Car hire in Dublin

Dublin can be explored on foot in an afternoon: Trinity College and its Book of Kells, the pubs of Temple Bar, the bridges over the Liffey, the Guinness Storehouse. But staying in the capital alone is only half the story. Ireland is a country made for driving, and Dublin is its natural starting point: less than an hour down the road you're already among mountains, lakes and fishing villages where time moves to a different beat.

With a hire car, the whole island opens up. The Cliffs of Moher, Galway Bay, the monastic valleys of Wicklow and the harbour at Howth stop being organised excursions on someone else's timetable and become your own itinerary. You stop wherever you fancy — an unexpected viewpoint, an empty beach, a roadside pub with a roaring fire — and that freedom is, quite simply, the best way to understand Ireland.

Irish roads are part of the journey: fast motorways heading west and country lanes winding between stone walls and meadows of a green that hardly seems real. The distances are deceptive in the best way: almost everything worth seeing lies between 30 minutes and 3 hours from Dublin, so each day can be a different escape with a return to the city at night, or the start of a road trip around the entire island.

Day trips from Dublin

• Cliffs of Moher — The great Irish classic: walls of rock more than 200 metres high plunging into the Atlantic. Around 3 hrs by motorway, ideally combined with the lunar landscape of the Burren.
• Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains — Just ~1 hr from Dublin, a glacial valley with two lakes and a 6th-century monastery. The Military Road across the mountains is pure driving pleasure.
• Galway — Ireland's most bohemian city, with its Latin Quarter, live music and the Salthill promenade overlooking the bay. About 2 hrs 15 min by direct motorway.
• Howth — A fishing village ~30 min from the centre: a stroll along the Howth Cliff Walk, a lighthouse, seals in the harbour and freshly landed seafood for lunch.
• Kilkenny and the Rock of Cashel — A medieval route heading south: Kilkenny's castle and winding lanes (~1 hr 30 min) and, a little further on, the spectacular fortress perched above Cashel.
• Boyne Valley: Newgrange and Trim — Around 45 min to the north, the passage tomb at Newgrange is older than the pyramids of Egypt. Nearby, the imposing Norman castle at Trim rounds off the trip.

A perfect day behind the wheel

Getting around

• In central Dublin the car is more hindrance than help: narrow streets, one-way systems and expensive parking. For city days, get around on foot or by tram (Luas) and leave the vehicle parked up.
• The most practical approach is to book accommodation with parking or use the long-stay car parks on the outskirts, taking the car out only when you leave the city.
• One strategy that works brilliantly: spend the first few days in Dublin without a car and collect it just before your excursions begin, saving yourself days of both hire and parking fees.

When to go

From May to September the days are wonderfully long — in June it doesn't get dark until after ten — and the countryside is at its greenest, though July and August draw the biggest crowds at Moher and Galway. May, June and September are the sweet spot: long light, mild temperatures and quiet roads. In winter it rains more and darkness falls early, but the empty landscapes and pubs with open fires have a magic all of their own.

Your pick-up

Dublin Airport, Cork, Shannon and Knock.

Final prices in euros · book without paying · free cancellation up to 72 h before.

Frequently asked questions

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