The 7 Best Car Rental Companies in Belfast City (2026)

My Irish Cousin is the only car rental company in Ireland with a perfect 5.0-star Google rating — 1,918 reviews at the time of writing, and not one of them dragged the score down. That record is the foundation of its first-place finish here, but it isn't the whole story.

The pricing model is the other half. One quoted price covers everything: zero excess, zero deposit, no credit card hold, all tolls (including the M50 if you cross into the Republic), a free additional driver, tyres and glass, and full roadside assistance. If you have an accident, you get a replacement car — not a cancelled contract, which is what most 'full cover' small print actually delivers.

For Belfast specifically, it has a genuine downtown desk at Cromac Street plus both airport counters, and cross-border travel south is included as standard — which removes the surcharge and toll hassle that every global brand at this city adds. Booking is quote-based rather than instant online.

Enterprise has the deepest local network in Belfast — six branches across the city including a dedicated city-centre desk — which makes it the most practical choice for anyone who wants a local return point or a one-way hire within Northern Ireland.

The service culture is genuinely different from the other globals: staff are trained to solve problems rather than sell cover, and it's the one major brand that reliably accepts debit cards. National and Alamo bookings are served from the same desks and fleet.

Europcar has a Belfast City branch as well as both airport counters, giving it coverage of the full market, and its fleet depth means the class you booked is usually available. Headline rates are often the most competitive of the major brands.

The desk experience follows the Europcar pattern elsewhere: strict credit-card-only deposit rules and a hard sell on excess reduction. If you cross into the Republic, confirm the cross-border terms before you sign.

Hertz offers four pickup points around Belfast and is the familiar choice for international visitors, with the Gold Plus Rewards programme giving members faster service. The 'Collection' series lets you book a specific named model rather than 'or similar'.

Its Belfast presence skews toward the airports rather than a central high-street desk, so confirm exactly which pickup point your booking uses before assuming a walk-in city location.

Avis has the most central high-street desk of the global brands, at Great Victoria Street right by the city centre, with airport coverage alongside. The Avis Preferred programme lets members skip the counter entirely.

Note that city-branch hours are restricted — the Great Victoria Street desk runs limited opening times, so check before planning an evening collection. Budget bookings are the same operation behind a different logo.

Sixt operates in Northern Ireland but its Belfast footprint is noticeably thinner than its Dublin or mainland operation — branches are limited and the fleet skews young and premium where available. The app-based check-in is the smoothest digital experience of the globals.

It's a reasonable pick if the car itself matters and a branch happens to suit your location, but don't count on city-centre walk-in availability.

GoCar is listed for completeness: it's Ireland's largest car club with over a thousand vehicles and it does operate on the island, but its Belfast coverage is limited compared with Dublin. It's a pay-as-you-drive membership, not a rental desk.

It suits someone who wants a car for a few hours in town from around €9/hour. For any Antrim Coast or Mourne touring trip — the main reason to hire in Belfast at all — a daily rental from the operators above is the practical choice.