HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire an airport transfer in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
An airport transfer in Ireland costs €60–€250 per journey, typically around €120. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
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- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring an airport transfer in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers airport transfer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — child and Infant Seats — many providers offer the option to include child and infant seats for families traveling with young children.
- How does vehicle type change the price?Hire charges are passed on at what they cost. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does time of day change the price?The duration you choose is the main thing you control. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does distance to the airport change the price?Rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Typically, airport transfer services do not include additional stops or detours unless arranged in advance — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a airport transfer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO MECHANICS IN IRELAND — anyone may repair a car. The statutory thing is the NCT, which is carried out by the national testing service and not by a garage, so a garage cannot issue one. SIMI membership is a trade association rather than a licence, and it gives you a complaints route.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Motor trade insurance covering your car while it is in their custody, which is separate from their public liability; A written estimate before work starts, and a call before any extra work; Whether parts are new, reconditioned or used, named on the invoice; The guarantee on parts and on labour, separately, in writing; Whether diagnosis is charged separately and whether it is credited against the repair; For a pre-purchase inspection, that the inspector is independent of the seller.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability and motor trade cover for vehicles in their custody. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers airport transfer work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — child and Infant Seats — many providers offer the option to include child and infant seats for families traveling with young children.
A good answer: Hire charges are passed on at what they cost. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The duration you choose is the main thing you control. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Typically, airport transfer services do not include additional stops or detours unless arranged in advance — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a airport transfer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability and motor trade cover for vehicles in their custody — flight Monitoring — reputable airport transfer services often monitor flight arrivals to adjust pickup times accordingly.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the airport transfer starts, and an itemised invoice after — meet and Greet Service — many airport transfer services provide a meet and greet option where the driver will wait for you in the arrivals hall with a sign.
Getting the quote right
- Vehicle type — hire charges are passed on at what they cost.
- Time of day — the duration you choose is the main thing you control.
- Distance to the airport — rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns.
- Any additional services requested — it is the reason two providers can quote very differently.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: vehicle type — hire charges are passed on at what they cost
- They will not talk about it: time of day — the duration you choose is the main thing you control
- They will not talk about it: distance to the airport — rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns
- A price for the airport transfer before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the airport transfer has begun
What an airport transfer costs: €60–€250 per journey
The figures are for the job, per journey, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Private airport transfer and Shared shuttle service each carry their own band. Airport Transfer price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Airport transfers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstVehicle type — hire charges are passed on at what they cost — that is what the airport transfer is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneTime of day — the duration you choose is the main thing you control — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfDistance to the airport — rates sit higher in the cities than in the smaller towns — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherAny additional services requested — it is the reason two providers can quote very differently — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the airport transfer is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, complexity of the journey — a simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not.
- Meet and Greet Service
- Many airport transfer services provide a meet and greet option where the driver will wait for you in the arrivals hall with a sign.
- Flight Monitoring
- Reputable airport transfer services often monitor flight arrivals to adjust pickup times accordingly.
- Child and Infant Seats
- Many providers offer the option to include child and infant seats for families traveling with young children.
- Shared Shuttle Service
- A cost-effective option where passengers share a ride, suitable for those looking to save on transfer costs.
- Luxury Airport Transfer
- High-end vehicle service offering premium comfort and amenities for a more upscale travel experience.
- Family-Friendly Transfer
- Specialised service that accommodates families, often including child seats and extra space for luggage.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring an airport transfer: questions people ask
The cost of an airport transfer can vary based on factors such as distance, vehicle type, and time of day. Additional services like meet and greet or luggage assistance may also impact the final price.
The duration of an airport transfer depends on the distance to your destination and traffic conditions. On average, transfers can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour.
Many airport transfer services offer same-day booking options, but availability can vary. It’s advisable to book in advance, especially during peak travel times.
Typically, airport transfer services do not include additional stops or detours unless arranged in advance. Also, gratuities and tolls may not be included in the quoted price.
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO MECHANICS IN IRELAND — anyone may repair a car. The statutory thing is the NCT, which is carried out by the national testing service and not by a garage, so a garage cannot issue one. SIMI membership is a trade association rather than a licence, and it gives you a complaints route.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES