Ireland by campervan: driving, tolls and rules
Driving a campervan in Ireland: speed limits, tolls, low-emission zones, required equipment and key road rules. What to know before you go.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026
Currency
Euro
EUR. In the EU, but not in the Schengen area
Language
English
Irish is the first official language
Driving
Left
Motorway 120 km/h, rural local roads 60
Power
230V, type G
The three-pin British plug, not the European two-pin
Tap water
Safe to drink
Boil water notices do happen, and are published
Emergency
112 or 999
Both work, both free
Driving
Driving
The single most common mistake a foreign vehicle makes in Ireland is the M50 toll. The barrier-free toll on Dublin's ring road has no booths and takes no cash at all. Cameras read your plate between Junction 6 and Junction 7, and if you are not on an account you have to pay online, by phone or at a Payzone outlet by 20:00 on the day after the journey. Miss that and the charge escalates in three steps.
Speed limits, and the 2025 change
| Road | Limit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Motorway | 120 km/h | Blue signs. Learner drivers are not allowed on them |
| National road | 100 km/h | Green signs. A cut to 80 on national secondary roads is planned but not in force |
| Regional road | 80 km/h | The R roads |
| Rural local road | 60 km/h | Cut from 80 on 7 February 2025. The white circle with five diagonal black lines and a Go Mall plate now means 60 |
| Built-up area | 50 km/h | Falling to 30 on many streets, with a target of 31 March 2027 |
M50 barrier-free toll, applicable tolls 2026
| Vehicle class | With a tag | Video account | Unregistered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor cars, up to 8 passengers and driver | €2.60 | €3.20 | €3.80 |
| Goods vehicles not exceeding 2,000 kg | €3.60 | €4.20 | €4.90 |
| Buses or coaches, more than 8 passengers | €3.60 | €4.20 | €4.90 |
| Goods vehicles 2,000 kg to 10,000 kg | €5.20 | €5.90 | €6.50 |
| Goods vehicles exceeding 10,000 kg | €6.50 | €7.20 | €7.80 |
The M50, and what happens if you forget
- There is nothing to stop for. The toll point sits on the M50 between Junction 6 (N3 Blanchardstown) and Junction 7 (N4 Lucan), in both directions, and you will not notice crossing it.
- Pay by 20:00 the next day, quoting the registration. Online at eflow.ie, by phone, or in cash at any Payzone outlet.
The other tolls, which all have barriers
- M1 Gormanston to Monasterboice and the Limerick Tunnel, 2026: cars €2.30, motorcycles €1.20, buses and coaches €4.20, goods up to 3,500 kg €4.20, goods over 3,500 kg €5.90 on two or three axles and €7.50 on four or more.
- M4 Kilcock to Kinnegad, 2026: cars €3.60, goods up to 3,500 kg €5.40.
The roads themselves
- Local roads are the default on the Wild Atlantic Way, and a lot of them are one vehicle wide with grass up the middle. The 60 km/h limit is a ceiling, not a target.
- Stone walls sit at wing-mirror height with no verge behind them. Hedges hide oncoming traffic completely on a bend.
Fuel, and the rest
- Diesel is the dearer fuel, at 194.20 cent a litre against 186.86 for petrol in the September 2026 AA Ireland survey.
- Fill up before a peninsula or a mountain road. Stations get sparse fast west of the main towns.
The drink driving threshold is 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, and 20 mg for learners, newly qualified drivers and drivers of buses, lorries, trailers, work vehicles and taxis. The lowest band is not a points matter: it carries a €200 fixed charge and an automatic three month disqualification. In a country where an evening means a pub, the risk is the next morning rather than the same night. Moving the van 200 metres to a better spot is still driving.