Budget Car Rental Ireland Reviews 567

TrustScore 3 out of 5

3.2

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Many customers found the staff to be polite, friendly, and efficient, both at the counter and during car collection and drop-off. People often praised the service for being quick and hassle-free, with many appreciating the good condition of the cars and the competitive pricing. Some customers also noted the convenience of the office locations. However, some people were dissatisfied with the payment process, citing unexpected charges for insurance, fuel, or pre-existing damage. Several reviewers mentioned issues with deposits, particularly the high amounts or restrictions on card types. There were also instances where customers felt overcharged or experienced difficulties with staff, describing some interactions as rude or hostile.

What people talk about most

Service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about service. Many customers praise the efficient, friendly, and quick... See more

Staff

People report ambiguous experiences with staff. Many customers praise the staff for being helpful, friendly,... See more

Price

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with price. While some reviewers praise the great and... See more

Payment

Users describe negative interactions with payment, frequently reporting unauthorized charges and difficulty... See more

Location

Clients share ambiguous opinions on location. Many customers found locations like Cork Airport, Dublin... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I have always used Budget when holidaying in Ireland. And i always pay the extra for the full insurance. This time though (July '25), I booked thru' Ryanair (as they were cheaper than booking dir... See more

Company replied

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

They charged me double petrol price for not filling up fully. We had a good reason to not fill up, that's on us, but I expected some appripriate fee or a slight markup. To charger literally double the... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The staff were polite, friendly, efficient and professional both in the office and on the ground. I would have given a 5star review if it wasn't for the insurance 'scam' that exists with car hire... See more

Company replied

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The service I received was great, however... The single member of staff at the booth was under uneccesary pressure given she was the only person on duty. She was incredibly polite, courteous and patie... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Car Leasing Service
  2. Car Rental Agency

Information provided by various external sources

Low Cost Car Hire with Budget Car Rental Ireland from Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Shannon, Galway, Kerry, Killarney and Knock. Airports and city centre locations.


Contact info

3.2

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

567 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
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1-star

Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good car at a reasonable price

The staff were all pleasant to deal with and it all went smoothly. Got a nice car at a very reasonable price.

26 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Noel,
Thank you for your kind review and 5-star rating. We look forward to your next rental

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Yikes!

Yikes - they are shockingly bad. From the attempts to stiff arm you into extra insurance (claiming they can't see what you paid for at time of booking) to erroneous claims of damage that they charge without any notice or confirmation of what's involved. The experience has soured me on Budget for life and I'd recommend everyone else avoids wherever possible.

3 November 2024
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Phil,
When you make a reservation through a third party, insurance is not included in the price you pay. If you purchase insurance through a third party, it is a reimbursement policy only, and you will still need to select one of our insurance options, and this can increase the cost of your rental.

All renters have one of two options available to them. They can either place a hold on their credit card in the amount of the excess on the car, or they can purchase our excess waivers at the desk.

In the event of any damage to the car you will be directly liable to us but you can then claim these damages back from the third party that you purchased your reimbursement policy with.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great car rental company

Very friendly staff, professional, variety of cars at competitive price.
Budget/Avis is one of the best rental companies I've ever delt with.

30 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Thank you, Dr Rafat. We really appreciate your 5-Star review and positive feedback!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Come on man!

We rented our car the same time we got our airline tickets. It was a great rate and everything was fine. The shuttle drivers were pretty rude, but whatever. When we went to drop the car off they said we went through a third party and we were going to pay double what we thought we would. I've tried to get help but haven't heard back from anyone. What good is getting a reservation if they just charge you whatever they want to?

18 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Matt and Cheryl,
When you make a reservation through a third party, insurance is not included in the price you pay. If you purchase insurance through a third party, it is a reimbursement policy only, and you will still need to select one of our insurance options, and this can increase the cost of your rental.

All renters have one of two options available to them. They can either place a hold on their credit card in the amount of the excess on the car, or they can purchase our excess waivers at the desk.

In the event of any damage to the car you will be directly liable to us but you can then claim these damages back from the third party that you purchased your reimbursement policy with.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Budget car hire at Kerry Airport is…

Budget car hire at Kerry Airport is very good very friendly and helping staff laid back approach well organised and value for money i wouldn't use any one else

16 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Thanks a Million, Paul! I will pass your 5-star review along to the team in Kerry. I know they will appreciate your positive feedback.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

No Complaints

I rented from them a couple of weeks ago in Galway and I received a bigger class car than what I reserved at no extra charge, which was nice. I took the extra insurance, which is essential, so total cost was €65 a day, which was pretty reasonable, I think. Their pickup/dropoff times are good too, with dropoff available 7 days a week, unlike some competitors. A positive experience all round.

11 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Juice,
Thank you for your 5-Star review!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Smooth organization

It's fair - the prices are good.

1 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Thanks, Steve! We appreciate your positive feedback.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Efficient and trouble-free

Efficient, friendly and quick service. Car was ideal. It was a first time rental for us, the service provided was effortless and trouble-free.

14 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Thanks, Tracy. We appreciate your wonderful review!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

All the people I dealt with at this…

All the people I dealt with at this company were extremely helpful and pleasant. 5 star awarded from me.
Thanks.

19 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Liam,
Thank you for the 5-Stars. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

They charged almost 3x agreed price per day

We ordered a rental car through a 3rd Party (Finn.no i believe), got quoted a price at 426EUR for 3 days rental.

When we showed up at Dublin airport to pick up the car we were told they'd need to reserve EUR 5000 on the driver's credit card. The driver didn't have 5000 limit and we suggested using another one in the groups credit card, that was a NO GO and not accepted. The only other option which we were forced into was then to pay for daily insurance. We accepted this but was annoyed. This was approx 35EUR daily.

After ending our trip budget ireland subtracted 3 days at a daily rate of 299EUR! We were at no point notified about this and contacted our bank to stop any other future payments from this, as this was not the contract we've agreed to. We have also asked for but not received a contract that shows the new price. We were 2 people speaking to the clerk and she never told us of this major price hike. I would actually deem this as scam.

We've tried contacting local budget employees, but they say that budget ireland has a class c licence which seems like some sort of franchising solution.

I feel we have been scammed by budget ireland, and can not understand how they can run business in this manner! We have never been told what or how this has happened. I strongly advise people to avoid using budget ireland!

21 September 2025
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Simon,

I don’t see any rentals on our system under the name Simon Killie. If you would like to email your rental agreement number to webteam@budget.ie, I would be happy to have a look at the charges for you.

On pick up of your rental, you need to present a card in the name of the main driver on the rental, as you would be taking financial responsibility for the rental.

We are a franchise and not a corporate location, so your local budget office would not have access to our rentals.

I would encourage you to email us with your rental agreement number, so that we can explain the charges on your signed rental agreement to you and offer some clarity.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great prices and service

Great prices and service, I use Budget frequently.

14 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Thank you, David! We look forward to your next rental.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The service I received was great however...

The service I received was great, however... The single member of staff at the booth was under uneccesary pressure given she was the only person on duty. She was incredibly polite, courteous and patient whilst trying to cope with an ever increasing queue from the inbound flight. There was apparently a mix up with one person's booking, which took over 20mins to resolve. This caused enormous frustration for those waiting as there was no one else available to assist. The person who gave me the car (Frances) was likewise incredibly helpful, but also under pressure with people waiting. I understand the need for efficiency savings, but leaving your (brilliant) staff shorthanded when you know there's a flight arriving with bookings could have been avoided. The car was great, as was the price. My only other criticism was the deposit, which was considerable at over £2500, though I understand you need to cover losses. All in all would definitely use again.

11 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Donny,
Thank you for your kind review. We are always happy to hear that our staff are polite, courteous and patient. That is the level of customer service we are aiming for.

Despite continually evolving rosters and planning unfortunately at times the flow of people to the pickup location can be affected by external factors such as flight delays, queues at passport control and baggage, late returns and early arrivals etc...

Our agents work hard to process everyone's rental as quickly as possible, and we are sorry if this did not meet your requirements on this occasion.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Holiday Car Experience

I got exactly the right car for my holidays, I was very happy with it. The people in the office were friendly and competent. The bus transfer at Dublin Airport was slow comming, maybe 1 big bus is not a good idea.
Waiting interval is too long, too many people in the office at the same time. I was so happy with the car I was driving , I can forgive the slow bus. I had the car for 8 days.

13 September 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi John,
We're so happy to hear you were happy with your rental. Thank you for your wonderful review!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Quick and hassle-free service at Budget…

Quick and hassle-free service at Budget Dublin Airport. No unnecessary delays, car in great condition, and the whole process was smooth and efficient. Highly recommended!

2 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi there,

Thank you so much for your excellent five-star review of Budget Dublin Airport!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Well organised and friendly staff

I have used Budget about 3 times this year. They are my preferred choice as each time the process has been very efficient with collecting and dropping off.
Car are always clean and usually new or quite new.
Staff are friendly and helpful upon arrival.
While money is always reserved against my card in respect of excess insurance the block is removed
within a day or two of return which is helpful.

1 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Chris,
Thank you so much for your 5-star review of Budget Car Rental Ireland. Always good to see such positivity. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Car hire for Connemara small roads

Professional staff easy book in and drop off ..economical and car chosen was what we recieved.
Great experience

18 September 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Jane,
Thank you for your delightful 5-star review of Budget Car Rental Ireland. We hope that we are top of your mind for the next time you plan on visiting Ireland.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent customer service

Flight diverted due to weather conditions, car hire accommodated at new location, hassle free. Excellent customer service 👏

3 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Anne,
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5 star review. We look forward to seeing you again in the future!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We left a bag at the rental counter and…

We left a bag at the rental counter and did not realize it until the next day. I began calling Budget and spoke with Sean. He said he would begin the process of locating and bag and within a short period of time, Sean alerted me that the bag was found and provided directions. Sean saved our trip and we are thankful.

18 September 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Drew,
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review. I'll make sure Sean sees your kind words. We are delighted that we could assist you & hope to see you again in the future.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Always a great experience hiring from…

Always a great experience hiring from your Company. Staff are welcoming, helpful and professional. I particularly enjoyed the car I received on this occasion. Return was straightforward and swift. Brilliant all-round really.

1 October 2025
Unprompted review
Budget Car Rental Ireland logo

Reply from Budget Car Rental Ireland

Hi Denise,
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5-star review. It's great to hear we had such a positive impact on your journey!

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