How To Drive In Ireland for Newbies! 

Tip1: If you cant thank a driver for yielding you because you are driving away from them, or simply going the opposite direction, toggle your hazards on for a few seconds then off. This will let the other driver know you're thanking them from a distance. Tip2: In a roundabout, if cars are waiting to enter the roundabout, but you are going to drive past them instead of taking the exit, sometimes especially on big roundabouts with multiple exits, it is common to turn the blinker facing the roundabout's center as in a way to tell drivers you are not exiting the roundabout yet. Same as you should ALWAYS use your blinkers to signal that you intend to exit the roundabout. Tip3: Because of narrow roads, especially on 2 way roads, truck drivers will sometimes stick to the left so you can see the incoming traffic, and even use a hand gesture telling you that it´s safe to overtake them. Tip4: Some times pedestrians will not cross the road and yield cars with hand gestures, it is completely up to you to let them pass or not. In my opinion and following the traffic law, I always let them pass no matter what, as some times they indicate you can pass but another ped is crossing from the opposite side, and if you don't spot them you may run them over. (Especially kids) Hope this helps, drive safe!

VERY accurate advice! And I do mean ACCURATE. The only correction I would make is to let everyone know Ireland's newer motorways (that's what highways are called in Ireland) have nice wide lanes and are very well maintained. They are a pleasure to drive on.

One tip from me - if someone flashes their headlights, they're yielding to you and you can proceed. Acknowledge their yield with a small wave. Three fingers raised from the steering wheel is enough. Practicing this convention can get you through places where the road is narrow in town and in the country very easily. Driving in Ireland and the UK is much more about cooperation with, and consideration of, other drivers than it is North America.

I got my money back! The insurance bill for a couple of scratches came to $900 plus, but my insurance through my credit card covered me. Phew :)

I remember once as a kid when my family went for a drive in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains, we came across a car in front with a handwritten note in the rear window. Of course, to read the note my father, without a second thought closed right up to them to read their note - obviously tailgating without wishing to or even realising. The note read " We are Dutch tourists driving for the first time on Irish roads. Please have mercy" I'm sure the sign was sincere, but it was also an invitation for other drivers to get too close

Driving in Ireland isn't that difficult. We do have motorways and main roads, and they are easy to drive. Yes, there are narrower minor roads and they can be a bit intimidating, so my advice is to take it easy and slow down to a speed you are comfortable with. Driving a smaller car is also good advice. As an Irish person I have also experienced driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, in continental Europe. In general the situation is no worse although the roads in parts of Italy are smaller and more twisty (I'm thinking particularly of the Amalfi Coast). Overall I would not discourage anyone from driving in Ireland or elsewhere in Europe unless you have a particular phobia about driving in unfamiliar situations. In fact with GPS and Google Maps it is now a lot easier in that all you have to do is concentrate on the road ahead.

Love your description of how we drive here in Ireland and some good advice for anyone thinking about driving here atomic car and pull over and let locals pass in particular....seen a comment from a guy from Italy he will have no problem driving here I wouldn't drive in Italy 😂

going to Ireland in a few months and I'm a new driver but I am determined to give Irish roads a try, thanks for the very real advice!

You give great advice. I am an Australian who only returned a couple of days ago from a 2 week road tour in Ireland and can confirm everything you say is 100% spot on. In hindsight if i was to ever visit Ireland again i would strongly consider using public transport or coach day trips to look around. I found the roads very intimidating and i am used to driving on the left. On most of the roads you must concentrate fully and as a result i didnt get much of a look at the amazing scenery other that what was directly in front. I would add that there are alot of roads in England that are just as difficult as Ireland so the advice is the same for there. One last thing to know is that Ireland is really really expensive compared to England.

I'll be renting a car in Galway! It's a manual, mid-size SUV, but I'm from Italy, so we've got narrow streets as well. Let's hope that everything is going well🤞🏻

Another VERY important addition about rental cars is that the colors on your gas pump are reversed in Ireland. Green is unleaded and black is diesel.

After my trip in Ireland (wonderful landscape, by the way!), I can say that it was not that difficult to drive in the countryside. Sure, narrow roads, often I had to pull to the side, in tall grass, just to cross another vehicle, but no issue in 12 days. There was only one time I suddenly heard my car touching something hard, and that was when I was parking and the sidewalk was higher as expected. So I scratched the bottom of my bumper. But that was all I had. I can tell, as a manual/standard driver, no, if you're used to standard cars, don't bother with an automatic. Manual gears are the same in Ireland as in the rest of Europe. Also, yes, take a compact or small car. Narrow roads can have pretty harsh turns. And depending on where you drive, asphalt is sometimes replaced with plain dirt and gravel. But nothing that requires a 4x4. So, just take the cheapest and smallest car of the rental company, even if you have to drive for 3 hours on the highway. I was in Kerry, by the way. And not only on the ring (rarely, in fact). Just be careful of the sheep.

As an Irish person this amused me. He left out was the bushes covering road signs. By the way. The stones are not fences they are stone limestone walls built with big stones. Good advice though!

Enjoyable video, Adam! Thanks for sharing.

At the ready, your insight is most valuable 👹 Love

Omg YES to the automatic‼️😅👏🏼 Great advice Adam💜

Thanks for this honest video! I will be driving for the first time on the left in a few weeks in Ireland.

Thanks for posting

Thanks for the tips! I drove in Ireland 20+ years ago and I am not looking forward to doing it again. However, your advice has me willing to do it again.

I loved your video, pretty much confirmed what I thought. I drove in Jamaica many years ago, sounds similar….

I've been driving around dublin for a few days I drive heavy wreckers in alaska and it's been a wild experience

just moved to belfast and looking into driving/getting a car. so thank you for the honesty!

You may be allowed to turn right at a red light in the US. If you do it in Ireland you will get arrested as it is illegal.

As a Irish man from a small town, I am loving all these comments 🤣🤣

I would need a chauffeur😂! I’m constantly getting tailgated. And forget those roundabouts🙈. Very informative video Adam. Definitely will help people. Stay awesome dear one!

Here in britain of course we have much the same as in ireland so we drive on the left too although here it is in miles not km by the way too.

When I saw the intersection going a different direction that was confusing I would’ve went to the right oops I need to stay on the left oh forget it. Hi Adam

Great advice! I am planning a trip and was on the fence about renting a car. I think I will pass, I know my limitations! I can drive a manual, I just think the narrow roads will freak me out!

I wish I saw your video before I crashed my rental last week. It’s a nightmare. I’m still sick from Irish driving. Thank goodness no one was hurt except for my mental health.

Standard is not a type of transmission. It is what the vehicle comes with by default. Almost every vehicle in Canada and the US come with an automatic as the standard transmission and a few models offer a manual as an option. Very few vehicles still come with a manual as standard equipment.

I'd love to get the smallest car possible..... but I'm 6'5" and 260 pounds. Hoping for a Mini Cooper as they do have legroom.

First thing I noticed while driving in Ireland--why are there so many “tyre” shops? Second day I learned the answer. I ruined a tire and almost a wheel on the stones that are so close to the road! Driving is too stressful, next time I would take the train or bus!

If difference between a local road to national and motorway

Look at that -- a Circle K in Ireland!

You can hire Automatic transmission cars, but it will cost you more.

Went to Ireland in 2022 and it's strange seeing lots of American names and things like Fords, Jeep and lots of 4x4s and Pickup trucks in the rural parts, I still went for a compact car as I can't get over my anxiety seeing them small back-roads.

I think what's so unsettling about it is that all the 'scary' stuff has moved to your right side, which in our brains is the 'safe' side. We learn to tune out (mostly) that left-side stuff at an early age. Some will have more difficulty than others, but if you make a conscious choice to flip that zone over to the other side, AND remind yourself every time you get behind the wheel ... why, then you'll have the skill to flip it again by the time you get back to Right-Hand Land, and it will take no time at all. Important bit of mindset, IMO. I'm not sure it's for everyone, and there are some very good tours, don't be ashamed if that works better. The narrow-roads thing is similar. We're used to having 11, 12, 13-foot-wide lanes in the U.S., for our beamy vehicles and high speeds. In Ireland, you need to 1) trust the other drivers, they are VERY good at it, been doing it all their lives; and 2) adjust to it, and learn to do your part, such as snugging up to the fog line. There's room. Driving there takes more attention, but you should have enough if you use it for driving.

Just go to a detailer get it polished out.

You are way braver than I am .

I can’t even watch your driving footage, it’s tripping me out 😂 I’ve never been but I remember my dad telling me the same thing about how shoulders do not exist AT ALL and he didn’t realize how weird it would be to drive without having a place to pull over.

I want to learn car repair

Literally Rewatching my own video before I do Ireland AGAIN this year! Yes, I am nervous about driving again, you are not alone ;) I made a video for what to do in Dublin too! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SscGC4_XGvE.html

I think the car looks more rugged with that scar!

Oops, has happened to me a few times 😀I used to work in connemara and the amount of tourists l ran into because they were on the wrong side 😂

I am laughing my head off! He is talking about driving anywhere in the British Isles (which does include Ireland).

Clearly you've never been to Tennessee

Felt like he was describing indian situation

2:30 challenge goes beyond LHS drive

I would not like to bike there ! 😮

U dont really have the acent lad😂

4:50 No, No, No! If someone is tailgating you, you slow down so THEY have enough stopping distance room, if YOU need to stop. They will know exactly what your doing and they will soon pull back and wait for an appropriate place to pass. Don't be bullied into going faster or into pulling over.

Jesus Christ....seriously!!!

That's exactly why Ireland needs to ditch woke green ideology and get on with its road investment program - impressive new motorways (equivalent to freeways), but in between most roads are very poor. The M20 Cork to Limerick is needed ASAP! Keep the nice small scenic roads, but connect the major towns with decent highways!