Ireland Road Trip: Renting a Car in the Emerald Isle

In the summer of 2015, I planned a backpacking trip through Europe for myself and three other girlfriends. As I planned out the Ireland itinerary of our trip, I struggled to navigate all the places that we wanted to visit with Ireland’s public transportation on a very small budget. After searching for the best possible rates, I had the bright idea that renting a car would be the most economical choice. Besides that, an Ireland road trip sounded like a lot of fun!

Now, this was a great idea at the beginning, but the night before we picked up the car, I was frantically re-reading articles about car travel in Ireland.  I thought I had made the biggest mistake, and I wouldn’t be able to get the car out of the parking lot. By the end of our road trip, I can’t imagine visiting Ireland any other way. We had a great time and enjoyed the freedom of setting our own schedule. We affectionately named our car Lele (pronounced Lay-Lay), and she was an honorary fifth member of our group. If you are planning a road trip to Ireland, here is my advice.

Ireland Road Trip Tips:

Manual vs. Automatic

It is a lot cheaper to rent a car if you can drive a manual. I thought it would be weird to drive a stick shift on the opposite side of the car, but I was able to transition well.

Insurance

Car insurance is expensive and not always included in the online price. We had some major sticker shock when we got the final bill. On other blogs, I read that the rental car companies are sticklers about any scratches in the paint, so we got full coverage insurance. If there are any dents or scratches in the car, take a picture before you leave the lot. Budget gave me a paper with all the scratches and dings on Lele already marked, but I doubled checked before we left.  A lot of credit cards offer free rental car insurance as a perk for cardholders, but Ireland is usually an exception to this policy.

Know the rules of the road.

• Stay on the left side…that’s the easy one.
• There is no “left on red” policy. If there is a red light, do not try to turn.
• If you see a triangle painted on the road, that is a stop sign.
• Roundabouts are more popular than intersections. If you are taking the first turn off, you stay in the outer lane. If you are taking the 2nd or 3rd turn, you go in the inner lane and go into the outer lane as you approach. This can be scary in a big city, but you can do it! In Cork, there was this four lane roundabout, and we went around it three times. This was after I had been driving a week in Ireland, but we eventually made it to our destination. Just stay calm. You won’t be on the merry-go-round forever. 
• If someone mentions a zebra crossing, that’s a crosswalk. It looks just like it does in America, but there are light poles on either side.

The roads are narrow.

Unless clearly marked, assume the tiny little country road that you are on is a two-lane road. Look at my picture below, this was a two-lane road with very tight turns. The “SLOW” road marker goes into the other lane. If you meet another car on a tiny road, pull over to the side. You may have to push into a bush, but you’ll be okay. 

Make sure to pay your tolls.

There are no toll booths. After you pass through a toll, you have until 8pm the next day to pay it  online, or you will be fined.

Don’t rent a car to drive in the city.

We landed in Dublin, but we didn’t rent a car until we were leaving three days later. Dublin is an easy city to walk to most attractions (Check out my Weekend in Dublin post!). In Galway, we parked the car and walked everywhere. In Cork, our hotel was outside the city, and it was a pain in the butt to navigate the city and find parking.

The gas is expensive.

Gas is sold by the liter, not by the gallon. We went with the smallest car possible that would hold four people and luggage. We used Budget. Online, they tell you how many people, suitcases, and bags the car would hold which was extremely helpful in picking out the right car.

Green doesn’t mean Diesel.

Regular, unleaded gas is usually marked green, so don’t confuse it with diesel. One of the advantages of road tripping through Ireland is everything is in English, so just pay attention to the signs and put the right gas into your rental.

If you are driving up an incline and see a bus, pull over.

I only stalled out one time on our trip. We were going up a mountain, and this tour bus was struggling to make the tight turns. On a normal day, I hate driving up hills in a manual,  so I was freaking out about stalling out on this mountain. I got the car back in gear without issue, but as soon as I saw a pull off area, we stopped and took pictures until the bus made it to the top. This experience has also cemented the idea that I could never do a bus tour of Ireland.

Pay for the GPS or have a good international plan

I really debated on the 15 euros a day for a GPS, but I can’t imagine how we would have made the trip without one. I had friends who used their phone’s GPS on a separate trip and told me that they paid hundreds of dollars in data charges. If I ever plan another Ireland road trip, I would consider comparing the costs for the GPS and what data charges would have been with the right international plan. Also, if your phone is unlocked, you can insert a pre-paid SIM card to have data access with an European cellphone carrier.

If you do face an emergency on the road, don’t call 911.

The emergency number in Ireland is 999. Hopefully, you won’t need it, but it’s always good to know.

Enjoy the freedom an Ireland road trip provides!

I loved taking a road trip through the Irish country side, and I hope to one day do it again. Take your time and make frequent stops along the way. The beauty of an Ireland road trip is that you get to set your own schedule.

Have you had an Ireland road trip? I would love to hear any additional tips in the comments!