One of my friends who is traveling with me to Ireland does not think driving is a good idea. She is afraid that driving on the side opposite to what we are used to will be a problem.

Is it that difficult?

Can we see a great deal of Ireland in one week by bus or rail?

All info appreciated.

This is personal preference but I would opt for driving unless you know the train/bus will take you everywhere you want to go. I drove thru England (opposite side for 3 weeks) and it's a bit scary to begin with but you quickly get the hang of it. The thing about a car is you can stop wherever you like. I would love to drive around Ireland - in fact I'm promoting the idea with a friend.

Trains are really not an option for "exploring" Ireland. Trains don't connect places on the west coast, they all head back to Dublin. I'm not familiar with busses other than the longer distance ones take a lot of planning.
Driving is truly the answer if you can get up your courage. We found it not a problem. One just needs to be in charge of saying "keep left" every time you round a corner or roundabout.

Hi enjoylife,

Driving on the left isn't as difficult as you think it might be. There's going to be very little traffic in rural area which makes it easier. You very quickly get the hang of it. I would recommend that you drive the whole week and your friend navigate. That way, one person becomes adept at handling the car. You'll see a lot less if you use public transportation and you'll spend a lot of time waiting for buses.

I am one of the few people I know of who shares your friend's concern. But I am an 'old dog' (some car rental companies don't rent to people over 70 or 75). So I use BusEireann quite a bit. I have also used CityLink from Dublin airport to Galway.

You've got 2-problems when you arrive: jet-lag and driving on the left with a stick-shift. These could be compounded by heavy traffic and construction (if they haven't finished the new tunnel yet).

Here's a solution: Take CityLink to Galway on your jet-lagged day of arrival. From the arrival doors you go straight across the parking lot about 100m to where the private buses park. It will take 4-hours to Galway so you might want to get something to eat and splash some cold water on your face before you leave the airport - buses run hourly (at +15). Pick up a rental car the next morning in Galway - there's far less traffic around there than in/around Dublin. Drive to Dingle, west Clare, Connemara and all the good places. Come through Glendalough when you're coming back to Dublin and drop the rental car as soon as you hit Dublin. AirLink has good bus service to the airport.

CAR!

You quickly get used to driving on the left and with 3 of you in the car SOMEONE is bound to remember to STAY LEFT. In fact, tag team driving is best anyway; one person driving, another looking at a map & road signs and, if you're lucky, a third for backup. You guys are all set!

w

Get a car. Its not that hard to drive on the Left, the hardest part is being in a strange place and trying to read a map or navigate your way in the right direction.

If you get a car, do this, one of you will drive and one of you will have to read the maps and give the directions. Try not to argue because there are going to be times when you get 'lost' or whatever. Just remember to drive safe and concentrate on the road, when you want to sightsee, stop and look around.

I've been to Ireland several times using trains and buses, and have visited Baltimore, Dingle and Doolin as well as bigger towns. It's a good way of getting to know the country. People are always friendly and, if you have to wait for a bus, just do what the locals do and have a leisurely drink. Trains link Dublin with Cork, Galway, and some other towns, and are comfortable, with a restaurant car on some journeys. Buses go almost everywhere and are reliable but not frequent - you need to check timetables carefully.

I agree that renting a car is a great idea. IMy first trip I only did 2 stops by train and it was painfully slow and quite inconvenient. (I tried to rent a car after the first one - the train wa almost 2 hours late on a 3 hour trip - but there were none available immediately.) Whenwe went back we rented a car and loved it. No problems.

You just need to understand tht driving in Ireland is very different than in the US. There are practically no highways and many of the "major roads" are only one land in each direction. Also, one you're off the major roads there are frequent, unexpected obstacles - bicyclists, sheep in the road etc. So just assume you're average speed will be pretty low - not an issue since everything is so close together.

Don;t worry! You'll enjoy every minute.

DRIVE....that is the ONLY way to really see it....you will get the hang of the left side.......enjoy...