Travelling the Emerald Isle from England is an exciting experience and around 4.8 million brits visit the Republic of Ireland each year. If you have never driven to Ireland from mainland UK, there are some important points to remember, here is our checklist for driving from England to Ireland.
How long does the journey take?
Let’s use the journey from London to Dublin for example, the two capital cities of each country. According to Google, a road trip from London to Dublin which includes the use of a ferry should take 8 hours and 21 minutes. However, you will need to look at how long you are likely to be waiting for a ferry to take you across the Irish Sea.
Things to do before your trip
Check the driving laws of Ireland, the Irish law states:
- Like the UK, the legal driving age starts at 17.
- Unlike other EU countries, you do not need to display a “UK” sticker on your car.
- Vehicle horns must not be used between the hours of 23:30 and 07:00 on any road that has a permanent speed limit enforced, which is most.
- The fine for not wearing a seat belt in a vehicle is set at €60 and it increases to €90 if you don’t pay the fine within 28 days.
Make sure your car is fit to drive long distances, to avoid breaking down in Ireland.
- Have your car serviced before your trip if it hasn’t been serviced for a while- as this will detect if there are any issues with the engine or parts of the vehicle before your trip.
- Check your oil levels before you travel.
- If you have an electric car, check to see which routes have the most electric car charging stations as this will definitely come in handy.
Things to remember during your trip
- Have a traffic app installed on your smartphone which gives you live traffic data, so you can avoid getting stuck in traffic on your long journey.
- If possible take the driving in turns with someone, this should prevent fatigue whilst driving. Please note, driving whilst feeling tired is very dangerous and it can cause serious accidents.
- Stick to the speed limit in Ireland, forget about UK speed limits as they do not apply there, here in the UK we use ‘miles per hour’, in Ireland they use ‘km per hour’.
- Road signs may be different in Ireland to the road signs in the UK- be vigilant and observant of road signs, however, Irish road signs are in English and Irish so you will be able to understand the signs fully.
- Have money ready for toll roads.
Things to remember on your return home
- Prepare to pay for any toll roads you may approach when you are back in the UK.
- Book a ferry for your return journey home.
- Remember to bring legal documents back with you, Do not smuggle any illegal goods from Ireland to the UK- your car will be checked before you enter the UK.
- Remember to abide by UK road laws on your return.
- Expect traffic on approach to the UK- allow lots of time for your journey.
Final thoughts
We hope you have enjoyed our checklist on things to remember for travelling to Ireland from England. There are lots of things to remember for your long journey, but as long as you plan your journey and you are aware of the driving rules in the Republic of Ireland, you will have a relatively easy journey.
If you are looking to have an exciting journey, you may want to consider selling your car for a new one to car buying companies like WeBuyAnyCar, so you will have a lovely new car to drive on your long journey to Ireland.