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Know before you go

Road trips, driving tips, and insider knowledge from a team that has driven every road on the island.

All Destinations & Attractions Road Trips & Itineraries Things to Do & Experiences Travel Tips & Advice

An electronic toll gantry over a wide Irish motorway at dusk with green hills beyond

Toll Roads in Ireland: How They Work and How to Pay

Ireland has fewer than a dozen toll roads and most cost under €4 — but the barrier-free M50 catches visitors out. Every toll, the 2026 prices, and how to pay without penalties.

A passport and boarding pass on a wooden table near an airport window

Travel Tips & Advice

Ireland Visa, Passport and Entry Requirements

Do US citizens need a visa for Ireland? Find out the real passport rules, the UK ETA for Northern Ireland, driving licence requirements, and what to expect at immigration.

A rustic Irish pub table with steaming bowls of lamb stew, soda bread, butter and a pint of stout

Travel Tips & Advice

Irish Food to Try on Your First Trip

A first-timer's guide to Irish food: the dishes worth seeking out, the ones you can safely skip, and how to tell a tourist trap from a proper local meal.

A dramatic winding coastal road in Ireland under broken storm clouds with shafts of sunlight over the Atlantic

Travel Tips & Advice

Ireland Weather by Month: When to Drive Where

A month-by-month guide to Ireland's weather for first-time drivers: what to expect, where to point the car, and why a little rain rarely ruins the day.

Euro banknotes and coins on a weathered wooden pub table beside a pint of dark stout

Travel Tips & Advice

Money, Cards and Currency in Ireland

A straight guide to euros, cards, tipping and Northern Ireland pounds for first-time visitors to Ireland. Avoid the common money mistakes before you drive.

A weekend bag on a wooden bed with a waxed jacket, wool jumper, walking boots, map of Ireland and compact umbrella

Travel Tips & Advice

What to Pack for Ireland: A Season-by-Season List

A practical, season-by-season packing list for Ireland. What actually works for the weather, the walks, the pubs and the rental car, without filling a suitcase you cannot lift.

Cozy Irish restaurant interior with wooden tables, soft window light and a pint of stout

Travel Tips & Advice

Tipping in Ireland: A Straight Guide for Visitors

Tipping in Ireland is optional and low-stakes. This guide explains when to tip in restaurants, pubs, taxis and hotels, when a service charge replaces a tip, and how tipping fits into a self-drive trip.

A sunny coastal view of Inchydoney Beach in West Cork, with golden sand and Atlantic surf.

Destinations & Attractions

Clonakilty and West Cork by Car: Beaches, Music and Black Pudding

A self-drive guide to Clonakilty and West Cork, covering Inchydoney Beach, the town's cobbled lanes, black pudding, live music, day trips and the honest truth about who should base themselves here.

A panoramic coastal road winding along the West Cork coastline at sunset, with green cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean.

Road Trips & Itineraries

Cork and Southwest Ireland by Car: The Self-Drive Guide Beyond the Ring of Kerry

A self-drive guide to Cork and Southwest Ireland, covering Kinsale, Clonakilty, Mizen Head, the Beara Peninsula, Gougane Barra, Cobh and the practical driving notes you need for the route.