Can I get one without a clutch?

July 26, 2006 5:25 PM

Traveling in Ireland and want to rent a car. I heard that all the rental cars there are standard (manual) transmission..

A friend said this was true the last two times she went. Any MeFites rent an automatic transmission car recently? I will be renting in Dublin, if it helps.

posted by Pocahontas to Travel & Transportation around Ireland (10 answers total)

well, if you go to Avis Ireland and ask for a quote, you can choose between manual and automatic.
posted by threeze at 5:34 PM on July 26, 2006

Myth. I rented from Budget and it was an automatic.
posted by meerkatty at 5:52 PM on July 26, 2006

Yeah, I rented an automatic. I think they may charge a little more, but they have them. (If you are driving in the west at all, get the smallest one they have)
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:09 PM on July 26, 2006

I've rented a car 3 different times since 2000 (last time in March) in Ireland and got an automatic each time. I'm pretty certain every company (even the Ireland-based Dan Dooley's) has automatics. And I rented from both the Dublin and Shannon airports.
posted by jdl at 6:13 PM on July 26, 2006

I rented an automatic last year. It did cost extra, and make sure you specify it when you reserve it.
posted by bondcliff at 7:00 PM on July 26, 2006

Don't rent from Europcar if you can help it; they recent'y tried to bill me for an $859 rental that occured after I'd been back in the States for 2 months.
posted by eustacescrubb at 7:36 PM on July 26, 2006

I rented a stick shift in Ireland only because it was substantially cheaper than an automatic.
posted by np312 at 7:51 PM on July 26, 2006

Completely a myth. Been there a few times and rented an automatic every time. My parents have been there every six months for as long as I can remember and always get an automatic. It's all about what you want to pay for. You will pay extra for it, just like you'll pay extra for a larger car.
posted by MeetMegan at 8:08 PM on July 26, 2006

In 2000 I rented a car. Don't remember the agency, but we had to pay a wee bit more for the automatic thant we would have if we'd chosen a manual. Nothing to worry about--just reserve ahead of time.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 5:55 AM on July 27, 2006

Road tripping around Ireland is awesome, but be careful just ask Matthew Broderick
posted by matimer at 10:39 AM on July 27, 2006