With low air fares and cheap car rental "traveling to Ireland" has become synonymous with "fly and drive". But this might not always be the best idea. You can also take your own car ... and here are the pros and cons of it.
Pro: You Know Your Own Car
Your car talks to you, on every journey. You know that creak, this whistling, all the noises a car has. You know how far you can go on a tank of gas. You know when you last checked the oil, where to put the windscreen wash in, where to find the correct switches, blindfolded. You know your own car ... like you’ll never manage to know a rental. Which means driving is less relaxed and more work in the latter.
Con: You'll Ruin Your Own Car
If you total a rental, the insurance will take care of it. No repercussions on your own insurance. You scratch a hedge you forget about it soon. If you use your own car you risk your own insurance. And those scratches will be a souvenir of Ireland for years to come.
Pro: You Save on Rental Fees
Why splash out a few hundred Euros on a rental while your own car is sitting idle in the garage? Just by avoimding to rent a car you’ll shave a lot of money off the amount you spend in Ireland.
Con: You Pay for Ferries
While you save in Ireland, getting to Ireland will incur costs for ferries - often quite hefty sums of money. As a general rule of thumb remember that the longer the vacation the more you spend on rental. But you’ll have to work out the break-even-point yourself, I’m afraid.
Pro: Unlimited Luggage and no Lugging
You can load your own car with a stupendous amount of luggage and will not have to drag this several miles on foot before you arrive at your destination. And nobody will care whether you have liquids in your handbag, thick-soled shoes or any clothing items that set metal detectors off.
Con: It Will Take Time
From Frankfurt (Germany) to Dublin it is a two hour flight. If you take the car, never stop for longer and manage to catch convenient ferries it will be 24 hours, twelve times as much. Unless you are starting off in Great Britain, travel times by car will always be longer, even considering the time spent on the road and in the airport before take-off.
Pro: You Have Better Judgement Regarding Handling
When you are driving your own car in normal conditions, turning a corner at speed or even slamming on the brakes are known risks. In a rental they become unknown risks. You simply do not know how the rental car will handle. And the learning curve may be too steep ...
Con: You Are on the Wrong Side
Most visitors to Ireland will own a left-hand drive vehicle at home. Driving this in Ireland isn't a major problem. Until you try to overtake - the oncoming truck will flatten part of our vehicle before you even see it. Get prepared to be stuck behind slow, large vehicles. Don’t risk your life by recklessly pulling out for a quick glance.
