Overland Ireland Travel
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- 1 Visiting Ireland
- 2 Entering Ireland with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in Ireland
- 4 Gas price in Ireland and Diesel price in Ireland
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Ireland
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Ireland
- 11 References
Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.
- Going into Ireland is as easy as having a US or Canadian passport. Of course, an EU passport makes it simple as well. Customs and Immigration consisted of two bored uniformed chaps chatting with each other and largely ignoring the tourists offloading the plane.
- Ireland feels extremely safe. The locals love Americans, and are extremely friendly.
- Maps are absolutely required, in addition to whatever GPS you use, be it a Garmin or Waze. The roads are often twisty and the electronic devices sometimes are confusing.
Entering Ireland with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: (date last confirmed correct)
(To check if you need a travel Visa for Ireland, application instructions and fees see: Ireland Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
List the paperwork required to enter with a vehicle, including number of copies
Process at border
Briefly describe the process at the border to enter with a vehicle
Cost of entry
State the cost for a vehicle to enter
Permitted length of stay
A foreign registered vehicle can stay up to 6 months in any country within EU.
EU includes: Austria, Italy, Belgium, Latvia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Croatia, Luxembourg, Cyprus Malta, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Portugal, Finland, Romania, France, Slovakia, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Sweden & Ireland
However, you must pay extra attention and study carefully your stay in the Schengen Zone which allows only 3 months every 6 months per year.
The Schengen Member States include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & Liechtenstein. More info about Schengen Zone Visa at: []
For example Switzerland, Norway or Liechtenstein belong to the Schengen Zone (which literally means free movement) but in the EU. Also countries like Serbia, Albania, FYROM, Bosnia or Belarus do not belong to any group (EU or Schengen Zone)
Extension of stay
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
Find detailed information, price lists and contacts here: 
Exiting with a vehicle
Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.
Driving in Ireland
Recommended books for Overlanding in Ireland
Travel insurance for Ireland
Vehicle insurance requirements
Vehicles must have valid Third Party insurance cover. Comprehensive cover is encouraged as Medical Care in Ireland is expensive.
You can buy online through the web or from an agent.
The famous Green Card goes automatically (and free of charge) with the national/regional insurance but the vehicle must be registered in EU and the driver needs to have an EU driving license. Just ask it from your agent.
EU insurance companies will only handle clients that are residents/ citizens of EU and have an EU license to drive/ ride within the EU territory.
Cost of vehicle insurance
State the price of insurance and a time period.
Where to purchase vehicle insurance
Describe where insurance can be purchased.
State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.
Driving side of road
LHD Vehicles can be driven by all in Ireland.
Mandatory items in vehicle
State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)
National Roads (N Roads) are generally built to motorway standard but can be a single lane in either direction. Chances to safely overtake in places can be limited. Be prepared for long sections stuck behind slower traffic. Speed limit is generally 100km/h but can be as low as 50km/h near towns. Exercise caution in rural areas as live stock and slow moving rural vehicles can be an issue. They are generally well maintained.
Regional Roads (R Roads) are usually 60 to 80km/h roads for regional access. They can be twisty, blind and poorly maintained in regions. Whilst completely drive-able in any vehicle, you should exercise caution to prevent accidents with other uses and damage to your car on rough sections or pot holes.
Cities: Most city roads are limited to 50km/h with right of way generally yield to pedestrians. Be mindful of cyclists in urban areas. One way systems are common in addition to 'Bus / Taxi' only roads that may be poorly sign posted.
Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.
Most major motorways are tolled but the relative cost is low (e.g. 7 EURO would cover the two tolls on the Dublin to Galway motorway) All routes have secondary roads that would take marginally longer and are not tolled. Tolled roads are clearly sign posted and all are booths. Most accept cash and card. Note: Ireland has limited motorway networks to the North and extreme South West, as such, even if the distance is small, bear in mind the roads will quickly become slower with 60 to 80km/h a more realistic average speed off the motorways.
Bribery in Ireland
Bribery or corruption from State officials is unheard of in Ireland. There is one State police force known as 'An Garda Siochana' in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the police force is known as the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland)
Checkpoints are usually in the form of mobile speed checks conducted by An Garda Siochana. The tolerance for speeding is low with seemingly open sections of road having low limits e.g. 50km/h & 30km/h zones are not uncommon near towns. Motorways have a strict 120km/h limit. Other checkpoints are usually for DUI (Drink) related driving and Tax / Insurance spot checks. Police are approachable and friendly.
Gas price in Ireland and Diesel price in Ireland
Last updated: October 2012
Currency and unit to display:
|Unleaded||€1.67 EUR per Liter|
|Diesel||€1.57 EUR per Liter|
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
Gas (Petrol) and Diesel are sold at every station in the country and is perfect quality for all cars. However, amenities at stations can vary. Most do not have public restrooms and limited facilities for maintenance / repair. In the rural areas, there can be significant distance between Stations but nearly all towns will contain one. Recommend to have at least 80km of reserve fuel to allow for slow roads and sections.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Gas (Petrol) and Diesel are of good quality in Ireland. High performance fuel is not common however and most garages sell one grade only. If you are driving a high octane vehicle, it is recommended to bring an Octane booster. Stations will sell both Diesel and Petrol. Be sure to check the pump before filling. Most stations, unlike the US for example, allow you to fill before paying for fuel. Paying at the pump is becoming common but still not widespread.
Note: Only buy fuel from brand stations if possible. Ireland has had a history of laundered fuel, especially diesel, which can have a significant impact on the engine. Unsavory stations are generally far cheaper than competing stations and will not be officially branded.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.
On street parking is generally safe but limited in cities. Valuables should not be left in sight and vehicles should be locked. GPS's and other dash mounted units should be removed. Parking in the cities can be expensive (€3+ per hour) but some streets offer free street parking after 6 / 7pm and on weekends. Signage is usually easily visible and should be checked. On street Pay N' Display parking is common. Clamping is however common, so be sure to ask if unsure. Release fee's can be excessive often in the region of €100+
Note: Extra care should be exercised in remote areas such as campsites, trails and State Parks. Theft from cars is common in these isolated car parks as they are remote and unpatrolled. Aggressive / confrontation robbery however is extremely unlikely as they are usually opportunistic thefts.
Special driving considerations
A List of special things to be careful of (i.e. Unsigned speed bumps, abnormal road rules, people or animals on the road, etc.).
List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.
Security advisories and information
Describe if organized "pay" camping is common. List the facilities commonly found at these campsites.
List the approximate average price range of camping in organized campgrounds.
Also discuss the possibility of "wild" or "roadside" camping. How common is it? Is it considered safe, or a bad idea.
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Water is safe to drink on the entire island. There are extremely limited areas in the rural sections that may have a 'boil notice' This will be communicated by your hosts if you are staying in a lodging. Water however can be generally considered safe to drink however it can be 'hard' in the West and other limestone rich areas. Buying bottled water is unlikely and unnecessary.
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Ireland
GPS Maps of Ireland
Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa). (with links to each).
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Ireland
- iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.
Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.
Special Overland Travel interests
List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
Add known good mechanics here.
Find detailed information, price lists and contacts for buying a used motorbike in Cork, Ireland here: 
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'
Add any helpful external links here.