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Counterwise

DUB · Report · November 2026

Dublin Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 7 car rental desks we rate at Dublin Airport (DUB), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
7
1,680 reviews analysed
Average score
4.7/10
median 4.0
Median starting deposit
€2,000
7 of 7 deposits known
No credit card needed
0%
0 of 7 desks

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 7 car rental desks at Dublin Airport (DUB): 0 Great (8 or more out of 10), 2 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 5 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 4.7/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Dublin Airport is Enterprise (7.1/10); the lowest-rated is Budget (3.5/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (7 of 7 desks), the typical starting deposit at Dublin Airport is €2,000 (median), from €250 at Enterprise up to €5,000 at Hertz.
  • All 7 desks at Dublin Airport require a credit card in the main driver's name.
  • The most common traveller complaints at Dublin Airport are pressure to buy insurance or extras (7 of 7 desks), long queues or waits (7 of 7 desks) and car condition problems (7 of 7 desks).

Score distribution

How the 7 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 7. BudgetMany reviews describe pressure to buy the desk's own excess cover, often after being told that declining it means a very large card hold (roughly 2,000 to 5,000 euros) or that third-party or broker cover is not accepted. About 55 kept reviews, spread over the whole period and continuing in recent months.3.5 · Poor
  2. 6. AvisMany recent reviews, especially from non-US and French/German-speaking renters, say the desk rejected debit cards or foreign credit cards for the hold, or demanded a large hold (often EUR 2,500-5,000), and then required the desk's own cover, sometimes with extra add-ons and fees (e.g. admin fee for declining cover).3.5 · Poor
  3. 5. EuropcarVery long waits at the off-site pickup are reported repeatedly, commonly 1 to 3 hours after the shuttle, including in October. Understaffing, no cars ready and crowded queues are the usual reasons.3.6 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€250 (Enterprise)
Highest amount
€5,000 (Hertz)
Median starting deposit
€2,000
Deposit known
7 of 7 desks
All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
0 of 7 · 0%
Credit card required
7 of 7 · 100%

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
0
none
Short walk
0
none
Shuttle
7
avg score 4.7

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Pressure to buy insurance or extras7 of 7 · 100%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, Easirent, Europcar, Avis, Budget.

  2. Long queues or waits7 of 7 · 100%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, Easirent, Europcar, Avis, Budget.

  3. Car condition problems7 of 7 · 100%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, Easirent, Europcar, Avis, Budget.

  4. Damage charges after return6 of 7 · 86%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget.

  5. Other fees after the rental5 of 7 · 71%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz, Easirent, Avis.

  6. Fuel charges or fuel policy4 of 7 · 57%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Budget.

  7. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules4 of 7 · 57%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Hertz, Easirent, Avis, Budget.

  8. Booking not honoured or price changed3 of 7 · 43%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Enterprise, Hertz, Easirent.

  9. Deposit or refund held back2 of 7 · 29%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Easirent, Budget.

  10. Hard-to-reach customer service2 of 7 · 29%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Avis, Budget.

  11. Toll device pushed or charged2 of 7 · 29%

    Toll transponders sold or charged without a clear explanation of the cost. Desks: Enterprise, Easirent.

  12. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find1 of 7 · 14%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Europcar.

The data behind this report

  • 1,680 traveller reviews analysed across 7 desks.
  • 2,100 recent reviews read; 420 (20%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 380; about another location: 31; duplicates: 4). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 12 November 2026; scores last updated 12 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 12 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Dublin Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/dub/report (data updated 12 November 2026).

Permalink

https://counterwise.eu/airports/dub/report

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