Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ireland's new motorways have vastly improved the cross-country driving experience and
now link most major cities (Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Galway). But
the best intimate sites still require you to drive on narrow country lanes.
Note that your US credit and debit cards are unlikely to work at self-service gas pumps
and automated parking garages. The Irish (like most Europeans) have converted to using
chip-and-PIN credit cards that are not yet the norm in North America. Most automated
payment machines in Europe are geared for this new card technology. Luckily, the vast
majority of Irish gas stations have a live attendant inside who can process your gas pur-
chase (as long as it's not too late at night). The easiest solution is carrying sufficient cash
in euros (pounds in the North).
Road Rules:
Driving in Ireland is basically wonderful—once you remember to stay
on the left and after you've mastered the roundabouts. Don't let a roundabout spook you.
After all, you routinely merge into much faster traffic with cars slipping into your blind
spot on American highways back home. The traffic in a roundabout has the right-of-way;
entering traffic yields (look to your right as you merge). It helps to remember that the
driver is always in the center of the road.
