Located in the North Atlantic, the Republic of Ireland features beautiful landscapes, including hills and cliffs which makes it a popular filming spot for movie shows. Here are some instructions for you to facilitate your driving there.
Driving in Ireland is on the left-hand side. Before you drive on Irish roads, we recommend you to choose a compact car since roads in Ireland - especially those in countryside - tend to be narrow. Do not forget that honking around residential areas from 23:30 to 7:30 is prohibited.
Speed LimitSome general speed limits should be kept in mind while driving. There are speed limits of 31 mph (50 km/h) in built-up areas, 50 mph (80 km/h) for non-national roads, 61 mph (100 km/h) for national roads and 75 mph (120 km/h) in motorways unless signs say otherwise.
Traffic SignsTraffic signs in Ireland can be mainly classified into 3 types: regulatory signs, warning signs and information signs.
Irish regulatory signs are mostly circular and feature red, with some exceptions.
 Stop |  Yield |  Yield (In Irish) |  Max Speed Limit (80 km/h) |  No Overtaking |  Pedestrianized Street |
Warning signs are diamond shaped with a yellow background.
 Slippery Road Ahead |  Series of Bumps or Hollows Ahead |  Level Crossing with Lights and Barriers |  Pedestrian Crossing Ahead |  Deer or Wild Animals |
Irish regulatory signs are mostly rectangular with different background colours.
 Airport Sign |  Advance Sign for Facilities in Lay-bay |
To read more about Irish traffic signs, you can refer to Ireland Traffic Signs Manual 2010.
Seatbelt LawsAll passengers are required to have their seatbelt fastened at all times when the vehicle is moving. Drivers are obliged to make sure passengers under 17 are suitably restrained. Failing to do so can result in a fine of €60 which must be paid within 28 days.
Booster Seat LawsAll children under 17 must be in an appropriate restraint system when they are in a vehicle. Kids under 150cm (4ft and11in) in height or 36kg (79lbs) in weight must sit in correct child restraints that are appropriate to the weight of the child and must be in accordance with EU or UN standards. Rear facing child restraints must not be used in seats protected by an active frontal air-bag.
Parking· Forbidden Parking
You must not park on the following spots:
- Opposite to another vehicle on a narrow road
- At the entrance or exit of a fire station, police station, ambulance station or hospital
- Where you would block other road users' views of a traffic signal or the road ahead
- 15 metres before or 5 metres after pedestrian crossings or traffic lights
- Where parking is forbidden by traffic signs or road markings, as detailed below
- When there is a single yellow line as a road mark with an upright information plate nearby, you must not park during the times shown
- When there are double yellow lines, you are not allowed to park at any time
- Parking spots with a disabled person symbol are only available for people suffering from a disability
· Parking Sign
Permitted and prohibited parking signs in Ireland may specify multiple times, places, durations, restrictions and vehicle categories in a condensed form on a single sign.
 Parking Permitted |  Parking Prohibited |
You may also find this sign with two-way diagonals indicating a specific area must be kept clear during the specified times of the day.
 Clearway |
· Paid Parking
Disc parking and Pay-and-Display parking system are both valid in Ireland. You are most likely to find a solar powered meter for Pay-and-Display, which prices usually range from 80 cent to €2.9 per hour.
Fuel PricesThe average value for Ireland gasoline price during November to December, 2017 is 1.4 Euro, while diesel is 1 cent lower.
TollBoth Irish residents and foreign tourists using a toll road should pay for the fee. There are eleven toll roads in Ireland.
You will need to stop at the toll plaza to pay the tolls either by cash or by card, and 10 of the toll roads in Ireland are equipped with barrier toll plazas except for the M50. To use the M50, you need to pay before 8pm the following day. Failure to do so will result in a fine of €3.00.
If you plan to rent a car and use the toll roads in Ireland, it is advisable for you to rent an electronic tag from the car hire company, enabling an automatic payment of the toll fee directly from your credit card. Please note that electronic tags are subject to availability at the rental desk. If you have any question related to your toll fee billing, feel free to contact QEEQ' 24/7 customer service team for assistance.
DUI LawsIn Ireland, drink driving is a serious offence. The legal limit varies and depends on drivers’ qualifications. Full licenced drivers are not allowed to consume more than the legal alcohol limit which is 50 micrograms per millilitres of blood while professional and learner drivers are limited at 20mg/100ml. Being deemed as drunk driving will result in a two-year ban and a €1,500 fine.
Traffic FinesIf you are caught speeding on the road, you need to pay €80 as a fine and give out 3 penalty points in 28 days. If you miss the deadline, you need to pay €120 in another 28 days. If you still have not proceeded to the payment after 56 days, a court case will be filled against you.
Parking offence will result in a fine from €40 to €80 depending on the situation.
Car hire companies will pass on the driver’s information to the authorities in case of traffic infringement, while the post or email notification enlisting breach details will only be issued by the traffic authority.
Note that the fine usually comes with a service/administration fee as well. It is advisable for you to contact QEEQ' 24/7 customer service team if you have any question on this matter.
Q1.What is an insurance excess？
Q2. How can I add an addtional driver?
Q3.What if I want to pick up or drop off my rental car out of office hours?
Q4. Can I take the hired car to another country or cross border?
Q5. Can I pick up my car at one location and return it at different location?
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Customer Service
February 18, 2025
Destination: Cork
Not a smooth and great rental experience. They charged me further for insurance despite everything was fully booked online through qeeq.
View moreJanuary 15, 2025
Destination: Dublin
There was a Canadian guy in front of me who really tested the patience of the staff but they handled him well. His idiotic questions were the cause of my delay picking up the car.
View moreDecember 30, 2024
Destination: Dublin
One major problem when I picked up the rental car and left the airport I was driving the the motorway and I noticed the bonnet was shuddering so I had to find a place to pull in, the bonnet was on the latch, whoever serviced the car before pick never closed it properly. We were very lucky it didn't fly off on the motorway
View moreDecember 28, 2024
Destination: Shannon
Way Way way too long - every other country it’s about 3-5mins max
View moreDecember 25, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Very friendly and helpful staff.
View moreDecember 25, 2024
Destination: Shannon
Everyone was very helpful.
View moreDecember 14, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Stay away from these lads,my first and last time i rent any car of anybody and they try to scam me straight away. Gave me car with chip in windscreen,which i piccked up after half an hour and took a picture of it. After returned car they tried to charge me 560e,but next they they said it's only 160e as it doesn't need to be fully replaced. Them boys should be sacked,dishonest liars and chancers.
View moreDecember 1, 2024
Destination: Kerry
It was ok generally allthough it had more damage on it than was annotated on the forms and we were just told to photograph it and we made a video. The extra insurance we took out to cover damages was very misleading as Eurocar still took an imprint of our credit card in case we damaged it and then we were told we would have to claim it back through the insurance plan. The insurance was very expensive and it feels like you were just trying to make up the cost of the cheap hire by loading the insurance heavily. All this needs to be made a lot clearer and not put in small print.
View moreNovember 4, 2024
Destination: Cork
I picked up the rental car at 22:15 in the dark and dropped it to Dublin approx 8:00 also in the dark. I was accused of scratching the car which I did not do. I showed them (Europcar Dublin airport) the cctv footage of the scratch 15 mins after pickup and they said it didnt matter because I didnt make them aware within the 12 hour window. I only had the car in my possession for 10 hours and the Cork office told me I had 24 hours to report any issues. (Cork Airport office was great). My review here does not allow me to choose my score which is wrong. The car was ok and drove well. it had scratches you would expect from a 2 year old rental car with 85,000kms. The issue is that they wanted to charge me $1500 first, then dropped it to $850 and then to $800 for damage I did not do. Even with video proof they still charged me and I am never ever going to use them again. I had insurance through QEEQ which covers me but it is the principle of the thing. The car had many other scratches on it 7 of which were highlighted in the pre inspection paperwork. so you think they have done their job and notated all the scratches. Make sure you take pics even in the dark as they obviously charged other people before me and never repaired the scratches that those people were charged for. I have 25 rentals on QEEQ alone and this is the only time I have been taken advantage of. DO NOT RENT from EUROPCAR. Plenty other decent companies renting in Dublin Airport. Hertz Dollar Trifty Alamo Budget Avis have all treated me well recently. I would have scored 5 for Europcar Cork Airport and 0 for Europcar Dublin Airport.
View moreSeptember 27, 2024
Destination: Dublin
It took us 3 cars until we could actually use one. The first one was full of smoke smell and was worse than an ashtray. The second car, we took off the lot, but then 2 km down the road, the low tire pressure warning light came on, so we had to return. Finally we got a third car that was ok. However this entire process took us more than an hour and so used part of our holiday time until we could get a working car.
View moreSeptember 27, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Would be helpful to have info about toll roads.
View moreSeptember 3, 2024
Destination: Shannon
Europcar was quick and efficient. Two points worth noting though 1. They seem to hold one of the highest deposits compared to theirs we spoke to. 2. They say they are in the airport but it is only their desk there. You take a free shuttle just a short distance to their actual compound. On arrival we waited 10-15 mins for the shuttle but it was immediate on departure. It is also just about a half mile away.
View moreAugust 22, 2024
Destination: Knock
Everything was fine
View moreAugust 19, 2024
Destination: Cork
Hidden costs that were not highlighted during the booking process. Had to go back in and resubmit the times for the car drop off even though I clearly gave them during the phone booking process. When I went back in to resubmit I was charged an additional cost for the drop off. Not impressed with the process.
View moreAugust 16, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Super helpful, smooth and wonderful experience! Highly recommend!
View moreJuly 28, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Satisfied
View moreJuly 26, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Aggressive insurance upselling, Chinese credit cards not accepted.
View moreJuly 26, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Satisfied.
View moreJuly 25, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Very enthusiastic, clear explanation, simple process.
View moreJuly 23, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Both pick-up and drop-off were very convenient, the procedures were simple, and the staff were very nice.
View moreJuly 22, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Satisfied, although the model was not what I wanted.
View moreJuly 19, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Extremely satisfied
View moreJuly 17, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Very satisfied
View moreJuly 14, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Pretty good.
View moreJuly 2, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Satisfied, we opted for an upgrade and paid an additional 15 euros per day to upgrade to a Volvo XC90, which is much more spacious and convenient for luggage.
View moreJuly 2, 2024
Destination: Knock
Excellent friendly speedy service thank you
View moreJune 25, 2024
Destination: Shannon
Initially, they said the car was broken and I had to wait for an hour. They waived one day's rental fee for me. After a long wait, they provided a smaller car and further reduced some fees. Additionally, I could return the car with an empty tank. Although the wait was long, the solution was acceptable.
View moreJune 22, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Overall good experience, except for the half-hour queue during pickup; the return was pretty quick.
View moreJune 22, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Overall it was good, except for the half-hour wait to pick up the car. The return process was quite fast.
View moreJune 21, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Satisfied
View moreJune 19, 2024
Destination: Dublin
The Audi A4 diesel they provided was powerful, but the luggage space was slightly small.
View moreJune 16, 2024
Destination: Dublin
The pick-up and drop-off service at the airport was excellent. They were very enthusiastic and guided us to the parking lot for car collection. Returning the car was quick.
View moreJune 13, 2024
Destination: Cork
Very satisfied
View moreMay 30, 2024
Destination: Dublin
See description of QEEQ, as both as bad as each other.
View moreMay 30, 2024
Destination: Cork
First car offered wasn’t suitable. It was changed for something like what was ordered.
View moreMay 28, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Convenient and fast, new models with navigation and driving assistance.
View moreMay 25, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Good
View moreMay 13, 2024
Destination: Dublin
was seamless. very pleased all round
View moreMay 10, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Car was new but clutch was not good making it tricky to drive. I drive all over the world and this was the worst I've experienced
View moreMay 2, 2024
Destination: Dun Laoghaire
Actually, it's the same company as Sixt, they are sister companies.
View moreMarch 29, 2024
Destination: Knock
Really easy and friendly. Didn't pressurise me about extra insurance.
View moreMarch 25, 2024
Destination: Galway
Satisfied
View moreMarch 20, 2024
Destination: Dublin
It was a bunch of crap. I pre paid for a small car and they said they didn’t t have one because of st Patrick’s day. They then make me pay $80 over what I already paid for the car they switched me into. Normally when this happens I do not pay an up charge for the vehicle they want switch me into. I had no choice as this rental location required off site pick up from the airport and there were no other rental car companies near by. Felt totally taken advantage of. I don’t think they even applied my area payment to the rental. When I tried to dispute the charges I was made to feel as though take it or leave it. This was a terrible experience.
View moreFebruary 28, 2024
Destination: Dublin
1. The car provided was smaller than originally booked. 2. There was a small problem with the rental car, so we drove back the next morning to change the car, and the car we changed was more in line with the original reservation, but it was an older car. 3.Returning the car is very fast.
View moreFebruary 28, 2024
Destination: Dublin
The car rental service was just average. When I picked up the car, it was a windy and rainy night with poor lighting, making it hard to see any small scratches on the car's body. Fortunately, when returning the car, aside from the scuffed wheel cover, there were no other issues, and the repair cost was reasonable.
View moreFebruary 28, 2024
Destination: Knock
Staff were friendly, efficient and made it all very easy.
View moreFebruary 14, 2024
Destination: Dublin
Very good
View moreJanuary 21, 2024
Destination: Dublin
A long wait for shuttle bus on pick up. Staff at counter a little slow
View moreJanuary 20, 2024
Destination: Cork
We booked a fiesta and was upgraded to a larger vehicle. This was a welcome upgrade.
View moreJanuary 20, 2024
Destination: Dublin
The pick-up point is not at the airport, you need to take a shuttle bus which comes every 15 minutes. If you miss it, you'll have to wait in the cold for a long time, especially during winter. I recommend not renting at this spot if you're in Dublin. Moreover, the car provided was poorly equipped! It was an older Suzuki without cruise control, had a poor sound system, and the gear shift felt mediocre.
View more