Driving in Ireland: what visitors wish they'd known

Reserve an automatic early

22 visitors said this

Manuals dominate rental fleets and the automatics run out.

• "Rent an automatic at Shannon: Sixt cars are parked right outside the terminal, no shuttle, and a lane-drift alert helps on the left side." (Fodor's, 2023)
• "Pay about $300 extra for an automatic for a week; the Dublin Airport Dollar/Hertz desk system was down so a bus ran to the pickup." (TripAdvisor, 2023)

Add 30–50% to Google's drive times

16 visitors said this

Rural and coastal roads are slower than it thinks.

• "Real driving time ran about 25 percent longer than maps suggested; too many stops forced cutting Rock of Cashel, Cork and Kenmare." (Fodor's, 2022)
• "Add at least 30 percent to Google's rural drive times; narrow roads mean pulling in for oncoming traffic." (Blog, 2025)

Download offline maps and carry a paper road atlas

12 visitors said this

Signal and signposting both fail.

• "Download offline maps (maps.me) before leaving; turn-by-turn works in airplane mode and was more reliable than Google for hiking trails." (Fodor's, 2023)
• "Save every destination as a Google Maps favourite before leaving home; they appear without a local SIM and let you walk to each stop." (Blog, 2025)

Rent the smallest car that fits your luggage

12 visitors said this

The roads are narrow and walled.

Drive slowly round blind bends

12 visitors said this

Sheep, tractors, cyclists and tour buses appear without warning.

• "Burren roads are one-lane both ways and Slea Head has nervy stretches; go slowly, pull over and avoid night driving." (TripAdvisor, 2023)
• "Sheepdogs dart out of unfenced farm driveways on rural roads, so stay alert at low speed." (Forum)

Don't rely on credit-card rental cover without a letter that names Ireland

10 visitors said this

Desks reject generic ones.

• "Get card-issuer proof naming Republic of Ireland coverage; Europcar refused an email over three weeks old and one lacking Ireland wording." (Fodor's, 2022)
• "Rely on card rental insurance? Get a letter naming Ireland specifically; the generic one was rejected and took two attempts." (Fodor's, 2023)

Take zero-excess rental cover

10 visitors said this

Hedges and stone walls scratch cars, and excess runs €1,500–5,000 (~$1,620–5,400).

• "Choose a rental like NewWay that includes zero-excess insurance and no big deposit; others hold 1,500 to 3,000 euro (~$1,620–3,240) for weeks." (Blog, 2025)
• "Buy the agency's zero-deductible cover; it cost about 45 euro (~$49) per person to cut the 2,000 euro (~$2,160) excess." (Blog, 2024)

Don't drive straight off the overnight flight

9 visitors said this

Do Dublin first and collect the car after.

• "Take Bus Eireann to Kilkenny and rent a car there, since Enterprise and Europcar both have town offices; avoid driving after the flight." (Rick Steves forum)
• "After a 6am landing, a cab to Limerick station then train to Dublin was easy and avoided driving jet-lagged." (Rick Steves forum)

Get a walkthrough of wipers, indicators and fuel type first

9 visitors said this

Left-side driving takes a few days.

• "Pause before turning out of car parks; wipers and indicators swap." (Blog)
• "Learn wiper controls before rain; indicators may trigger them." (Rick Steves forum, 2024)

Pay the M50 toll online by 8pm the next day

8 visitors said this

Or confirm the rental firm bills it.

• "Ask your rental company how the barrier-free M50 toll is billed, otherwise you risk unpaid-toll fines later." (Blog, 2025)
• "Rental auto-links to M50 tolls; keep coins for others." (TripAdvisor, 2026)

Pull in and let locals pass on narrow roads

8 visitors said this

Wave thanks when someone yields.

Don't blindly follow Google Maps

6 visitors said this

It routes you down single-track lanes, so check the road class.

• "Google Maps routed them onto a twisting road in rain and fog; check road class before trusting it." (TripAdvisor, 2022)
• "Preview routes; default shortest route may be rough narrow road." (Rick Steves forum)

Photograph or film every panel of the rental

6 visitors said this

Do it at pickup and again at return.

• "Photograph the car at return and ask for an itemised damage statement; unexplained 'non-waivable damage' of €377 (~$405) was charged later." (TripAdvisor, 2023)
• "Photograph existing scratches yourself at pickup; staff did not inspect the car at pickup or return." (Blog, 2024)

Give the passenger a job

5 visitors said this

Navigate, call out roundabouts and watch the left edge.

Don't drive in Dublin

5 visitors said this

Collect the car as you leave the city, not the day you land.

• "If spending days in Dublin first, collect the hire car in the city and not at the airport to avoid paying for idle days." (TripAdvisor, 2019)
• "Pick up the rental at the edge of Dublin, or on leaving, rather than driving in the centre; use transit instead." (Blog, 2025)

Drive the Antrim coast and Glens slowly

5 visitors said this

Take in Glenariff, Cushendun, Torr Head and every pull-in.

• "Drive the Antrim coast north of Carrickfergus for small glens; day trips from Belfast suit a rental car better than the city itself." (Rick Steves forum, 2021)
• "Spend a day in the Antrim Glens; Glenariff's short waterfall walk is dramatic, and Torr Head north of Cushendun is a scenic drive." (Rick Steves forum, 2024)

Stick to M and N roads where you can

4 visitors said this

R and L roads are far slower.

• "Stick to M and N roads; maps apps may choose narrow ones." (Blog, 2022)

Driving on the left is easier than feared

4 visitors said this

It's the narrow roads that really test you.

Cap driving at three or four hours a day

3 visitors said this

Narrow roads tire you out fast.

• "Cap each day's driving and stop early; overdoing distance was her biggest mistake on the Donegal coast." (Blog, 2024)

Avoid driving rural roads after dark

3 visitors said this

They're unlit, unsigned and easy to get lost on.

• "Leave Galway by 3 PM to reach Doolin before dark." (Fodor's)

Tell the rental firm before crossing into Northern Ireland

3 visitors said this

Speeds there switch to mph.

• "Northern Ireland prices are in pounds and speed limits in mph, which catches out drivers crossing the border." (Forum, 2024)
• "Border crossing may carry a small rental fee." (Blog)

Allow an hour or more at the rental desk

3 visitors said this

Airport pickups and shuttles are slow.

• "Allow extra time for car pickup in Tralee; the car was over an hour late. Google Maps handled Conor Pass better than the GPS." (TripAdvisor, 2022)
• "Allow lots of time at rental pick-up; Dublin Hertz took ninety minutes." (Blog)

Drive Slea Head clockwise

3 visitors said this

Allow three to five hours with stops.

• "Drive the Slea Head loop in Dingle; about 2.5 hours with stops and highly recommended." (Fodor's, 2022)
• "Drive Slea Head clockwise, early season, to avoid buses." (TripAdvisor, 2025)

The Ring of Kerry takes a full day

3 visitors said this

Start early to stay ahead of the tour coaches.

• "Drive the Ring of Kerry clockwise to avoid sitting behind coaches; allow at least 4 hours without stops." (Blog, 2025)