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You are here: Home / Travel / Driving / Car Rentals in Europe

Car Rentals in Europe

By Jody Halsted March 17, 2008

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On our recent trip to Ireland I booked as much stuff as I could before we left and paid with US dollars. It’s just more economical with the exchange rate.

So when I was able to book a mini van for a week for $440.35 through Hertz I jumped on it. What I was told to expect was a Ford Galaxy or similar. OK, that looks like it should work for 3 adults, 2 children (in carseats) and luggage.

When we arrived to pick up the car we found that mini van translates to “7 passenger vehicle” in Ireland. Which is not the same as a mini van. (I wish I could tell you what it was, but they don’t show it on their website) It’s more like a small station wagon (think Subaru Outback). Needless to say, there was no way we could fit my mom in the back seat with two carseats. It was narrow and had low clearance. With all the driving we had planned there was just no way we could use it for a week.

After walking through the lot with an agent and looking at all the cars in the class we had chosen Doug & I were forced to admit that they were all too small; we would have to upgrade. Luckily there was one Land Rover with a manual transmission. You pay much more for an automatic transmission in Europe.

We took it- and paid in euros (therefore almost tripling our car rental costs).

Now I want to let you know that it was about the best decision we could have made. The ride was comfortable and there was plenty of room. We didn’t complain one bit about the extra cost.

But just so you don’t make the same mistake as I did… I highly recommend calling the rental company a couple of days before you leave, just to confirm your reservation. At that time ask what kind of car you can expect- there are many European cars that we just don’t have here in the US. Go online and research that car. If it just won’t do for your family and plans call back and see what is available for an upgrade. And make your change online if possible. Or through your travel agent if you have used one. But be sure to pay in US dollars if at all possible. Until the exchange rate evens out it’s your best bet.

And remember that European cars are often smaller. Gas is much more expensive over there- it averaged €1.27 litre while we were there. That’s close to $6 per gallon. And larger vehicles use more gas.

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6 Comments · Filed Under: Driving, Ireland · Tagged With: handy tips

About Jody Halsted

Jody Halsted is an award winning writer and podcaster specializing in travel, Ireland, camping, and RVing.
Based in the Midwest, Jody is a rambling soul who would love nothing more than to split her time between her RV and Ireland, but until then she ‘lives the dream’ in Iowa with her husband, two daughters, and a small menagerie of furry friends.

Award Winning Writer & Podcaster • Twitter • Instagram • Facebook • Pinterest

Trackbacks

  1. More Getting Around Ireland says:
    March 7, 2011 at 9:19 am

    […] More from me about driving in Ireland: Getting Around Ireland A Bit About Car Rentals in Europe […]

    Reply
  2. Tips for Renting a Car in Ireland says:
    September 29, 2011 at 5:04 pm

    […] Research the cars in the class you are renting- know what you can expect.  Cars are smaller there, as we found out the last time we rented a car in Ireland. […]

    Reply
  3. Ireland Family Vacation Trip Report | Ireland Family Travel says:
    November 4, 2013 at 9:01 am

    […] Read more about renting a car in Ireland. […]

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  4. Tips for Driving in Ireland Ireland Travel Tips Ireland Car Rental says:
    August 19, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    […] A few very helpful tips from my Car Rentals in Europe post: […]

    Reply
  5. Care Rental for an Ireland Vacation Carrentals.co.uk says:
    December 3, 2014 at 9:12 am

    […] Read this – and don’t make the same mistake we did! […]

    Reply
  6. Tips for Renting a Car in Ireland says:
    July 30, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    […] Research the cars in the class you are renting- know what you can expect.  Cars are smaller there, as we found out the last time we rented a car in Ireland. […]

    Reply

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