Driving In Ireland

Ireland is an incredibly beautiful county, and my preferred way to see it is by car. Granted, the actual driving can be more interesting than I might wish at times, given the narrowness of the roads and my need to concentrate on which side of the road I'm supposed to be on. However, it doesn't take that long to become accustomed to it and to start enjoying the countryside. Driving also gives me the freedom to stop when I want to visit a place that didn't start out to be on my itinerary.

One caution here: this is in no way an endorsement of renting a car to see Dublin. You don't need a car there, and you're only asking for stress and trouble if you try to drive around in the city. At least that was my sorry experience. Even trying to drive in some of the smaller towns was trying, to say the least. A friend lost a side mirror on his car, because he and a truck driver decided they both had enough room on a sidewalk-sized road. Caution given.

Renting a car in Ireland offers the opportunity to spend a great deal more money than you have to if you don't do some research first. You'll want to be sure you have a car reserved before you get there, particularly if you're traveling in the high season (summertime). An excellent way to do this research is on the internet. You can compare prices, sizes, transmission types, whether mileage is included, etc. Automatic transmissions are more expensive, but if you're used to driving on the right side of the road, dealing with left side driving and shifting at the same time may not be for you. When looking at car sizes, carefully evaluate how much luggage you’ll have with you, particularly if you’re on a golfing vacation and carrying along your own clubs. Some of the small cars are very small indeed.

Keep in mind that the airport isn't the only place to get a car. Oftentimes, off-airport locations will offer a better deal. You just have to take a cab to the rental office.

If you’re traveling from the U.S., your state-issued driver’s license is what will be required, not an International Driver’s License. You should check with the car rental company before you leave for your vacation to be sure you take the necessary documents with you.

You might also want to get some sense of the mileage rate of the car and do a little checking on the cost of gasoline. This can be a big factor in your trip budget.

Driving in Ireland can be a little tricky, again especially if you're used to right-side-of-the-road driving. It doesn't just involve the going-in-a-straight-line part of the drive; my first right turn onto another road was disorienting. I was lucky there wasn't someone coming toward me! Something else to get used to is the Irish use of roundabouts at intersections. It might take a bit to figure out how to get where you want to go. We ended up going completely around a couple of times, mostly because of confusion and miscommunication between driver and co-pilot.

I find it necessary for my own peace of mind to do a lot of research before we go anywhere. In researching Irish driving, I came upon this site that you might find helpful: http://www.iol.ie/~discover/driving.htm . Among other things, I learned that it is illegal to drive while operating a hand-held cell phone, that you must yield to the car to the right of you at roundabouts, and British drivers apparently stop abruptly at yellow lights, causing accidents. The site also includes helpful information about gas prices (much higher even than ours) and the conversion rate from litres to gallons. It's always good to have plenty of information before you start on these adventures.

If you do your research and are well-prepared for what to expect financially and in your driving experience, I think you'll find driving about Ireland a wonderful way to see the country.