The major roads aren't the challenge, it's the smaller roads through the countryside that can be a problem.

Relative to the US and Canada there just isn't the same amount of congestion and traffic. But, there can be a lot of curves in the road, blind curves at that.

I did take a bit of getting used to the left handed stick-shift.

I will suggest that after a trip to Ireland you will have a new appreciation for the round-about.

I will suggest that whether you start in Dublin or Shannon you not bother with the car in Dublin. You really don't need it and to be honest, navigating the roads in Dublin were pretty challenging as there were few road signs.

Standard car, check.
Driving on left, you will adjust
The issues seems to be...some roads will be very narrow, one and a half cars wide, so some dexterity is required when another car arrives.

And, since you will both be looking around the countryside as you drive, on a narrow road this can be a recipe for 'events'.

Good news is that you will not be motoring at 60 mph.

We adjusted for not going in same direction as Ring of Kerry buses.

We flew into Shannon a couple of years ago and drove to Dingle, Doolin and Galway. What makes the driving difficult is the constant attention you have to have when going through roundabouts, making left and right turns. Parallel parking is fun as well. I was glad I had an automatic transmission. It was one less thing to worry about.
The roads are narrow and there are not many wide shoulders like here in the U.S. Instead of a shoulder there is frequently a stone wall or a thick hedge. Pay for the super collision damge waiver where you have minimal responsibility for damage. There were many tourists we saw with dings and dents in the car.

FYI, what made our driving a lot easier was an active co-pilot. Whoever was in the front passenger seat would tell the driver which was the correct exit from the roundabout. Gave the driver one less thing to be distracted by.

I didn't really have difficulty with driving in Ireland, though we did lose three of our hubcaps due, I assume, to brushing up against greenery by the side of the narrow roads. A couple of years ago, I had an accident in England because of not being used to driving on the left side of the road--and also because I was tired--but I had no trouble in Ireland.

I was advised to get a World Mastercard, as I was told it is the only card that covers CDW in Ireland. I did get a Citi World Mastercard, but I didn't have an accident, so I don't know if it really would have covered the accident.

We decided to avoid the Ring of Kerry, as we'd heard about the tour bus problem; instead we drove the Dingle Peninsula. We spent a couple of days in Dublin, then went to Wicklow,Kilkenny,Kinsale, Galway, Dingle, Westport, Tralee, Mulingar, and back to Dublin.

I wouldn't call any part of it a "nightmare," though we did get lost in a Gaelic-speaking area, since the names were in English on our map and in Gaelic on the road signs. If we hadn't happened across a Polish truck driver, we'd be there still.

Learn the rules for the roundabouts.

I drove in Ireland for a week after finishing a bike tour and had no problems - well, after the first day, at least. On the first day it took some getting used to driving on the left - even after 10 days of biking on the left - but after that it was fine.

I stuck to the scenic roads and occasionally got stuck behind a farm vehicle, but I don't recall any problems with buses.

I was alone and had no navigator.

We rented from Dan Dooley and have no complaints. Our first trip outside the US and we had some concerns:

Dublin: roads change names from one block to another. Next time would NOT have a rental car in Dublin. Never did find some of our destinations.

Rural roads: Narrow describes them. Like stick-your-arm-outside-and-touch-the-bushes narrow. Just watch those mirrors.

The infamous RoundAbouts. Build in time to be lost and turn around, double back.

Nevermind all of the above. Ireland is beautiful, and the people are friendly. Keep a good sense of humor and you will have no problems.

After driving through Europe, including Naples and Poland, I found driving in Ireland OK because I was already primed to be a bit cautious.

Others have mentioned the narrow back roads and roundabouts. As an Aussie the roundabouts aren't a worry. Just give way to all cars already on the roundabout and wait for a reasonable gap before you enter yourself.

Two things to be aware of. The first is drivers with L plates. The rules may have changed since I was there in '06, but at that time a driver could legally drive as a "Learner" their entire lives without ever passing a driving test. That led to some truly terrible drivers still being on the roads and was also part of the reason for the second point. Check the rental company very carefully for the insurance prices and rules. My cheap week's rental for the car was multiplied by four when the insurance was added; that was despite having travel insurance and gold visa and amex. Find out the true insurance cost before you go. Also inspect the care very carefully before accepting it and take photos of all blemishes and damage.

But still go. Just take it easy and use the rule I have used on all roads since I drove cabs in Melbourne years ago. I drive as a paranoid. I drive on the presumption that the other drivers on the road are all out to get me and the few that aren't are drunk or incompetent

We have rented cars and driven in Ireland on half dozen trips. Insurance -- definitely get a Citi WORLD Master Card (the only card that I know of that covers in Ireland). They will provide you a letter (if you specifically request it) stating that you are covered in Ireland. We usually rent through Auto Europe and, to comply with MC coverage, decline all insurance from the car rental agency. Once we rented directly from Enterprise.ie and they were extremely nice and gave us an upgrade. Many fodorites like Dan Dooley -- just check prices, etc., but plan to insure with the World Master Card which will cost you nothing.

Based on our two driving trips in Ireland, I would suggest that you pay the extra for an automatic transmission as opposed to a manual. My husband drove a manual transmission car in Australia for several years when we lived there, yet he said that he was really glad that I had rented an automatic for him to drive us around Ireland. He said it made for one less thing that he had to worry about when driving. Also, I agree that you should get the smallest car that you can. He was able to maneuver our little car around the bigger cars we came across on the minor roads we drove.

We spent two weeks driving around Ireland in the fall of '09. We had an automatic, no GPS, and really didn't have any problems. Though as someone else mentioned, you do need an active "co-pilot" to help read the signs as the driver is trying to stay out of the bushes on the narrow roads!. The freeways around Dublin are pretty much like major roads anywhere-multiple lanes-doesn't much matter that you are on the left instead of the right except when looking for the exit. In fact, we thought it was much easier than driving around England. The countryside is much more rural with less traffic and at a slower pace. Getting into and out of Dublin is like any big city, so we didn't pick up the car until we were ready to leave the city. We traveled through Kilkenney, Kenmare, Killarney National Park, Dingle, and Galway, then back to Dublin. We avoided the ring of Kerry based on Rick Steves recommendations, and loved the Dingle Peninsula. Don't think we saw but one or two tour buses. We've also driven on the German and Italian roads and much prefer the UK. Another plus is that most all of the signs are in English, unless you wander into some of the traditional Gaelic areas.

Traffic isn't the problem- there really isn;t any. You are much more likely to run onto sheep on the roads than tour buses.

The local roads tens to e very winding, very narrow and have tons of extrances and exits many of them blind. You need to assume that 30 mph is a top speed- and you may often have to stop for "farmy"tihngs happening.

If your H is used to driving a stick and had driven on the left before. Just don;t assume you can make any sort of speed - and don;t try to.

And their are a uge number of traffic circles where we would expect traffic lights.

I have driven in Ireland on many trips. I have often been on my own with no navigator or GPS, always stick shift. I do not drive in Dublin, but then I don't drive in cities in this country either. Just don't count on driving fast on country roads. slow down and enjoy the scenery. I don't find it a hassle.

If you fly into Dublin, spend your first few days there and you won't need a car till you get your feet on the ground and over jet lag. I find driving out of Shannon is much easier, but don't count on driving far on the first day.

Have a wonderful trip!

I have driven in Ireland on many trips. I have often been on my own with no navigator or GPS, always stick shift. I do not drive in Dublin, but then I don't drive in cities in this country either. Just don't count on driving fast on country roads. slow down and enjoy the scenery. I don't find it a hassle.

If you fly into Dublin, spend your first few days there and you won't need a car till you get your feet on the ground and over jet lag. I find driving out of Shannon is much easier, but don't count on driving far on the first day.

Have a wonderful trip!

I love driving in Ireland. My only real complaint is due to the hedges next to the small roads it is a bit hard to see things sometimes. Having a good GPS really helps. Not taking along your 80 year old MIL also helps.

dave

daveesl, your post cracked me up! I am leaving in a week for my nephew's wedding (she's Irish!) and have my 86 year old Mom and my 83 year old Aunt as my travelling companions. After reading that side view mirrors were the most imported thing into Ireland, and checking out what the insurance would be on a larger car (because there are three I couldn't rent an economy), I opted out for a driver. No, "Oh, look at that," "watch out for.." etc. I can have a drink with lunch and relax and not worry about the darn hedgerows and roundabouts. Best part - it turn out to be about the same as the rental (without the insurace)!

markland: I see you've gotten a lot of spirited replies about driving in Ireland!

My answer is that while it can be tricky to drive in Ireland, if you plan carefully with lots of research, you could actually plan a relatively relaxing trip by avoiding the rougher drives, if that is what you wish.

After doing a lot of research for our first trip to Ireland, we decided to fly into Shannon, because it's easier to drive in that region, for a first-time Ireland visitor. Much more stress to try to drive out of Dublin.

In fact if you really want a scenic and relaxing trip, you could actually drive into and out of Shannon for your first trip, and avoid Dublin altogether.

We loved County Clare and County Kerry, and could easily spend the whole trip there! We avoided the Ring of Kerry due to the tour buses etc. The Dingle peninsula wasn't crowded at all. Also driving in County Clare was more relaxing, although there were lots of narrow country roads, there wasn't too much traffic.

I also loved Westport and County Mayo. County Mayo is less touristy and there wasn't much traffic.

You could also fly into Shannon, then see County Clare, County Galway, County Mayo...

We flew out of Dublin BUT we didn't actually stay in Dublin at all. We stayed in Malahide which is a relaxing village-type area outside of Dublin.

Our 2nd trip to Ireland is coming up in September, and then we will be actually doing the Ring of Kerry...staying in Kenmare for example for several days in order to do the Ring of Kerry and Beara peninsula.

so my answer is you can make your drives more relaxing, if you are careful where you choose to go, and if you don't expect to drive too far in one day.

Enjoy Ireland! It's so friendly with gorgeous scenery and lively Irish music. We love it.

The amount of tourism in late september and early October is down from the rush of the couple of months before so I wouldn't worry too much about the traffic. I think you've gotten some good thoughts her. A good co pilot is important on a 1st trip though the road signs have gotten better, it's still confusing in the roundabouts sometimes. I never use GPS there.

Bill

Many thanks to all who took the time to reply.

We're also looking at London/Amsterdam.

There's lots to consider, and the shared wisdom of Fodorites is very much appreciated

Cheers.

The worst part is driving on a narrow road, about 2 car lengths wide, with a stone wall on one side and a huge tour bus on the other. You have to quickly find a small indentation in the wall and try to nestle inside it, or you'll have a small indentation in the car!

Some good advice already given. I have driven a stick shift for 25 years now in the US. Of 0ur 32 trips to Europe, 26 have been driving tours, all but one with a stick shift. At the Budget counter in Ireland, when they asked me if I wanted a stick shift, I said Yes. Great decision. As other have said, it makes diving so much easier, not having to think about shifting.

P.S. I know, driving.

I think the problems of driving in Ireland are WAAAY over exaggerated. We drove a right hand drive motorhome on those country roads and most were fine ( one in Dingle along the coast was a bit weird ..even went over a creek in the ancient tiny road). But almost all were fine and we traveled the whole island.

We've been on much worse.

We were there in July and August ( be prepared for the weather ...even then it was rainier, darker and colder than Spain in the deepest winter).

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2011/07/family-travel-ireland.html

It absolutely CAN be done in a relaxing way. Enjoy!

I have been the navigator on 8 trips to Ireland. Only once did we have an automatic.

Invest in a good map. Take your time. If you miss your exit on the roundabout, go around again.

You may see sheep on the roads in Dingle, Connemara and especially along the Healy Pass. Eventually they will get out of your way.

As Bill also mentioned, there will be a lot less traffic in late September or October.

Don't let traffic worries stop you from visiting Ireland!

Hi Markland:
I have driven the entire perimeter three times, and about half the perimeter once going back to 1980. I found no problems and used a stick. I eschewed driving in Dublin, but did drive in all other (smaller) cities, even Belfast during the "troubles".... I agree with WTnow...problems are over-exaggerated. Dooley always treated us well.

Aside: By the way, WTnow, where ya been? Sent you a "truckload" of "pix and stuff" on Romania and never heard back. Hope things are well with you, Mozart and DaVinci. You three are nothing short of amazing! For those of you who don't know this remarkable family, they've been on the road for about three years..read their web...fascinating!

Stu Tower

Markland; I think if you feel confident about driving, get the stick shift. Much fun. But if you have the slightest concern, consider getting the automatic. You will not be sorry. If you are off the main roads, you will encounter some stop and go traffic. Same with roundabouts. As for the car hire, we had Budget. We chose to prepay for the fuel and bring it back empty. On our return of the car, Budget refunded our money for the fuel remaining. First and only time that has happended in all our European adventures. We use this site to hire a car. www.carrentals.com They are a consolidator for all the major car companies. You don't pay until you get to the counter. Make sure you get the collision insurance with 'no excess'. Collision insurance 'with excess', means your deductable could be anywhere from $1200 to $1800 US, probably depending upon the company. Richard

After driving and/or being the passenger driving all over Costa Rica, many islands in the Carribbean, Greece, Italy, New York City, California, Boston....quite a good variety of places....I have never seen anything as scary as Ireland!! Seriously!

We drove out of Dublin & hit County Mayo, the Dingle Peninsula, Ring of Kerry, around Limerick & Shannon....the worst was the Connor's Pass part of Dingle....we hit the rock wall when swerving from a speeding car coming at us...in the rain & fog....it broke the axel & we were stranded for hours waiting for the tow...its basically a 1 lane winding road but cars going in both directions with a huge cliff drop off on one side & the rock wall/mountain on the other...so glad we had FULL insurance.

Overall, the driving in general on the small country roads was much scarier than expected because you had to keep up with the traffic at a decent rate of speed & then the winding roads & blind curves were crazy....I did not drive; only was the passenger but it was definitely scary....it was very stressful & difficult on the driver.

We had a stick shift which was not really the problem, it was the other traffic & the narrow roads. We rented with Dooley.

My husband I took our first adventure to Europe last year and we choose two weeks in Ireland. We traveled in mid-September, perfect time of year - amazing weather (maybe we were lucky). I spent a lot of time on these boards and found the best advice was to land in Shannon and fly out of Dublin. This was perfect for us, as honestly we enjoyed our journey of driving around Ireland but were very thankful that we choose to turn in the rental car (Dan Dooley) upon arrival in Dublin and enjoy the last two days on foot (no car time the last two days, just easy exploring around Dublin). I am very glad I listened to the advice on these boards, as we were ready to take on driving in Ireland but Shannon was much easier to get acclimated than Dublin. Upon arrival in Dublin our first comment was "thank god we are turning in the car".

No, I would not call driving in Ireland a nightmare, it is all about what you expect and that you are fine taking your time and enjoying your vacation. We expected to be lost and struggle with narrow roads and yet considered it part of our adventure. Agree with the posts above, it was a great help tag teaming the navigation in roundabouts, and be prepared to miss one or two and have to turn around (not always immediate). Second the advice on getting a good map, we have a good atlas (no GPS) we snagged from Amazon and it was our faithful companion. We had an AMAZING time and I still catch myself staring at my trip pictures on my desk at work (not like I want to be in my confining cubicle). Here is our itinerary, if you have any questions about driving, B&B's, activities or food - send me a note. Geez, just typing this makes me miss it more. Have a great time, wherever you choose, and travel safe.

Day 1: Shannon - drive to Clifden (very tired)
Day 2: Aran Islands
Day 3: Galway
Day 4: Doolin
Day 5&6: Dingle
Day 7&8: Kenmare
Day 9: Kinsale
Day 10: Kilkenny
Day 11: Wicklow
Day 12&13: Dublin

Yes, lots of driving, but good touch on several places. Would not change a thing for our first journey. Not as rushed as you would think, but don't pass opportunities as you may not circle back before you leave

And I want to know where flirtinfilly booked a driver. All the sites I've seen the prices are too too high for this girl.

I would like to know about a driver as well. Someone out of Belfast. Are there web sites? Anyone?

For those of you comfortable driving, drive - those not so much - find an alternative.

Last time in Ireland there were six of us with two vehicles so we could split up when we wanted to head in different directions. Between us, we had a station wagon (stick) and a Land Rover - neither a small vehicle. We brought our GPS, the rest of the crew had maps. Driving those narrow, windy twisty back roads is fun! Didn't have any problems driving in Dublin. Neither vehicle had dings when we left the rental lot and they were returned in the same condition. And none of us poke when we drive.

Ring of Kerry - when you're on the road early in the morning, you almost have it all to yourself. We encountered two vehicles on the drive from Killarney to Waterville.

BTW - my experience has been that us southpaws seem to have an easier time adjusting to driving on the left - stick or not. Have to think twice about what side of the road I should be on when I get home.

cmf_1098 I would love specific info on B&B's and things to do in west Ireland...like everyone else, I'm a nervous wreck about driving, but the info on drivers seems sketchy...any advice appreciated...heading there in June.

traveltina: >>cmf_1098 I would love specific info on B&B's and things to do in west Ireland..<<

Cmf_1098 hasn't been on the forums in nearly two years. Instead of topping a an old thread, it would be better to start one of your own w/ your specific questions.

Interesting and well balanced replies. Take it slow also. A few years ago in Donegal ( I live in Ireland after the UK)we were about to turn into a road when we saw a car heading away on the wrong side, We knew the road ahead was narrow and winding so we gave chase, hand on horn.. locals standing staring by the road side! Thankfully no cars approached and a couple of miles on we found the tourists sitting shaking and stopped by the road. They had been visiting relatives and were tired and just forgot, vigilance is needed always.

Please, do not avoid the glories of the Ring of Kerry because of horror stories re tour buses, I live on the Ring and know the system so let me share; thank you.

There is a one way system for buses as some of the roads, especially Sneem to Killarney are too narrow for two to pass.

So most leave eg Tralee or that end mid to late morning and most stop at the Bog Museum at Glenbeigh. I trade at Sneem on Tuesdays and the tour buses arrive there from around 1.0 pm to about 4,30 pm.. they come in droves and then along to Killarney via Moll's Gap...by 5 pm all is quiet again. So driving from Killarney to Moll's Gap mid afternoon in season can be arduous and frustrating..swimming against a heavy tide! easy to avoid though and plan and worth doing that for the utter beauty.

I drove mid to late morning the Gap of Dunloe this week and will never do so again in season after early morning. Oh MY! walkers, sheep, cyclists and then stuck behind three jaunting cars who would not pull over..