I think I need some reassurance regarding driving in Ireland!

An Irish friend of mine told me that the rule is, "when in doubt, stop". If it seems too narrow for both of you to fit through a spot, either stop or back up to a wider place. The moving vehicle is at fault if you scrape. I have been to Ireland four times, and driven all four times. There were only a handful of times when one of us actually had to back up. Irish Motorways are like our interstate highways. The National roads are like our two-lane highways. Only the Regional roads can be a problem. I know that the roads have improved from my first visit in 2001. You don't say where you plan to be, but most of the places I have been were fine.

Yes, there are many roads in Ireland that are equivalent to the best of our Interstate Highways here in the US. But then there are many more that, while nicely paved, are barely wide enough for one small car to make its way down. If you are a reasonably good driver, you should do OK. I would spring for the maximum insurance coverage, no matter what your credit card might cover, just in case you end up on one of those narrow rock walled roads and happen to pull too far over to let traffic pass.

The main thing to overcome is the natural reflex when you come around the corner and there is a huge tour bus coming at you on that one lane road! Our natural reflex, since we drive on the right side, is to aim for the right side of the road, which of course is the exact opposite of what we should do. This reflex is less overpowering on the divided highways with clear lane markings and all that.

My main vote against driving while on vacation, not just in Ireland but anywhere, is I don't get to see the roadside scenery as we pass it. I am too focused on where I am trying to get to in an unfamiliar area to pay attention to anything else. So I now prefer to take a train or join a group so I can stare out the windows instead. :-)

I agree with the good map part since I didn't find many of the smaller roads very well marked. Overall, once you've adjusted to driving on the left, you shouldn't have any issues. Yes, there are some narrow roads, but like the other responder stated, if you feel there isn't room for both vehicles, stop. My tale; we were heading up a one lane road to a historic site when a tour bus appeared right in front of us. We both stopped and I backed up until I could pull over far enough for the bus to pass. We enjoyed driving around Ireland and the freedom it affords you to stop when you want. We always drive in Europe and will continue to do so as long as we can. Ensure you rent an automatic. If you happen by Avoca, it's where the UK TV show Ballykissangel was filmed.

Make sure you're comfortable with a stick shift car (and additionally, comfortable shifting with your left hand); otherwise be sure to pay extra up front to reserve a car with automatic transmission. Cars in Europe still have manual transmission as a rule.

I'm not sure how to embed a photo so I'll link to this one. You don't have to drive the speed limit! https://flic.kr/p/usQVXQ

Good advice from Nancy.
You just need to get comfortable with the local rules of the road when meeting opposing traffic on a narrow lane: First, don't panic - the locals deal with this situation every day. If it was that big of a deal you'd see bodies littering the countryside. Second, slow down and/or just stop to take stock and generally sort things out. On the narrow lanes there are always pullouts provided for one of the vehicles to pull into to provide room for the other to pass. Fact is that in the time it took me to stop and start to figure out what do do the approaching driver had already pulled off and was waving me ahead. Third, know that Irish drivers are some of the most patient, understanding, and friendly drivers on earth. I swear - some situations that I thought might have resulted in gunfire in LA or Miami were greeted with a smile and a friendly shrug by drivers in Ireland.
Driving in rural Ireland is a joy. Proceed cautiously and defensively and you'll be fine.

Thank you one and all for the reassurance, I am feeling a bit better about driving...at least for now :) I did not mention it but we will be getting an automatic and taking out full coverage. I know that being behind the wheel I may not get to enjoy the scenery as much as I would like but that is the trade off to have the freedom to go where you want when you want. LOL..I may think differently after driving in Ireland though. Robert, I got quite the chuckle out of the "bodies littered all over."

Our plan (roughly and changing every day) is to spend 3 nights in Dublin and then rent the car at the AirPort. The first day we will drive to Powerscourt, Glendalough and spend the night in Kilkenny. From Kilkenny we will visit the Rock of Cashel on our way to Kinsale. We plan on also visiting Cobn during our stay in Kinsale. From Kinsale we will head to either Killarney or Kenmare. Not sure which route we will take yet. We may take the southern route so we can see part of the Berra Stait (?). From Killarney we will head to Dingle. We will be driving the Slea Head drive and then the Conor Pass on our way out of Dingle. We will then make our way up to Galway stopping to see the Cliffs of Mohr and possible the Burren. Not sure if we will go via Limerick or take the Ferry and drive up the coast. From Galway we will go to Westport (via Cong). While in Westport we will most likely drive the Sky Drive (I think that is what is it called) to Clifden and then back to Westport. From Westport we will drive to Portrush. While in Portrush we will visit the Giant Causeway, etc. Then we will drive back to Trim (and possible visit Newgrange) for a night or two. We will then catch an afternoon flight out of Dublin. We have not worked out how many nights in each area but we plan to be gone for 21, 22 or 24 days :) Direct flights to and from Dublin to Lax are only on certain days and well, I do like direct flights.

I dwell in the Land of la as well. A bit older than you but younger than your spouse.

I've driven the entire island twice. In 1997 with a clutch. 2 years ago with an automatic.

To ease your angst:

1.) pay more for the automatic
2.) get the smallest vehicle you think you'll be comfortable in
3.) get the insurance
4.) Learn the difference between miles and kilometers.
5.) Take a map, old school to compliment the GPS.

To prepare yourself for roundabouts you might spend some time negotiating this one here in SoCal.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alamitos_Circle

Lastly, remember this is largely a rural country so on the back roads you might find yourself behind a lorrie, wagon, farm equipment and a sheep herd or dairy cattle.

Enjoying Ireland is about the slower pace. Have a wonderful visit.

As long as you have the super CDW, I am sure you will be fine. I drove in Ireland in 2002 and again in 2016, traveling both times with my wife. Also a good call to get the automatic. I have also driven a couple of time in England and we always had an automatic, and were glad we did. We had a scrape on our 2016 trip, which may or may not have happened on our watch (I am very such I did not hit anything), so we were glad we had the super CDW. Have driven without incident on 8-9 of our 15 Europe trips, usually on out AMEX premium coverage. But it does not cover in Ireland so glad we had the super CDW. The driving in Ireland is really not that bad at all, just make sure and take your time and brace yourself to be calm for the unexpected(sheep on the road, extremely heavy rain, water that obscures the actual roadway at indeterminate depth, etc.)

Good advice from Claudia. (Well, except for the automatic--I love me a standard tranny!)

I'll just add that you should deputize your husband as co-pilot. To help read signs and so on. And if there is a moment when you need a little guidance, he can and should speak up. So long as he prefaces it with 'Darling ...' As in 'Darling, it would be better if you were in the other lane here'. :-)

I bet you are now nervous just because you are excited for your trip. I am sure you will do fine.
Have a great trip!

An Irish friend of mine told me that the rule is, "when in doubt, stop".

My first driving lesson involved my instructor using that phase in those precise words.!

This is a very good point on the narrowest roads especially as the responsibility of getting passed is that of the moving vehicle (s). The motorways are very good but only radiate from Belfast or Dublin. The N roads and A roads in the North tend to be of high quality.

Simple rule is 'keep left, give way to right'. Remember the speeds are in km/h, except in the North where they are in miles.

And if you hire an automatic which would be a very good idea, there is a size beneath they are not pleasant to drive.

This links to an Irish driving school with a rundown of the rules of the road. You can look through things like roundabouts and also the road signs you will encounter.

Great advice , thank you!

My husband and I have already decided I will drive and he will navigate. We will view our routes before hand and hopefully not get to lost. We will both apologize to each other at the start and end of the day because I am sure I will get cranky/frustrated (and so will he) at some point. Raising my voice doesn't mean I am mad at my husband...it will probably mean I am confused/scared and don't know what to do :):)

Mc-Glasgow if you are still here...did you mean automatics are not fun to drive ???

Bias on the line, I don't like automatics! But of the automatics I have driven, they are better above a certain engine size. I had one A category car (Kia Piccanto) that was an automatic, that sounded like the engine was made of a hive of angry bees being whipped by a power mad hornet.

Basically, automatics do not really work with the smallest size engines. You are looking at a 1.4 (petrol) or above.

this is a heads up learned from a trip to Scotland up in the highlands. All of the above advice I really support, automatic, smallest car you can drive, give the roundabouts a "prescan" before you leave. My heads up is this, the times I struggled the most with remembering to drive on the left was when I was transitioning from a one lane road back to a two lane road. After you are cruising on the one lane roads for awhile you are comfortable with just driving along and not having to be on the left or the right as the road is narrow and the traffic is light or nonexistent and you have the entire lane. When I would reach a spot where the road went back to two lanes I always at first instinctively went to the right lane...not a good thing....as you get comfortable with driving on the left and with driving the one lane roads take heed that when you go back to a two lane you must be on the left.

Hello Experienced Ireland Drivers: My 22 year old daughter is accompanying me on a business trip to Belfast, followed by a 5-day vacation with a return flight home from Dublin (a requirement of United Mileage Plus program). My worry is this: I am 100% blind in my left eye. By law, she cannot drive anywhere in Ireland, and the trains/buses are not convenient for where we want to go. I am a reasonably safe driver, but my car is equipped with technology to support my vision, i.e. blind spot monitor, back up camera, front end collision alert, and auto parallel park. My daughter would also be a visual support.

Do any of you have any thoughts on whether or not I will be especially challenged driving? I'm terrified of an accident and the possibility of hurting someone. Is it possible to rent cars with this technology, automatic transmission of course, and mid-size to carry 2 large suitcases. I would appreciate any input and all advice.

Kind Regards, Peggy

I will be very honest here...driving in Ireland is tough. I'm in my mid-30s with an excellent driving record. I visited Ireland last year and, within 1 minute of being behind the wheel, almost got my family into a head-in collision (damn post-red eye flight delirium). Once I got adjusted to driving on the left, there were the multiple rotaries that made for other interesting times. People in Ireland drive FAST. Also, there's these blasted double yellow lines that apparently mean "don't park here" (yep, incurred my first parking ticket there). I did manage to bump the curb on the left a few times (once it caused my car to bump out a bit and almost hit an oncoming truck). Do NOT make my mistake and accept the free "upgrade." They'll give you a bigger car that really only makes things more difficult (parking garage in Galway, anyone)? This being said, I got the handle of it as the week went on, and even managed the Conor Pass (3 times). The smaller towns obviously are less congested and there's more room for error on their streets. If you do decide to drive, perhaps take public transportation in the big cicites. Enjoy your trip!

Jarradd, that is very good heads up advice. I may have to make a big sign that reads "LEFT" and attach it to the wheel :)

Shannanpup, I am not sure I would drive in Ireland with limited vision. You might want to check the rental agencies and see if you can even rent a car with impaired vision. We had heard (not that we have confirmed it) that some rental agencies in Ireland impose an upper age limit on car rentals so they may also have some restrictions on driving with an impairment. As far as the technology support you were talking about I think you would have to rent an "upper end" car to get all those bells and whistles and then the car may be larger than what you want.

Brian, thank you for your candid response but hopefully I will be a little more cautious .....I mean, driving after a red eye flight is not something you should do. I would like to ask about the Conor Pass since you drove it 3 times. How bad was it to drive and do you remember how long it took to drive.? I understand that drive time is dependent on how many times you stop but I am just trying to get a feel for how long of a drive it is. And just out of curiosity why did you drive it 3 times??

Thank you one and all for your responses! I love this forum!

I drove in Ireland for two weeks, solo with no navigator (and then another two weeks in Scotland the year after). I won't lie--there were times when I was nervous behind the wheel. But I wouldn't have done it any other way. Every time I saw a tour bus lumber by, I was so grateful to have the freedom to see what I wanted to see at my pace.

In addition to the excellent suggestions already offered, here are three more:

1. Plan relatively short driving days with lots of stops. I only had one long driving day the entire trip (about our hours, not counting time on the ferry), and I was glad of that. The stops gave me a rest as well as a chance to stop frequently to enjoy the scenery.

2. If you're on a narrow road, passing places are typically marked by a sign or pole. When you approach a passing place, look ahead for three things: (1) the next passing place on your side of the road, (2) the next passing place on the other side of the road, and (3) oncoming traffic. Then decide if you should pull over and wait or go on ahead.

3. Bear in mind that while some of the country roads are very narrow, in some places you'll be the only driver on the road for a long way.

Hi kse,

We stayed in Dingle and have distant family in Brandon. We drove it once to get to Brandon from Dingle, and then another time to get back. The following day, we drove over it to make our way up to the Cliffs of Moher. I'd estimate that it took about 30 minutes tops to get over. My advice would be to go slow and to avoid it in inclement weather. I would also not advise driving it at night. Despite the height (or, because of it), it's a beautiful drive and worth the effort! As an aside, I can't say enough about the Dingle Peninsula and the Wild Atlantic Way (Slea Head).

Brian, when you put it that way driving the Conor Pass 3 times makes perfect sense. I am trying to decide whether or not to drive the pass on our way out of Dingle to Galway...we will probably go via the ferry!

Thank you all for your comments, I have learned a lot of tips for driving. The best part is that you all drove and survived to answer my post :)

We just returned from Ireland after a 12 day trip driving from Dublin to Galway and back. We are also from LA area (experienced drivers). Our insurance was more than the car rental fee. Four of us armed with maps, navigation system and back seat drivers. Whenever I drove I kept hitting the left side curbs. Not as easy as you would think and I became a backseat driver for remainder of trip. Once we all forgot and were on the wrong side of road, quickly corrected after all us of screaming. Not sure if the navigation system was correct on the best route with long drive times and narrow roads. Great trip but there was a lot of driving. To do this over again
1. I would take a one day bus tour out of Dublin to Newgrange. By the time we drove there all tickets were sold.
2. Not drive to the Rock of Cashel in the snow only to find out that it is closed (due to snow).
3. Pick a couple of places to stay for an extended time and not try to see as much. Loved Dublin, stayed at the Fitzwilliam with great walking access and used the Ho-Ho. Dingle is fantastic, could stay there for a week!
4. Take a Rick Steves tour and leave the driving to them.

Karen,

Great advice--that damn curb on the left really sneaks up on you, huh?! I swear it once bumped me almost into a truck! Car insurance for me was 300 USD (for the week). A GPS system is worth its weight in gold. I'd agree--fewer places for more days is definitely a good strategy. And I too could have spent the whole time in Dingle and been very content with my trip.

LOL...I guess that curb on the left is very sneaky from the sounds of things.

I think I need to start a new thread because now I am wondering about our itinerary . It seems like I keep hearing, less driving and more time in your location but how do you narrow that down if you are doing a complete loop??

I was there September of last year with 3 friends. We drove approximately 2,428 kilometers. I have driven in California, New York and in St. Louis everyday for work. I drove approximately 90% of the time. No complaints to my face from my passengers because I would make them drive. I will tell you that I drive faster than most people. We had a 6 speed Volvo midsize car. I would not want any bigger for those roads. The interstate driving was not a problem. The side roads can be very small with like you said stone walls on both sides with vines growing. My friend Denny wanted to make a $100 bet that I would lose a mirror. I hit several vines but never a wall. If you meet a bus you almost need to stop. Tractors fastest tractors I've ever seen. I grew up and still live on the family farm. I could never get any of our tractors over 15-20MPH. But I swear they go 40+ in Ireland. Meeting other small cars is not an issue. The one thing to remember you don't know the other driver if they hit some vines they may steer into you. So if you trust your driving great but watch out for the other guy. I did find at intersections I needed to remember to look twice because when you turn you want to steer into the right lane.
When I was in Ireland with my father 10 years ago he was not able to drive, we had no plans, no reservations, no GPS and no cell phone. We had a room every night, saw everything because we had no expectations. This time they provided us a GPS which was terrible it took us down some of the smallest roads with grass growing in the middle. We finally used the map on our phone. We ended up the same place via better roads. I would suggest using the GPS but I would write down the directions as well as much as possible. Denny my friend drove the balance of the time, little experience with a stick shift. I will say the scariest seat in the car is the passenger seat. You get in, 1st thing you do is reach for the steering wheel that is not there, then you want to adjust the rearview mirror which you can't. And that wall that you are barely missing is real I mean real close to the passenger door. I now know why they were so jumpy when I was driving. Be safe and careful it will be a trip to remember and reminisce
I just did a post titled 8 day trip to Ireland summary September, 2006 today summarizing our wonderful adventure. Please read and I hope you enjoy any questions please post.

dwalsh, thank you for your input and I did read about your trip just a few minutes ago!

I have heard that the GPS in the car is not the greatest which makes me wonder why people pay extra for it ??? I plan to stay on the major roads as much as possible but I do realize there is not much hope of avoiding the rural roads. LOL... I have been warned to stay off the L roads if I value my life :)

Thank you for your reply, enjoy i'm jealous I want to go back

We finally ditched the navigation system built in and went with WAZE a free app that worked great in Ireland.