Ireland Car Rental Sizes What size car should I rent for my Ireland vacation?

2 Adults Traveling Ireland - Economy Car

The obvious choice is an economy car because it's very economical, the smallest size available, fits two adults quite comfortably. We've rented this a few times with a 6'3" adult in the passenger seat and no issues; the seat was back as far as it could go.

The big issue here is the trunk space and it's not for everyone -- you can fit one piece of luggage in the trunk and that is it. The other piece of luggage is on the back seat and in full view wherever you stop. We have no problem with this and never have had issues in the past, regardless of where we stopped. Common sense is required here - do no leave your important documents (Passports, Id, tickets, etc) in the car and don't leave cell phones or cameras in full view.

For those that want their luggage completely out of view, upgrade your Ireland car rental size to a compact car rental.

3 Adults Traveling Ireland - Compact Car

We recommend starting with a compact car rental when three people are traveling on the Ireland Self Drive package. The cars are large enough to accommodate three adults comfortably however there is going to be an issue with luggage and one piece of luggage may have to join the person in the back seat.

We were traveling enchanting Ireland with a 4-year-old and we had to put part of the back seat down and push luggage through. It was in complete view when we stopped at tourist sites along the way. As always we kept valuables with us and out of view so as not to tempt someone to break in.

The upside of luggage in the back seat is that the person back there has something to lean on ... should the fall asleep.

Start with a compact car rental for 3 people traveling on the Ireland self drive -- and upgrade to an intermediate Ireland car rental size if you want to put all of your luggage securely out of view.

4 Adults Traveling Ireland - Intermediate/Full-Size Car

This is the perfect size for four adults traveling on the Ireland self drive vacation, allowing everyone their own window seat as well as affordable luggage space.

We rented an intermediate/full-size car and traveled with 4 adults and a 2-year-old, storing all luggage in the trunk aside from perhaps a backpack which we would use often at every stop.

Fitting a 5th adult could be an issue based on comfort in the back seat and depending on the length of stay. Short trips or renting a holiday home you could likely do that but we typically stick with a maximum of four.

5 Adults Traveling Ireland - Minivan or People Carrier

You don't want to drive a minivan around Ireland because of the roads and want to stick with an intermediate car rental due to the costs and size... but with 5 adults, you're going to have a hard time with luggage and comfort -- who gets to ride on "the hump" during the day? Face it, you're in the car quite a bit on a self-drive so bite the bullet and get the larger car!

The People Carrier, or minivan, is comfort for for 5 adults and luggage -- your legs and passengers will appreciate the room over the length of your stay in Ireland!