On my first trip to Ireland in 2022, I was on a group tour, so we had a bus driver. I remember on a few occasions going down tiny country roads, I could have sworn we would collide with delivery trucks coming at us. Thankfully, that never happened.
But in 2025, on my second trip, my fiancée and I rented a car. I won’t lie. I was anxious about driving in Ireland. The most apparent reason was driving on the opposite side of the road. But the second was how narrow those dang roads are once you get off the main motorways.
So, let’s chat about all things driving in Ireland and hopefully alleviate a few concerns or offer other ways to get around the Emerald Isle.
First things first: Where did we drive and how long was our trip?
We drove clockwise around the southern portion of Ireland, starting and ending in Dublin.
Most of our driving was not on M-Roads. Our final day from Galway to Dublin was on the M-Road, and it was a piece of cake.
Visiting the Cliffs of Moher? See my trip on a private hiking tour.Â
Driving on the Left Side of the Road
I can drive straight and stay in the lane. That’s all fine and dandy. My biggest worry about driving on the left side of the road was turning into the wrong lane or failing to check the correct lane when making a turn.
I made sure to take each turn slowly and do a mental checklist. Only once did I realize I hadn’t been looking the right way, and thankfully, the road was empty.
I had heard a lot of people say that the roundabouts are confusing, but I didn’t have any problem with them. Maybe it was because most of them we kept going straight, so you didn’t have to do mental gymnastics inside it. Still, they operate the same as in the US, just backwards!
Lastly, I will say, it was strange to be sitting on the right side of the car and driving. The hardest part was not knowing where the car’s left bumper was. There were plenty of close calls with bushes, but nothing more than a few scrapes.
I know it should be the same as when you drive in America, but it never felt right to me.
The famous Giant’s Causeway of Northern Ireland
Motorways Are Great. Country Roads Are Incredibly Tight.
M-Roads (or Motorways, aka highways) are super simple to drive on, are wide, and act literally the same as highways in the US. The only difference is that you exit on the other side.
The same cannot be said for the other roads in Ireland. My gosh! Driving in Ireland on the country roads is like having a heart attack for two straight hours.
The two most significant issues go hand in hand. First, the roads are narrower than in the USA. It’s not half the size, but maybe 80% of our standard width. But when you realize there is no shoulder and just a green wall of hedges on your left side, you honestly feel trapped.
There is literally nowhere for you to go, and you just have to hope that the cars coming at you are also paying attention and will take your mirror off.
I’ve heard from so many people (and I felt this as well) that being a passenger in Ireland is almost as nerve-racking because you feel how close you are to the edge of the road.
I remember coming home to Washington and thinking about how the shoulders are almost the size of the main roads in
How Long Did It Take To Get Comfortable?
After five or six days, I started to feel a lot more relaxed driving on the left-hand side of the road. It also helped that my fiancée, after hitting a curb coming into a stop sign, refused to drive the rest of the trip.
This meant I had A LOT of reps.
By our final full day, going from Limerick to the Cliffs of Moher, it felt mostly natural. And it had to. We were late to our tour, and there was no other option but to drive like a local and move fast.
Picking up Your Car: Airport or Dublin
If you want to rent a car in Ireland, you can either pick it up at the airport or in Dublin.
We went with the Dublin route because we were only hanging out in the city our first night. However, the Hertz office had a MAJOR delay. There was only one person working the desk (I think someone called out), so the single guy had to check everyone in, get the cars, and make sure it was all good to go.
In the end, we waited over 90 minutes. I suspect this isn’t the usual case, but you never know!
Image Credit: Alexey Fedorenko / Shutterstock.
Don’t Want To Drive in Ireland? There Are Other Options.
If you’re not looking to drive in Ireland, there are other options. You can take the train, a tour bus, or a private coach.
The rail system covers a large part of the country, making it accessible to get to larger cities across the island. From there, you will need to book tours or find taxis to take you to various activities or outdoor adventures.
Find all kinds of bus tours in Ireland.
Final Thoughts and Tips for Driving in Ireland
Take your time: There’s no rush and no reason to get into an accident because you were chaotic.
There are plenty of blind turns thanks to overhanging bushes. It’s unfortunately just part of the country, and to go slow. The worst part is when a biker is on the road, and you can’t pass.
Dublin wasn’t too challenging to drive around. But there are a ton of people who walk, which means more chances to get stopped at a light/crosswalk. So that is slightly different than the US.
For some reason, we were given what I’d consider a medium-sized crossover SUV with a HUGE front. I would have been 1000% okay with a smaller car. This might have been why driving on the tiny roads felt rough. If it’s just two people, aim for a smaller vehicle.
There are tolls on the main motorways. The ones we went through let you pay by credit card.
We used Google Maps for the entire trip and downloaded the map for offline use. We didn’t have any issues – thankfully.
Get comprehensive insurance. All the bushes along the road will scrape up your car, and you don’t want to be liable for a new paint job.
This article first appeared on Explorewithalec.com
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