Driving outside of Dublin

It's just a toll road. (The last time I was through there there were still tollbooths on the road.) Check with your rental agency. Sometimes the toll pass is factored into the rental cost. You can pay at convenience/gas stations, too, wherever you see the symbol.

Pam, We took the M50 in 2006, and paid right at the toll booth. However, in March 2010, there was no toll booth. I believe that they get your lic plate number by camera, and then, if your car rental company takes care of it, you will get billed on your credit card that is used for the car rental. If your car rental company does not take care of it, you have 24 hours to pay at any one of numerous pay stations around Ireland, or I believe it can be done on line with a credit card. Be sure to ask your rental car company at the time you pick up your car. (Ours was Hertz). Dan

There is a toll in the middle of the M50 ring road and there is no toll booth or manual way to pay. Driving to Galway from the airport via Newgrange/Knowth and Trim castle (both of which I recommend) we didn't have to pay the toll. We only had to pay coming in from the south and driving all the way around to the airport. The site of the M50 toll is marking in red on the Michelin maps and probably others as well. Our rental company (Hertz) charged us $3.80 (I think it's 3 euros) on the card I used to charge the card. This is easy assuming you don't have currency conversion charge from your credit card company. There is also an electronic option called "e-toll" or something like that and your car may be equipped with that. Be aware that there are tolls on some of the bigger freeways but everywhere else there was a cash (exact change or toll booth operator) pay options. Tolls were 1.80 euros on all the tolls I paid.

It's not a big deal. Just ask at the rental counter when you pick up your car, and they'll explain it to you. They'll probably include it in the cost of the rental, which is worth the extra few pennies.

I did the same drive last summer. Have it built in with your rental agreement. There are no toll booths. You have to find some place to pay within 24 hours if you don't have the tag from the rental company. I didn't want to have to think about it.

Hi Pam, Just got back from Ireland about two weeks ago, took the M50 all the way around to get to Glendalough, it was an automatic toll and you have until the following day (8 pm) to pay the toll. We just went to a convience store and paid the toll by giving them the license plate number from our rental car - I believe it was €2 or €3. I was so worried after we went through the toll, mentioned to the owner of the first B&B we stayed at and he said that I could just pay it right down the road. Driving back from Galway to Dublin (turning in our rental car) we stopped at two tolls booths and paid €1.80 each time. Even when we dropped off the car at the airport and hit the automatic toll on the M50 again, we paid that toll at the Spar store in the airport. It was much easier than I thought it would be. In Ireland, just ask a local, they all were so helpful and friendly, that we are going back in September! Enjoy your trip! Patty