Your quick travel guide to Belfast

Car Rental in Belfast: Experience the Heartbeat of Northern Ireland

Though Belfast may not be the sunniest city in the world, it is becoming one of the most colourful, with the increasingly excellent selection pubs and restaurants in the Cathedral Quarter and fantastic murals throughout the city. But the best thing about Belfast is its proximity to the amazing natural sights of Northern Ireland. While you certainly don’t need a rental car to explore the Cathedral Quarter, you will certainly want to take advantage of our offerings of cheap car hire in Belfast to drive out to the Giant’s Causeway, along the Dark Hedges, out to Lough Neagh, and beyond.

Left-Hand Driving in Northern Ireland

  • When you hire your car in Belfast, remember that traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road.

Driver’s License Requirements for Car Hire in Belfast

As in the rest of the United Kingdom, you are permitted to drive as a tourist in Northern Ireland as long as you have a valid driver’s license and are at least 17 years old. Some car rental companies will require that you are at least 21 years old to hire a car. If your driver’s license has been issued in a language that does not use the Roman alphabet, however, you will want to acquire an international driver’s license before you arrive.

Get the Best Deal on Auto Rentals at EconomyBookings.com

Rental cars are available in 8 locations throughout Belfast. Car hire in Belfast starts as low as €13 a day!

Tips for Cheap Car Hire in Belfast

  • For the most variety of car hire and the cheapest rental cars in Belfast, book your auto hire from the Belfast International Airport (BFS), the Belfast City Airport (BHD), or downtown Belfast.
  • EasiRent is the company that routinely offers the cheapest rental cars in Belfast. They are primarily located at the Belfast International Airport.
  • If you prefer to rent with internationally recognized companies such as Sixt, auto hire in Belfast typically starts at around €16 a day.
  • In order to get your cheap rental car in Belfast at the best price, plan to book your car at least 4 months in advance of your arrival.

Key Things to Remember After You Pick Up Your Cheap Car Rental in Belfast

  • Speed limits in Belfast:
    • While the speed limit on most streets in built-up areas of Northern Ireland is 30 miles per hour, the speed limit has been reduced to 20 miles per hour on over 70 streets throughout Belfast.
    • On highways and motorways outside of the city, the speed limit is 60 to 70 miles per hour.
  • Parking in Belfast:
    • Particularly in city centre, street parking is restricted by time and fee in Belfast. However, you can park for free after 18:00 Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday.
    • If you prefer not to drive your rental car through the winding and narrow streets of city centre, you can park at one of numerous Park and Ride facilities. The Park and Ride car parks closest to city centre are Northside Park and Ride just off the A12 and Eastside Park and Ride along the A20.
    • There are also numerous parking garages or car parks near city centre, which typically cost around £2.50 an hour.
  • While there are no toll roads in Northern Ireland, you will find numerous toll roads in the Republic of Ireland, particularly if you are planning on driving to Dublin with your car hire.
  • Most rental car companies permit you to drive between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland free of charge. However, it is necessary that you discuss or international travel plans with your car hire agency before you leave the United Kingdom.
    • Note that if you do drive over the border into the Republic of Ireland, the currency changes from the pound to the euro and road signs and speed limits will be demarcated in kilometres rather than miles.
  • Most car hire companies will not permit you to take your rental car on a car ferry. Particularly if you are interested in driving to England, you may find that returning your Northern Irish auto hire and renting a car anew in England is significantly cheaper than retaining the same car for your entire trip.

Important Facts to Ease Your Self-Drive Journey in Belfast

  • Language: English is the most widely spoken language of Northern Ireland, though Irish and Ulster Scots are also officially recognized languages of the nation.
  • Currency: the British pound sterling. Many banks issue a sterling note specific to Northern Ireland, which you may have trouble using if you travel on to England, Scotland, or Wales. However, you can exchange Northern Irish notes free of charge at any Bank of England throughout the United Kingdom.
  • Belfast is located in the Greenwich Mean Time Zone, UTC+0.

Experience the top locations with car rental in Belfast

Belfast International Airport
Alamo
8.8
Belfast City Airport
Hertz
8.9

Discover the cheapest car rental in Belfast

Cheap Car Rental in Belfast Ford Fiesta 5door
Ford Fiesta 5door
5
1
5
M
From US$ 18.52 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast Toyota Aygo
Toyota Aygo
4
1
2
M
From US$ 23.10 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast FORD FOCUS
FORD FOCUS
5
2
4
M
From US$ 40.92 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast Kia Sportage
Kia Sportage
5
4
5
M
From US$ 28.06 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast NISSAN QASHQAI
NISSAN QASHQAI
5
2
M
From US$ 43.99 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast Kia Sportage
Kia Sportage
5
4
5
M
From US$ 28.06 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast T KIA CARENS
T KIA CARENS
7
2
M
From US$ 131.66 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast G MERCEDES C CLASS
G MERCEDES C CLASS
5
1
4
A
From US$ 95.67 per day
*
Cheap Car Rental in Belfast H MERCEDES E CLASS
H MERCEDES E CLASS
5
1
4
A
From US$ 117.49 per day
*

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

What our customers say

Car rental companies in Belfast

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

Alamo
star
9.1 /17 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off9.7
Cleanliness of the car9.4
Overall condition of the car9.3
Time it took to pick your car up8.5
SIXT
star
7.4 /12 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off8.2
Cleanliness of the car8.2
Overall condition of the car8.0
Time it took to pick your car up5.9
Enterprise
star
9.1 /8 reviews
Available in 2 locations
Time it took to drop your car off10.0
Cleanliness of the car9.5
Overall condition of the car8.7
Time it took to pick your car up8.2