Driving in Ireland when you don't do manual

Well, the good news is you won't have any trouble with the gear shift being reversed since you aren't used to shifting anyway! The bad news is that you are going to be learning to drive stick shift while on vacation. Not a very relaxing situation. I am always amazed that people will set themselves up for a stressful experience on vacation.

I am confident that you could learn to do manual in Ireland. I have to wonder what it will be like to be learning to drive a manual car, learning to drive on the opposite side of the road, and navigating through unfamiliar roads completely by yourself. At the very least, pick up the car away from a major urban area. If you are going to be learning to drive, you don't want it to be in the midst of heavy traffic.

Have you considered simply taking public transportation?

While not exactly the same, my first driving experience in Europe was a solo trip in a manual car too (mine was a lease picked up in France, so left hand drive not right, and driven there and in England and Wales).

It had been close to 15 years since I had driven a stick at that point, but being a solo traveler, I was on a tight budget. I borrowed a manual drive car from a friend a few days before I left to reacquaint myself with the clutch/shifting. You could try doing something similar, or rent a manual at home for a day or two for practice.

Something else that was helpful for me as a solo driver navigating foreign countries via car was spending some serious time studying my routes before I left (I had used via Michelin for route planning and directions, this was back in 2012). Even if you can recognize 25% of road or route names before you get there, it will help so much.

Have fun and good luck!

Edit to add: if you can plan on a short driving day your first day with the car as you'll be dealing with a lot, give yourself plenty of time and not very far to go so you and the car and the road can get to know each other.

Keep the revs up and go easy on the clutch. Drive around the car rental parking lot, doing stop starts, doing a few shifts to ease yourself into it. The left hand part is where you're going to have to really bear down because you won't have a navigator to help you be a step ahead.

Most travellers allocate some splurge money as part of the trip, in the end, as others have mentioned, it may just be best to spend yours on the automatic.

.....And you will be shifting with your left hand. ( or are you part of the minority who are left handed?)

Unless the AT sends you to bankruptcy court, make life less complicated and pay the extra.

And being solo means you are your own navigator. Another reason to reduce your 'workload'.

I am an exp-pat and I just rented a car for my upcoming trip back home to England. Yes, the automatics are more expensive and I had a long debate with my brother (who lives in the UK) about the pros and cons of renting a stick shift vs an automatic. In the end, I rented an automatic. He kindly reminded me of my last trip in 2019 when I got anxious about shifting from first to second gear as I came up to roundabouts and junctions. It was not a very smooth operation at times and I am sure I made a few impatient drivers mad. So, I booked an automatic this time around. I think an automatic would be a lot less stressful especially as you are going solo on this trip.

Honestly, it's a bit more of an adventure than I think I'd care to take. But they say fortune favors the bold. Sometimes.

At the risk of sounding encouraging I'll share this: I find shifting with the "wrong"/left had to be a non-issue. I'm a regular driver of a manual car, so that's what I booked for my first left-hand-drive experience. Spacial awareness, navigation, running up curbs, staying alive- they all felt like challenges. But rowing the gears with my left paw did not.

I will say that if you do decide to rent the manual, maybe be very careful about the rental office location, so that it's away from the congestion and the need to navigate a lot immediately. Definitely not an office anywhere near the city centers.

Will add to the advice to pay the difference to have an automatic. My first trip to Ireland had a manual and I had a terrible time going from first to second etc. Usually went from first to fourth
riding the clutch. Then went to England and got another manual and same probkem. Never ever again the stress was not worth it. This is to be a vacation and learning to drive a manual on the "wrong" side of the street, going on roundabout and on roads one and a half car wide while solo is not worth it by any means in my opinion.

I learned to drive on a manual, then drove one for 15 years. I would NOT drive one in Ireland.

Driving in Ireland isn’t comparable to driving in the US. You’re going to be dealing with roundabouts, very narrow streets with oncoming buses where you have to pull your side mirrors in to avoid each other, lots of one way streets, traffic coming at you from the opposite side as usual, country roads with NO shoulder just old rock walls that aren’t very forgiving. Not to mention you’ll be sitting on the other side as you’re used to and having to do all the navigation in addition to the driving.

If there is any time to rent an automatic and fully insure it, it’s in Ireland.

Thanks all, for the replies.

I did want automatic for less stress, but man, we're talking a difference in some cases of 3k! That is so cost prohibitive and the place I booked with, while cheaper at 1800 (I would keep that) has terrible reviews and THAT makes me anxious too.

I don't think using public transportation is likely the best option as I'd miss out on a lot of potential sightseeing.

Would you be willing to share your itinerary? It may be that you can combine public transport and renting a car to help bring costs down. There are certain places where having a car is useful and other places where it is not really necessary.

Car rental prices are truly insane. I’ve been researching for a 3 week trip and prices are 3-4 times what they were in 2018. Not to mention the price of gas.

This is one time when I would recommend day tours, especially as a solo traveler. You could take public transportation from city to city, then look at day tours to get you to outlying places. Something to consider.

Absolutely as I would love to avoid having a car at all if I could do all the things I want to do.

This is my itinerary - keeping in mind, I was only planning to get the car when I was leaving Dublin as I know I don't need one in the bigger cities.

Itinerary:

Dublin May 16-19

Belfast May 19-21

Antrim Coast
Giant's Causeway
Dark hedges
Titanic Experience

Cavan May 21

Cabra Castle

Galway May 22-24

Cliffs of Moher
The Burren
Dunguaire Castle banquet - May 22
Bunratty castle

Dingle peninsula 24-27

Ring of Kerry
Killarney National Park
Muckross house

Kilkenny 27-28

Rock of Cashel
Wicklow
Powerscourt

Cobh

Blarney Castle

Towards the end it's a little less settled and I'm flexible in timing/locations, etc. But this list also includes the things I'm most interested in seeing.

I don't know if you had considered this but a small group Irish tour company may be your ticket. Check this company out. https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. We used them in 2015 and would most definitely use them again. One of the best tours I have been on and reasonably priced with great hotels. Pick up and drop off is in Dublin. The price may even be cheaper than a rental car. I know they do a Northern Ireland and Ireland itinerary.

Margaret

I just took a quick peak at day tours from Belfast. Viator offers one that includes Giants Causeway, Titanic Experience and dark hedges for about $60. Since Viator is a tour middle man, there are surely local companies offering these tours, possibly for less. I’m guessing the car rental is more than $60/day, so in this case a day tour might make sense. You give up some flexibility of going at your own pace, but you probably save some $ and the headache of driving.

I would check out TripAdvisor for local companies and see what might be available. If there are places you don’t find tours for, check with your hotel and see if they can recommend a driver who might take you.

You would not need a car for what you want to see in Belfast or on the Antrim Coast. You can either take a day tour or simply take very convenient public transport. Day tours will go to these locations and save you $$ on car rental. Public Transport can do it too.
Dublin to Belfast is very easy by train. The Titanic experience is walkable from downtown or the public bus stops right at it. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this museum/experience!
Belfast to Giants Causeway,etc.- Take the train to Coleraine, walk through the station and right onto the bus that will take you to those locations. (unsure on Dark Hedges/public transport)

You could easily go the first 5-6 days of your trip without a car rental and that might help bring some of the costs down.

Carol that is super helpful and I appreciate the info so much! I'll go back to the drawing board and consider public transportation and a car combo as I like that option best and want to avoid travel groups. Part of the experience for me is doing it solo. I hadn't considered a combination though.

Just in case you decide to still rent a car: My thoughts 3 years ago was the same about the difference in price of a manual vs automatic. I decided "how hard can it be?' so I reserved a manual with the idea of preparing myself over the year. There was no one that offered a manual to practice on in the states so I watched lots of training you tube videos. When the time came to pick up the car in Dublin, I quickly discovered there was no way I could manage it. The car stalled on me 5 times just getting out of the parking lot. I found a parking lot to turn around but then discovered I couldn't even get it in reverse. I left the car and hiked back to the rental office to trade cars. Expensive mistake but I know my limits now so just plan on an automatic- I've gone 2x since.

Going from first gear to second, third and fourth on a straight road is not too, too difficult but don’t forget stopping and starting on hills with a manual transmission. Add in some very narrow roads and roundabouts. No, thank you. My husband drives when we are in the UK but he drives a stick every day at home and even then it is a bit nerve wracking. Edited to add - I would look for day tours as others have said and public transportation and minimize my time driving.

I'm not indicting a public figure because of an auto crash/death that I don't know all the details of. But it's startling to me that the word "safety" has not yet appeared in this discussion.

Does anyone here have any inkling of the limits of their mighty driving skills?

This link looks scary because it has no paywall:

https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/08/arts/broderick-to-be-tried-in-car-crash-death.html?unlocked_article_code=0yWuitF8qE5WgW-MIK6QTmzjwC45sX9YvXh_n4B2XaibcNHAx31eemQLzeMP-77qeQIROeA8USKPhp4GJNPaTFSPYGp5_BdvyuK2XPAD_cyAvIVd4iWm1Fbq5c3TCtI0vYf-4LopoXXpvFPAjnXvf-G61bh4ll2ogt3hh5or97FyAadFcjNzdEBsbVfDIJe3169vp_agzDDgRvEo63sGXjkBO28FElVupN9HCbk34fhNxbV9lmyz_zZ1lvvn2cAajd8TCpcMUe-FBwfAa9vtSjdY4x5gg34H-lDQzmB1qjUa42Jmx_QOGul06UbKmxlD3bFIn0JC1_kd_5JzEi-xffcmQG1yycNyozphyABwwg&smid=share-url

We just got back from Ireland. My brother rented a stick, which he's driven for decades in US cars. This car, something we've never heard of, was pretty wonky, and he had a tough time downshifting going into a roundabout. If you don't normally drive a stick, I'd say pay for the automatic - it will be too hard, and you won't enjoy the trip. You'll also be going through roundabouts, looking for signs. Give yourself a break and get the automatic. You want this to be a fun, enjoyable time, not a scary experience, especially solo.. When you get home, cut out a month or two of eating out and drinking. You'll thank yourself.

I just saw your subsequent post that an automatic should cost upwards of $3k? You should try another rental company - while my brother was dealing with the rental company, I asked another agent what it would cost to get an automatic. It was about another €200 to make it automatic. Try Sixt rental. There's no way getting an automatic should bump up the cost for a two week rental to €3k.

Let us know what you do. Good luck.

We are currently traveling the Wild Atlantic Way. We picked up a VW Polo manual car from Enterprise at the Dublin airport.
My husband has been driving with our 22-year-old son navigating using GPS. The upcharge for an automatic was $25/day.
Dublin to Kilkenny was fine. The Dingle peninsula was treacherous in parts with very narrow winding roads. The views are spectacular along the coast. If traveling alone, I would definitely join a bus tour to see Dingle.

Dublin to Kilkenny
Kilkenny~ Mena B&B Katharine Malloy is a fabulous hostess and served the best breakfast of our trip.
Kerry~ Ballyseade Castle Hotel was quite opulent.
Galway~ St. Bridget's Apartments with a full kitchen in the middle of the city, no car needed.
Westport County Mayo ~Failte B&B lovely innkeepers Dehlia and Charles. 5 min walking distance to the city center.

We spent 4 days in Belfast city center without a car. All our lodging was fabulous.
Quarter by the Warren Collection
Premier Inn
Ramada inn by Wyndham
Dumpling Library restaurant was excellent

We took a train from Belfast to Portrush and stayed at the Anvershiel Inn within walking distance of the quaint city. Delicious food at The Mermaid Great stay!

adding my agreement that the automatic is the way to go. I was in Ireland in June, and even on the "M" roads which are closest to a freeway, you will have roundabouts and have to slow down/stop. Even with an automatic i found the driving very stressful on the smaller roads - as others have said roads are narrow, and spaces are tight.

This was posted six months ago, but I just noticed it.

In the 1990s, I rented a car in Ireland with a stick shift. And of course, the Irish drive on the other side of the road. The upshot is I handled it well.

The bigger challenge is driving on the other side of the road. I kept three things in mind: 1.) The driver is always in the center of the road. 2.) Left turns are easy and right turns are hard. 3. Slow down.

I learned to drive on a manul car but have driven automatics for many years. When I drove in Ireland, I chose to pay extra to drive the automatic. I did not have trouble driving on the left side of the road or managing round abouts. What I did have trouble with was how small the roads were and the lack of signage. I think as Americans we are used to many more signs to help guide our driving.

I am proficient in driving a stick/manual. But driving on the left side of the road, sitting on the right side of the car, narrow roads, winding roads, very narrow roads, sheep in the roads, did I mention really narrow roads???????- merits the extra $$ for an automatic, in my humble opinion. I spent 2 1/2 weeks last fall in England/Cornwall, Cotswolds and drove there. Just did 2 1/2 weeks in Ireland last month and drove Dublin up to County Donegal, then counter clockwise to Westport, to Ennis, to Dingle, to Kinsale, back to Dublin. Both of those fall trips I had splurged for the automatic and it was worth every penny. Just one less thing to worry abut when navigating and driving. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to Ireland, Scotland and England previously over the last twenty years and drove a manual with each of those trips. I did fine, but the stress reduction of having an automatic these last two rentals was worth it.

FYI-I rented through AVIS and I pre-paid $1,800!!!! That rate was competitive to the other car rental agencies at that time. However, I kept checking the AVIS site, just wanted to see if their advertised rates had changed. I saw that the same car, for the same dates, had dropped $500. I immediately called AVIS customer service to tell them I wanted to switch but didn't want to pay the $50 cancellation fee (this was about a month before we left). The AVIS rep said I wouldn't have to pay the cancellation fee as I was cancelling and immediately renting another car. They refunded me the original pre-paid amount. I saved $500 just by spending a few minutes once a week checking on the price.

Good luck and enjoy your trip. Manual or automatic, it will be fantastic.