Ireland Road Trip: Renting a Car in Ireland

Renting a car in Ireland might be one of the scariest things you can consider on your visit.  You might have heard horror stories about narrow, twisting roads and crazy Irish drivers, and getting used to a right-hand drive might be pushing the bounds of your comfort zone.  With the added challenge of most rental cars being manual transmission vehicles, those tour buses might look more inviting if you aren’t experienced driving a stick. 

Renting a Car in Ireland is the Best Way to See Everything

When Americans think of Europe, they often think of the romance of boarding a train or coach and having it take them anywhere, but Ireland is a little bit different.  Tour buses do provide this service, but usually as part of a tour package and at great expense.  You’ll see these land behemoths on the narrow country roads.  They are a great way to see the sights, but limit you to an itinerary, crammed into a bus with a bunch of American tourists all talking about their ancestry.  Not to yuck your yum, but that is usually a 60+ crowd.  Just as hostels are a crowd of 20-somethings.  If you are stuck someplace in the middle, it might not be your thing.  

The roads are narrow, but posted speed limits aren’t just clever ways to collect extra revenue like they are in the US.  The posted speed limits are there to reduce accidents and let you know about how treacherous a section of road might become.  

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Things You Should Know About Renting a Car in Ireland

Ordering your vehicle ahead of time gets you the best price, and allows you to reserve an automatic in case you aren’t a stick driver.  Shortages might get you upgraded out of your preferred transmission, so be careful to confirm when you go to pick up your car.  Don’t be afraid to take it slow until you get accustomed to driving on the other side of the road.  Cars tend to be a lot smaller, and you’ll be grateful for this once you get on the road.

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Fuel Type

Many cars run on diesel fuel and your gasoline options are likely premium unleaded only vehicles.  Fuel is dispersed at the pump by the litre, and the sticker shock while filling up can be considerable.  Fueling stations are not very common, so rather than risk running out between towns or cities, try to keep the tank at least half full at the least.  Keep in mind too that many filling stations close at 7pm, and unlike the US, you will have to go inside the station to pay for fuel.  If you miss closing time, good luck finding another place that takes cards at the pump.  The good news is the smaller cars get good fuel mileage compared to your SUV back home.  The bad news is a lot of the stop and start and winding roads tends to drop your fuel efficiency.

Should I Get Extra Insurance?

When you rent your car, you will probably be asked if you want to upgrade your insurance to collision insurance.  This removes a deductible (usually around €2000 ) that you would be liable for in the event of a total loss.  Insurance is around €80 extra per day.  Get the insurance.  You won’t regret it.  The narrow roads, stone walls, and blackberry hedges can strip the paint off the side of your nice rental car, and you could find a bill for it waiting for you at home.

Note: At the time of this post, euros and dollars were pretty much the same in value, which is why they are sometimes used interchangeably.

What About Driving to Northern Ireland?

If you plan to visit Northern Ireland, keep in mind that it is a whole other country.  Because of so many tourists crossing the border, rental places are reluctant, if not completely refuse, to rent cars to travelers going to Northern Ireland.  The reason for this is mainly due to car thefts and jurisdictional bureaucracy that still reminds everyone that these are two different governments sharing a border.  You might be charged more to take your vehicle to Northern Ireland, if they allow it at all. In which case, you might be better off parking your car and hiring a tour bus to see places like the Giant’s Causeway, Belfast, or the sets for Game of Thrones for the day.

Narrow Irish Roads

Narrow roads can be intimidating. Yes. This is two lanes of traffic.

The roads can be harrowing if you don’t slow down and take your time.  Driving a stick comes at an advantage, since you can rely on your engine speed to help you keep a safe speed, rather than burning your brakes on all those curves and turns.  The hedgerows and limestone fences can be a white-knuckle ride, especially when an oncoming tour bus rounds the corner, but paying attention, and maintaining a safe speed go a long way. 

The margins of the road are often indicated by reflective bumps that will let you know when you have crossed the center line or are getting too close to the shoulder too.  Many country roads are more like one way roads, and if you meet oncoming traffic, you will need to make room for the right of way.  

Speed Limits

If a speed limit drops from 80kph to 30kph, you need to heed the warning.

But once you get comfortable with driving left on roundabouts and keeping a manageable speed on country roads, the entire Emerald Isle is yours to explore.  Stop whenever you want at places of interest, indicated by brown signs.  It could be anything from a 5000 year old tomb to an ancient fishing village.  Ireland is an old country with ruins and places to see that aren’t on a lot of tourist maps.  Take your time and explore.

Traffic Cameras

In the countryside of Ireland, you will notice signs on the side of the road that look like an old-fashioned camera.  These are NOT points of scenic interest.  The whole country is a scenic overlook.  These indicated places where traffic cameras have been positioned to capture speeders.  The last thing you want when you get home is a fat ticket from the Guards.

Navigation Systems

You can rent a Garmin or other GPS from the car rental place, however out in the countryside, the signal to these devices isn’t always reliable.  Check your wireless carrier to see about international data plans.  With Verizon, I was able to get full access to my Unlimited data and calling in Ireland for $13 per day.  Other carriers have similar (if not better) plans. Just check out their website for details.  It will be worth it, and you are more likely to be familiar with using your phone than a whole new navigation system.

Choosing the right navigation app can also be a challenge.  On my iPhone, I started off in a complete state of confusion because it provided navigation with cardinal directions.  When you are trying to drive in a foreign city, on the opposite side of the road, you probably aren’t 100% aware of which direction North or West is. 

Choose an app you are comfortable with, or know how to adjust settings to use right and left, miles or kilometers, or other details when appropriate.  I picked Waze because it provided “right” or “left” directions and gave my speed on the map. 

Broaden Your Horizons with an Irish Road Trip

Ireland is one of the most beautiful places I have been, and a lot of what makes it so breathtaking is how sparsely populated and remote so many of the places are.  Renting a car in Ireland opens the countryside up to you in ways you could never experience otherwise.  

Getting around can be a real challenge if you don’t know what you are in for.  Ireland reminds me a lot more of the Rural United States than typically easy to access towns and cities of Europe.  Bus and train schedules can be chaotic, and with the influx of refugees from Ukraine, sometimes buses fill up and you might have to wait quite a while for the next one to come along.

My advice is to push your comfort zones and just rent a car.  You’ll find your biggest challenge is keeping your eyes on the road with all that beautiful scenery to see.

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