Driving in Ireland

We are recently back from a driving vacation of Ireland, and have previously done three driving trips in England/Scotland/Wales. The driving in Ireland was a bit different - harder to navigate (more wrong turns, even with a GPS), but not very difficult. Traffic is lighter, but the roads in some areas were a bit rougher. All in all, we found it only slightly more challenging than driving in Britain. We wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

I've driven in Ireland four times, two of them solo. The hardest part for me was the signage not being very good. That may have improved in the years since. Otherwise, I don't know that it is any different than in the UK.

Most of the cautions about driving there have to do with people's unfamiliarity with driving on the left. If you have experience driving in England (or Australia or NZ for that matter) then Ireland will not pose that much of a challenge although, as Nancy says, the signage once you get away from the metro areas can be a bit confusing. Previewing your proposed route each day with a good road atlas, backed up with a GPS, will help minimize any stress.
Fact is, driving in Ireland is a real joy. Good roads, nice people, gorgeous scenery.

I think 20 years ago the roads in Ireland were somewhat notorious. When the economy improved, they put a bunch of money into the roads, the horror stories may predate the improvements.

I've driven in Ireland on my two most recent visits there (September of this year, October last year) and have three major comments.

First, I highly recommend keeping your driving to daylight hours. The non-major roads (the national "N" roads and the regional "R" roads) are oftentimes very narrow, with little to no shoulders, lots of curves, and little in the way of street lamps (especially the "R" roads). They're tough enough during daylight hours; I'd hate to drive most of them when it's dark.

Second, while the roads are oftentimes narrow, you get more used to how much space you have on each side of your car the more you drive there. On my most recent visit, I tended to hug the left side of the road (especially on the narrow roads) -- sometimes brushing against the tree and shrub branches next to the road -- during my first two or three times driving, but after that was more comfortable driving a little closer to the center line, realizing that I wasn't going to clip the vehicles driving from the opposite direction. (Although if a bus or large truck is coming your way, it's a good idea to get as far left as you can!)

Third, I would never drive in either Dublin or Belfast. Too crazy for me. I've driven in Galway, which is a fairly large city, but still not too bad to drive in.

All in all, I found the driving in Ireland to not be difficult or "hairy", but you certainly need to stay alert and, as other posters have said, use a good map book. I didn't use a GPS and didn't really miss it. But I did plenty of detailed research before my trips and typed up very detailed driving directions to use in conjunction with my map book. And having someone in the car to navigate so that the driver can concentrate on driving is a must.

Sharon,

If your husband is used to driving in England, Ireland should not be a problem. I've driven in Dublin a couple of times (just to the hotel parking lot and then when we were headed out of town); you just don't need a car in town. In the country, the rule of the road is to give way to oncoming coaches and lorries, since they have even less lateral room for maneuver than you do. Also, countryside driving is best for the daytime...street lighting is virtually non-existent. Have a great time!

Very narrow roads in the countryside, maybe 4" clearance between mirrors on cars traveling opposite directions.

If you're accustomed to those conditions, then driving shouldn't be a problem.

Personally, I like trains and buses and walking. Gets you in touch with the people you came to see, and the service is reliable. Sometimes you find great bargains such as the train from Dublin to Galway.

Have fun.

We were there two years ago and the only real difference I noticed between Ireland and England was that the country roads were narrower. They were also more lightly traveled. The signage was not as good as the UK but they are both deficient so that's just another inconvenience. Since your husband drives in the UK, I see no issue.

I drove for six days In Ireland in 2002 and did not have any trouble. (I have also driven in Britain on two different trips, and in seven or eight other countries in Europe. This includes Portugal, which is also a high-accident country). In Ireland it's a good idea to get zero deductible CDW and as small a car as meets your needs. I have heard stories of rocks jutting out into the road that slash tires, but I never found that to be the case on the roads that we traveled. I am a little more risk averse now and it does make me nervous thinking about driving there in the future as a return to Ireland may be our next trip. Another thing to consider is that speed cameras are very common, so you will want to be extra careful to sty within the limit.

Thank you all so much for your responses. Gave me a better idea of what to expect. But, we chickened out - ended up making reservations for Amsterdam and Brussels - then chickened out for that too. We are now scheduled to go back to England in May.