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SALE – up to 40% off European breakdown cover in Ireland*

Instant cover available with RAC’s Roadside Assistance in Ireland

  • 24/7 rescue at the roadside
  • Help to get home if your vehicle can't be fixed
  • Five Star Defaqto rated cover
Buy now

*Max 40% applies to new annual Comprehensive Plus policies. Ends 02/01/25, 9am.

*Max 40% applies to new annual Comprehensive Plus policies. Ends 02/01/25, 9am.

European Breakdown Cover

Breakdown cover in Ireland

If you’re planning a trip from the UK to the Republic of Ireland, having breakdown cover in place can bring you peace of mind. While our UK breakdown cover applies to Northern Ireland, it’s important to remember that you’ll need a separate European breakdown cover policy if you’re travelling to the Republic of Ireland from England, Scotland, or Wales.

Get complete peace of mind whilst driving in Ireland. And if you choose our Comprehensive Plus cover, you'll have the best cover on the market1.

24/7 English-speaking helpline

European roadside assistance in 48 countries

Five Star Defaqto rated cover

Levels of European breakdown cover in Ireland

We offer two types of European breakdown cover for you to choose. Both levels offer roadside assistance, 24/7 English-speaking helplines and free European legal help, ensuring peace of mind throughout your trip in Ireland.

Read how else they compare against each other below.

SALE 33% off*

RAC Comprehensive

Our trusted local experts will fix your vehicle at the roadside if you break down. And if they can’t, they’ll tow you to the nearest garage.
Get up to £500 accommodation expenses or up to £1,500 to continue your journey.
We’ll pay up to £150 towards garage labour costs, provided repairs are completed on the same working day.
Get 2 days unlimited UK roadside assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home.
You’ll always have access to our helpline – so you know you won’t be left stranded. And help is only a phone call away.
We’ll pay up to the market value of your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair.
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home.
We will cover you for legal costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 per claim.
We cover a replacement train/ferry ticket for 1 missed connection, if the delay is caused by a breakdown.
SALE 40% off*

RAC Comprehensive Plus

Our trusted local experts will fix your vehicle at the roadside if you break down. And if they can’t, they’ll tow you to the nearest garage.
Get up to £1,200 accommodation expenses and/or up to £3,000 to continue your journey.
We'll pay up to £1,000 towards garage labour costs, provided repairs are completed within 7 working hours.
Get 7 days unlimited UK roadside assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home.
You’ll always have access to our helpline – so you know you won’t be left stranded. And help is only a phone call away.
We’ll cover all costs to get your vehicle back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair.
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home.
We will cover you for legal costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 per claim.
We cover replacement train/ferry tickets for up to 3 missed connections, if the delay is caused by a breakdown.

*For annual European breakdown. Ends 02/01/25, 9am.

To make sure your trip goes to plan, here’s more information about driving and breaking down in the Republic of Ireland.

Do I need separate breakdown cover for the UK and the Republic of Ireland?

The RAC’s UK breakdown cover applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland only. So if you’re going on holiday to the Republic of Ireland, you should buy a separate policy for breakdown cover in Ireland to make sure you’re covered if you break down there.

Just so you know...

If you live in Northern Ireland and have UK breakdown cover, you’re covered on the whole island of Ireland. So we can still rescue you if you break down in the Republic of Ireland.

With our Basic cover, we can tow you up to 10 miles if your car can’t be fixed on the spot. And with our higher cover levels, you’ll get National Recovery – so you can get your car back to your home address or a garage in Northern Ireland.

So if you regularly travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and you’re on Basic cover, it might be worth upgrading. Just go to myRAC or give us a call on 0330 159 0740.

What happens if I break down in the Republic of Ireland?

If you’re travelling to Northern Ireland with European Breakdown Cover and need roadside assistance, you won’t be covered. Since it’s part of the UK, you’ll need our UK breakdown cover instead.

If you have RAC European Breakdown Cover:

  1. Call the RAC on 0044 191 911 6112 (from a mobile or landline), or 1 800 535 005 (from an Irish landline only) – lines are open 24/7
  2. Our team will arrange roadside assistance for you
  3. When help arrives, they’ll fix your vehicle at the roadside, or tow you to the nearest garage for further repairs
  4. Depending on the level of cover you have, we’ll also pay towards garage labour costs, onward travel expenses and accommodation fees while your car’s being fixed

If you don’t have European breakdown cover:

  • You’ll need to find a recovery company to come out to you, and to tow you to a garage if needed
  • If you need repairs at a garage, you’ll need to find a garage you can trust
  • In addition, you’ll have to pay all recovery and labour costs yourself

If you have RAC UK Breakdown Cover

If you live in Northern Ireland, the RAC’s UK breakdown cover is ideal for you. You’ll also be covered in England, Wales and Scotland.

In addition, if your home address is in Northern Ireland and you break down in the Republic of Ireland, the RAC will provide you with Roadside Assistance and a 10-mile tow as standard. If your breakdown cover includes National Recovery, we can tow you from the Republic of Ireland back to your home address, or to a garage in Northern Ireland.

You’ll get a complete breakdown service as standard – including Roadside Assistance and home rescue, and garage support and a 10-mile taxi to your home address, with all cover levels.

Important contact numbersKeep these numbers in your phone just in case you need them:

RAC European Breakdown from a mobile or landline

0044 191 911 6112

RAC European Breakdown from an Irish landline only

1 800 535 005

British Embassy in Dublin

00353 1 205 3700

Emergency Services

112

Here's a really important bit of information. You can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting. Operators can answer your call in their native language, English, and French.

You should also store contact details of your accommodation and onward destinations. Then if your plans change because of a breakdown, or you know you’ll be delayed for a long time, you can call ahead and let people know.

If you’re travelling to Europe for a short trip, check out our single trip European breakdown cover product today.

Preparing for your visit to the Republic of Ireland

In many European countries, it’s a legal requirement to carry certain equipment in the car. It’s a little more relaxed in Ireland, which has driving rules much like the UK’s. It’s still best to be prepared though, so reduce the risk of needing roadside assistance in Ireland by following these easy steps.

Documents and paperwork

When driving in Ireland, you’ll need:

  • A valid driving licence
  • Motor insurance documents
  • A UK sticker (previously known as the GB sticker)

A UK sticker is only mandatory if your vehicle’s number plate has a GB identifier with a euro symbol, Union flag, flag of England, Scotland or Wales, or if it only contains numbers and letters. However, if you’re driving to Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker for all number plates.

Vehicle equipment

Like in the UK, in the Republic of Ireland it isn’t compulsory to carry certain items in your car, as it is in much of Europe. But it’s still worth having them with you – especially in the case of a breakdown:

  • A warning triangle – ideally two in case you breakdown to advise other motorists that you’ve pulled over
  • High visibility vests or jackets
  • A first aid kit
  • Torch
  • Fire extinguisher

Take a look at our selection of European Driving Kits which can provide everything you need.

Vehicle maintenance

Giving your vehicle a bit of TLC before you travel can help a lot of headaches once you’re on the road. Run through some maintenance checks to make sure you don’t have any minor issues that end up causing major problems.

  • Check that your tyres are fully inflated and not worn below acceptable levels to help minimise the risk of an accident
  • Top up the fluid levels of your car – water, coolant and screen wash
  • Inspect your windscreen wipers closely, looking out for any nicks and tears which might then affect their performance

You could also book your vehicle into a garage for a service before you travel. Even if you’re not due one, having a professional look over the car to deal with any potential problems can really help to ensure it’s ready for a road trip. Find an RAC Approved Garage here.

What our members are saying

We needed help with a breakdown in the South-West of Ireland. We did not even know for sure where we were, but the RAC got someone to us in just over an hour and they cheerfully sorted our problem. I would recommend them to any motorist travelling in Europe.

Mr Tedder

Worth every penny! My campervan broke down in Ireland on the day I was due to catch the ferry back home, and the RAC came out to a very remote location, got me tow-started so I could drive to the ferry, then tow-started me again at the other end so I could drive home. They have also rescued me on multiple other occasions. I will be a lifelong member!

A Denning

I would never leave home without them, just awesome service, I will never forget how the RAC helped me when I needed help in Ireland when I broke down.

Mr Conway

What are the driving rules in the Republic of Ireland?

In terms of road rules, the Republic of Ireland is broadly in line with the UK. Just like the UK, you drive on the left-hand side of the road, and give way to cars approaching from the right – which makes it easier for UK motorists to adapt.

Vehicle.svg

Speed limits - in most of Europe, speed limits are in kilometres, unlike the UK, where miles are used. Remember this when you see speed limit signs. In Ireland, town and city centres have a 50 km/h limit, regional roads 80 km/h, and motorways 120 km/h – approximately 30 mph, 60 mph, and 75 mph.

Care.svg

Road Safety - seat belts must be worn by everyone in the car, and something else to bear in mind is the difference at traffic lights. In Ireland, the lights go from red to green; amber is used before a red to advise stopping unless it’s unsafe to do.

Car_Insurance.svg

Motorways - many motorways in Ireland have tolls on them, so it’s worth looking these up before you travel to check your route and pre-empt any potential delays and likely charges.

Read more about road rules in Ireland and driving in the country here.

Make sure you are insured before travelling to Ireland

Driving is just one consideration when you’re visiting another country. We recommend getting travel insurance to cover things like travel cancellations, medical expenses and lost or stolen personal belongings. It could save you some nasty surprises if anything goes wrong with your trip. Get an RAC Travel Insurance quote here.

Driving in the Republic of Ireland FAQs

When you’re driving in Ireland, you’ll need your valid UK driving license, insurance certificate and V5 registration document. We also recommend carrying

  • Reflective jackets
  • Warning triangle
  • First aid kit
  • Spare bulbs
  • An international driving permit (if you aren’t from the UK)

You can get all of these in an RAC European Driving Kit.

When driving from the UK to the Republic of Ireland, make sure you’ve got your:

  • Passport or ID card
  • Driving license
  • Motor insurance certificate
  • V5 registration document
  • UK sticker
  • Reflective jackets
  • Warning triangle
  • Headlamp beam deflectors

Our European driving kit has most of the essentials you need to drive from the UK to the Republic of Ireland.

Learn more about driving in Ireland in our guide.

Yes, you can drive in Ireland after Brexit. Just remember to take your UK driving license, insurance certificate and V5 document.

No, you don’t need a GB or UK sticker to drive in the Republic of Ireland.

If you have a full UK driving license issued in mainland Britain or Northern Ireland, you don’t need an international driver’s permit (IDP) to rent a car in the Republic of Ireland. However, non-EU licence holders are required to have an international driving permit if the licence is not in English.

No, you don’t need a green card to drive in Ireland.

The speed limit on motorways in the Republic of Ireland is 120 km/h. On national roads it drops down to 100 km/h 80 km/h on regional roads and 50 km/h in urban areas.

For more information, please refer to our speed limits in Ireland article.

Republic of Ireland Breakdown Cover FAQs

It’s not a legal requirement in the Republic of Ireland, but if it’s worth having European breakdown cover in case your car breaks down and you need roadside assistance. If you’re resident in Northern Ireland and have RAC Breakdown Cover, then you don’t need a separate European breakdown cover policy to be covered in the Republic.

Yes – if your cover allows. With the RAC, our Comprehensive policy will provide a hire car whilst your vehicle is being repaired, and will cover costs up to £125 per day, and a maximum of £1,500. Our top level of European breakdown cover, Comprehensive Plus, extends that to a maximum of £3,000 making sure you’ve got transport in case repairs take longer. Terms and conditions apply.

Page reviewed by: Andy Baker

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