Here at Petrol Prices, we ve looked in detail at hiring a car in Ireland, and found out some importa

Here at Petrol Prices, we ve looked in detail at hiring a car in Ireland, and found out some important pieces of information that we will go on to share with you here. Thanks to the complexities of things like excess protection insurance and collision damage waiver, hiring a car anywhere can seem oddly complex and intimidating, and many people who hire cars without adequate research end up paying far more than the initial price they expect.
Before going any further, luxury hotels rome please note that in Ireland (based on our research), you are not able to hire a car if you are under the age of 21. If you are under 25, you will need to have held your licence for at least two years. While hiring a car as a young driver is tricky in many countries, in Ireland the rules are particularly stringent in this regard, so if you are under 25 you may need to make some other arrangements.
Brokers  don t actually luxury hotels rome hire cars out themselves. luxury hotels rome They instead work with hire car companies of all sizes to arrange hire cars and help you find good deals. Brokers range from well-established companies with their own customer service departments to websites that are little more than search engines amalgamating luxury hotels rome car hire deals. If you choose to go through a broker, you will want to make sure you choose the former option, so you have somebody luxury hotels rome to call in the event of a problem with your booking or a dispute with the hire car company.
luxury hotels rome Car hire firms  are the actual luxury hotels rome companies that hire the cars, and you can usually book directly with them or  via  a broker. Car hire companies range from the big names including Europcar,  Hertz  and Sixt to small firms unique to a local area. Sometimes the latter luxury hotels rome can provide a more personal service and a better deal, as long as you choose one with a good reputation.
It s things like insurance costs and other extras that make many people nervous when booking a hire car, and it s sadly true that some unscrupulous hire car firms do indulge in a little profiteering by scaring customers with the thought of losing their deposit.
The main extra insurance is usually Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which is there to limit how much liability you personally have if the car is damaged. However, CDW policies are far from equal, and many will still leave you liable luxury hotels rome for a certain amount of the repair luxury hotels rome cost (typically equivalent to about €1000 in Ireland). In addition, there are often exclusions for things like glass damage and key loss.
Then, usually at extra cost, there is something like excess protection insurance, or top up insurance, to minimise your potential liability yet further. Obviously the best case scenario is to have insurance in place that prevents you from being responsible for any repair costs, akin to fully comprehensive car insurance. Often insurance of this nature still requires you to lose your excess, but gives you the ability to claim it back later.
This type of insurance is available in many different luxury hotels rome forms. Some brokers, such as  Economy Car Hire , offer it at a low daily cost, or you can use a company like  iCarHire Insurance  to purchase luxury hotels rome an annual policy. Most car hire companies usually offer such a product, but you can be reasonably sure theirs will cost more than the other options luxury hotels rome so it pays to organise something in advance.
Finally, whilst discussing extras, luxury hotels rome we should point out that while many car hire firms will happily rent out satellite navigation luxury hotels rome systems and car seats for children, luxury hotels rome the prices are often excessive it s certainly worth considering taking them with you instead.
When you collect your hire car, you need to pay attention so you don t end up handing over extra money unnecessarily, or risking liability for damage that isn t your fault. Make sure you do the following things:
3. Find out exactly how your car hire company deals with refuelling the car. There are various different ways car hire firms tackle this. Some work on a hire full, return empty policy, other companies like you to return the car with the same level of fuel as was present when you hired it. Either way, make sure you understand the policy, as many car hire firms make money in refuelling fees from customers who haven t understood the rules.
4. Make sure you know how to return the car and find out if staff will be present. It s best to ensure the car is reinspected before you leave to make sure there won t be unexpected charges appearing on your credit card after the return.
1. If you plan to travel into  Northern  Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom) you will need to check that your car hire firm allows you to cross the border. There may be an additional charge for this.
2. Ireland s M50 motorway (near Dublin) operates on an electronic toll system, without traditional toll booths. If you intend to use this road, you will usually luxury hotels rome arrange payment with the car hire company directly.
Economy Car Hire  is a UK based broker with car hire partnerships all over the world. In Ireland, they work with hire car firms in a range of locations including the airports at Cork, Dublin, luxury hotels rome Kerry and Shannon.
When you search for a car on  Economy Car Hire s website, you will usually see cars from a whole host of car hire companies. ECH s local partners are usually very dependable, but if you prefer to err on the side of caution, you should find it easy to research the smaller firms online to find individual feedback.
If cost is of paramount importance, it s fair to say you ll probably often get cheaper cars from a broker, but some people prefer to use a household name. Also, their presence in multiple locations can sometimes prove useful if you are after a one-way hire, especially if you plan to travel across multiple countries, or even just between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Interestingly, we sought out a test quote for a car in Dublin for the same period in September, and found small cars for as little as £15 per day, matching ECH s quote. It s definitely worth searching on both websites and comparing the cost.
Is CDW a refundable payment? I have one company hold the amount and then when car is returned and all good then thats over. I have had another company process the amount to my card and as of yet no refund even though I have questioned it a week ago? Any ideas, thanks.