I would consider myself a good driver on the right side of the road but I am wondering if visiting Ireland and renting a car is for me.
Also how do you feel about driving manual transmission when not used to churning gears with the usual hand?
I change between the two fairly often and the two most dangerous things are -
Looking the wrong way when approaching a roundabout
Going to change gear with the wrong hand and punching the door
Generally it’s only difficult if you drive a RHD car on LHD roads or vice versa
Going to change gear with the wrong hand and punching the door
When I was planning a trip to the UK I swapped the gearshift location on my racing wheel setup and drove around a bunch in Forza Horizon 3 so that I’d be ready.
Didn’t end up renting a car, so all my work was for naught.
Going to change gear with the wrong hand and punching the door
Coming from Australia to Europe. So many times.
And on the level of hitting the door:
Waiting to turn at a crossroads, only to have the other car pass on the other side of the road while you look stupid.
It totally depends on the person. I’m from the left-driving UK, and have friends who hate every second of driving in the rest of Europe. Personally, I find it takes about 10 minutes to acclimatise and then it seems normal and I’m fine.
Never driven on the other side of the road but I have driven right hand drive. It was a little strange for pretty much the first couple shifts but the pattern was ultimately the same.
Personally I enjoyed the experience, it’s always fun to try something new. I still prefer left hand drive because it’s what I’m used to but don’t let comfort keep you from a memorable experience!
I can’t say anything about driving on the left side since I never had to do it.
About the clutch, I think it depends on whether you used to do it a lot. I used to drive stick when I learned to drive, but for the last 5 years I have only driven automatic or electric. But when I rented a car with manual transmission, my muscle memory came back within a few minutes and everything went fine.
For me, the hard part isn’t driving on the “wrong” side of the road. You pick that up pretty quickly. You need to think a bit more when turning, but it’s not so hard. For me the harder part is driving from the “wrong” side of the car. I may have almost mounted a curb or two because I forgot where I was in the lane.
You should be ok if you stay focused and alert. When you’re in the driver’s seat you will always be in the middle of the road next to the white line, whatever country you’re in.
The trickiest part is making turns. Driving in Europe, the US and Canada I used to say to myself “loooong left and tight right”. In Ireland, you’ll be turning right across the oncoming traffic. It’s tricky because if you don’t focus, habit will take you on to the wrong side of the road. After a couple of days you’ll get used to it.
Hire an automatic, they’re more common these days anyway. Having said that, I never had a problem changing gears withe the “wrong” hand.
Enjoy! The Irish countryside is lovely.
I visited Ireland and it took me maybe a day to get used to driving on the left.
Driving a stick shift on the left though took a little more time, I would often go from 1st gear to 4th gear. My muscle memory wasn’t developed in my left hand for this.
Be aware though that the streets are much more narrow in the countryside. I was often nervous driving there.
Seconding the narrow roads. And sometimes the only automatic vehicle they have left to rent is a 7-seater wagon.
In my experience it’s surprisingly easy. I found the break in routine snaps me out of complacency, making me more alert.
I’m pretty sure driving on the wrong side of the road is illegal in most places, please do not drive on wrong side in Ireland.
In Ireland I would only drive on the correct side of the road, but thanks
It’s like driving in the fast lane on the highway. If you can do that you can drive on the “wrong” side of the road
Do it! I had. Lot of fun. Just be aware and you’ll be fine. :)
Wise to hire an automatic, I think. Not difficult with so many rentals offering hybrids or electric now. My right hand would struggle with gear shifts and I’d imagine it is even harder switching the other way around (if you are right-handed).
Getting used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side isn’t too hard but understanding unfamiliar road signs at the same time might be quite taxing. Remember to read up on the local road laws, and whatever their equivalent of the Highway Code is.
It’s quite easy if you’re right handed since your dominant hand is in control of the wheel and with left hand you are only moving the hand mostly in straight line and diagonals along with a feedback as well, so it’s hard to mess up.
Be extra cautious when parking on the left. The wheels are closer to the curb than you might think.
I learned that lesson. Twice.
In my experience, turns at lights are the hard part, remembering what lane you are supposed to end up in.
it’s super difficult because there’s oncoming traffic
