Gaeltacht Travel in Ireland

Renting a car in Ireland is a pretty typical experience, as the business of car hire is a globalised business. Tourists expect the same services whatever country they visit.

Eight things you need to know about renting a car in Ireland

1. Traffic drives on the left of the road.
2. At roundabouts and junctions (intersections) the traffic to your right has right of way.
3. Seat belts must be worn by everyone in the car.
4. Road signs give prominence to the town names instead of road numbers.
5. Road signs display both the English and Irish language names of towns. The Irish version is in italics, and below is the English version in capitals.
6. Road signs in the Gaeltacht are in Irish only. They do not necessarily mention the town’s English name. Have a good up-to-date map handy, making sure that it displays the placenames in the Irish language as well as in English.
7. Speed limits and distance are shown in kilometers, and unit of distance is stated (e.g. “Ennis 20km”). However, older distance signs are in miles and do not state unit of distance (e.g. “Ennis 20″).
8. We’ll admit that Irish roads aren’t great. Some are both narrow and fast, therefore always careful!

Where to hire a car in Ireland

You’ll typically be arriving at an Irish airport such as Dublin Airport, Cork Airport or Shannon Airport. Car hire spots are prominently located in the arrivals hall.

A note of caution! Depending on the car hire company in Ireland, you may be asked to provide credit card security. This security is a certain fee (such at EUR1000) and is held on your card until the car is returned. Be very cautious of this, making sure that the security fee doesn’t take you too close to your credit limit.