OP here with an update:

I got a lead for an Irish peer-to-peer car sharing service, but it turned out that they could not take a U.S. driver's license. The company was very helpful, however, and mentioned that Toyota dealers share their platform to rent out their fleet of Toyotas, and that they take American licenses!

Amazingly, I was able to get a one month rental for $1390 Euros (including insurance!!!) for a newer Toyota hybrid! The dealer who is renting to me is closer to where I am staying than Dublin Airport, so I'm going to take the train from the airport out to the Northwest and I'll taxi from the station to the Toyota dealership.

Thank you to everyone who offered...hope this might help a future Ireland traveler if car prices don't go down soon. One other note...it's an AUTOMATIC car, which is usually way more expensive to rent over there. (In fact, I'd rather have a manual shift b/c I love driving with the steering wheel on the right and shifting with my left, but I guess b/c it's a hybrid, it only comes in automatic.)

Anyway...there's a tip for you for cheaper Irish car rentals. Check out Toyota dealers!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe pick up a side gig for the next few weeks to pay for the car rental? Door dash or something. But I honestly I feel like if you don’t have a couple thousand to spare, you really can’t afford 6 weeks abroad. Sorry.

What a jerk! So only rich people can travel now?

For SIX WEEKS ABROAD? Yes!

I've got family to stay with in Ireland, so the only difference between a 2 week vacation and a 6 week vacation is the rental car cost and the cost of a cell data roaming plan. It's not a luxury vacation....we share a bed in a damp cottage with one bathroom and no shower. But it's family and it's home and yeah, it's 6 weeks away which is amazing. But the fact that I can do it doesn't mean I'm rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Even before Covid that would have been the cost in Ireland. Summer of 2019 we paid 3k for 3 weeks for a dinky Opel. If you go over 30 days you trigger the higher price. So you can either do the trains and buses-- which literally take you everywhere or rent for 28 days then do another rental. We do that most summers. We generally are on the west coast then we take a day drive back to Dublin airport, drop the car and take the city bus to Dublin, spend a night or two and pick up another car. We usually get a car at Avis in Dublin which can be cheaper than the airport. There may be a fee if you don't drop off at the same location. It also means you need to drive at least out of Dublin. I don't find it bothersome but my DH can't handle it at all. Also remember you can pay for going to Northern Ireland when you return the car. Don't bother paying upfront if plans may change. Trying to get prepaid $ back can be a pain.

We were in Ireland for 4 weeks 28 days each) in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Never paid more than $1000 for a car for the whole time. For an intermediate sized car; not an SUV, not a micro car. I’m not sure where you were renting from but that was NOT typical pre-COVID!

I know you think that but CDW alone pre-covid would have cost you $500-600 alone for 28 days. That is the problem with Irish car rentals, you have do get the CDW. Most Americans get an automatic with SCDW which is really, really expensive and always has been.

Stick to stick and just CDW if you trust your driving.

Not true. You do not have to get CDW in Ireland if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card. That's the sole reason I got the card about 8 years ago, and I've rented cars in Ireland 6 times since then and never had to get the coverage from the rental company. I always bring a paper letter from Chase confirming that they will cover car rental coverage in Ireland. There is one more kind of a card that works in Ireland...maybe a World Mastercard of some sort? ... but Chase Sapphire Preferred has always worked for me.

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?

And trains. Lots of trains in Ireland.

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Anonymous wrote:I would look at buying a cheap car and selling it when you leave.

Are you kidding? How much work would that be to try to sell it in time to make your flight?!

OP said she’s visiting family. They might be inclined to help.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1K for a month isn't bad pricing. That said, you probably won't need a car everyday so I would condense your time that would require a car and take public transport for the rest.

Its not $1k, OP said that they would give a friend $1k to borrow a car. In another post, they said $3500.

While $3500 is a lot of money to me, this price for renting a car for that long isn’t surprising. Week long rentals probably average about $700 in states. In Ireland, which is surely more expensive, $3500 doesn’t surprise me.

Week lonmg rentals may be averaging $700, but that's not what it's been in the past.

Anonymous wrote:I would look at buying a cheap car and selling it when you leave.

Are you kidding? How much work would that be to try to sell it in time to make your flight?!

I would look at buying a cheap car and selling it when you leave.

How about just using Uber/Lyft for trips to town and then buses between cities? Not ideal but it would be a lot less. If this is ruining your trip got to get creative. Or taxis..

No advice but commiseration.

Car rental costs are making up a significant portion of our vacation costs - and that's even before we factor in gas.

An all-inclusive is looking appealing right now.

Ask if someone would be willing to rent you their car every so often. I did that in Aruba. Worked out great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1K for a month isn't bad pricing. That said, you probably won't need a car everyday so I would condense your time that would require a car and take public transport for the rest.

Its not $1k, OP said that they would give a friend $1k to borrow a car. In another post, they said $3500.

While $3500 is a lot of money to me, this price for renting a car for that long isn’t surprising. Week long rentals probably average about $700 in states. In Ireland, which is surely more expensive, $3500 doesn’t surprise me.

Anonymous wrote:1K for a month isn't bad pricing. That said, you probably won't need a car everyday so I would condense your time that would require a car and take public transport for the rest.

Its not $1k, OP said that they would give a friend $1k to borrow a car. In another post, they said $3500.

1K for a month isn't bad pricing. That said, you probably won't need a car everyday so I would condense your time that would require a car and take public transport for the rest.

OP, tell us your destinations and maybe we can piece it together using combo rental cars and public transport.