Self Drive Tours in Ireland

In Ireland (and Northern Ireland), you should drive on the left-hand side of the road. This means that you’ll be using a right-hand drive car, and changing gears on your left side. If it’s your first time driving on the left, we recommend you consider renting an automatic car for ease of use.

Yes, you can. Our Ireland self-drive tours can start on any day between April and October. When you’ve picked your favourite package and you’re ready to book, simply pick a date in the calendar that suits you best. Your personal travel consultant will then get in touch to confirm your details.

Designed by our local experts, these Ireland tour packages are designed to give you an unforgettable travel experience. But you can also tailor your trip to suit your needs by adding extra nights or optional excursions when you book online.

For instance, if you’d like to extend your stay in Ireland, we recommend adding a night or two in Dublin to your itinerary. And when it comes to optional extras, you’ll have a choice of handpicked activities to choose from. These include Guinness Storehouse visits, afternoon tea experiences, and many more.

We recommend that you do not book flights until we have confirmed your package. Once you book your tour with us, your personal travel consultant will contact you within two working days with more details about your arrangements. You can then book your flights with the confirmed start date of your tour.

Yes. The roads in Ireland are accessible and in good condition. Driving around Ireland is also a great way to discover the country! Go at your own pace and stop when you want to take it all in! But make sure to follow the road rules to stay safe. Read our driving guide for more information.

Yes. However, if you are from outside the European Union, you can only use your home driving licence if it is in English (for example if you are from the USA or Australia). If your licence isn’t in English, you’ll have to obtain an international driving permit.

The Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive and tourist trail around the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland. It is also part of the famous Wild Atlantic Way route. When you want a road trip that delivers stunning Irish coastal views and historic attractions, the Ring of Kerry is for you.

Yes you can, although as Ireland is an island you’ll have to take a ferry across the Irish Sea. If you are starting or ending a driving tour of the UK and Ireland in Dublin, we're happy to organise the Irish leg of your journey.

Technically yes. While Ireland is an island, and you can easily drive from Ireland to Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK), you will need to take a ferry to the island of Great Britain.

Not sure whether to visit Ireland or Scotland? Take a look at these Ireland and Scotland tours and soon you could be experiencing both Celtic countries on one unforgettable trip.

Our aim is to provide you with all the necessities to enjoy a worry-free trip. This is why we included collision damage waiver insurance as part of all our driving packages.

To safeguard your trip from the unexpected, we highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance.

Drinking and driving laws in Ireland are strict. The legal limit is 50mg (80mg in Northern Ireland) of alcohol per 100ml of blood. It is tricky to translate this into how many drinks will put you over the limit. For that reason, we recommend taking no chances. Avoid drink-driving and save the beer or whiskey for later.

The Irish weather can be variable, even between April and October. Regardless of the weather we recommend bringing light and waterproof layers, light gloves, a hat and a scarf. If you intend on going for coastal walks, don’t forget a pair of walking shoes (or boots). Read more in our packing guide.

As you drive around Ireland, you’ll soon realise that there isn’t just one best place. We believe a self-drive tour will allow you to see the Emerald Isle at its best and enjoy the many scenic highlights.

The best scenery in Ireland includes:

• Ring of Kerry
• Dingle Peninsula
• Cliffs of Moher
• Aran Islands
• Slieve League Cliffs
• The Burren
• Giant's Causeway

You can get inspired by reading about some of our favourites places in Ireland or browsing these classic  Ireland holidays. 

All our self-drive Ireland packages currently start from the capital city, Dublin. If you plan on flying into another airport (such as Cork or Shannon), please get in touch with our team. We could arrange a private transfer to Dublin for you.

According to our consultants, here are the top 5 Irish drives, the most scenic ways to see Ireland:

• Explore the rugged Ring of Kerry
• Adventure yourself along the Wild Atlantic Way
• Drive the Slea Head, part of the Dingle Peninsula
• Discover County Sligo and Yeats Country
• And why not drive the coast of Northern Ireland?

For the best weather and longer daylight hours, we recommend visiting between April and October. At this time, attractions also have longer opening hours meaning you can make the most of your tour! Read more about the best time to visit Ireland depending on your interests.

The amount of time it takes to drive around Ireland depends on the sights and attractions you want to see. For a comprehensive tour of the island, we recommend a classic 10-day itinerary. We also offer express tours and leisure tours depending on how long you have to visit Ireland.