Ireland by campervan: food and supermarkets
Where to buy food in Ireland, which supermarkets to use, opening hours and practical tips for eating on the road. 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
Food and shops
Food and shops
Cook in the van and eat out sparingly. That is the whole strategy in a country where Eurostat put restaurants and hotels at 129 against an EU average of 100 in 2024 while food in the shops sat at 114. Irish supermarkets are good, well stocked, and open long hours including Sundays, so self-catering costs about what it would anywhere in northern Europe.
Where to shop
- Best value: Aldi or Lidl.
- Full range: Tesco or Dunnes Stores.
- Camper access: Large Tesco and Dunnes stores on town edges are easiest with a campervan.
Where to shop, and what each is for
| Chain | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tesco, Dunnes Stores | A full shop. The largest stores, the widest range, car parks that take a van. | Town edge rather than town centre, which suits a campervan |
| Lidl and Aldi | The cheapest basket by a clear margin. Good bread, good vegetables. | Smaller stores, and they are in most market towns |
| SuperValu | The best of the mid-size shops, often the only real supermarket in a small town. Strong on local produce. | Frequently the last full shop before a peninsula |
| Centra, Spar, Mace | The village shop and the filling station shop. Milk, bread, a hot deli counter. | Open early and late, and often the only thing open at all |
| Farmers markets | Saturday mornings on the square in most towns. Cheese, bread, fish, vegetables. | Cash, and finished by early afternoon |
Eating and drinking in an Irish pub
- The carvery is the value meal. Served in the middle of the day in pubs and hotels, hot, at a fixed price, and gone by mid afternoon.
- Food stops before the bar does. Many pub kitchens take their last order early in the evening. Check before you settle in.
Stocking the campervan
- Shop before the peninsula, not on it. Dingle, Beara, Sheep's Head, Achill and the Donegal headlands all thin out fast, and the village shop is small and dear.
- Big supermarket car parks are the reliable ones for a tall van. Village shops have no parking at all, so stop on the edge and walk.
