The motorway system makes for easy travelling between major towns, but the spidery network of secondary and tertiary roads makes for the most scenic driving.
DRIVING LICENCE & DOCUMENTS
EU licences are treated like Irish ones. Holders of non-EU licences from countries other than the US or Canada should obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP) from their home automobile association.
You must carry your driving licence at all times.
INSURANCE
All cars on public roads must be insured. Most hire companies quote basic insurance in their initial quote.
If you are bringing your own vehicle, check that your insurance will cover you in Ireland. When driving your own car, you’ll need a minimum insurance known as third-party insurance.
HIRING A CAR
Compared with many countries (especially the USA), hire rates are expensive in Ireland; you should expect to pay around €250 a week for a small car (unlimited mileage), but rates go up at busy times and drop off in quieter seasons. he main players:
Avis (www.avis.ie)
Budget (www.budget.ie)
Europcar (www.europcar.ie)
Hertz (www.hertz.ie)
Sixt (www.sixt.ie)
Thrifty (www.thrifty.ie)
Driving Fast Facts
A Right or left? Drive on the left
A Manual or automatic? Manual
A Legal driving age 18
A Top speed limit 120km/h (motorways; 70mph in Northern Ireland)
A Best radio station Newstalk 106-108
The major car-hire companies have different web pages on their websites for different countries, so the price of a car in Ireland can differ from the same car’s price in the USA or Australia. You have to surf a lot of sites to get the best deals. Nova Car Hire (www.novacarhire.com) acts as an agent for Alamo, Budget, European and National, and offers greatly discounted rates.
Other tips:
A Most cars are manual; automatic cars are available, but they’re more expensive to hire.
A If you’re travelling from the Republic into Northern Ireland, it’s important to be sure that your insurance covers journeys to the North.
A The majority of hire companies won’t rent you a car if you’re under 23 and haven’t had a valid driving licence for at least a year.
A Some companies in the Republic won’t rent to you if you’re aged 74 or over; there’s no upper age limit in the North.
A Motorbikes and mopeds are not available for hire in Ireland.
Local Expert: Driving Tips
Conor Faughnan, Director of Consumer Affairs with the Automobile Association, shares his tips for hassle-free driving in Ireland:
A The motorway network is excellent, but there aren’t nearly enough rest areas so check that you have a full tank of fuel before setting off. Off the motorway network there is a good supply of service stations, often open 24 hours, but less so in more remote areas.
A The real driving fun is on Ireland’s network of secondary roads, where road conditions vary – make sure you’re equipped with a good map along with your sat-nav, and beware of potholes, poor road surfaces and corners obscured by protruding hedges! You may also encounter farm machinery and even livestock on rural roads.
A Although it rarely snows, winter conditions can be testing (particularly with ice).
A A driver may flash their hazard lights once or twice as an informal way to say ‘thank you’ for any kind of road courtesy extended to them.
BRINGING YOUR OWN VEHICLE
It’s easy to take your own vehicle to Ireland and there are no specific procedures involved, but you should carry a vehicle registration document as proof that it’s yours.
MAPS
You’ll need a good road map; we recommend getting one even if you have a sat-nav system.
Michelin’s 1:400,000-scale Ireland map (No 923) is a decent single sheet map, with clear cartography and most of the island’s scenic roads marked. The four maps – North, South, East and West – that make up the Ordnance Survey Holiday map series at 1:250,000 scale are useful if you want more detail. Collins also publishes a range of maps covering Ireland.
The Ordnance Survey Discovery series covers the whole island in 89 maps at a scale of 1:50,000.
These are all available at the National Map Centre ( 
01-476 0471; www.mapcentre.ie; 34 Aungier St, Dublin), through www.osi.ie and at many bookshops around Ireland.
ROADS & CONDITIONS
Irish road types and conditions vary wildly. The road network is divided into the following categories:
Regional Roads Indicated by an R and (usually) three numbers on a white background, these are the secondary and tertiary roads that make up the bulk of the road network, generally splintering off larger roads to access even the smallest hamlet. Blind corners, potholes and a width barely enough for two cars are the price for some of the most scenic routes in all of Ireland; whatever you do, go slow. In Northern Ireland, these are classified as B-roads.
National Roads Indicated by an N and two numbers against a green background, these were, until the construction of the motorway network, the primary roads in Ireland. They link most towns and are usually single lane in either direction, widening occasionally to double lane (usually on uphill stretches to allow for the overtaking of slower vehicles). In Northern Ireland, these are classified as A-roads.
Motorways Indicated by an M and a single digit against a blue background, the network is limited to the major routes and towns. Most motorways are partially tolled. Motorways in Northern Ireland are not tolled.
ROAD RULES
A copy of Ireland’s road rules is available from tourist offices. Following are the most basic rules:
A Drive on the left, overtake to the right.
A Safety belts must be worn by the driver and all passengers.
A Children aged under 12 aren’t allowed to sit on the front seats.
A Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear helmets.
A When entering a roundabout, give way to the right.
A Speed limits are 120km/h on motorways (70mph in Northern Ireland), 100km/h on national roads (60mph in Northern Ireland), 80km/h on regional and local roads (60mph in Northern Ireland) and 50km/h (30mph in the North) or as signposted in towns.
A The legal alcohol limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood or 35mg on the breath (roughly two units of alcohol per day for a man and one for a woman).
PARKING
All big towns and cities have covered short-stay car parks that are conveniently signposted.
A On-street parking is usually by ‘pay and display’ tickets available from on-street machines or disc parking (discs, which rotate to display the time you park your car, are available from newsagencies). Costs range from €1.50 to €5 per hour; all-day parking in a car park will cost around €26.
A Yellow lines (single or double) along the edge of the road indicate restrictions. You can usually park on single yellow lines between 7pm and 8am, while double yellow lines means no parking at any time. Always look for the nearby sign that spells out when you can and cannot park.
A In Dublin, Cork and Galway, clamping is rigorously enforced; it’ll cost you €85 to have the yellow beast removed. In Northern Ireland, the fee is £100 for removal.
Driving Problem-Buster
What should I do if my car breaks down? Call the service number of your car-hire company and a local garage will be contacted. If you’re bringing your own car, it’s a good idea to join the Automobile Association Ireland, which covers the whole country, or, in Northern Ireland, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), which can be called to breakdowns any time.
What if I have an accident? Hire cars usually have a leaflet in the glovebox about what to do in case of an accident. Exchange basic information with the other party (name, insurance details, driver’s licence number, company details if the car’s a rental). No discussion of liability needs to take place at the scene. It’s a good idea to photograph the scene of the accident, noting key details (damage sustained, car positions on the road, any skid markings). Call the police (999) if required.
What should I do if I get stopped by police? Always remain calm and polite: police are generally courteous and helpful. They will want to see your passport (or valid form of ID), licence and proof of insurance. In the Republic, breath testing is mandatory if asked.
What if I can’t find anywhere to stay? If you’re travelling during the summer months, always book your accommodation in advance. If you’re stuck, call the local tourist office’s accommodation hotline.
How do I pay for tollways? Tolls are paid by putting cash in the bucket as you pass.
FUEL
The majority of vehicles operate on unleaded petrol; the rest (including many hire cars) run on diesel.
Cost In the Republic, petrol costs range from €1.60 to €1.80 per litre, with diesel usually €0.10 cheaper. Fuel is marginally more expensive in Dublin. In Northern Ireland, petrol costs between £1.25 and £1.35 per litre, but diesel is more expensive (between £1.35 and £1.45 per litre).
Service Stations These are ubiquitous on all national roads, usually on the outskirts of towns. They’re increasingly harder to find in cities, and the motorway network has only three or four spread across the entire system. In the North, the big supermarket chains have gotten into the fuel business, so you can fill your car as you shop. There are service stations along the North’s motorway network.
SAFETY
Although driving in Ireland is a relatively pain-free experience, hire cars and cars with foreign registrations can be targeted by thieves looking to clean them of their contents. Don’t leave any valuables, including bags and suitcases, on display. Overnight parking is safest in covered car parks.
RADIO
The Irish love radio – up to 85% of the population listens in on any given day. Following are the national radio stations:
Newstalk 106-108 (106-108FM) News, current affairs and lifestyle.
RTE Radio 1 (88.2-90FM) Mostly news and discussion.
RTE Radio 2 (90.4-92.2FM) Lifestyle and music.
RTE Lyric FM (96-99FM) Classical music.
Today FM (100-102FM) Music, chat and news.
Ireland Playlist
Virtually every parish and hamlet has a song about it. Here are our favourites:
Carrickfergus Traditional Irish folk song
Galway Girl Steve Earle
Raglan Road Luke Kelly
Running to Stand Still U2
The Fields of Athenry Paddy Reilly
The Town I Loved So Well The Dubliners
Regional or local radio is also very popular, with 25 independent local radio stations available, depending on your location.
In Northern Ireland, the BBC rules supreme, with BBC Radio Ulster (92.7-95.4FM) flying the local flag in addition to the four main BBC stations.
ROAD TRIP WEBSITES
Automobile Associations
Automobile Association (AA; www.aaireland.ie) Roadside assistance and driving tips.
Royal Automobile Club (RAC; www.rac.co.uk) Roadside assistance, route planner and accommodation.
Road Ruless
Road Safety Authority (www.rotr.ie) Rules, tips and information in case of accident.
Conditions & Traffic
AA Roadwatch (www.aaireland.ie) Up-to-date traffic info.
Traffic Watch Northern Ireland (www.trafficwatchni.com) Traffic news, maps and live cameras.
Maps
AA Route Planner (www.aaireland.ie) Map your route for the whole island.