Campervan life in Ireland may just be the best way to see this country!
When you think of going on holiday in the small European country of Ireland, what comes to mind? Most people picture the dramatic Cliffs of Moher, the lively pubs of Dublin, or the rolling green hills dotted with sheep and stone walls.
We experienced all of that, and more, during our 10 day road trip around Ireland.

While we were in Canada visiting family, I saw a van that looked like the perfect size for a trip somewhere in Europe. It was from Indie Campers – the company we used back in 2020 during our campervan trip around Portugal.
I said to Nick: “This campervan would be the perfect size for us in Europe! We haven’t done a campervan trip in a while, it would be awesome to work with Indie Campers again.”
The next day that company reached out to us to share our experience with the van in a country of our choosing.
That was the sign we needed! It was time to plan a digital nomad campervan trip around Ireland – somewhere we’d wanted to visit since 2020.


In this post, I’m going to break down our 10 day Ireland campervan itinerary, as well as some things you’ll want to know before renting your own van.
Here’s our trip report from 10 days travelling from Dublin to Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Way and more…all in our campervan.
Since living in Bulgaria, we’ve been travelling around Europe a lot. So, when it came to picking the country to visit with Indie Campers, we decided on Ireland – somewhere we’d never been! It turned out to be a great decision.
Ireland is an excellent choice for a campervan for 2 main reasons.
Picking up the van was a simple process. We took a taxi from the center of Dublin to the rental area (north of the city) and from there, we were given the full rundown by the team.
They answered any questions we had, gave us a full explanation, and we checked all the “extras” we had requested were there.


There’s also a box of items that previous people have left behind at the end of their trips. This is great if you don’t want to buy a big thing of salt and pepper, hand soap, paper towel, etc. Then at the end of your roadtrip, leave behind the items you’re finished with.
We went with the Active Long model with Indie Campers and it was a great fit for our 10-day trip.
We really liked how everything was “fixed”, rather than portable – which we experienced with our previous campervan rental in Portugal. With the Active Long, it had a fixed bed, gas stove, fridge, and a toilet as well.
There was a great seating area with a table, and the two front seats swiveled around to give us more space inside. There was also a ton of cupboard space too which was really nice to have.
But, my favourite aspect had to be the heating! We rented at the end of September and into October, so we had some cool nights. Turning on the built-in gas heating made the van warm up in no time.


The compact kitchen had everything we needed to cook on the go, including a gas stove, sink, and fridge. We enjoyed waking up and making coffee and matcha! We did cook a couple of meals, but found ourselves enjoying the pubs in the evenings.
There’s also a retractable awning, so you can enjoy the van comfortably whether it’s raining or sunny outside.
Every rental comes with roadside assistance, 24/7 support, and starter kits for cooking and cleaning – so you can pick up the keys and hit the road right away.
Initially, we were a little bit hesitant driving a campervan in Ireland. Everyone warned us that “the roads are SO narrow, having a van is hard”. And, they drive on the lefthand side of the road (we lived in Grenada, so that was easy for Nick).
But, in reality, the driving was easy! The roads were definitely wide enough, we had no issues at all.
The dimensions of the van were great:
Length 6.2m (20′4″)
Width 2m (6′7″)
Height 2.7m (8′10″)


We were also hoping for a newer van and ended up with an automatic, 2025 Pilote diesel, which ran really well.
The campervan had a 120L (32gal) tank for fresh water, and a 90L (24gal) tank for grey water, which was sufficient for us. A 220V cable for plugging in and charging the backup battery was also included.
Indie Campers has some items that you can add on to your rental, such as gas cylinders, bicycles, bedding kit, and more. We opted for a small coal BBQ, an outdoor table and chairs, the bedding kit, chemical tabs (for the toilet), and gas cylinders.
We forgot to ask for the towel kit, but luckily we had our own bath towels with us.


We went through just one gas cylinder during our 10 day trip. That was with heating the van each night (all through the night), making coffee each day on the stove, frying up 2 meals, and having just 2 showers.
Since we were in Ireland in cooler weather, we only really used the outside table and chairs a couple of times. But, I highly recommend adding that on, as it gives you more outdoor living space.
The cost of the rental varies depending on which time of year you rent (high season vs. low season), how long you rent for, and what campervan model you rent.
The Active Long model that we rented with Indie Campers costs around $180 per day in September (if you rent for 10 days). The add-ons (like the table and chairs) are charged on top of that.
For the campsites, if you wild camp then it is free. We didn’t find there were as many options for wild camping in Ireland as other destinations. The cost of a campsite with electricity, showers, toilets, and dumping of grey water and chemical toilets was between €35 – €46 per night.
We came up with the road trip route as we went. This was literally one of the only trips where we just rented the campervan, had a few places in mind, but decided where to go each day!


We wanted to avoid cities with the campervan and spend the night in places that were close to the towns – so we could just take a taxi in during the evenings for dinner and craic.
If you don’t mind not being close to the cities and towns, then there are lots of places you can stay. For us, we were into the music and nightlife, so we wanted to be close enough that we could just taxi in.
Here’s our full 10 day itinerary around Ireland with a campervan.
It only took about an hour to feel comfortable with the length and width of the van (and driving on the lefthand side of the road!). From Dublin we headed south to Kilkenny, which is a city I highly recommend you add to your Ireland itinerary.


With a gorgeous castle, beautiful canal walk, excellent pubs and restaurants, this was an excellent first stop from Dublin.
During our stay, there were only a handful of RVs and campervans at Tree Grove. It was quiet and comfortable.
You may not want to come to North Tipperary during your campervan trip around Ireland, but we had friends to visit in Nenagh, so we spent the day there with them, before finding a place to stay afterwards…in Lorrha.


Nenagh turned out to be a quaint town, with a castle, cute shopping streets, and it has hills nearby for hiking and Lough Derg is close as well.
I also ended up having the best fish n’ chips of the entire trip here! If you find yourself in Nenagh, stop at Hibernian Inn for the fish n’ chips, and the full Irish breakfast.


This was one of those days where we literally found the campsite a couple of hours before. After spending some time with our friend in Nenagh, we headed north to Lorrha. This campsite was super interesting – it was just a field behind a pub!
The field had lovely views of farmland and the sunset, and there was a firepit as well. We parked the van, made ourselves a meal and enjoyed some wine by the fire…before heading into the pub.
The owner behind the bar was super friendly (as are all Irish people), and one by one, the locals would come round and pop in for a pint of Guinness (or 2, or 3).
There were around 10 of us all sitting at the bar chatting about all things Ireland, Canada, politics, archeology, Europe, travel, beer…you name it. This ended up being one of our favourite nights in Ireland. But the best part? We could literally just walk to our bed which was waiting for us behind the pub!


After all the sitting in the van, and in the pub, we decided to do a hike in Portumna Forest Park near Lorrha before hitting the road.
Galway was one of the places we were most looking forward to visiting during our trip. But, one of the best things about having your own wheels in Ireland (and not having a strict plan), is to be able to take the advice of the locals.


Lots of people had recommended the village of Kinvarra and Burren to us – in particular, Linnane’s Lobster Bar.
So, we did as the locals recommended and rather than just doing a straight shot to Galway, we stopped along the way.
Kinvarra was so cute with its colourful buildings right along the harbour, and the imposing Dunguaire Castle as soon as you arrive in the village. From there, we made our way to Galway.


As soon as we parked the van, we headed into Galway to find some trad music!
The city is known for its music scene and we were super excited to check it out. The second we got out of the taxi, we heard music coming from a pub…so, we went inside. There were around 20 people playing in this “trad session”! It was incredible.
A local started chatting with us and told us about a bunch of excellent restaruants and places to listen to more music that night. We took his advice and had a fabulous night out in the city filled with dancing, new friends, and good times.
We only spent 1 night in Galway (and experienced some CRAZY wind that night in the van!), as we knew we were coming back in a couple of days to explore more with friends.


This day was the most spontaneous of our Ireland trip. We woke up in Galway and planned to head to the Cliffs of Moher. After driving for around 15 minutes, I asked Nick to pull over.
We stopped and I opened up google Maps and decided that we had to change our plan!
The route we had chosen made no sense and would’ve had us back tracking on ourselves. After some discussion, a new plan was formed: we’d head north to the Connemara National Park – visiting some sights along the way – and spend the night up there.
Where? We weren’t sure yet…


I’m sooo glad we made the decision to add Connemara National Park to our list! It covers more than 7,000 acres which includes bog, heath, and mountains. If you look on the map, Connemara County is completely dotted with land and water – very “boggy” looking.
The scenery on this drive was stunning and we were glad to be out in a more wild part of Ireland. We stopped at the town of Clifden, at some scenic pull-outs, and made our way up to the Kylemore Abbey and Gardens – which is absolutely stunning.
When it came time to figure out where to stay, we found the most perfect spot just by searching on Google Maps – Clifden Eco Beach Camping. The view out to the water, and the gorgeous private beach and cove were stunning.


This place was so scenic. Our van faced the water and had a perfect view of sunset. After setting up the campervan, Nick went for a swim in the ocean, we lit a bonfire in the evening and cooked a meal for ourselves. A perfect end to the day.
Remember how I said we’d be returning to Galway? Well, we had another couple of friends to meet up with in Ireland and they were staying in Oughterard.
As you can probably see, we’ve been visiting some “random” places during this itinerary.
For us, while we love the popular spots (they’re popular for a reason), we also love finding the little villages and towns and exploring the lesser-known destinations.


So, we went there first and all of us headed back down to Galway for the afternoon/evening for some dinner, drinks & music before returning to Oughterard for the night.
The Cliffs Of Moher are one of those iconic sights that we’ve seen online and on TV for many years now. Today was the day we finally got to see them in real life!


We arrived in the village of Doolin which was the jumping off point for the northern stretch of the Cliffs. We chose to base ourselves here, as the main viewing area of the Cliffs of Moher and the south are usually much busier.
The hike was gorgeous! We walked along a narrow pathway hugging the cliffside with a sheer drop down to the ocean on one side, and farmland with cows on the other. Dress appropriately with hiking shoes, and expect rain and wind. Note: be careful when visiting the Cliffs of Moher as accidents can (and do) happen.
We lucked out and had a perfect day – a mix of sun and clouds and no wind! Which is pretty unheard of. We hiked for a couple of hours and returned back to Doolin the way we came.
As with each of the days on our campervan road trip, we wouldn’t just go from point a to point b. We’d stop along the way to not only break up the journey, but to see some interesting sights and towns as well.
Today, we decided to stop in at the gorgeous, Heritage Town of Adare. We wandered around the streets and stopped in for a Guinness and shephard’s pie for lunch.


From there, we continued on to Dingle. We arrived and as soon as we checked in, the rain came pouring down.
We’d actually been super lucky with weather up until this point – we had sunshine and clouds the whole time! So, we figured the best thing to do would be to get some work done before calling a taxi to take us into town for some dinner, drinks & music.
We pub-hopped around Dingle enjoying the traditional music at interesting venues – one was a hardware store by day…and a bar by night!
Again, this is why we like to stay within a short taxi ride of the towns. We want to meet people, listen to the incredible music, and eat and drink at the cool pubs.


Unfortunately, due to the pouring rain, the fact that we arrived in the late afternoon, and we had work to do…we only saw the pubs and streets at night in Dingle!
This was our biggest driving day yet. We checked the weather and there was a named storm on its way to Ireland…with nothing but rain for the next 2 days while we were in Killarney and the Ring of Kerry!
So, we decided to have a big driving day so we could avoid the rain. And it turned out to be a good call.
I’m sure the Ring of Kerry is stunning in sunny weather, but we had lots of low-hanging clouds, so the viewpoints weren’t amazing.


We did enjoy the town of Kenmare, the Torc Waterfall, and the Staigue Fort, before parking at our campsite in Killarney. The next day, we enjoyed our first Afternoon Tea at the Muckross, as well as checking out the Abbey and the Killarney National Park.
If you have the time, Killarney is an incredible place to spend a few nights, with lots to see and do in the city and surrounds. The music and pubs are especially fun here. Click here for our full guide on travelling the Ring of Kerry.


As soon as we arrived in Cobh, the storm had also arrived. We spent many hours inside the van with it swaying back and forth, and the water at the harbour violently rocking all the sailboats. The wind was howling!
Luckily, we were cozy and safe inside our campervan – sooo grateful that it had heating.
Around 4pm, the clouds parted and we ended up with blue sky! The plan was to visit Cork, but due to the storm, we just stayed in Cobh.


The pretty little town has great pubs, restaurants, and beautiful sites. Cobh is a great place to visit either by itself, or with a trip to Cork as well.
The last day of the road trip! Today, we made our way back to Dublin, stopped in to visit the Blarney Castle and kiss the famous Blarney Stone.


We were pleasantly surprised! It wasn’t just about the castle, but the surrounding well-manicured grounds, and pretty walking paths were beautiful. As an added bonus, there was lots of parking for campervans at the Blarney Castle.
We topped up the diesel and the add-blue and made our way back to Dublin. The drop-off experience with Indie Campers was just as easy as when we picked up the campervan.
And just like that, our 10 day roadtrip around Ireland came to an end!
After experiencing the trip. Here are a few tips:
Before setting off, make sure you have everything you need – chemicals for the toilet, propane for the gas stove, coal for the BBQ, toilet paper, etc.


We asked Indie Campers to give us extra propane for the stove and heating in case we needed it – and then if we didn’t use it, we’d just return it. We didn’t end up needing it, but it made us feel good to know we had extra if needed for those chilly nights. We also got extra chemical toilet tablets.
The fridge in the Active Long model was a good size, so we stocked up on some food ahead of time. Going to supermarkets (while trying to find parking) isn’t the best way to spend your holiday. Get everything at once and then you’re all set!
Park4Night is such a great app.
If you stay somewhere awesome (either an actual campsite or a wild camp spot), then you can add it to the app. Include a few photos, the coordinates of where it’s located, what amenities are on offer, and the pros and cons.


When looking for a place to stay, you search around your current location to find nearby places that sound good to you.
The difference between using it in Ireland vs. other countries is that there aren’t a ton of “wild” spots on the app, there are lots of regular campsites as well.
As long as you respect the area, are quiet, and don’t leave any garbage, then wild camping is usually not an issue. Of course, if you’re asked to leave or are told you can’t spend the night, then you’ll have to obey.
If you’re a digital nomad like us, then you’ll most likely need to work online while you’re roadtripping around Ireland. Even if you’re not wanting (or needing) to work, having service on your phone is a must for navigation and safety reasons.


You’ll definitely want to use Google Maps for your trip (or whichever map program you use), so having data on your phone is a must. We used our eSIMs with Revolut, but if you don’t have an account with them, you can roam on your current SIM, or try an eSIM company like HolaFly.
Some of the campsites we were at offered wifi as well, but that doesn’t help when you’re on the road.
When we rented the campervan with Indie Campers, we were given a YouTube video ahead of time for how everything works on the model we were renting.
When we arrived, we also got a walkthrough of the van, and had all our questions answered.


You’ll want to know how to charge the van, how to fill and empty the grey water tank, how the heating works, and how the toilet functions (and how to dump the black water).
Ireland has soooo much to offer, and travelling by campervan is a great way to experience the beaches, mountains, and offtrack places.
Park on a cliff overlooking the ocean, near cultural towns, or in a grassy field behind a pub! With a campervan, the choice is yours. 10 days is a good amount of time to get a taste of what Ireland is all about. Our roadtrip with Indie Campers is one that we won’t forget.
To learn more about renting a campervan in Ireland, click here. And, feel free to email us with any questions you have.
A special thanks to Indie Campers for making this trip possible. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain our own
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