Car rental costs killing vacation plan

[Anonymous]

I’ve been planning for years to take an extended vacation to Ireland this summer, but held off booking due to COVID uncertainty. I’ve been saving time off work plus unpaid leave in order to have a full 6 weeks. I’m not wealthy but I have friends from college plus relatives with whom I can crash, plus the splurge of a week in a nice AirBnB.

Now, after changing jobs and restructuring my life yo allow this to happen, I have hit the wall of car rental prices, which are 4x what they were 3 years ago! There is no way I can afford to book a car for that long through a regular car rental company, and I would be staying in rural location so public transport isn’t really an option.

Aside from being really nervy and asking around with relatives to see if anyone would like $1000 to let me borrow their car for a month (plus the cost of adding me as a 2nd driver on their insurance) does anyone have any idea of alternatives, like short term leasing or car swapping or something?

[Anonymous]

Are you sure you need a car the whole time? The great thing about Europe and even probably rural Ireland is that there’s buses everywhere. They generally have better public transportation then in rural places in the United States.

Maybe see if you can rent a car for only part of the time they are there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure you need a car the whole time? The great thing about Europe and even probably rural Ireland is that there’s buses everywhere. They generally have better public transportation then in rural places in the United States.

Maybe see if you can rent a car for only part of the time they are there?

+1 OP plan to book a car for the trips between cities and use public transport while you're in town. The public transit is good and many smaller towns are perfectly walkable. If you're crashing with friends you probably wouldn't take two cars to go wherever you go together anyway.

[Anonymous]

You may even be able to book buses between cities. Otherwise you could pay a lot for car rentals if you drop off the car someplace different from where you picked it up. Good luck!

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/bus-travel-ireland-106806.html

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Turo? I use Turo when rental car fees are too expensive. I didn't know if they operated in Ireland but looks like it - https://turo.com/us/en/car-rental/ireland/dublin/toyota/verso/437333

[Anonymous]

Have you checked prices with Autoeurope? That’s who I always use. They offer leasing information, too.

Having said that, I agree with those who suggest renting a car for less time rather than canceling your trip!

[Anonymous]

Didn't you research your trip before changing your life around?
It's well-known that car rental prices are very expensive in Europe. Next time, please, OP, do your homework before committing to grand plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't you research your trip before changing your life around?
It's well-known that car rental prices are very expensive in Europe. Next time, please, OP, do your homework before committing to grand plans.

I have traveled to Ireland every other year for shorter trips for nearly 2 decades now. No one planned for the effects of COVID three years ago. So, yes, I have researched my trip for a long time and I had a very good sense of what my budget would need to be. A year ago, car rental prices were double the norm. Now they are 4x the norm. That was not expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you checked prices with Autoeurope? That’s who I always use. They offer leasing information, too.

Having said that, I agree with those who suggest renting a car for less time rather than canceling your trip!

Yeah, just tried that, and prices are over $3500 for 4 weeks for the tiniest car size. Thank you for the lead, though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you tried Turo? I use Turo when rental car fees are too expensive. I didn't know if they operated in Ireland but looks like it - https://turo.com/us/en/car-rental/ireland/dublin/toyota/verso/437333

That’s awesome…it doesn’t seem like any cars are available during Summer anywhere on the island, though. (I checked every week one week at a time.)

Thank yon for trying, though! (The rates of the guy you found are about the same as car rental, anyway.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't you research your trip before changing your life around?
It's well-known that car rental prices are very expensive in Europe. Next time, please, OP, do your homework before committing to grand plans.

I have traveled to Ireland every other year for shorter trips for nearly 2 decades now. No one planned for the effects of COVID three years ago. So, yes, I have researched my trip for a long time and I had a very good sense of what my budget would need to be. A year ago, car rental prices were double the norm. Now they are 4x the norm. That was not expected.

Sorry I was rude, OP. Crappy night over here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure you need a car the whole time? The great thing about Europe and even probably rural Ireland is that there’s buses everywhere. They generally have better public transportation then in rural places in the United States.

Maybe see if you can rent a car for only part of the time they are there?

+1 OP plan to book a car for the trips between cities and use public transport while you're in town. The public transit is good and many smaller towns are perfectly walkable. If you're crashing with friends you probably wouldn't take two cars to go wherever you go together anyway.

I wish that would work, but my family is from one of the least populous areas, so it’s a drive just to get into town. There are a few touristy locations where we could live without a car (like, 4-5 days on the Aran Islands) but even with friends, I can’t imagine not having our own car.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried different starting points? It’s always cheaper to rent off airport for example. And more expensive to return to a different location.

[Anonymous]

Ireland also has punishing insurance rates relative to pretty much anywhere else. We got a chase sapphire card which I believe is one of the few that offered coverage there (but please check). Other cards specifically say they don’t cover like Ireland, North Korea, Iraq and Syria, something like that.

Not sure if you are in a position to get any new card or if that would help, but figured I would mention

Also as a pp mentioned it is very doable to get around without a car. My parents are very active and did it for weeks on end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't you research your trip before changing your life around?
It's well-known that car rental prices are very expensive in Europe. Next time, please, OP, do your homework before committing to grand plans.

I have traveled to Ireland every other year for shorter trips for nearly 2 decades now. No one planned for the effects of COVID three years ago. So, yes, I have researched my trip for a long time and I had a very good sense of what my budget would need to be. A year ago, car rental prices were double the norm. Now they are 4x the norm. That was not expected.

Sorry I was rude, OP. Crappy night over here.

Totally get it. The world feels pretty awful right now, and I sometimes get salty with eejits here, too. It’s kind of you to come back and say that, and I hope your night gets better.