I know, I know. Asking for opinions can be dangerous. LOL

The last time I drove in Ireland was in 1990. In a tiny car, driving on the "wrong side of the road", shifting gears with "the wrong hand". It was an adventure.

I didn't expect it to take so long to return. I planned a trip in 2020 that had to be rescheduled. Had another one planned when a new version of Covid came out and we changed the trip to Montana instead. Was going this May but I decided not to go. The last two planned trips were small group trips and I was fine with that.

I'd really like to go back and "follow our noses" like we did in 1990. I really want to rent a car but for some reason, at some point in time, I decided that I'm "too old" to do the rental car route. I'm in my late 60s. Perfect driving record. No accidents. Had a corporate car until I retired a couple of years ago.

Should I really NOT drive in Ireland on my next trip?

Pondering.

Would love opinions and personal experiences.

I'm leaning toward a self-planned, self-drive trip for next May.

Also, we were there for a bank holiday in May. Any advice about managing that.

Recently spent 15 days driving around Ireland. Driver 70 years old, but had recent "wrong side" experience in New Zealand that made it easier for him. Only turned the windshield wipers on once! If you get a fairly small car with an automatic transmission, use navigation software (e.g. phone) and take your time, you will be fine. We much preferred having a car because the most appealing things (beautiful beaches, cliffs and coves, stone monuments, etc.) could pretty much only be reached by car. Didn't find parking a problem (well one hotel garage was a tight squeeze).

If you regularly drive at home, I think driving is the way to go. If you don't drive much, might have a different answer.

Thanks for your reply. I drive a lot at home. Drove a LOT for work until 2 years ago.
Have rented cars in Tuscany and Provence many times in the last few years with no trouble. I know enough to book an automatic this time. I was so young and green in 1990. Even so, that trip was a blast!

I keep looking for small group tours that go to most of the places I want to return to, but what I really want to do is just wander as well.

Thanks so much!

Of a similar age to you and have driven all over the world on both sides of the road. Home is London where driving has its own special challenges, but then again, driving through Los Angeles also had its challenges, just different ones. Ireland should present no issues for someone who has recently driven in Italy!

If your decision that you are "too old" stems fro some medical reason or simply reducing confidence behind the wheel then consider asking your GP's opinion.

No. No medical reasons and no lack of confidence behind the wheel. I've driven in Italy and/or France almost every year for the last 9 years.

I think at some point I just decided that I would be "too old" in my late 60s. I hired a private driver from London to Bletchley Park last year - and started reconsidering that decision. After cancelling my May trip, I want to plan another one... but realized I really wanted the flexibility of having a car.

Wish my mom was still alive to remind me to "think left" when pulling out onto the road. I took her to Ireland, England and Scotland and we had a marvelous time. Good memories.

Where were you wanting to go?

Public transportation isn't as extensive in Ireland as other places. DH drove all through our trip to Ireland and he did feel by the end of the trip that it got to be tiresome. Maybe a hybrid plan would work? For instance, if you are flying into Dublin, take the bus to Galway, and do some small group or private tours from there. Then rent a car, definitely an automatic, and proceed on your independent adventure. Turn your car in at a city that has an easy train/bus trip back to Dublin, (Cork?) And in that city, you could also do a small group tour.

Flying into Shannon airport also has a lot of appeal if the west coast is your goal. Enjoy!

Yes, I flew into Shannon and LOVED it!
Not really sure where I want to go at this point. That's what I am most excited about. I really wanted to return to Waterford and neither group tour offered that so I have been looking at options to get there - from Dublin. Even then, I was asking myself, Why not just rent a car? I won't drive in cities. I like your idea of taking a train out of Dublin and then picking up a rental car. By next May, I will have no time constraints so could really plan whatever trip I wanted.. instead of having to settle. I'm getting more excited about this.

You'll be fine. Just give yourself a couple of days before your set off driving and you will do just fine. Go now before the Irish start demanding health certificates and surcharges from you when you hit 70!
Enjoy it, I am envious.

Thanks. I'm convinced. I'm going to do it. May 2026.

heti, come join me for a few days. I'm serious. We can celebrate our birthday together a few months early!

We've only driven in Spain not Ireland with an automatic. The only issue was the car itself. We were not used to the energy efficiency auto shutoff feature. When parking or stopping on an incline or hill it is tricky. Be sure you ask the rental cat agency to turm OFF that feature. Otherwise driving was great.

Thanks for that tip! I didn't know that was even an option!

Tempting, but, trust me, I am not a good travelling companion!

Okay. If you change your mind, let me know.

Personally, I have no issues driving on the left side of the road.
What is helpful is to have a good navigator.... It can be challenging to drive the car, follow maps, and read road signs and follow the road all at the same time...

Someone from the back seat who calls out "turn ahead at O'Malley road" isn't terribly helpful...
Someone in the front seat who can say things like "follow the white truck ahead of you" or "turn right at the Circle K gas station" or "or take the 3rd exit at the next traffic circle" is far more helpful.

If someone isn't a good navigator at home, one should not expect them to suddenly become a pro when travelling...

A 2nd navigator who's job it is to watch the flank is also a bonus. "OK to change lanes", or "Truck on your right, or "bus coming STRAIGHT AT US!!! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" may or may not be valuable info to you...
Two primary navigators giving overlapping, or competing directions is also not a help.... so I've heard...

Last year I drove around Italy with Stanley Tucci in the passenger seat.
Actually I was listening to his book, What I Ate in One Year, on Audible. It's very conversational in tone and it was almost as if he was sitting next to me. No navigation help though.

We flew into Milan and I picked up a rental car to go to Lake Como. The friend who was going to join me was delayed and missed that part of the trip. The group part of the trip started in Milan and she joined the first night of the Parma portion. It was a small group using two vans, but another couple had a rental car and drove the four of us around in more comfort. Almost like having Stanley back with me.

I'm not concerned about navigation help. I'm going to miss my mom's voice saying "Think left, think left, think left" every time I pull out of a petrol station or whatever onto the road. I'll just have to play her voice in my head instead. That was a magical trip.

As you know, this is a very personal decision. I am in my early 60s, and recently took a solo trip to England (the Cotswolds). I decided not to drive myself on that trip, for two reasons. One was that I felt I could do it by public transportation, and I wanted to be a good traveler and do it that way (and because it was primarily a walking trip, I was traveling between towns on foot anyway). The other reason was because I did not feel confident driving on the left side of the road by myself. I really felt I needed that other person in the car - as I have had on other trips in Great Britain - reminding which side of the road to stay on, especially when pulling on and off parking lots, side roads, etc. (Yes, I have a colloquial story about a co-worker who made a fatal mistake, and yes I know this is not a statistic, but it's on my mind).

I have driven all my life (primarily manual transmission), have driven in many countries in Europe, have no problems driving on small roads, etc. But I decided not to give myself the stress of driving on that particular trip.

Like I said, it's a very personal decision.

I agree 100%. One that I am struggling with.

I think I've decided that I am going to do it, mostly because I don't want to miss the window of opportunity. I will have a back up plan. I'll plan ahead to have idea of alternatives and be willing to pay whatever it takes if I need to take a taxi, private driver, etc. to the next stop. On my first trip, I was very aware of Matthew Broderick's accident and the result.

If this goes well, I'd like to return the following year to do Scotland and Wales. To kind of fill in the gap and do the things that mom and I missed on that trip years ago. I may tie it in with a Cotswold trip with my cooking folks and make that the third trip with them. I'm definitely not getting any younger so it kind of feels like do it now or don't do it at all. But I won't do it and will stop if I feel like I'm not being "safe". My friend and I took turns driving in Italy last year and it was clear that I was more comfortable. I refuse to drive at night. I was pushed out of my comfort zone 9 years ago and I won't do that again. I do want to join up with small groups for drives like the Ring of Kerry (mom and I did the Dingle Penisula last time). This will be a SLOW trip. I'm thinking about 3 nights at 4 different locations. I have almost a year to decide. I've been frustrated for five years about not finding a good solution... so far.

Lexma, I'm really enjoying your TR.

starrs, I get the impression this is a solo trip, is that correct?

On our driving trip, I was definitely instrumental as the co-pilot, with the map and constantly saying "curb, curb".

Doing it on your own is definitely doable, but shorter days and breaks with occasional tours would be advisable. You are a kindred spirit, wanting to be a free spirit, and go where the day takes you, so a car would definitely be a big part of that. But a landing point and meeting up with tours for advice and companionship would appeal to me.

As of now. The previous two planned trips were small group trips, the last one led by friends of mine. I opted out of that one (and will take one to Germany with them next year) but spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to fit in Waterford. My friend was going with me on the first trip but opted out of the second one. She may decide to go, but I'm going to plan it first and then give her the option. First of all, I want to figure out what I really want to do and come up with a workable plan. I'll tweak that (hotels, etc) if she decides to come and we adjust to fit In her goals. I usually do a spreadsheet and pass it on for the other person to modify as needed/ wanted. But I'm planning to go next May (to celebrate a big event) so I'm moving forward no matter what.

Re a navigator - I don't want to sound boastful, but I really don't depend on a navigator. My job for 30+ years included flying into an airport I may have never flown into before, deciding on what hotel I wanted to stay at (based a lot on arrival time) and driving out to a location that I'd never been to before and probably would never return to. I didn't commute to an office. I commuted to an airport. A lot of people who wanted to do what we did couldn't - because they could not do that solo. This was long before GPS and even before printed MapQuest maps. I don't plan to drive in cities, but in the late 80s when I flew out to work in LA, I would study road maps for weeks before. I had a general idea of how things were laid out and got specific directions (via phone before the trip). I love maps and I have a good spatial sense. Our favorite memories of the Ireland trip (1990) was when I was confident I knew where I was going - and I was wrong. That happened twice and the results were legendary. Decades later, we still talked about them. My mom was a great travel partner. Her saying = I'm never lost. I'm just seeing countryside I've never seen before. I learned my brother and I share a common trait. It was said as a complaint by his wife, but we both have to drive "every road on the damn island" whenever we go somewhere. Driving and discovering is one of my very favorite things to do.

Coming back to include your quote = "You are a kindred spirit, wanting to be a free spirit, and go where the day takes you, so a car would definitely be a big part of that."

34 years ago my mom and I called our trip the "following our noses" trip. We had our flight into Shannon booked and the flight to London out of Dublin. I booked the rental car - and booked the cheapest thing possible. I didn't think ahead about getting a manual (which I drive easily). The problem was shifting with the "wrong hand" from the wrong side of the car. The shrubs close to the road made my mom shriek every time another car came toward us. The road was SO narrow... OUT of the airport! We laughed so hard during the first 30 minutes.

Anyway, back to the airport. We stopped at the tourist bureau and picked up a B&B and a Farm & B book and the nice lady made our first night's reservation and a reservation for the castle banquet. That was it. We were off! The second night we didn't like the place I had chosen so we moved on. We found a lovely place and the next morning Mrs. O'Conner asked where we were going. We discussed at the breakfast table and Mrs. O'Conner called someone she knew to book us at the next B&B for that night. We did this for a week. There were changes but that was part of the charm. I could say more.

At one place mom heard about a bank holiday. I was clueless. She wanted to book a place. I wanted to keep following our noses. We were walking down a village street and mom disappeared. She was GONE! I back tracked and found her - inside a shop. A travel agency. She was nervous about things being booked up and she had the travel agent make a reservation for us. I did plan the last night at a B&B near Dublin. That night was magical. The innkeeper looked like Ann Margaret. The other guests were four older people from Alabama. They had been on a week's tour and picked up a rental car and were headed back out again. Off to see places they wanted to see more of or places the tour didn't stop.

For five years I've tried to adjust to the small group tour idea. Things changed - mostly due to Covid. In the last six years, I've hired private drivers more (Greece, Amalfi coast, etc) and am fine with doing that if needed. I just read a trip report with two suggestions for transportation. I'm fine with trains, although I prefer to have my own car. A few years ago I returned to London to "finish" the trip mom and I started - to go back to the places she didn't get to see. That entire trip was an homage to my mom (who had died). I guessed at the probable birth date of Prince Louis and indeed was there when he was born (my mom loved the royals).

This trip won't be as "loose" as the first one. I plan to book hotels or inns ahead of time. I hope to take the train or bus from Dublin to Belfast if a contact of mine is home. I'd like to attend his church on Pentecost Sunday if he is there. Last May he was in Atlanta. I think I'm really missing planning trips. I took six "big" trips last year, that were a mix of small group, travel agent planned, extension of previous trips, etc. All in all, I "planned" just two days around Milan and the extension days after a Normandy trip (to Paris and London). One Italy trip (with my friend) was completely self-planned and we loved it. So I guess I'm trying to figure out what will work. Going solo doesn't bother me at all. 90% of my work travel was solo and about half of my leisure travel is solo. What's really tugging at me is kind of a part 2 of the trip I took with my mom. We struggled most of the time but never when traveling. She became a different person when we traveled together. Good gracious, I've written a lot.