Your quick travel guide to Dublin

Car Rental in Dublin: welcoming and exciting Ireland’s Capital City

Dublin is one of the world’s major tourist destinations and for good reason. With excellent nightlife and cultural sites spanning the eons, Dublin is also simply a pleasant city to explore. Make the most of your visit by visiting the city’s sprawling suburbs in addition to the city center, and don’t make the very easy mistake of spending your entire vacation in the city itself. Book your rental car today to take real advantage of the Irish countryside as well!

The best time to visit Dublin in terms of sunshine and warm weather are July and August, but these are also peak tourist months. If you want to avoid the crowds, book your travel as early as May.

The first official language of Ireland is Irish, which is spoken by 55% of Ireland’s inhabitants. English is spoken everywhere. Many road signs will also be bilingual, in both Irish and English; if you’re planning on driving through more remote areas, it will be prudent to have a grasp of Irish in order to read possible monolingual signs.

The currency in Ireland is the euro, and cash machines are widely available in both city and country.

Dublin is in the Greenwich Mean Time Zone, or UTC+0.

Сar hire in Dublin, Ireland is available in 15 locations throughout Dublin, including the Dublin Airport, Dublin North, and Lombard Street. Looking for a car hire in Dublin City centre? It is also available!

The Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin are also well worth a visit and are most accessible via rental car. Head, for example, to beautiful Glendalough, 53 km south of central Dublin, for some spectacular views of ancient Irish buildings and beautiful landscapes.

Visa Regulations

While Ireland is a member of the European Union, it is not a member of the Schengen Area. Nonetheless, nationalities of many countries can visit Ireland visa-free for up to 90 days. Double check requirements for entry to Ireland for your nationality on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website, as you may need to apply for a tourist visa before you depart for Ireland.

Driving in Dublin

  • Traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road in Dublin, the British Isles.

Speed Limits

  • In the city: 50 km/h
  • On regional roads (R-roads): 80 km/h
  • On national primary (N1 to N50) and secondary roads (N51+): 100 km/h
  • On motorways (M-roads): 120 km/h
  • Traffic in downtown Dublin is heavy throughout the day, particularly during rush hours.

Other Regulations

  1. Parking in downtown Dublin can be quite expensive and parking limits are very well regulated. Make sure to return to your car before your time limit is over in order to avoid being clamped! You can avoid these fees by parking outside the M50 city ring road and taking public transportation into the city center.
  2. Your domestic driver’s license should be sufficient for your self-drive visit to Ireland.
  3. Most motorways throughout the Republic of Ireland are tolled, and the vast majority of them only accept cash.
  4. In Dublin, the Westlink Bridge, in particular is tolled via photograph. You must pay this fee by 8 pm the next day, in order to avoid exorbitant additions to the original fee; some rental companies will add their own fee to this toll charge if it is not paid on time.
  5. While the minimum driving age in Ireland is 17, you will have to be at least 21 years of age to rent a car in Ireland. You are also likely to face young-driver surcharges until the age of 25.

Cheap Car Rental in Dublin

Car hire in Dublin City starts as low as $6 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Dublin:

  • Kia Picanto or similar (mini class) – $6/day
  • Ford Fiesta or similar (economy class) – $7/day
  • Opel Astra or similar (compact class) – $8/day
  • Toyota Corolla or similar (intermediate class) – $9/day
  • Volkswagen Passat or similar (standard class) – $14/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Dublin

There is some seasonal variation in rental car prices in Ireland, making winter months a particularly cheap time to rent, with cars routinely starting under $10. However, this price is also influenced by the date you book your rental car: if you book between 1 and 5 months in advance of your arrival, you are more likely to receive the best prices from budget rental brands such as Car Hire, Keddy by Europcar, and Payless Car Rental.

Cheap car hire in Dublin can be found at Dublin Airport, Dublin North, and downtown Dublin.

Extending your rental period to over a week will often raise your daily rental car price, so consider booking cars only for the series of days during which you plan to travel throughout or beyond Dublin by car.

Experience the top locations with car rental in Dublin

Dublin Airport
EasiRent
7.0

All car rental in Dublin

Discover the cheapest car rental in Dublin

Cheap Car Rental in Dublin VW Polo
VW Polo
5
1
5
M
From US$ 20.97 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Ford Focus
Ford Focus
5
2
4
M
From US$ 18.44 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Fiat 500
Fiat 500
4
1
3
M
From US$ 16.54 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
5
2
4
M
From US$ 19.16 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin VW T-Cross
VW T-Cross
5
1
5
M
From US$ 32.42 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin VW Tiguan
VW Tiguan
5
2
5
M
From US$ 55.29 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Volkswagen Touran
Volkswagen Touran
7
2
5
M
From US$ 47.21 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Peugeot 2008e (Electric) or similar
Peugeot 2008e (Electric) or similar
5
2
A
Electric
From US$ 58.78 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Volvo XC60
Volvo XC60
5
2
5
A
From US$ 57.41 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin FORD TOURNEO CUSTOM (9 SEATER)
FORD TOURNEO CUSTOM (9 SEATER)
9
1
A
From US$ 123.76 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Dublin Mitsubishi L200 Double Cap
Mitsubishi L200 Double Cap
5
3
4
A
From US$ 58.65 per day
*

* Disclaimer: Prices displayed may not reflect today's rates.

What our customers say

Car rental companies in Dublin

We have prepared a shortlist of top rental companies in Dublin. To save both time and money compare offers on EconomyBookings.com to find the best deal.

SIXT
star
7.6 /128 reviews
Available in 4 locations
Time it took to drop your car off9.7
Cleanliness of the car9.0
Overall condition of the car8.7
Time it took to pick your car up6.3
EasiRent
star
7.0 /102 reviews
Available in 1 location
Time it took to drop your car off8.5
Cleanliness of the car8.5
Overall condition of the car8.1
Time it took to pick your car up5.9
Budget
star
7.2 /95 reviews
Available in 3 locations
Time it took to drop your car off8.4
Cleanliness of the car8.6
Overall condition of the car8.1
Time it took to pick your car up7.1