The 5 best car rental companies in Ireland

Looking for the best Irish car hires on the market? You’ve come to the right place. With rental locations from Cork to Galway and back again, we’ve uncovered the highest quality rental car providers at the best prices.

Taking into account everything from rewards programs to airport locations, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best rental car companies in Ireland. You might be looking for a luxury car for a one-way rental, or you might be sourcing a budget car for a week-long hire. Whatever it is you need, these companies will kit you out.

To best compare the options, we searched each website for a 3-day midweek rental in Dublin Airport, for dates two weeks out from the time of writing. 

Ready to hit the Wild Atlantic Way? Let’s go!

1. TravelPerk: perfect for business travellers

If you’re searching for the best car rental deals for business trips, travel management company TravelPerk might be your best bet. With multiple types of car available, from Compact to Economy, Intermediate to Mini, you’re free to pick the style that best caters to your specific needs.

TravelPerk offers a vast inventory, including both manual and automatic cars, from which to choose your rental car. If you’re looking for a sustainable option, there’s also a selection of electric cars available. Plus, VAT-friendly invoices are available for a number of car rental companies offered by TravelPerk, saving you a lot of time, hassle, and money. 

TravelPerk works with some of the top names on the market, including Avis, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, and Sixt. This system means that you’ll save significantly more than by simply booking with a provider. The benefits don’t end there—if you have specific needs requiring a specialised service, TravelPerk can get in touch with extra providers to find your ideal vehicle. 

With all the bonus features including additional drivers, young driver insurance, and booster seats, TravelPerk’s got your back. From pick-up trucks to lorries to group convoys, the options available at TravelPerk are second to none.

TravelPerk’s key features include:

• Partnerships with leading car rental companies
• 24/7 customer service with a target 15-second response time 
• Intuitive booking tool and all-in-one platform
• Available in four languages: English, French, Spanish, German 
• Bonus feature GreenPerk to offset your carbon emissions
• Paid extra FlexiPerk, enabling passengers to cancel up to two hours before a journey starts and receive at least 80% of their money back 
• A vast number of software integrations

During our research, we found that the TravelPerk platform gave a wide variety of options for a family car rental in mid-October, booked with two weeks’ notice, from €57.64 all the way up to €1,373 ( for luxury SUVs). 

2. Irish Car Rentals: your go-to Emerald Isle locals

Irish Car Rentals operates all around the Republic of Ireland, as well as in Northern Ireland. From Kerry to Limerick, Irish Car Rentals offers local expertise with a fleet of thousands of vehicles. They’ve been operating for 40 years, with over 300 employees. Part of Europcar Mobility Group since 2010, the company is embracing modern expansion while maintaining the ethos of their family business.

They offer some of the most competitive rates on the market, with flexible rates and a direct booking process. A stand-out feature is that you can amend your booking for free—up to four hours before pickup.

Irish Car Rentals’ key features include:

• Free booking modification up to four hours before scheduled pickup
• Transparent pricing system: no additional fees
• Multi-stage sanitisation of stations, vehicles, and keys
• Partnership with GoCar express rental service
• Long-term car rental options
• Partner rewards

Our research showed that prices for a family car rental from Dublin Airport during October, booked two weeks in advance, give options between €56.99 – €125.87.

3. CARHIRE.ie: best for budget car rentals

CARHIRE.ie is another local choice, popular with Irish motorists across the country. CARHIRE.ie is a great value car rental company, offering local advice and excellent customer service. Whether it’s automatic, manual, or commercial you’re looking for, CARHIRE.ie boasts an impressive fleet of hybrid and electric cars.

CARHIRE.ie has locations all over Ireland, with a nationwide regional network of rental bases. They’re a trusted Irish brand with over 30 years of experience renting vehicles, with 300 staff across the country. Like Irish Car Rentals, CARHIRE.ie was acquired by Europcar in 2010.

The top features of CARHIRE.ie include:

• Base rental price includes basic car rental insurance coverage: Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Waiver
• Road trip guides
• Exclusive discounts for loyal customers
• Bonus extras such as GPS and child booster seats

A three-day family car rental for mid-October, booked two weeks in advance from Dublin Airport, offered various options between €57 – €258.

4. GoCar: ideal for short rentals in cities

With car rental prices starting at €9/hour, GoCar is another excellent option for those seeking the best deals on the market. Their sign-up process and app are very straightforward, making it easy for customers to make last-minute bookings.

Forget public transport: whether you need a car for the weekly shop in Shannon, an important business meeting in Belfast, or moving house, GoCar is an ideal option for short, spontaneous trips—without the expensive extras.

Just remember, you’ll need to be at least 21 years of age, holding a full Irish/European driver’s licence for at least 2 years (or an International Driver’s Permit), with a debit card or credit card in your name. Other than that, joining is free and simple: you’ll be zipping around in no time. 

Whether it’s Killarney, Sligo, Belfast, or beyond, you’ll find hundreds of GoCars around the nation. It’s a quick, easy, and thrifty option.

GoCar top features include:

• Free parking in Dublin City’s pay & display spaces
• Corporate vehicle rental series
• USA driver’s licence are accepted
• Cars and vans in all major Irish cities
• Fuel policy: included with every trip you take
• Hourly rate at €9/hour, or €50/day

With full-day rentals starting at €50, you’d be looking at a minimum three-day rental of €150 in mid-October.

5. Car Rental Ireland: best for a wide selection of vehicles

Car Rental Ireland was established in 1989 as Atlas Car Hire, specialising in low-cost car rental with high-quality service. Originally, they catered specifically to American consumers travelling to Ireland—now, this means they’re local experts when it comes to recommending the best locations, activities, and sights to see while in Ireland.

Each Car Rental Ireland pickup and drop-off point offers a range of automatic, manual, and commercial vehicles in different sizes. During peak times, very popular vehicle types may be booked out, so please we’d recommend booking early when hiring a car. From economy manual transmission cars suitable for city breaks, to MPVs, SUVs, and luxury cars that are more suited for travelling with family, Car Rental has your back.

Their stand-out features include:

• Long-term car rentals
• Member of the Car Rental Council of Ireland
• Rentals serviced by Europcar
• When you rent a car in Dublin, you can save up to 10%
• Additional extras including child safety seats, GPS Navigation system, additional drivers and cancellation cover
• Social media discount: like their Facebook and Instagram pages to access 5% off
• Weekly newsletter for exclusive deals

A three-day family car rental for mid-October, booked two weeks in advance, offered various options between $60 and $180.

It’s time to book your ideal car rental agency

Whether you’re moving across Donegal or all the way round from Giant’s Causeway to the Ring of Kerry, you can expect a smooth, enjoyable ride with these top car hire companies in Ireland.

However, TravelPerk comes out on top for its ease of use when it comes to the intuitive mobile booking application, and should be your go-to for business travel. The TravelPerk team works tirelessly to secure car rental deals—from Ireland to France, Scotland, and beyond—that you’ll struggle to beat elsewhere. 

What’s more, with TravelPerk there’s more than car rentals: you’ll have your entire business trip planned from the comfort of one app.