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Dublin · Ireland

Car hire and driving in Dublin

Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.

OverviewFlightsHotelsTrainsBusesCar rentalToursFerries

In Ireland traffic drives on the left. Picking up at DUB means 11 km (7 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.

Drives from Dublin

Car rental from Dublin: distances and estimated journey times
RouteCountryDistanceEstimated time
Dublin to BelfastUnited Kingdom142 km (88 mi)about 2 h 10 min
Dublin to LimerickIreland175 km (109 mi)about 2 h 40 min
Dublin to BirkenheadUnited Kingdom215 km (133 mi)about 3 h 16 min
Dublin to LiverpoolUnited Kingdom217 km (135 mi)about 3 h 19 min
Dublin to BlackpoolUnited Kingdom218 km (135 mi)about 3 h 19 min
Dublin to CorkIreland219 km (136 mi)about 3 h 20 min
Dublin to St HelensUnited Kingdom233 km (145 mi)about 3 h 34 min
Dublin to PrestonUnited Kingdom239 km (148 mi)about 3 h 39 min
Dublin to WiganUnited Kingdom240 km (149 mi)about 3 h 40 min
Dublin to WarringtonUnited Kingdom243 km (151 mi)about 3 h 43 min
Dublin to SwanseaUnited Kingdom246 km (153 mi)about 3 h 45 min
Dublin to BlackburnUnited Kingdom253 km (157 mi)about 3 h 52 min
Dublin to LondonUnited Kingdom462 km (287 mi)about 7 h 3 min
Dublin to BerlinGermany1,317 km (818 mi)about 20 h 5 min
Dublin to MadridSpain1,449 km (900 mi)about 22 h 6 min
Dublin to ParisFrance779 km (484 mi)about 11 h 53 min
Dublin to HamburgGermany1,074 km (667 mi)about 16 h 22 min
Dublin to ViennaAustria1,681 km (1,045 mi)about 25 h 38 min
Dublin to BarcelonaSpain1,469 km (913 mi)about 22 h 24 min
Dublin to StockholmSweden1,629 km (1,012 mi)about 24 h 50 min

Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.

Where to compare car hire

ExpediaCar hire from the major suppliers, and the one to look at if the flight or hotel is already booked there. Part of Expedia Group.Check car hire on Expedia (opens www.expedia.com in a new tab)
DiscoverCarsCompares local and international suppliers. Read the counter reviews before you pick.Check rental cars on DiscoverCars (opens www.discovercars.com in a new tab)
Auto EuropeA broker specialising in Europe, often with clearer all-in pricing for US renters.Get European rates on Auto Europe (opens www.autoeurope.com in a new tab)
Rentalcars.comBooking.com's car arm, with wide airport coverage worldwide.Compare suppliers on Rentalcars.com (opens www.rentalcars.com in a new tab)
Every link above leaves this site.

We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.

Common questions

Which side of the road do they drive on in Dublin?

The left, as everywhere in Ireland.

How are the journey times on this page worked out?

From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.

Where these facts come from

  • GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
  • Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
  • OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
  • Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines

Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.