Explore Ireland
Ireland is the easy European trip that does not feel like a European trip. You drive on the left, the road signs are in English (and Irish), and the Common Travel Area means no Schengen counter and no EES biometrics. What does catch people out is the Dublin M50, which has no toll booths and expects you to pay online by 20:00 the next day. This guide covers that, the tapeworm rule for dogs, and the handful of other things worth sorting before the ferry.
Last verified: 21 April 2026
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Driving rules
Ireland drives on the left, so your UK vehicle is already set up correctly. No headlight beam conversion is needed.
Road signs show distances in kilometres and speed limits in km/h, despite the English language. Older wooden fingerposts in rural areas may still show miles, so watch for the units.
Driving tips
- Rural roads are often narrow with tall hedges on both sides. Keep your speed well below the posted limit and be ready for oncoming tractors, cyclists, and the occasional flock of sheep.
- Fuel is usually cheaper in the Republic than in Northern Ireland, but paid for in euro rather than sterling. Check exchange rates before filling up near the border.
- Irish road signs are typically bilingual (Irish first, then English). Place names can appear in unfamiliar forms such as Baile Atha Cliath for Dublin or Corcaigh for Cork.
- Watch for sudden weather changes, particularly on the west coast. Heavy rain and low cloud can reduce visibility to almost nothing within minutes.
- Parking in Dublin and other cities is expensive and heavily enforced. Use park-and-ride where you can.
Required kit
Headlight beam converters are not required. Ireland drives on the left, which matches your UK beam pattern.
Tolls and vignettes
Tolls
The M50 ring road around Dublin is barrier-free. There are no toll booths. Cameras read your plate and you must pay the toll by 20:00 the following day, either online at eflow.ie or in cash at any Payzone shop. Miss the deadline and you get a penalty notice posted to the registered keeper.
M50 rates: EUR 3.50 for cars and motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes; EUR 4.20 for motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes. The Dublin Port Tunnel is a separate toll.
Other tolled motorways include the M1, M3, M4, M6, M7, and M8. These use conventional toll plazas where you pay by card or cash at the booth. Most motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes are priced as cars.
Vignette
Ireland does not use a vignette. You pay per journey on the tolled routes listed above.
Low emission zones
Ireland has no low emission zones. Some city centres have restricted access or bus gates, but no Crit'Air-style sticker system.
Supermarkets and shopping
Budget
Mid-range
Premium
Opening hours
Sundays are less of an issue in Ireland than in most of mainland Europe. Most supermarkets trade full hours. The Good Friday alcohol sales ban was lifted in 2018.
Alcohol
Supermarkets sell alcohol, but the drinks aisle is usually curtained off outside licensing hours (10:30-22:30). If you are doing an early shop for the day, pick the wine up on the way out rather than first thing.
Local tips
- Aldi and Lidl have a strong Irish presence and are consistently the cheapest for groceries. Own-brand produce is good.
- Fuel stations often have well-stocked convenience shops, which is useful outside town-centre supermarket hours.
- Rural shops and petrol stations often have a deli counter doing hot sandwiches and breakfast rolls. It is a genuine Irish institution.
- SuperValu has the widest rural coverage. If you are in a small village, it is often the only full supermarket.
Motorhome LPG and gas in Ireland
LPG for Autogas refills (called GPL or Autogas) is very limited in the Republic. There are roughly twenty stations in total, mostly at Applegreen and Circle K forecourts, and coverage is uneven. If you run a refillable system, plan stops carefully and top up whenever you see a station.
Ireland uses the Dish fitting, the same as the UK. No extra adapter is needed at the pump.
For exchangeable bottles, Calor Ireland bottles look similar to UK Calor bottles and the connections are broadly compatible, but the deposit contracts are separate. You cannot exchange a UK Calor bottle for an Irish one. UK Calor dealers do exist in Ireland but are sparse. Most long-stay visitors carry a refillable solution.
Motorhome electric hook-ups in Ireland
Irish campsites generally use the 16A blue CEE connector, the same as UK sites. Your UK hook-up lead will plug straight in at most pitches.
Polarity is usually the same as the UK (Live and Neutral in the expected positions), so reverse polarity is rare. That said, a plug-in socket tester costs very little and is worth carrying for all European trips.
Voltage is a nominal 230V, generally stable. On remote sites on the west coast or in the Wild Atlantic Way, expect occasional dropouts during storms.
Read our complete guide to motorhome electric hook-ups in Europe.
Documents you need
Your own vehicle
- Passport (required by ferry operators even though the Common Travel Area does not stamp it)
- UK Photocard Driving Licence
- Vehicle Log Book (V5C)
- Insurance Certificate (most UK policies cover Ireland automatically, but check)
- Travel Insurance Proof
Rental or hire vehicle
- VE103 Certificate
- Driving Licence Check Code
- International Driving Permit (if you still hold a paper licence)
Travelling with dogs
Ireland is one of only four countries in Europe that enforces the tapeworm rule on entry (alongside the UK, Malta, Finland, and Norway). If you arrive by ferry without a valid tapeworm entry on your AHC, your dog can be refused entry or put into quarantine. Plan the vet visit before you leave home.
What to pack
- Dog lead
- Water bowl
- Vaccination records
- AHC with tapeworm stamp for Ireland entry
Food import rules
Under the Common Travel Area, personal food imports from the UK into Ireland are not subject to the EU's single-market restrictions on meat and dairy. In practice you can bring your usual fridge stock from home without declaring it. Commercial quantities are a different matter.
This is a different rule from the rest of the EU. If you are then heading from Ireland to mainland Europe by ferry, the normal EU meat and dairy import ban applies again at the next border.
Border and entry
Ferry routes from the UK: Holyhead-Dublin (Irish Ferries, Stena Line), Liverpool-Dublin (P&O), Pembroke-Rosslare, Fishguard-Rosslare. Long direct routes from France include Cherbourg-Rosslare and Cherbourg-Dublin, which let you skip Britain altogether.
Useful links
Common questions
Do I need tolls pre-registered for the Dublin M50?
No, you do not need to pre-register. The M50 around Dublin is barrier-free and uses ANPR cameras to read your plate. You must pay the toll by 20:00 the day after you use the road, either online at eflow.ie or in cash at any Payzone shop. Motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes pay a slightly higher rate than cars. Miss the deadline and a penalty notice is posted to the registered keeper.
Is Ireland in the Schengen area?
No. Ireland is in the EU but not in Schengen. UK citizens travel under the Common Travel Area, which means no passport stamp is applied. A passport is still essential because ferry operators will ask for photo ID at check-in. Ireland also sits outside the EES biometric scheme, so there are no fingerprint or facial-scan kiosks on arrival.
Do I need an Animal Health Certificate and tapeworm treatment for my dog to enter Ireland?
Yes. Ireland is one of only four countries that enforces the tapeworm rule on entry (alongside the UK, Malta, Finland, and Norway). Your dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old, an AHC issued within 10 days of travel, and a tapeworm treatment given by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before you arrive. The same tapeworm rule applies again for your return to the UK.
Do I need a UK sticker to drive in Ireland?
No. Under the Common Travel Area, UK-registered vehicles do not need a UK sticker to drive in Ireland. There is no harm in leaving one fitted if you already use it for other European trips. Ireland drives on the left just like the UK, so headlight beam converters are also not required.