 Driving
in Ireland was literally akin to playing a video game. The
landscape was lush, the roads winding, hilly and the driving fast
paced! The speed limit on major highways was generally posted as
60 mph, however, to keep up with the flow of
traffic, I found myself driving 80mph. Driving on the left-hand side of the road, with the
steering wheel on the right side of the car, seemed almost intuitive.
Ireland only had a few sparse traffic signals, favoring instead
roundabouts which keep traffic moving. Likewise, yield signs are
used mainly instead of stop signs. Speed limit signs are listed
as miles per hour, however, oddly enough, destination distances are
listed in kilometers not miles. Most major highways drive
straight through city centers, where other roads radiate out from, and
not necessarily in straight paths. Parking is laidback with cars
parked almost anywhere, including often used sidewalks and corners.
The few towns which offered public, paid parking used parking disks
(purchased in local shops) or ticket dispensing machines (you place
the paper ticket on top of your dashboard) instead of a parking meter
for every spot.
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