Are you headed to an Ireland Road trip? Well, there are some things I think you should know to master it stress-free and in a safe smart way. Are you ready? Let’s begin.
The main issue that you have to consider before your Ireland road trip is that on the whole island you drive on the left. How does this affect driving? Well here are some examples:
The slowest lane is the left lane and not the right lane
It moves forward on the right
The roundabouts are taken following the clockwise direction
The exits are on the left
Come on, everything is the opposite of how we would do it in our country! But that's not all, to make it a little easier for tourists, the steering wheel is on the right. That is, in relation to our cars, the steering wheel would be in the place of the co-driver.
Roads and highways in Ireland
The national and regional road network in Ireland is quite old and narrow. However, the motorways are very recent, which makes them the best way to travel by car through the territory.
In Ireland country, all motorways are toll roads. In Ireland, they are called "Motorway" and they are identified by an M followed by the motorway number: M1, M4 ...
IMPORTANT: the M50 uses a camera service to detect which vehicles are driving on it. If you do not want to receive a ticket, you will have to pay the toll before 20:00 the next day.
The motorways are very long and generally have few services. For this reason, along your route, you will find areas marked with a parking P where you can stop to rest with the car a few minutes.
Parking during your Ireland Road trip
At the time of parking, I advise you to stay outside the center. Thus the accommodations will be cheaper and will have parking. When we went to see things, we almost always left the car on the street or in the parking lots of the monuments we visited (free). The most problematic city at the time of parking was Dublin, arriving to pay € 20 for parking 4 hours in a parking lot.
Distances between the main cities
Finally, I leave the approximate distances between the most important cities. Remember that Northern Ireland is the United Kingdom and the unit of length will be in miles:
Dublin - Galway 208 km
Dublin - Belfast 165 km
Belfast - Londonderry 117 km
Londonderry - Galway 282 km
Galway - Cork 198 km
Cork - Dublin 253 km
Belfast Bus Tours
While driving in Ireland is a wonderful experience, consider taking a Belfast Bus Tour to explore the city without the hassle of navigating and parking. These tours offer a great way to see the sights and learn about the rich history of Belfast from knowledgeable guides.
Since the normal thing is that you are not accustomed to driving on the left, I advise you to take out an all-risk insurance without a deductible or an insurance with a reimbursement of a franchise. Check for some car insurance quotes in Ireland via theaa.ie and learn how you can protect your car. You can get a quick and reliable car insurance policy for your Ireland road trip in minutes.
Another recommendation when making a route through Ireland by car is that the vehicle is small. The regional and national roads are very narrow and bushes are born on their shoulders that can scratch the mirrors with ease.
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