Can I drive a rental car between the Republic and Northern Ireland?
Yes, but tell the rental company before you go, not after. The border has no checkpoints and nothing on the road marks the crossing, yet the rental contract notices. Terms differ by company: Hertz and Avis Budget currently charge a cross border fee in the region of €34 to €40, Enterprise currently charges nothing for Northern Ireland, and dropping the car off in the North costs far more than the crossing itself. Cars rented in the Republic generally cannot be taken off the island at all. Get the permission noted on the rental agreement, because breakdown cover and insurance follow the contract, not the road.
Useful pages: Driving in Ireland: the full guide · An Ireland road trip · Dublin · County Kerry · Scenic drives in Ireland · Killarney · Healthcare and emergencies · Plan your journey · Northern Ireland
Sources
- Hertz, Avis, Budget and Enterprise Ireland: cross border fees and rental terms, hertz.ie, avis.ie, budget.ie and enterprise.ie
More in Driving in Ireland
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