Renting a car in Ireland: driving on the left, tolls and tips

In short: in Ireland, you drive on the left. A car is pointless in Dublin but ideal for the west: Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry. Book an automatic if you’re not used to driving on the left, and read up on the M50 barrier-free toll around Dublin.

Do you really need a car?

• Dublin: no. The centre is walkable, with trams (Luas) and buses, and parking is expensive.
• Galway and the west, Kerry, Donegal: yes. The finest landscapes are far from stations; a car lets you stop wherever you like.

A good plan: see Dublin without a car, then pick it up at the airport or take the train to Galway and rent there.

Rental requirements

• Age: often at least 21 or 25 depending on the company, with a young-driver surcharge.
• Licence: an EU licence is valid; with a non-EU licence, check with the rental company.
• Credit card: in the main driver’s name, for the deposit.
• Insurance: check the excess carefully and what your credit card cover includes: some exclude Ireland.
• Northern Ireland (United Kingdom): the crossing must be allowed by the agreement.

Driving in Ireland: the key rules

• Drive on the left, overtake on the right, go clockwise around roundabouts.
• Speed limits (unless signs say otherwise): 120 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on national roads, 50 km/h in built-up areas. Since 7 February 2025, the default limit on rural local roads has been 60 km/h. Further cuts are planned (national secondary roads, 30 km/h zones in towns): always follow the signs, in km/h.
• Alcohol: 0.5 g/l of blood; 0.2 g/l for novice drivers.
• Phone: handheld use forbidden, hands-free allowed.
• Children: a suitable child seat is mandatory; book it with the car.

Small roads in the west are narrow, lined with stone walls, sometimes single-track with passing places: drive slowly and watch out for sheep.

Tolls and parking

• M50 (Dublin): barrier-free toll between two junctions north-west of Dublin. Pay online at eflow.ie, by phone or at a Payzone outlet by 8 pm the next day, unless the rental company includes it in the invoice. Otherwise, the company passes the toll on to you with a fee.
• Other toll roads: classic barrier tolls, by card or cash.
• Parking: often paid in towns (meter, app or disc).

Our tips

1. Book early in summer and for an automatic, which are scarcer.
2. Look at the total price: excess, deposit, tolls, additional driver.
3. Photograph the car at pick-up and return.
4. Allow plenty of time: distances look short, but western roads are slow.
5. Fill up before remote areas of Connemara and Donegal.

Going further

To plan your trip, see our guide Travel in Ireland, and our guides Things to do in Dublin and Things to do in Galway.