Nine routes we have driven ourselves, with the distance, drive time, best base towns and what to expect on each. Plus rentals, fuel costs, tolls and the rules every visiting driver gets caught out by.
You can take buses and trains in Ireland, but you will miss most of what people come for. The best of the country is on roads coaches do not go.
Ireland has 100,000 km of public road. The interesting ones, the routes that make a trip, are the small ones. Single-lane lanes through bog, hairpin coast roads in Kerry, mountain crossings in Donegal. None of these have a bus stop.
A rental car for a week in Ireland is around €350 to €500 in shoulder season, €600 to €900 in July and August. Fuel is roughly €1.75 per litre. Even with tolls, a couple driving together will spend about the same as the train would have cost, and reach four times as many places.
Drive on the LEFT. Roads outside the motorways are narrow, hedged and full of tractors. The first hour is the hardest. Pick the right route, plan the right base towns, and the rest takes care of itself.
Ranked by how often we end up recommending them to readers planning a first or second trip to Ireland. Start with the route that matches your time, then work back to a rental and base town.
The longest defined coastal route in the world. It starts in Kinsale in west Cork and ends at the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, threading Counties Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. Wild Atlantic Way signs are everywhere once you are on it, with 188 Discovery Points marked along the way.
Most travellers drive a section, not the whole thing. The southern leg (Cork to Galway) gets the famous photo stops. The northern leg (Sligo to Malin Head) is quieter and has the better light. Plan two weeks if you want time to stop.
Best for: The full Atlantic coast, end to end.
Belfast to Derry along the Antrim coast. Carrickfergus Castle, the Glens of Antrim, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and the Dark Hedges all sit on or just off the route. It is the most accessible coastal road in Ireland for first-timers.
Two days is the minimum, three is better. Start in Belfast, stay one night in Ballycastle or Bushmills, then push west to Derry on day three. Game of Thrones fans will recognise about half the scenery.
Best for: Northern Ireland coast, castles and cliffs.
The famous Kerry loop runs around the Iveragh Peninsula. Killarney is the usual start and end point. The loop hits Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Sneem, Kenmare and the Ladies View pass through Killarney National Park.
Drive it anti-clockwise (Killorglin first). Tour coaches go clockwise, so you avoid meeting them head-on on the narrow stretches. It is the single most photographed road in Ireland for a reason, but allow a full day to do it without rushing.
Best for: The classic Ireland coastal loop.
Slea Head Drive is a 47 km loop out of Dingle Town along the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula. You pass the Blasket Islands viewpoint, beehive huts, Coumeenoole Beach (the Far and Away beach), and Dunquin Pier with its zigzag path down the cliff.
Combine it with the Conor Pass to get the dramatic mountain crossing into and out of the peninsula. The full loop plus Conor Pass takes a long day. Dingle Town itself is the best overnight in the southwest.
Best for: A short loop with the best views per mile.
Galway City to Clifden along the N59 through the Connemara bogs and the Twelve Bens mountains. Stops include Kylemore Abbey, Killary Fjord, Letterfrack and Connemara National Park. From Clifden, the Sky Road is an 11 km loop with the best ocean view in the west.
Stay overnight in Clifden or Roundstone. Time the Sky Road for golden hour. The single-track sections of the N59 demand attention but the two-way main road is easy driving for most of the way.
Best for: Connemara National Park and Atlantic islands.
A County Clare loop that combines the Burren karst plateau with the Cliffs of Moher. Start in Ennis or Doolin, then take in Poulnabrone Dolmen, Caherconnell stone fort, Black Head, the Burren National Park and finish at the Cliffs of Moher.
Doolin is the best base for the loop. Time the cliffs for an hour before sunset, then drive back to Doolin for live trad music in the pub. The road through the Burren itself is narrow but easy enough.
Best for: Lunar limestone landscape with Atlantic cliffs.
A signed touring brand rather than one road. It covers the eastern and southern half of the Republic: Boyne Valley, Trim Castle, Glendalough, Kilkenny, Rock of Cashel, Cobh, Waterford, the Hook Peninsula and Wexford.
If you have already seen the Atlantic side and want a second Ireland trip, this is it. Roads are good motorway-and-N-route driving, easier for nervous drivers. Five to seven days is enough to hit the main historic sights without rushing.
Best for: History, castles and monasteries (not the coast).
A 100-mile loop around the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal, the most northerly part of Ireland. It runs Buncrana to Malin Head and back, with Fort Dunree, Mamore Gap, Five Finger Strand and the Star Wars filming location at Malin Head along the way.
This is the section of the Wild Atlantic Way most people skip, which is exactly why it is worth the detour. The roads are quiet, the views compete with anywhere in Kerry, and you can do the full loop in a long day from Derry.
Best for: Ireland’s most northerly point, far fewer tourists.
A 137 km loop around the Beara Peninsula, the next peninsula south of the Ring of Kerry. The route crosses the Healy Pass (a series of hairpin bends across the spine of the peninsula), drops down to Allihies on the Atlantic side, then loops back through Castletownbere and Glengarriff.
If the Ring of Kerry felt too busy, Beara is the cure. Same kind of coast, half the cars. Use Castletownbere or Glengarriff as a base. The Healy Pass alone is worth a full afternoon.
Best for: The quiet alternative to the Ring of Kerry.
Every route plotted on the same Ireland map so you can see how they connect. Use it to plan a multi-route trip. The northern coast and the southern coast can each fill two weeks on their own.
Where to pick up, what kind of car to book, and the four insurance gotchas that catch every first-time visitor. Read this before you compare quotes.
Dublin Airport is the easiest option. Most travellers fly in and rent on arrival.
Shannon Airport in the west cuts a 3-hour drive off your first day if you are heading straight to Kerry or Galway.
Cork Airport is the right call if you are starting on the Beara Peninsula or the Ring of Kerry.
City-centre depots exist in Dublin, Galway and Cork but airports are cheaper and have more cars.
Manual transmission is the default in Ireland and €200 to €400 cheaper for a one-week rental than an automatic.
Small car is what you want. Rural Irish roads are narrow with stone walls right at the edge. An SUV is harder to drive, not easier.
If you cannot drive manual, book the automatic three months ahead. Supply is limited in shoulder season and almost gone in July and August.
CDW is mandatory in Ireland. Most US credit-card travel insurance is rejected at the desk. Expect to pay €15 to €25 per day for Super CDW to drop the excess to zero.
Hold of €1,500 to €3,000 goes on your credit card at pick-up. Have a card with the headroom.
Age limits are typically 25 to 75. Drivers under 25 pay a young-driver surcharge of €15 to €25 per day. Over 70s pay a separate surcharge with some companies.
| Category | Example | Best for | Weekly price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | VW Up, Hyundai i10 | Two people, light luggage | €220 to €330 |
| Compact | Ford Fiesta, VW Polo | Two people, normal luggage | €280 to €420 |
| Intermediate | VW Golf, Ford Focus | Three to four people | €340 to €520 |
| Automatic (compact) | Toyota Corolla auto | Anyone who cannot drive stick | €480 to €750 |
Prices are illustrative averages from Discover Cars, Hertz, Enterprise and Sixt for May 2026 pickups. Peak (July/August) typically runs 40 to 70% higher.
Campervans are the second biggest growth segment in Irish travel. They are not right for everyone, but for a coastal road trip in shoulder season they make sense.
The eight things that catch every visitor out in the first 48 hours. Read this twice before you pick up the car.
Steering wheel is on the right. The hardest part is roundabouts (clockwise) and remembering it when you reverse out of a parking spot. First day is the worst.
Rural roads are 3 to 4 metres wide with stone walls or hedges right at the edge. Tuck in your wing mirrors at passing points. A small car is a feature, not a compromise.
Sheep on the Ring of Kerry, cows being moved on the Beara Peninsula, the occasional pony in Connemara. Slow right down and wait.
Conor Pass, Healy Pass, Mamore Gap. Uphill vehicle has the right of way. Pull into the next passing place if you are coming downhill.
Dublin’s M50 motorway has no toll booth. You must pay online by 8pm the next day at eflow.ie. Most rentals enrol you automatically and pass on the toll plus a small admin fee. Confirm at pickup.
M1, M3, M4, M6, M7, M8, M9. Stop at the booth, pay cash or card, drive on. €1.50 to €3.20 each.
Dublin, Galway, Cork, Killarney all have paid street parking and metered car parks. ApcoaConnect and Parkby apps handle most of it. Outside towns parking is usually free.
Motorway 120 km/h. Dual carriageway 100 km/h. Rural single-lane 80 km/h (yes, even on the tiny ones). Towns 50 km/h. Built-up areas can be 30 km/h. Watch the signs.
Ireland has nine toll roads. Eight of them have toll plazas. One does not, and it catches every rental driver heading to or from Dublin Airport.
The M50 has NO toll booth. You must pay the €3.20 online at eflow.ie by 8pm the next day or you face a fine. If you drive between Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre, you will use the M50. Most rental companies enrol you in their toll-pass programme automatically and bill you the toll plus a €5 to €10 admin fee per use. Ask about this at pickup.
| Road | Route | Car toll | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| M50 | Dublin ring motorway (around Dublin) | €3.20 | BARRIER-FREE — pay online by 8pm next day |
| M1 | Dublin to Drogheda | €2.10 | Toll plaza |
| M3 | Dublin to Cavan | €2.10 | Toll plaza |
| M4 | Dublin to Mullingar | €3.30 | Toll plaza |
| M6 | Galway to Ballinasloe | €2.10 | Toll plaza |
| M7 | Dublin to Limerick | €2.10 | Toll plaza |
| M8 | Dublin to Cork (Watergrasshill) | €2.10 | Toll plaza |
| M9 | Carlow to Waterford (Powerstown) | €2.10 | Toll plaza |
| N6 | East-Link Bridge (Dublin Port) | €1.75 | Toll plaza |
Prices in EUR for cars. Updated for May 2026. Verify at tii.ie before you travel.
Ireland is one of the more expensive places to buy fuel in Europe. Knowing the rough cost up front saves a panic at the first petrol station.
Fuel prices in Ireland have fluctuated between €1.65 and €1.95 per litre over the past 12 months. Check AA Ireland or the cheapestfuel.ie tracker the day before you travel for an exact current figure.
| Route | Distance | Litres needed | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring of Kerry loop | 179 km | 11 L | €19 |
| Slea Head Drive loop | 47 km | 3 L | €5 |
| Causeway Coastal Route | 190 km | 11 L | €20 |
| Connemara + Sky Road | 160 km | 10 L | €17 |
| Full Wild Atlantic Way | 2,500 km | 150 L | €262 |
The four most common Ireland trip durations and the routes that fit each. Each one links to a deeper itinerary if you want a day-by-day plan.
Fly into Dublin, rent at the airport, base in the city. Day-trip to Glendalough and the Powerscourt waterfall on day 2, the Boyne Valley and Newgrange on day 3.
The classic first Ireland trip. Two nights in Killarney for the Ring of Kerry, two nights in Dingle for Slea Head, finish in Galway. Drop the car at Shannon.
A full week on the southern half of the Wild Atlantic Way. Beara, Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, Achill Island.
Ten days is enough to combine the southwest peninsulas with the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland. Fly into Dublin, fly out of Belfast (or vice versa).
License paperwork, breakdown cover and the numbers to save. Five minutes of admin that saves a lot of stress later.
Required by law for non-EU/UK visitors who plan to drive. In practice, Gardaí (Irish police) usually accept a US or Canadian license alone. Some rental companies will refuse to hand over the car without an IDP. Get one before you fly. AAA in the US and CAA in Canada both issue them for about $20.
Most companies rent from 25 to 75. Drivers aged 21 to 24 pay a young-driver surcharge (€15 to €25 per day). Some companies set a hard upper limit of 70 or 75. Confirm at booking, not at pickup.
CDW (collision damage waiver) is included in Ireland by law. The default excess is €1,500 to €3,500. Buy Super CDW (€15 to €25/day) at the desk or a stand-alone policy from CarHire-Insurance.com before you go, which is usually 60 to 80% cheaper.
Most rentals include basic AA Ireland breakdown cover. The number is 1800 667 788 from inside Ireland. Save it before you leave the rental desk.
112 or 999 reaches all emergency services (Gardaí, ambulance, fire, coast guard) anywhere in Ireland and Northern Ireland. 112 works on any mobile network, even with no SIM in the phone.
All standard rentals from the Republic allow cross-border driving into Northern Ireland and back. Speed limits switch to mph when you cross. Some companies require notification at pickup, almost none charge extra. Confirm at the desk.
Eight questions readers ask before they book a flight. Quick, specific answers.
May, June and September. The roads are dry-ish, the days are long, and the worst of the summer crowds are gone. July and August are busiest. Winter is fine for the south but the Inishowen 100 and Donegal can get icy.
Manual is the default and €200 to €400 cheaper for a week. Automatics exist but supply is limited, especially in shoulder season. If you can only drive automatic, book three months ahead.
The narrow rural lanes with stone walls right at the edge. The roads are not laid out for two cars to pass on most of the Wild Atlantic Way. The first 48 hours of getting used to driving on the left feels stressful, then it does not.
Eight of Ireland’s nine tolls have toll booths. Stop, pay €1.75 to €3.30 in cash or card, drive on. The exception is the M50 around Dublin, which is barrier-free and must be paid online at eflow.ie by 8pm the next day or you face a fine.
Roughly €1.75 per litre for petrol and €1.68 per litre for diesel in 2026. That works out to about $7 to $7.50 per US gallon. A small car uses about 6 litres per 100 km.
Yes. Most companies allow one-way rentals between airports in the Republic and Northern Ireland but charge a one-way fee of €40 to €120. Confirm at booking.
Technically yes for non-EU/UK drivers. In practice, most rental desks accept a US or Canadian license alone. Some will not. The IDP costs $20 from AAA or CAA and avoids the risk.
Yes. Irish road fatality rates are among the lowest in the EU. The main risks are narrow rural roads, livestock and weather. Drive cautiously the first day, use the wing mirrors at passing points, and the rest is straightforward.
Six guides that cover the questions every Ireland trip starts with.