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DRIVING & ARRIVING

Arriving In Ireland
	Ireland has four international airports, Dublin , Shannon, Belfast and Cork . Cork is the only one of the four airports that does not have a transatlantic service. All airports are well served by flights from Britain , Continental Europe and an increasing number of cities around the world. There are also excellent ferry services from Britain and France . While Ireland 's physical infrastructure continues to improve greatly, by US standards the roads are still narrow and bumpy. Public transportation is limited to bus services in the larger cities, while trains and buses operate between the cities and major towns.
On arrival at any of Ireland 's four main airports, the most cost effective mode of transport to your hotel or B&B is by bus. Bus Éireann , the country's national bus company, runs the following services:
Dublin Airport (DUB) : every 20 minutes to the city's main rail and bus stations. The service runs from early in the morning until midnight and the journey takes a half hour. Click here for timetable.
Shannon Airport (SNN) : A regular service runs to nearby Limerick , a journey taking a half hour. Click here for timetable.
Belfast International Airport (BFS): A bus service runs to Belfast city on a regular basis. Click here for timetable.
Cork Airport (ORK) : Buses run every 45 minutes and it takes 20 minutes to travel to the center of the city. Click here for timetable. Long and Short Term parking facilities are available at all airports.
Irish Regional Airports
Knock International Airport in Co. Mayo: Handles chartered flights for pilgrims to the shrine of Our Lady at Knock, and is served by scheduled flights from Dublin , London (Stansted) and Manchester Airports. Kerry Airport : Served by flights from Dublin , London-Luton, Düsseldorf and Munich .
Waterford Airport : Served by flights from London (Stansted), London-Luton and Manchester .
Galway Airport : Twice daily flights from Dublin .

Driving In Ireland

In Ireland we drive on the left hand side of the road and all vehicles are right hand drive. The quality of the highway network has improved in recent years but is still inferior to tha t of the US . Roads in Ireland tend to be narrow, bumpy and winding!! While the major highways are of good quality, the 'real' Ireland is one of twisting country lanes. Driving on these lanes can be a pleasure with scenic treasures around every corner, but do not expect to get to your destination in record time!! You could very well find yourself stuck behind a herd of cows or sheep or a slow moving tractor, but your best option is to adopt the Irish 'sure there's plenty of time' attitude.

In 2004 200,000 new cars were purchased in the Republic of Ireland (pop 4 million) which has added to general traffic congestion and an increase in traffic accidents around the country, so drive carefully. Traffic congestion is only a significant problem in Dublin . In recent times there has been a concerted effort to control parking in the city. Vehicles which are illegally parked stand a good chance of being clamped or impounded so be careful where you decide to park your car. A single yellow line by the sidewalk signifies parking at certain times only. Nearby signs should inform you of the restrictions. A double yellow line by the sidewalk signifies no parking at any time

The wearing of safety belts, both front and rear, is compulsory both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland .

In the Republic, the speed limit is 100 km/hr (~62.5 miles/hr) on highways, while it is 110 km/hr (~70 miles/hr) on Northern Ireland 's highrways. The speed limit in built up areas both North and South is 50 km/hr (~30 miles/hr).

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol is taken very seriously in Ireland and heavy penalties will be imposed on those found to be above the legal blood/alcohol limit.

In the case of an accident you will need to call the Police and if anyone is injured an Ambulance, tel. 999 for both. If there is any damage to the car or to a passenger then calling the police is essential. You will need to take contact details of all witnesses to the accident. If you have a camera make sure you take photographs from all angles before any vehicle is moved.

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