I don't doubt the experience of all that said driving in the UK was no problem. But I think it's a very individual thing and we all know there is a spectrum of drivers on the road in the US and if we are honest with ourselves, we know where we are in that spectrum. Aging is also a real issue in how quickly we respond to new circumstances. Several years ago, I attended a meeting in Dublin and decided I would add a tour of Ireland while there. I thought about driving myself but really didn't have the time to plan it, so I went with a CIE tour. While we were touring, we hit a huge traffic jam. I asked the bus driver if this was common since we had been travelling on uncongested roads up until that time. He said it occurs almost daily and is usually caused by tourists who are unaccustomed to driving in the UK. When we passed the accident site, it was about as bad as you can imagine.

Two important items that may save your life.

1) Driving in Ireland is on the RIGHT side of the road, same as the USA and Mexico. If you drive on the LEFT side of the road (Like in the UK), you may have a head-on collision. I see many on this list are advising driving on the left in Ireland. That is wrong.

2) Despite what is taught in US schools, Ireland is not part of the UK in any way. It is a separate country.

They drive on the right in Ireland. So not a problem.

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My wife and I went to England a couple of years ago and I planned on renting a car (making sure it would be an automatic as I didn't want to deal with shifting with the "wrong" arm) and driving. Our English friends picked us up and drove us back to their town and then drove us on a bit of a tour of the countryside, where I figured I'd learn to drive. The country roads all seemed to be just over one car width wide on two-way streets (they had occasional wider spots in the road for one car to pull off and let the other car through), were FULL of cars, busses (including the double-decker ones) and trucks ("lorries") and all lined with stone walls, trees or impenetrable tall shrubs. I was terrified and wouldn't have driven there even if the cars didn't drive from the "wrong" side while in the "wrong" lane. England (and Wales and Ireland, which we also visited) are FULL. There is just no room for what we think of as minimal roads. Oh, and using a traffic circle ("roundabout") in The Villages does NOT prepare you for a traffic circle with three lanes in it with seven or eight entrances/exits.

Of course, that was just me. Your experience may be just delightful...

1) The Irish drive on the left of the road, so you might want to do the same

2) Northern Ireland is part of the UK

Two comments:

1) In both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, they drive on the left side of the road (right hand side driver position in the cars as opposed to left hand side driver position in the car for the US) as they do in England.

2) The Republic of Ireland is a separate country, Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The currency is pounds in Northern Ireland and Euros in the Republic of Ireland.

I agree with those who say you get used to it very quickly. With one exception. Watch out first thing in the morning. You may start out on the right. Just correct your lane, before you run into someone.

I'd check that before starting out, if I were you.

On the other hand, if you are talking about France, Germany, Italy, etc. then you are correct. But watch out for Parisian roundabouts - they will make you long for the Villages roundabouts. ;)

I noticed he mentioned the speed limits as being mph. Are the speedometers also mph? Is this true in Scotland and Ireland as well?

Driving on the Left
 

I have visited Ireland and toured by bus not driven it. BUT if you plan to drive some of the roads are very narrow. Especially by the Ring of Kerry. With no shoulders or space to pull over. I have driven on the left when I was in Thailand for a year and again when I visited Fiji and rented a car. The hardest part is interpreting the traffic signs and relating them to the left driving. I found Left turns were a bit tricky as I tended to hug the left curb too much. But with a little time you will get quite use to it .

IF YOU DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE IN IRELAND OR THE UK YOU WILL HAVE A HEAD ON CRASH THE FIRST 100 FEET.


Driving in Ireland | Ireland.com

https://youtu.be/gClEZ9UJCKk?si=AR0rO-_YvDIVh49A

The signs are in English but they be a bit bewildering at times!!

I was a bit confused when I saw this sign!!

I’ve been living overseas for the past 20 years. 6 driving in Japan. Many times in Ireland. The only difficult part of driving in Ireland is driving stick shift left handed. You don’t get the traffic of England or the speed of Germany so that is not a concern. Don’t worry about driving in Ireland. Enjoy yourself and be sure to get out of the cities.