{"id":876124,"date":"2025-01-22T20:11:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T19:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/?p=876124"},"modified":"2025-03-17T21:00:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T20:00:42","slug":"the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"876124\" class=\"elementor elementor-876124\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4ad6ea07 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4ad6ea07\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6f5300a6\" data-id=\"6f5300a6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c27c011 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7c27c011\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Everything you need to know to be confident on an Ireland or Scotland road trip\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Self-driven tourism offers freedom and cost-effective travel, but some people are nervous about taking the wheel. Here are some tips and tricks we\u2019ve collected from past travelers to help you feel prepared for driving in Ireland and Scotland.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>A good <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/en-us\/travel-styles\/self-drive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Self-Drive<\/a> itinerary or customized trip should hit a perfect combination of independence and structure. Plus, driving offers you the chance to see places off the beaten path, choose your own timing, and add in a few of the hidden gems people recommend along your journey.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cOverall, self-drive is the most cost-effective travel style and offers you the most amount of freedom while in Ireland or Scotland\u201d<\/em> says Brian, a veteran traveler. For many people, the biggest roadblock in booking a self-drive trip is apprehension about one thing: The driving part.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Based on the most common questions we\u2019ve heard about driving in Ireland and Scotland, we reached out to a few past guests and members of the Brendan team to get some insights on what they learned from their time driving abroad, and <strong>here\u2019s some of the wisdom they shared for those about to drive in Ireland or Scotland for the first time<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Driving in Ireland &amp; Scotland: Know Before You Go\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look at a Map\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Write out directions\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Save your addresses\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the oldest trick in the road trip book: Try to know where you\u2019re going before you get there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Sounds simple enough, but this crucial first step tends to get skipped when people get too excited. If you want to feel comfortable driving in Ireland and Scotland, take a moment, look at a map and <strong>familiarize yourself with where you\u2019re going<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Before you get behind the wheel, look up and review the route you\u2019ll be driving on a map, plot it out, even write it down, turn by turn if you need to. It will help your brain feel a sense of familiarity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Be sure to download virtual maps before you start<\/strong> your drive to minimize data usage and maintain accessibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYou can also input directions into your phone while you\u2019re at a hotel or airport while you\u2019re connected to Wi-Fi,\u201d<\/em> says Josh, a Brendan contact center manager after a self-drive in Ireland.<em> \u201cIt\u2019ll keep giving you directions even if you don\u2019t have a data plan.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_876138\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-876138\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-876138 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/Car-driving-in-Ireland-_-credit-tourism-Ireland-1024x384.jpg\" alt=\"Car driving in Ireland _ credit tourism Ireland\" width=\"1024\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Car-driving-in-Ireland-_-credit-tourism-Ireland-1024x384.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Car-driving-in-Ireland-_-credit-tourism-Ireland-330x124.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Car-driving-in-Ireland-_-credit-tourism-Ireland-1536x576.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Car-driving-in-Ireland-_-credit-tourism-Ireland.jpg 1900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-876138\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Car driving in Ireland, credit tourism Ireland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Driving on the other side of the car\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The accelerator is still aligned with your right foot\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The rear-view mirror is to the driver\u2019s left\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0It\u2019s not just the road on the opposite side &#8211; everything in the car is also switched, meaning when you get out of the car, you\u2019re stepping onto the sidewalk.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>But one thing that you won\u2019t have to orient to is the transmission &#8211; <strong>Brendan Vacations reserves automatic vehicles (not stick shift) for our guests<\/strong> by default, so no need to worry about which foot to use for the clutch or reaching for a gear shift.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYour right foot is on the accelerator. Your right foot is by your right front wheel. Orient yourself off your right foot,\u201d<\/em> says Patrick, who took a self-drive trip in Scotland and London.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Getting your bearings while driving: Start small and slow\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>If you haven\u2019t driven in Ireland or Scotland before, there\u2019s no need to stress about getting behind the wheel as soon as you arrive. On most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/en-us\/search?brands=Brendan+Vacations&amp;sortBy=5&amp;tags=Self+Drive&amp;useEmbeddedCards=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brendan bookings<\/a>, we\u2019ll schedule the car pickup for the day you leave your starting city, after spending a night or two in town.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Once you pick up your car, you\u2019ll be heading away from the city. <strong>You\u2019ll have time to get comfortable and stay out of traffic while getting used to things.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI would say it\u2019s natural to be nervous but once you\u2019re out in the countryside you\u2019ll get the hang of it,\u201d<\/em> says Stephanie, who drove in Ireland and Northern Ireland.<em> \u201cAnd of course, stay calm and follow the signs of the road.\u201d\u00a0<br \/><\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_876139\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-876139\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-876139 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/01\/Wild-Atlantic-Way-Sign_Credit-Tourism-Ireland-1024x384.jpg\" alt=\"Wild Atlantic Way Sign_Credit Tourism Ireland\" width=\"1024\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wild-Atlantic-Way-Sign_Credit-Tourism-Ireland-1024x384.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wild-Atlantic-Way-Sign_Credit-Tourism-Ireland-330x124.jpg 330w, https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wild-Atlantic-Way-Sign_Credit-Tourism-Ireland-1536x576.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Wild-Atlantic-Way-Sign_Credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg 1900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-876139\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wild Atlantic Way Sign_Credit Tourism Ireland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Expect the Unexpected<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Even the most well-planned, thought-out vacation is bound to have at least a few delays, regardless of the travel style.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cDon\u2019t always expect things to go to plan,\u201d<\/em> says Kaitlyn, who took a self-drive trip in Scotland. <em>\u201cAlways allow for more time instead of less.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Give yourself extra time<\/strong> beyond what the GPS estimates for your drive. Aim for a buffer of at least fifteen minutes to check in before any scheduled activities. This includes picking up your rental car from the depot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to expect with parking\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Parking can be challenging, no matter where you are in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cYou never know if parking may not be as accessible in some areas over others,\u201d <\/em>warns Kaitlyn.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Many cities and towns in Ireland and Scotland, due to the nature of growing over have limited parking options. Rather than looking for a space right next to your destination, think ahead and <strong>try to locate places nearby the area you are exploring and leave the car parked for as long as possible.<\/strong> Remember, most cities are walkable, and attractions are often situated within easy reach of each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019d also say you want to stay near town centres where you can park in the afternoon and then not have to drive to dinner or the pub in the evening, as you can then just walk it,\u201d <\/em>suggests Brian, who has several self-drive trips under his belt.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve heard from other Brendan Vacations guests, it\u2019s time to get ready for your own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/en-us\/search?brands=Brendan+Vacations&amp;sortBy=5&amp;tags=Self+Drive&amp;useEmbeddedCards=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Self-Drive<\/a> trip. If you have a good tip or trick to share for a first time driving in Ireland or Scotland, let us know!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-70f6992 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"70f6992\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-de820c0\" data-id=\"de820c0\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-94418b8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"94418b8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Read Next<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0f8ad70 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0f8ad70\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6cb331f\" data-id=\"6cb331f\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everything you need to know to be confident on an Ireland or Scotland road trip\u00a0 Self-driven tourism offers freedom and cost-effective travel, but some people are nervous about taking the wheel. Here are some tips and tricks we\u2019ve collected from past travelers to help you feel prepared for driving in Ireland and Scotland. A good [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":876140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":null,"ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":null,"ast-hfb-below-header-display":null,"ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":null,"ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":null,"stick-header-meta":null,"header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":null,"header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23025],"tags":[22679,22973,784,22974,22307],"class_list":["post-876124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-travel","tag-european-road-trip","tag-ireland-self-drive-travel","tag-road-trip","tag-self-drive-travel","tag-travelling-by-yourself","countries-ireland","countries-northern-ireland","countries-scotland","cities-dublin","cities-edinburgh","cities-ireland","cities-limerick","cities-scotland"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide - Brendan Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Planning a road trip in Ireland or Scotland? Get expert tips on driving as a tourist, including road rules, navigation, and local advice.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Planning a road trip in Ireland or Scotland? Get expert tips on driving as a tourist, including road rules, navigation, and local advice.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brendan Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-22T19:11:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-17T20:00:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"712\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Siobhan Armstrong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Siobhan Armstrong\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Siobhan Armstrong\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8df1a901009213c0576551f609348e9f\"},\"headline\":\"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-22T19:11:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-17T20:00:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\"},\"wordCount\":1009,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"European road trip\",\"Ireland Self Drive Travel\",\"Road trip\",\"Self Drive Travel\",\"travelling by yourself\"],\"articleSection\":[\"How To Travel\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\",\"name\":\"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide - Brendan Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-22T19:11:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-17T20:00:42+00:00\",\"description\":\"Planning a road trip in Ireland or Scotland? Get expert tips on driving as a tourist, including road rules, navigation, and local advice.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg\",\"width\":1900,\"height\":712,\"caption\":\"Country road in Ireland_credit Tourism Ireland\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Brendan Blog\",\"description\":\"Travel articles, insights and stories from Brendan Vacations\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Brendan Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cropped-BVLogo_TheGab_Green.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cropped-BVLogo_TheGab_Green.png\",\"width\":499,\"height\":167,\"caption\":\"Brendan Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8df1a901009213c0576551f609348e9f\",\"name\":\"Siobhan Armstrong\",\"description\":\"Siobhan Armstrong is in the business of helping turn \\\"someday\\\" into \\\"today,\\\" especially when it comes to travel. She's worked in the travel industry since 2021 after working in hospitality for over a decade, and has engaged in flights of fancy for much longer. With a trail of various hobbies and interests in her wake, she aims to help people connect with places close to home and abroad, taking joy in the little things and embracing the excitement of the big ones.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/articles\/author\/siobhan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide - Brendan Blog","description":"Planning a road trip in Ireland or Scotland? Get expert tips on driving as a tourist, including road rules, navigation, and local advice.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide","og_description":"Planning a road trip in Ireland or Scotland? Get expert tips on driving as a tourist, including road rules, navigation, and local advice.","og_url":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/","og_site_name":"Brendan Blog","article_published_time":"2025-01-22T19:11:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-17T20:00:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1900,"height":712,"url":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Siobhan Armstrong","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Siobhan Armstrong","Estimated reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/"},"author":{"name":"Siobhan Armstrong","@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8df1a901009213c0576551f609348e9f"},"headline":"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide","datePublished":"2025-01-22T19:11:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-17T20:00:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/"},"wordCount":1009,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg","keywords":["European road trip","Ireland Self Drive Travel","Road trip","Self Drive Travel","travelling by yourself"],"articleSection":["How To Travel"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/","name":"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide - Brendan Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg","datePublished":"2025-01-22T19:11:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-17T20:00:42+00:00","description":"Planning a road trip in Ireland or Scotland? Get expert tips on driving as a tourist, including road rules, navigation, and local advice.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg","width":1900,"height":712,"caption":"Country road in Ireland_credit Tourism Ireland"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wwwbrendanvacationscomblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/articles\/the-ultimate-ireland-and-scotland-road-trip-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Ultimate Ireland and Scotland Road Trip Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/","name":"Brendan Blog","description":"Travel articles, insights and stories from Brendan Vacations","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Brendan Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cropped-BVLogo_TheGab_Green.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cropped-BVLogo_TheGab_Green.png","width":499,"height":167,"caption":"Brendan Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8df1a901009213c0576551f609348e9f","name":"Siobhan Armstrong","description":"Siobhan Armstrong is in the business of helping turn \"someday\" into \"today,\" especially when it comes to travel. She's worked in the travel industry since 2021 after working in hospitality for over a decade, and has engaged in flights of fancy for much longer. With a trail of various hobbies and interests in her wake, she aims to help people connect with places close to home and abroad, taking joy in the little things and embracing the excitement of the big ones.","url":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/articles\/author\/siobhan\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg",1900,712,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland-300x150.jpg",300,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland-330x124.jpg",330,124,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg",1900,712,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland-1024x384.jpg",1024,384,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland-1536x576.jpg",1536,576,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg",1900,712,false],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg",300,112,false],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg",400,150,false],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Country-road-in-Ireland_credit-Tourism-Ireland.jpg",600,225,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Siobhan Armstrong","author_link":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/articles\/author\/siobhan\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Everything you need to know to be confident on an Ireland or Scotland road trip\u00a0 Self-driven tourism offers freedom and cost-effective travel, but some people are nervous about taking the wheel. Here are some tips and tricks we\u2019ve collected from past travelers to help you feel prepared for driving in Ireland and Scotland. A good&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=876124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/876140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=876124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=876124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brendanvacations.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=876124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}