Are there roads or city areas I should avoid driving in as a first time visitor?
Dublin city centre is the main place to leave the car behind. Private cars cannot pass the College Green bus gate outside Trinity College at any time, bus lanes carry fines, the Luas tram shares streets around the centre, and the one way system punishes a missed turn with a long loop. The M50 and the roads into the city clog at morning and evening rush hour. Park at your accommodation or a Luas park and ride and walk or tram in; the centre is compact. The same logic applies at smaller scale in Galway and Cork: park once on the edge of the centre, then walk. Nothing in either city needs a car inside it.
Useful pages: Driving in Ireland: the full guide · An Ireland road trip · Dublin · County Kerry · Scenic drives in Ireland · Killarney · Healthcare and emergencies · Plan your journey · Northern Ireland
Sources
- Dublin City Council: the College Green bus gate, reported by the Irish Times
More in Driving in Ireland
- Which side of the road does Ireland drive on, and what else changes for a North American driver?
- Do I need an international driving permit to rent a car in Ireland?
- Why is Irish car rental insurance so confusing, and what do CDW and excess mean?
- What speed limits apply on motorways, national roads, regional roads and in towns?
- How do toll roads work in Ireland, especially the M50 barrier free toll?