I watched a man from Chicago hand over his credit card at a Dublin rental desk last spring and walk away €850 lighter than he'd planned. He had booked what looked like a decent rate online. By the time he had the keys, the price had nearly doubled.
The thing about car rental pricing in Ireland is that the number you see on a comparison site is rarely the number you pay. This article walks through every fee and add-on that shows up on an Irish car rental bill — and how to keep the price you see close to the price you pay.
The Excess Trap — the Biggest Hidden Cost in Irish Car Rental
The single most expensive line item most visitors do not see coming is the excess — also called the deductible or collision damage waiver excess. The rental rate looks affordable. Then the agent explains that if you scratch the bumper, you are liable for the first €1,500 to €3,000 of the repair cost.
That figure is standard across most Irish rental companies. It is printed in the terms and conditions of virtually every comparison-site booking you will find. And it is the mechanism that pushes your effective cost far above the headline rate, because the agent behind the counter will then offer you a "reduction" of that excess — for a daily fee that adds €20 to €40 to your bill.
Over a ten-day rental, that is €200 to €400 extra — before you have paid for the car or insurance itself.
How My Irish Cousin handles it differently: The insurance included in every My Irish Cousin rental carries zero excess and zero deductible. Not a reduced excess — zero. There is no daily charge to bring it down because it starts at zero. The price you see on the quote is the price the insurance covers. This is the most comprehensive insurance available in Ireland, and it is built into the rate rather than sold as an add-on at the desk.
Insurance Add-Ons You Are Pressured to Buy at the Counter
Every major rental company in Ireland offers some version of these add-ons at the pickup desk. They can add €30 to €60 per day to your bill.
Super CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) — Reduces the standard excess from €1,500–€3,000 to around €300–€500. Daily charge: €20–€35. That is €280–€490 added to a two-week rental just to bring the excess down to a reasonable level.
Theft Protection — Covers the vehicle if stolen. Often charged separately from CDW at €10–€15 per day.
Tyres and Windscreen Cover — Damage to tyres and windscreen is often excluded from standard CDW. Cover costs €5–€12 per day.
Roadside Assistance — Basic breakdown cover is often included, but premium roadside assistance is an upsell at €5–€10 per day.
Super Cover or Premium Protection — Some companies bundle everything into a single package for €30–€50 per day. That is €420–€700 added to a two-week rental.
My Irish Cousin's insurance covers all of the above as standard — collision damage, third party, third party property, roadside assistance, and glass and tyre repair and replacement. There is nothing to upgrade to because the highest level of protection is already included.
Young Driver and Senior Driver Surcharges
Driver age surcharges are one of the most disorienting fees in Irish car rental. They work differently depending on your age.
Drivers under 25 — Most Irish rental companies will not rent to drivers under 21 at all. Between 21 and 24, a daily young driver surcharge of €15 to €35 applies. Over a week, that is €105 to €245 in additional fees simply because of the driver's age. My Irish Cousin does not rent to under-25s at all — we ask one question: is the driver 25 or older?
Drivers over 70 — Some international chains impose a maximum age limit of 75 or 80, and others add a senior driver surcharge for anyone over 70. The surcharge is typically €10 to €25 per day. My Irish Cousin has no upper age limit. We have placed cars with drivers in their eighties and nineties. There is no age-related surcharge on any My Irish Cousin rental.
Additional Driver Fees
Most rental companies charge for each additional driver beyond the primary renter. The fees range from €10 to €15 per driver per day. If you and your partner both want to share the driving — which on Irish roads is a sensible idea — you can easily spend an extra €100 to €200 over a two-week trip just for the second name on the paperwork.
My Irish Cousin includes one additional driver free of charge. The first person you add to the rental does not cost a cent extra. Additional drivers beyond the first incur a daily fee, payable at pickup.
One-Way Drop-Off Fees
If you plan to collect a car in Dublin and drop it off in Shannon, Galway, or Cork — a common route for visitors doing a full circuit of the island — the one-way fee can be substantial.
International chains charge anywhere from €50 to €200 for this flexibility, depending on the distance between the pickup and drop-off locations. Some do not offer one-way rentals at all between certain combinations of cities.
How My Irish Cousin handles it: Our preferred partner for non-airport locations is Enterprise, which handles collection and drop-off for us. If you are planning a multi-city itinerary, the best approach is to discuss your route during the quote process so we can structure the logistics before you arrive. Cross-border flexibility into Northern Ireland is handled differently — see Taking a Rental Car from Ireland to Northern Ireland for the full details on that.
Fuel Policy Confusion
Fuel policy is another place where the price can shift unexpectedly. The three main policies in Ireland are:
Full-to-full — You collect the car with a full tank and return it full. This is the fairest policy. If you forget to refill before return, the company charges a premium rate per litre plus a refuelling service fee, which can add €30 to €50 or more.
Full-to-empty or prepay — You pay upfront for a full tank at a rate that is higher than the pump price. If you return the car with fuel remaining, you do not get a refund for what you did not use.
Partially full — Some companies hand over the car with whatever fuel is in it and charge you for what you use. The rate per litre in this model is almost always higher than what you would pay at the pump.
My Irish Cousin's policy: The fuel policy varies by location — it may be prepay, full-to-full, or partially full depending on where you collect the car. We will explain the exact policy for your pickup location before you confirm the booking, so there are no surprises at the counter.
But regardless of the policy, the important thing to know is our cars include the toll device and all toll charges as standard. That is one area where other companies add a separate daily charge for the toll device (€5–€10 per day) and then bill you for tolls afterward. With My Irish Cousin, tolls are included.
Cross-Border Restrictions and Fees
If you are planning to drive into Northern Ireland — and for anyone doing a full island itinerary, that is highly likely — you need to know how your rental company handles the border.
Many rental companies restrict cross-border travel without prior notification, and some charge a cross-border fee of €20 to €50 per trip. A few prohibit it entirely. If you cross without permission and the car is fitted with a GPS tracker, you may face penalties.
My Irish Cousin's coverage includes Northern Ireland as standard. Our insurance covers driving in Northern Ireland. However, travel to the UK (Scotland, England, or Wales) must be agreed in advance and additional cover paid. France and Spain are not possible.
Travelling between the Republic and Northern Ireland with your My Irish Cousin rental is straightforward — but if your itinerary includes ferries to Britain, let us know at the quote stage so we can discuss the additional cover needed.
Payment Related Fees
The way you pay can also change the final cost of your rental.
Credit card surcharges — Some companies add 2–3 percent for credit card payments. On a €600 rental, that is €12–€18.
Debit card deposits — Many companies place a hold on your debit card of €1,000 to €2,500 for the full excess amount. That money is frozen in your account for the duration of the rental, and for visitors relying on a single card for their holiday, that hold can tie up funds you need for accommodation, meals, and fuel.
My Irish Cousin does not place a hold on your card. We request a €1 pre-authorization at pickup to process any unpaid tolls, parking, or speeding fines after your trip. That is €1. Not €1,500.
If you are paying with a debit card from a real bank (not an internet bank), a €250 refundable deposit applies. That is a fraction of what other companies hold, and it is returned after the rental.
Admin Fees — Late Returns, Lost Keys, and Missed Fuel
The small print of any rental agreement contains fees that most people do not see until they trigger one.
Late return fee — Thirty minutes past the agreed return time can cost a full extra day or €20–€50 per hour.
Lost key replacement — Replacing a modern key fob costs €150–€300 and is not covered by insurance. My Irish Cousin excludes it — the replacement cost is debited to your card.
Wrong fuel — Putting diesel into a petrol engine is more common than you think. Repair costs can reach €500–€1,000. My Irish Cousin's insurance does not cover this. If you misfuel, ring us directly — do not call roadside assistance.
Burnt clutch (manual cars) — Irish rental fleets are predominantly manual. If you book a manual and are not confident with a clutch, you risk burning it out on hills and in stop-start traffic. Repair costs can reach €2,500. This is not covered by insurance. Book an automatic if manual is not your driving style. My Irish Cousin guarantees the transmission you order.
Admin fees for fines — Speeding tickets or toll violations after rental end are processed by the rental company for a €20–€50 admin fee per notice. My Irish Cousin uses the €1 pre-authorization for these.
How to Compare Real Prices
When you are comparing rental options in Ireland, do not look at the base rate alone. Here is what to check before you book:
- What is the excess? Is it €1,500 or €3,000? Can you reduce it? At what daily cost?
- Does the price include full insurance? Or is insurance a separate charge added at pickup?
- How many additional drivers are included? If you are travelling as a couple or a group, this matters.
- Are tolls included? With some companies, you pay a daily device fee AND the tolls. With My Irish Cousin, toll device and tolls are both included.
- What is the fuel policy? And what happens if you return it not-quite-full?
- Is cross-border travel allowed? To Northern Ireland? To the UK?
- What payment method do they accept? Is there a card hold?
The quickest way to avoid surprises: Skip the comparison sites and go directly to a rental company that publishes transparent pricing. For visitors who also want the accommodation and itinerary logistics handled professionally, Celtic Vacations build self-drive packages where the driving is still yours but the planning — and the surprise fees — are not.
For a direct rental quote with zero excess, no deposit, and no hidden fees: Request a quote from My Irish Cousin. The quote you receive includes everything. The price you see is the price you pay.
