Read on for key information on making your way around Ireland.

Speed & limits:
Motorways 112 kph (80kph towing)
Regular non-urban roads 100 kph (80kph towing)
Urban areas 48/50 kph

Drink driving:
Drink Driving is severely restricted in Ireland. The legal tolerance limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. It is better to not drink and drive at all.

Seat belts

All car occupants should wear seat belts. Wearing of seat belts is compulsory.Children under 12 years age not permitted in front seats unless in a properly fitted infant seat.

What to pack

It is recommended to carry breakdown warning triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and spare bulb kit in vehicle. If you wear glasses, bring a spare pair in the car with you.

Minimum Driving Age: 17 years.

Documents Required While Driving

Valid drivers license, vehicle title document/registration certificate or vehicle rental agreement, insurance green card (not obligatory for vehicles registered in Ireland or another EU state), national vehicle oval country of registration plate (not required for vehicles fitted with EU standard format license plates)

Road sense

Drive on the left. Vehicle headlights should be focused accordingly. Precedence Traffic coming from the right-hand side has precedence on roundabouts (traffic rotaries)

Tips for North Americans driving in Ireland for the first time

A car is the best way to see Ireland. It usually takes between a few hours and a day to get used to a new driving environment, particularly if you have not driven in the country before. If you are used to an automatic, be sure to specify automatic when making your reservation.

When you drive the car for the first time, take it around the block at the airport a few times to get used to the controls and driving on the left-hand side of the road.

Try to avoid the narrower R roads for the first day or so until you are familiar with your car and the driving environment.

Get a good map at the airport, and have someone other than the driver to navigate.

Take your time - drive slowly at first until you gain confidence. Watch the signs carefully! If you cross the road to park or to visit a gas station, be sure to return to a driving position on the left-hand side after you exit the space!

Parking regulations are strictly enforced. Tow trucks and vehicle-disabling programs (clamping) are in operation. City centre metred parking charges are €1.90 per hour. The further you go out, the less you pay, with charges falling to €1.50 per hour, €1.30 per hour, €1 per hour and €0.60 per hour.

Parking times which are metered usually - but not always - start at 7am and can run right up to midnight in some areas. You should always check the metre. Some only charge up to 5pm, but others require payment until later in the evening, usually up to 7pm. Many meters are of the "Pay and Display" variety, with a single solar-powered meter serving about 20 spaces. As coins are inserted, the parking expiry time for the amount inserted is displayed. When sufficient coins have been deposited, pressing the green button causes a two part ticket to be printed. The larger part should be stuck to the winshield, and the counterfoil can be retained as a reminder of when the parking expires.

Disc-parking operates outside the central zone and in some suburbs and many cities and towns outside Dublin. Multi-story car parks are signposted along the parking routes with advance space availability indicators showing how many spaces are left in each park. These parking space availability displays are updated every minute. Some of these car parks payment machines accept Visa, MasterCard and Eurocard payments (eg Stephen's Green and Royal Surgeons in Dublin). If you have recently rented a car in Dublin and have no euro change to hand, follow the parking route signs to one of these car parks and use a credit card to pay.