Cheap Car Rental in Cork

Car Rental in Cork: traveling the Rebel County

Once marshland, Cork’s infrastructure has been profoundly influenced by waterways. While this makes navigating the city a bit difficult for first-time visitors, you’ll soon find that your time is well spent exploring the nooks and crannies of the city, where excellent dining, cafés, and musical experiences await you. Make the most of your visit by exploring the natural sights and countryside of southern Ireland as well. Book a rental car and plan to get off the beaten path today!

Ireland has a fairly consistent temperature year round, with lots of rain. Summer weather is unlikely to reach more than 20 degrees Celsius, and winter weather freezes only intermittently. June, July, and August are particularly comfortable months of year to visit Cork.

The first official language of Ireland is Irish, which is spoken by 55% of Ireland’s inhabitants. English is spoken everywhere. Many road signs will also be bilingual, in both Irish and English; if you’re planning on driving through more remote areas, it‘s a good idea to have a grasp of Irish in order to read possible monolingual signs.

Cork is in the Greenwich Mean Time Zone, or UTC+0.

The currency in Ireland is the euro, and cash machines are widely available in both city and country. While you can expect most stores to accept major credit cards, having some cash on hand for smaller transactions is quite prudent.

Car hire in Cork, Ireland is available in 4 locations, at Cork Airport (ORK), downtown, at Musgrave Park, and at the railway station.

Visa Regulations

While Ireland is a member of the European Union, it is not a member of the Schengen Agreement. Nonetheless, nationalities of many countries can visit Ireland visa-free for up to 90 days. Double check requirements for entry to Ireland for your nationality on the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service website, as you may need to apply for a tourist visa before you depart for Ireland.

Driving in Cork

Driving in central Cork can be a challenge. Roads are narrow and often quite steep, there are numerous one-way streets, and as in any European city, parking can be a challenge. Make the most of your visit by booking a hotel with complementary parking or hiring your car only on the days you plan to drive outside the highly walkable city center.

Left-Hand Driving

• Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Speed Limits

• In the city: 50 km/h
• On regional roads (R-roads): 80 km/h
• On national primary (N1 to N50) and secondary roads (N51+): 100 km/h
• On motorways (M-roads): 120 km/h
• Traffic congestion is very bad in Cork during morning and evening rush hours, which typically span from 7:30 to 9:30 am and 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

Other Regulations

1. Street parking is now payable by phone in Cork; call (021) 492 4030 and input your parking zone, which will determine how much you pay to park. Alternatively, there are a number of parking garages located throughout the city. To avoid having to navigate the narrow and steep roads of downtown Cork, park at the Black Ash Park and Ride lot and take the shuttle into the city, which is included in the price of parking.
2. Your domestic driver’s license should be sufficient for your self-drive visit to Ireland.
3. Most motorways throughout the Republic of Ireland are tolled, and the vast majority of them only accept cash.
4. While the minimum driving age in Ireland is 17, you will have to be at least 21 years of age to rent a car. You are also likely to face young-driver surcharges until the age of 25.

Cheap Car Rental in Cork

Car hire in Cork typically starts at just below $5 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Cork:

• Hyundai I10 or similar (mini class) – $5/day
• Ford Fiesta or similar (economy class) – $6/day
• Toyota Corolla or similar (compact class) – $8/day
• Volkswagen Jetta or similar (intermediate class) – $10/day
• Vauxhall Zafira or similar (standard class) – $22/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Cork

Except during the most popular tourist weeks in Cork, your best method for receiving the cheapest price on car rentals is by booking your car just one to two months in advance of your arrival. Planning farther in advance often doubles your daily car rental prices!

For the most availability, book your car from a variety of agencies located at Cork Airport or in downtown Cork, where agencies such as CarHire and Thrifty can typically offer cars between $5 and $15 a day. CarHire at airport routinely offers particularly low prices.

You can often also save at least $3 a day by extending your rental period to over a week. Keep an eye out for discounts of at least 11% that keep rental car prices low in the area.