MX-5 OC Forum

 Assuming you mean the republic - based on past travels to Donegal

Roads are bumpy

Road signs - distances in Miles, speed limts in KPH - or was it the other way around ...?

Check your insurance covers you for ROI

If going through Derry - or maybe some other border towns - be especially prepared to follw diversions esp. if there's some trouble going on. There's less of it these days, but you never know! If you spot a pile of tyres - keep clear!

Bone up on the price of petrol before you go - if going through the North, compare prices with the South, and plan fuel stops accordingly.

I never bothered with GB stickers.

I would carry warning triangles/flouresecnt jackets wherever, irrespective of any rules.

Wrong time of year for street bonfires.

I doubt these are (m)any mph signs left these days. Distances and speeds are both kmh (in the South)

From experience going from mph to kmh is made a lot clearer than the other way round- but if you use common sense, you should be fine.

Just a few things to look out for....

If you are driving down from the North, be careful around Newry, they have average speed cameras. These are very tall yellow jobbies and will catch you if your'e not prudent with your speed.

In the Republic, At traffic lights be aware that there are folks that will try to wash your glass. Be polite but firm, usually they will just try the next sap. The thing to watch out for is "Gypsies" selling you small cuttings of plants that they have just nicked from whatever bush is near them at the time. These people WILL give you trouble when you decline their advances, to the point of kicking your car or worse, holding a sharp object against the bodywork as you drive off!. The best way to deal with problem is to haggle until the lights change and then just drive off, this seems to confuse them and by the time they are ready to damage your car, you have gone.

In 19 years of driving in Ireland, I have never had anyone try to wash my windscreen, I've never seem a 'Gypsy' (I believe the politically correct term is 'Member of the Travelling Comunity' by the way) try to sell me anything at lights either.

I have seen them selling televisions at the side of the road - all powered up using generators. Quite possibly removed from people's houses...

There are a few old roadsigns in miles kicking about (mostly in the wilds), but, almost everything in the south is now in KMs. Roads are no worse than GB - and the motorways and dual carriageways are a lot emptier than in the UK in general - the same being true in the North. Also, whereas 85MPH seems to be the norm on most GB motorways, you will be pulled over in the North - and the points now carry over to GB licenses. I don't think Southern ones do, it's a bit of a grey area - they carry over to NI licenses, but, not necessarily to GB ones.

Make sure if you're heading north from Dublin on the M1 that you have Euros for the toll - it's currently €1.90. The M50 toll is paid via a website. They can now prosecute GB drivers if you don't pay, but, I don't think they'd really bother - but better to pay just in case!

AT:

And it might not be entirely obvious when you cross the border.

If you go up the M1 it is...

Nice little slip road for Garda cars to pull off (quite clearly marked too), a mile and a bit of motorway with road markings changing halfway along it, and a slip road for the PSNI to pull on. Of course, you'd never take advantage of that...