I’m going to Ireland with my Dad in a few weeks and want to rent something different, something that’ll put a smile on my face as we make our way around the island.
My first time over, I rented an Astra and liked it more or less.
Second time over I rented a Focus (barf) that I thankfully noted disintegrating tires on it after a few days and swapped it for a new Astra.
Ireland is a drivers paradise, what with the windy roads, beautiful scenery and courteous other drivers.
My preference would be something along the lines of a Subaru WRX (better yet, an STi) so I could really enjoy my time driving (we drove +2,000 km last time over).
So, does anyone know of a place in Ireland renting other-than-rental cars?
As a side note, I always want to state how great driving in Ireland is when reading a USA driving thread (very courteous drivers there, very courteous).
Wow, I just wanted to check in and marvel at your good fortune. I find driving in Ireland to be pretty annoying to nervewracking, based upon:
(1) almost complete lack of motorway outside the two or three main corridors;
(2) narrowish roads with little to no concept of a shoulder other than mud six inches beyond the outside line;
(3) sheep!;
(4) at least during the boom years, what seemed to be like more 18 wheelers and (Ring of Kerry, I’m thinking you) big buses than the system was built to comfortably accomodate;
(5) because undivided highways, having to pass or be passed gets tricky and you may have to duck back into your lane a few times before you have a head-on-free opportunity;
(6) You didn’t get the Euro-style headlight blinking from guys behind who think you’re going too slow? I sure did.
(7) those windy roads generally mean that that beautiful scenery is lost on the driver, at least if the driver was me. The Berra Peninsula, for instance, I know largely by reputation, 'cause I could never glance away from the road for more than a second or two and not fear barrelling through a guardrail into the ocean.
(8) The rain that pops up every 15 minutes/miles is rarely torrential but variable weather and wet roads don’t make things more easy to negotiate.
Of course, many of those minus factors could be plus factors in disguise for a sportier, more “touring” driver than I am – I’m just a competent, experienced driver who enjoys driving but not necessarily with a high degree of technical difficulty.
Jellystone but point taken on my over-fast post trigger . . . as penance, people, I can highly recommend (mainly from what my passenger told me about it) the Beara Peninsula – as a passenger in a car being driven by someone else, whose skills you trust . . . .
No, and in the property-boom times, that would’ve been a migration to crazily-expensive country real estate. Like bungalows in Skibereen selling for 300k Euros as “bedroom community” to Dublin.
Friends of mine hired one of these recently, and loved it.
Might have slowed other traffic down a bit, though, and it may not have the range you’re wanting!
