Pay for Rental in Euros or US Dollars

Question: I have read that many folks are very concerned about how they can be assured that they get their rental car charged in Euros rather than in US Dollars.  They believe that they save money on the exchange rate that way.  Is that true?

Answer:  There is popular misconception that the tourist will be able to get the daily Wall Street exchange when touring Ireland.  The Wall Street rate is for transactions of one million dollars or more!  The average tourist may spend, within Ireland, a maximum of €5,000 during their touring.  Some higher.  The banks and credit cards apply a few cents to the Wall Street rate for smaller transactions.

So whether you ask to be charged in Euros or USD, it will make very little difference.  As I always say, it will probably be no more than the cost of a few pints of Guinness at the end of the tour.

That being said, if you wish to be 'euro only,' then tell the merchant, hotel, car rental company to charge your card in Euros.  If you are using a Hertz car through EasyTourIreland.com,  you can tell the Hertz agent WHEN YOU PICK UP THE CAR to have your rental charge in Euros and they will make that indication on your reservation record.