With your campervan hire, many of you will be driving a large vehicle for the first time, some on the other side of the road. This requires you to be mindful of the different skills required to stay safe while driving even if you are an experienced driver.
During your check-in, we will advise you on how to handle the campervan on the road. When you are on the road in your campervan, your safety is your responsibility. Here are some of our campervan rules & safety tips to help you along the way.
Give yourself time to get to your destination. Call ahead if you are going to be late so you are not under pressure. Aim to set off and arrive at your destination in daylight.
Please take note of any signs showing lower speed limits than stated below. These may be there due to additional hazards on the road and should be followed.
Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, speed limits are given in kilometres per hour (km/h).
In Northern Ireland they are posted in miles per hour (mph).
Be sure to remember the change when you cross the border! There is no checkpoint so it is easy to cross without realising.
UK
In England, Scotland & Wales, like Northern Ireland, speed limits are posted in miles per hour and are as follows:
Motorways: 70mph
Dual carriageways: 70mph
Built-up areas: 30mph
Outside built-up areas: 60mph
It is quite common around residential areas and particularly near schools, for a clearly signposted 20mph (32 kmph) maximum speed limit.
Please be aware that remote speed cameras are positioned on many roads.
Don’t be put under pressure by the vehicle behind you. Maintain the speed that you are comfortable with that keeps in control of the campervan. Pull in and let them overtake you.
Driving is on the left throughout UK & Ireland. So, make sure to pay extra attention at crossroads and roundabouts. Always turn left onto a roundabout and give way to traffic approaching from the right.
Seat belts must be worn at all times and by everyone in the vehicle.
Overtake on the right unless there is a steady solid white line which means no overtaking.
Don’t be tempted to tailgate to make the driver in front go faster. If the traffic needs to break suddenly you may require a longer stopping distance than your normal vehicle to avoid a collision
It is illegal to use a hand held mobile phone whilst driving and will incur a hefty fine.
The laws on drink driving are very strict and penalties are high. The legal limit is 80mg per 100ml of blood which is approximately 1 pint of beer.
Parking is allowed wherever you see sign marked with a red P.
A diagonal line crossing the sign means parking is prohibited.
Double yellow lines mean no parking at any time.
It is permissible to park on the street unless indicated otherwise. However be sure to check there isn’t a parking scheme in place in which case you will have to purchase a parking ticket from a machine.
There are plenty of gas stations throughout the country however, distances between stations can be longer in rural areas so please make sure you fill up appropriately. Many are self service and nearly all take major credit cards. All our campervans use diesel fuel so make sure you use the correct pump!
Always remember to take regular breaks whilst driving especially when traveling long distances.
In some parts of Ireland, road signs are posted in both English and Irish.
Be aware that many roads in rural areas are single track and are so small that one vehicle will have to pull over to let the other pass.
It is also easy to underestimate the time it takes to drive between two points. Roads are small, windy and often congested and it is common to be held up by a tractor, locals chatting or even a flock of sheep! Please exercise particular caution when driving.
Learn more about our on the road support here.
For more information on Safe Driving in Scotland, please watch this short video from Visit Scotland.
More information on Safe Driving in Ireland can be found on the Tourism Ireland website.
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