Visiting Ireland is such a great experience, with so many sights to see, the easiest way to get around, in our opinion, is of course by car. Exploring our beautiful country by car gives you many advantages such as freedom to plan your own itinerary and to get to places that are hard to reach, such as the Dark Hedges, which is a major favourite for Game of Thrones Fans. So, while there are many car rental companies available, we have teamed up with Ronan from Car Rental Ireland to give you the lo down on why you should rent a car for your adventure in Ireland.

Take it away Ronan…

The numbers don’t lie – renting a car in Ireland makes for a better holiday!

A survey conducted in 2015 showed that the vast majority of tourists who travelled Ireland in a rented car would recommended future visitors do the same.

There were a variety of reasons for this, including price, the size of the travelling party, reliability and convenience.

However, the finding can also be attributed to a more compelling factor. Much of the natural splendour that attracts tourists to Ireland is not adjacent to major cities, where public transport is most accessible.

Travel with freedom

Quite simply, in Ireland, renting a car provides a level of freedom and ownership of a holiday that current transport infrastructure does not allow for.

Attractions such as the Wild Atlantic Way and the Ring of Kerry can be savoured and experienced at the renter’s discretion, as they will not be beholding to the schedules or time constraints of coach and bus services.

Cost-effective

Simultaneously, renting car is also advantageous for those who plan to spend time in Ireland’s larger cities, especially Dublin. Contrary to perception, car rentals cost up to 40% less than taxi rentals, particularly in the cases of medium to long distance fares.

Expenditure is a paramount consideration for most holidaymakers, and, unlike taxis, the price of car rental is fixed and paid for in advance. As such, it can be factored into a consumer’s budget well in advance. Unexpected financial outlays in unfamiliar surroundings can, at least in this instance, be avoided.

Car choice can make or break a trip

The aforementioned study, conducted by Europcar Ireland with 5,000 of their non-national customers, involved respondents answering a wide range of multiple-choice questions regarding car rentals in Ireland.

One of the most telling findings of the survey centred on the rentals of small cars; 85% of people who drove smaller cars in cities found the experience enjoyable, but 10% of those who availed of the same type of vehicles did not enjoy larger undertakings, such as the Wild Atlantic Way.

When it came to journeys such as the Wild Atlantic Way or other stretches of Ireland’s west coast, the study found that economy or compact cars were the most viable.

It only gets better

The data also revealed the longer the car journey in question, the more rewarding it became. The same was true for travelling in larger groups, and 65% of those asked said that their car choice correlated directly with the size of their travelling party.

Finally, repeat customers of Car Rental Ireland claimed to have had a more pleasing experience from being in the knowledge that they would receive excellent customer service and a high-functioning, pristine vehicle.

Ronan Menton

Car Rental Ireland.

So, there you have it, renting a car in Ireland for your many adventures is much more beneficial and makes the trip so much easier.

If you do not drive, of course, don’t worry, there are tours available and bus routes to many attractions, just keep in mind that it will take longer to get to certain destinations and you will be subject to the time of the tour so this will cause less freedom in your itinerary and may be more costly.

Huge thanks to Ronan from Car Rental Ireland for all the information and we hope this helps you with planning your trip to Ireland! If you want more even more information you can check out Car Rental Ireland here.

Happy Travels!

Nicole and Bryan

*Please note this post is just a collaboration with Car Rental Ireland and Ronan is being featured as a guest writer for Little World Adventures as we wanted to give you industry knowledge on renting a car within Ireland.