Northern Ireland Car Hire
A land of legend and laughter
Offering ancient historical sites and modern city living, this country is an excellent all-year round destination with plenty to entertain the whole family. Drive through unspoilt countryside, visit the dramatic coast or discover the cosmopolitan capital city. You can be sure of seeing the best Northern Ireland has to offer with our car rental.
Your top rental locations in Northern Ireland
Belfast and beyond: Destination Features
Avis for all your car rental needs
We have car hire facilities in several Northern Ireland locations, all committed to offering you the best possible service. Select from a wide range of vehicles to explore cities, coast and mountains alike.
New to the country? Make sure you book our GPS system to help you on your way.
Things to see and do in Northern Ireland
Belfast
One hundred years ago, the ocean liner RMS Titanic left the city shipyards to embark on its maiden voyage. Today, many of the city’s attractions centre around this ill-fated but iconic feat of engineering.
The city’s Titanic Quarter is a waterfront regeneration project housing the newly opened Titanic Belfast attraction. The exhibition gives visitors a unique insight into the history and building of the ship, which was twice the size of Belfast City Hall. Galleries include The Launch of Titanic, showcasing the ship’s luxury interior; The Sinking, recreating the tragic end; and the Ocean Exploration Centre, explaining how technology is now used to understand the seabed’s behaviour for improved marine safety.
For a family day out back on dry land, take a trip to the city’s zoo on the slopes of Cave Hill. Home to more than 1000 animals, this is one of the country’s oldest and best-loved visitor attractions. Among the more exotic residents are the Malayan sun bears, crowned sifakas and Goodfellow's tree kangaroo.
The Causeway Coast with your car rental
Situated in County Antrim on the north coast, the Giant’s Causeway is the country’s most popular tourist attraction. The awe-inspiring natural feature of rock columns was thought by the ancients to be the work of giants but in fact turned out to be the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. Giants or not, many myths and legends revolve around this place and it is truly a sight to behold. The formation is now a national nature reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Causeway Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Driving here from Belfast takes just over an hour.
A little further west stands Dunluce Castle. It occupies a dramatic cliff-top position 100 feet above the sea, close to a headland that slopes down sharply towards the water. Its chequered history is one of warfare, romance and tragedy, as well as the legend linked to the Mermaid Cave below.
Moving inland
Another Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Mourne Mountains, are in County Down in the southeast of the country. Picturesque and magical as they ‘sweep down to the sea’, as the song goes, they provided the inspiration for C. S. Lewis’s fantasy land of Narnia.
If water is more your element, head for the Fermanagh waterlands. Tourist attractions in the area include the Crom estate on the shores of Upper Lough Erne. Covering roughly 2000 acres, this is an important nature conservation area with ancient woodland, peaceful islands and Old Crom Castle.
Fancy something a bit different? Why not take in the Marble Arch Caves near Enniskillen. You can take a guided tour through a mesmerising underworld of waterfalls, chambers and stalactites in one of Europe’s most spectacular cave formations. Tours take around 75 minutes and ample parking can be found onsite.
Events in Northern Ireland
Famous as the Irish are for their wonderful sense of humour, you could do worse for a good laugh than attend the Bard of Armagh Festival of Humorous Verse. Staged in November at the Armagh City Hotel, this event has been a national institution since way back in 1193. The ‘bards’ step up to a lectern to tell stories or ballads in verse form. The aim? To be declared the funniest of course.
Hear a different kind of storytelling at the Ghosts in the Glens Festival. The event is held in Cushendall and takes place over three days. Storytellers tell spooky tales and scary stories and the schedule also includes a céilidh (or ‘céili’) and fancy dress competitions.