Ireland by campervan: safety and healthcare
Campervan safety in Ireland: vehicle security, healthcare, emergency contacts and practical prevention. 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
Safety and health
Safety and health
The biggest risk to a campervan in Ireland is the road. Rural roads are narrow, walled and frequently single track, the hedges are high enough to hide an oncoming car completely, and everybody local drives them faster than you will. Add driving on the left and a vehicle wider than the lane, and the first two days are demanding rather than merely unfamiliar. Slow down, fold the mirrors in, and accept being overtaken.
What works
- Arrive before dark so you can see the place you picked and read the sign at the entrance.
- Prefer a town or a village to an empty coastal car park, for the wind as much as anything else.
Health, ticks and the water
- 112 or 999 reaches every emergency service, free, from any phone.
- Check for ticks after walking through bracken or long grass. The national parks name Lyme disease as the reason.
Boil water notices are a normal part of Irish life rather than an emergency. Uisce Éireann issues one when a supply fails a test or a treatment system falters, and publishes it on a live map. If you are filling tanks from a public tap in a small town, it is worth a look before you do.