Hello fellow travelers! We will be visiting Ireland for the first time next May, and we are thinking about renting a camper van for part of the 2-week trip. Does anyone here have any experience with renting a camper van in Ireland?
We are still nailing down where we are visiting, but a rough idea is Dublin---->Galway---->Ring of Kerry----> Waterford---->Kilkenny
Any ideas or tips, or thoughts, I'd love to hear!
Jenny
Do you pilot a camper van at home, with some experience under your belt? That would help. And by “van,” does that mean something substantially smaller (noticeably narrower and presumably shorter) than a motor home, even though even motor homes in Europe are smaller than the usual versions in the U.S.?
We haven’t personally rented a camper van, but I have an observance from past Ireland trips. Roads are often much narrower there, especially on parts of the Ring of Kerry, than U.S. roads. Superhighways have wide lanes, but even those often seem narrower, and with less shoulder, than U.S. Interstates.
This wouldn’t be you, if you’re renting an Irish vehicle, but you might still need to deal with some of these: we’ve been on roads with several motorhomes, and they’re obviously having trouble staying in their lane, and are driving over the center line! Most if them had foreign license plates, particularly from Belgium or Italy, so were driving on the side the road they weren’t used to at home, with the steering wheel on the opposite side. Not that this would be you at all, but when I hear “camper” and “Ireland,” that’s what I think of.
Hi Cyn,
Thanks for your reply! You’ve brought up some great points. These camper vans are much slimmer and shorter than traditional motor homes, by US and European standards. I’ve thought about the narrow roads and the unfamiliarity of driving on the other side of the road for sure. I’m not totally sold on the whole idea. But my husband is filled with joy thinking about road tripping around Ireland, roughing it, so to speak. He can drive anything with wheels. I’m thinking about logistics, like you brought up.
There’s going to be a lot of research involved, which I’ve assigned to my husband :)
Jenny
It's been 10 years since we roadtripped Ireland in a (small) campervan, part of 2 months of ridiculous fun which included England, Wales and Scotland. We have done 7 more campervan trips around various places since. We intend to do Shetland and Orkney in a campervan next May. So obviously we are big fans of that style of travel. We like a small van such as a Toyota Hiace with a hi- top so you can stand up in the back.
We were mostly on small single lane roads in Ireland and they were fine for that type of van. You soon get used to the road etiquette on single lane.
Are you planning on freedom camping or using caravan park stays or both? We mostly alternated during that trip. We have got a bit soft these days and mostly like to stay at a powered site. It's nice to have some decent amenities.
A few things to consider. We like to have basic kitchen facilities in the van although we mostly use communal kitchens when available. So microwave, stove top, sink, fridge/freezer, kettle, toaster. Obviously cutlery, crockery, pots, pans etc.
Toilet?
Do you want an internal toilet, if you are freedom camping you will need one.
Shower?
We had one for the S.I of NZ but only used it once, to be honest not worth the space it took up.
Bed configuration?
Have a good look and think about how practical it will be. You don't want some complicated process to set up the bed.
A fan heater is often an extra at cost. Probably worthwhile in Ireland in May.
A rubber "hotwater bottle" is our best friend on cool climate trips. Tucked into the bed an hour before you get in.
Take a thermos too. It's a money saver. A roadside cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate rather than a cafe/bakery. Saves you money not only re the hot drink but by not buying that nice slice, piece of cake etc.
Favourite overnight stop in Ireland.
We pulled into the carpark of an 800 year old ruined monastery late one evening. Free camped the night. Next morning we were up for a misty silent sunrise. Not a soul around except maybe a few restless ones in the graveyard.
It's a great idea, but I question your itinerary. You've chosen four cities and the most popular scenic drive, none of which is suited to a camper van. I wouldn't even want to have a passenger car in Dublin. There is a lot of content on YouTube and elsewhere on this topic. I'd look for a guidebook or other resource that identifies legal camping sites. My understanding is that "wild" camping is not permitted in Ireland.
