Ireland by campervan: costs and prices

Practical costs in Ireland: currency, cards, cash, fuel, groceries and budgeting for a campervan trip. 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

Money

Ireland is expensive, and the figures are not close. Eurostat's 2024 price level index put Irish consumer prices at 141 against an EU average of 100, third in the Union behind Luxembourg at 151 and Denmark at 143. Budget the way you would for Scandinavia rather than for southern Europe, and the country stops being a shock.

A stack of euro banknotes lying on a bed of loose coins — Euro, so nothing to convert. That is where the good news about Irish prices ends

Practical prices for camper travel

Diesel, 1 litre: €1.94
Campsite or camper area, 1 night: €37.55
Inexpensive restaurant meal: €19
White bread, 500 g: €1.94
Bottled water, 1.5 litres: €1.83

Paying for things

Cards are accepted almost everywhere and contactless is the default, including on public transport in the cities.
Carry a small amount of cash for rural car park machines, honesty boxes at trailheads and a few village shops.

Where the money goes

Fuel. Taxes, levies and VAT were 38 percent of the diesel pump price in September 2026, and 46 percent of the petrol price.
Distance. The Wild Atlantic Way is 2,500 km of coastline with 180 signed Discovery Points, and the roads are slow. Fuel adds up faster than the map suggests.

There is no ferry-free way in. A campervan reaches Ireland by sea, into Dublin, Rosslare or Cork, and the crossing is a real line in the budget rather than a rounding error. Ferries charge by vehicle length and height, so measure the van including anything on the roof before you price a sailing.