it's best (for you and the animals) to keep your speed down on blind bends.

Must have equipment for the Irish roads:

Under EU legislation, your hire car should be equipped with the following items to make it road legal for use on the roads of Ireland:

• A set of spare lamps/bulbs should be supplied with your hire car as well as the tools necessary to change them.
• Although not yet law in Ireland, it's expected that reflective jackets for emergency or breakdown will become law in the near future.
• First-aid kit is advised, but not compulsory.
• A warning triangle is recommended.

Irish road speed limits

Speed limits in Ireland are implemented rigorously and radar traps are frequent. Ireland has changed to the metric system for road signs, so be prepared for distance and speed limit signs in kilometres.

Road Type	Standard	With trailer
Motorways	120 km/h	80 km/h
Open roads	100 km/h	80 km/h
Town	50 km/h	50 km/h

Motorway Tolls in Ireland

Tolls are payable at two points in the Dublin area - M50 Ring Road between the N4 and N3 interchanges only (toll euro 1.80 for cars) on the R131 East Link Bridge: euro 1.00 for cars, with higher tolls for vans and trucks.

Tolls are being introduced on some new motorways, for example the E1 (M1) route which connects Dublin and Belfast. The toll charge for cars is euro 1.50. Cash only. No credit cards. Further general information is available at the NRA website.

Places of interest

For a reasonably small country, Ireland has much to offer. With a rich and often dark history, there are enough sites and historic facts (not forgetting pubs) to keep everyone happy.

• Blarney Castle, near Cork, is a popular travel destination for tourists in Ireland.The Druid's Circle, the Witch Cave and the wishing step are natural rock formations, at the castle grounds.
• Travelling to Achill island is a great experience for everybody. Achill island is rich with natural splendor, a characteristic of Ireland. Here one must travel to the cliffs of Croaghaun, the uppermost sea cliff of Ireland and of Europe.
• Travelling to the Burren Ireland is an exiting opportunity. Burren is full of historical and archaeological possessions of Ireland. Some people travel to Burren to see the exquisite flowers like the "Gentiana verna" which is otherwise found only at the Alps.
• Dublin is regarded as a popular cosmopolitan city all over the world. Many people travel to Ireland just to feel the life and vibrancy of Dublin where the Irish culture mixes with the urban atmosphere.
• Giant's Causeway is the geological phenomenon renowned for its columns of layered basalt is a world heritage site and a fabulous day visit from Belfast (one and a half hours drive). The Giant's Causeway sits in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the North Antrim coast.