How are the driving conditions in Ireland. I'm thinking of driving in the West and Northwest areas. Are the high cliffs?? Is it dangerous? Since I'm not used to driving on the right side of the road I'm a little apprehensive...any help would be appreciated. thanks

Go for it. It sounds as though you are flying into Shannon?? It's been a half-dozen years or more, but you will acclimate quickly. he roads tend to be narrow...but not that much traffic (then). The roundabouts always cause me trouble, so you might want to study the "rules" for using them. I don't recall any "cliff" roads that were scary and we drove up/through the burren.<BR>You can do it. And it will give you a lot of flexibility.

The round-abouts (rotary traffic areas) are a little tricky because we are not used to going around this way and exiting from "other" side. We solved this by going round more than once... until we felt comfortable and knew which way we were going.<BR><BR>The roads were fine. We only had one trouble spot on the Beara peninsula, but just went slow and it was fine. Actually, a bus was coming from the other direction, so we just stopped (we were on the cliff side) and let the driver go around us. He laughted but it was not a problem.

The roads can be intimidating, but not particularly because of cliffs, but because of the narrowness and tendency to wind around. Get an automatic transmission. Go slowly around corners and lookout for stray dogs and bicyclists. If you have a navigator, things will go better. Try not to drive after dark. Having said all that, I drove it for the first time last summer and did fine. Since there are lots of tourists driving slowly, I was surprised at the amount of patience the natives displayed. Just be cautious and you'll do great. AND you'll love what you get to see!

Are you suppose to rent a car here in the US for a trip to Ireland or do I do it through a company in Ireland? Do I need extra insurance while renting a care in Ireland? Thanks for any advise.

Definitely give it a go. My husband & I drove for a week last June and it was a great experience. You see so much more, have more flexibility, and it's kind of fun once you get the hang of it. Our best stories hve to do with driving. The above advice is correct--go slow, study the round-abouts, be careful. The most difficult times are when you react. For instance, if you haven't seen another car in awhile, then suddenly see one, you want to swing to the right. But you get used to it quickly. And we are not young (mid forties). Also, it takes much longer to get placs, compared to the USA. Some road signs are in kilometers<BR>and some miles, and many are just plain incorrect. But if you allow extra time, you'll be fine. And don't think that you have to get off of the "major" roads to see the picturesque sights. The main roads are lined with stone walls hundreds of years old. There are ruins of castles everywhere. It was wonderful. Definitely plan your trips to the pubs within walking distance, however, because you don't need the extra challenge of drinking even 1 beer and trying to drive.<BR>

Rose, here is a link to a good previous fodors post on Ireland car rental for info on insurance, car companies etc.<BR><BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...ext=car+rental

Most of the major rental car agencies have an outlet at Shannon. Avis, Hertz, etc. Just call them here, or get on their websites.<BR><BR>As for driving, the two best pieces of advice I can give you: 1) Rent an automatic car. Yes, it's more expensive, but you save a lot of emotional wear and tear. 2) Pull over, a lot. Don't ever feel like you have to drive faster than you feel comfortable with on the small roads--simply pull over and let the faster traffic pass. If you see a large vehicle (lots of tour buses on those roads) coming at you on a small road, look for somewhere to pull over, even if it's just a few feet. After all, you're on vacation, you have plenty of time, and you want to just tootle along and see the sites, not start your career as a rally car driver.<BR><BR>One more piece: If there are no cars on a roundabout, never ever ever stop! Yield means yield. You yield to any cars already on the roundabout. You do NOT yield if there is nothing coming. We almost backended a car at the first roundabout coming out of Shannon because they stopped at a completely empty roundabout.

The Irish are pretty crazy drivers in general, but luckily there aren't as many of them, at least when you're out in the country. If the shoulder is wide enough it seems to be the custom to pull over and let people pass, and believe me they wiil be passing you at every opportunity! Do yourself a favor and get an automatic.