Eire is a spot we’ve needed to journey for a few years, and at last every little thing simply fell into place for us to go to. And never simply go to, however do it in fashion…as digital nomads residing van life in Eire!
Eire lived as much as its fame of getting dramatic coastlines, beautiful rolling inexperienced hills, tiny villages, and loads of locations to cease and take within the views.
However the van actually introduced an additional component to the nation. We may considerably chase the climate, be spontaneous, work from the snug desk, and keep linked by tethering our telephones for wifi.
On this information, I’m going to stroll you thru how one can decide a van, the corporate we went with, the precise van we ended up with, and a few suggestions we realized alongside the way in which so you’ll be able to plan a greater digital nomad journey round Eire. See additionally: Finest Jobs for Van Life
Renting a Campervan in Eire with Indie Campers
Full disclosure, we rented with Indie Campers on this journey as a result of they reached out to us and requested us if we’d wish to have a campervan journey in Eire and share our expertise with our viewers. I imply… who’s going to say no to that?
However, we’ve truly rented with them earlier than in Portugal and we all know they’re a fantastic firm, so we have been excited to go along with them anyway.
Although this was a sponsored journey, we did the reserving course of the identical as you’d when you rented – so we received the entire expertise. It was tremendous easy to guide the van proper on their web site and there are many add-ons as effectively.
The vans are all trendy and well-maintained and the pickup and drop-off went actually easily. It solely took about half-hour from the time we arrived to drive away and the man who checked us in gave us a very thorough walkthrough of the van and its options.
We went with the Energetic Lengthy mannequin. It was spacious, tremendous snug, and it had very nice finishes. We beloved that it had a correct mattress that was fairly comfortable (don’t anticipate a king dimension pillow prime although) and a fantastic kitchen space, loads of storage and central warmth for the cool Irish nights.
There was additionally a surprisingly snug workspace due to the seats that swivel round to a pullout desk.
Additionally, when you’re apprehensive a few campervan like this being too massive for roads in Eire… it actually wasn’t. If you happen to’ve pushed on slender roads earlier than, you’ll be fantastic. And when you haven’t, it’ll simply take just a few hours to get used to it.
If I have been to provide a critique of the campervan expertise, it might be that the pots and pans and utensils have been fairly minimal and it was a bit annoying having them in an enormous tupperware bin within the again. It could be higher in the event that they have been put in drawers with some type of cellular dwelling shelving to maintain them from bouncing round.
The place to Go: Our 10-Day Digital Nomad Route Via Eire
For this journey, we didn’t actually have a strict itinerary, which is de facto the great thing about van life when you ask me. We truly booked this journey fairly final minute, so whereas we had a tough concept of the place we have been going, we nonetheless determined day-to-day the place we’d go and sleep for the evening.
We began in Dublin for an evening (we had a couple days in Dublin on the finish of the journey), earlier than choosing up the van the subsequent day. Once we received the van, we headed south to Kilkenny, then labored our means by means of Nenagh, Lorrha, and alongside the coast to Galway.
From Galway, we drove as much as Connemara Nationwide Park and that was one of many main highlights of the journey.
There have been plenty of spots that we may’ve parked the van for the evening and wild camped with out anybody actually noticing, however we selected a ravishing campsite known as Clifden Eco Seaside Tenting as a result of it was too good to cross up.
After Connemara within the North, we headed south right down to Doolin the place we checked out the well-known Cliffs of Moher, after which southwest to Dingle, then spent just a few days visiting Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.
We completed the journey by testing Cobh and Blarney Fort earlier than heading again to Dublin. This was a reasonably intensive journey of the nation, though we didn’t see Northern Eire or the east coast, however it was simply executed in 10 days.
10 Important Suggestions for Digital Nomads Doing Van Life in Eire
Earlier than we did this journey, we weren’t certain how effectively van life and distant work would pair collectively in Eire… particularly in October.
But it surely turned out that it labored fantastically, however there have been just a few issues we realized alongside the way in which. If you happen to’ve ever needed to journey round Eire whereas working from a campervan, hopefully these will provide help to out.
1. Type your cellphone plan out earlier than you allow Dublin.
Eire’s protection is ok in cities, however when you head towards Connemara or the Wild Atlantic Manner it may well flip from full bars to zero. Get an area SIM or eSIM proper initially so that you’re not attempting to find a sign if you really need it.
We used our eSIM from our Revolut Account, and it was first rate, however we in all probability would’ve had higher protection with an area SIM. If you happen to’re touring as a pair, each of you could possibly get an eSIM from a special firm.
We didn’t consider it till close to the tip of the journey, however as soon as we different our eSIMs it normally meant that not less than certainly one of us all the time had protection.
2. Use wet days as your workdays.
Irish climate adjustments consistently. We finally realized to reside with the rain… work when it pours, discover when it isn’t. It retains the entire journey relaxed as an alternative of attempting to pressure a plan.
3. Anticipate to work from the van greater than you assume.
We assumed we’d be in cafés on a regular basis, however most days we labored proper from the van as a result of the views have been higher and we truly received extra executed. The swivel seats helped, and the quiet mornings have been nice to get some work executed.
We additionally needed to shoot some reels on this journey, which might’ve been OK however the wind made it laborious, even with the nice mics we now have! If you happen to’re taking pictures movies, the within of the van on a sunny day is definitely fairly good acoustically and the lighting was nice too.
4. Cost the van battery anytime you pay for a campsite.
If you happen to’re at a campsite with electrical energy, make the most of it. Cost every little thing. The van batteries, laptops, cameras, energy banks… all of it. You by no means know when the subsequent few nights may be wild tenting or when a campsite received’t have hookups.
5. Empty greywater and blackwater at any time when you’ve got the prospect.
Severely. Do it even when you’re solely half full. There have been just a few occasions once we mentioned we’d simply wait til the subsequent web site after which the subsequent couple of web sites didn’t have the amenities so we have been apprehensive we’d refill or run out. Not a fantastic feeling.
6. Deliver your personal pillows and bedding.
The Indie Campers bedding works, however it’s not precisely luxurious. I by no means journey with out my pillow and a bedsheet and on this journey I used to be particularly glad to have it. The blankets Indie offers you might be heat and that makes an enormous distinction on chilly nights, however these pillows weren’t nice.
7. Deliver a powerbank that really has energy.
Between charging laptops, cameras, telephones, and hotspots, having an additional battery took all of the strain off the van’s system. When you have a powerbank, convey it.
8. Obtain every little thing earlier than leaving greater cities.
Maps, Netflix, playlists, work recordsdata… all of it. When you get into the countryside, the sign can vanish with out warning. To obtain Google Maps, simply hover over all of Eire and kind “OK Maps” into the search and it’ll obtain it to your cellphone so you need to use it offline.
9. Combine campsites with some wild tenting
That is one thing we didn’t do, however we type of wished we did. We spent fairly a little bit of time in cities and villages having fun with the pubs and music, so we simply stayed at close by campsites.
However subsequent time I’d love to return and do a fishing journey round Eire the place I might wild camp about 50% of the time.
If you happen to learn up on it, it says that it’s not allowed in Eire, however when you’re respectful and also you clear up after your self and go away early within the morning, no one would hassle you. At the least that’s what the Irish individuals saved telling us.
10. Preserve the van tidy from day one.
A tiny area will get messy quick. As soon as every little thing had a house, life received simpler. Earlier than that… we have been consistently on the lookout for keys, chargers, socks, every little thing.
11. Positively guide the out of doors setup add-on.
This comes with simply two camp chairs and a light-weight desk however it makes an enormous distinction on the sunny days if you don’t wanna be within the van on a regular basis. Each time it was sunny (and never too windy) we’d eat on our out of doors desk set. Indie has them as add-ons and so they’re undoubtedly price it.
12. Preserve just a few “don’t transfer the van in the present day” meals within the cabinet.
There have been days once we discovered the proper parking spot and didn’t wish to transfer the van in any respect… not for groceries, not for something. Having a few simple meals you’ll be able to cook dinner with out working round attempting to find outlets makes these quiet workdays potential.
13. Construct your work hours round your driving hours.
Some driving days take extra power than you anticipate, particularly on Eire’s slender nation roads. On these days, we’d hold laptop computer time mild and save the deeper work for days once we weren’t masking many kilometres.
It’s so much for the mind to deal with when you’re looking at a street and dodging different automobiles for five hours, and then you definately attempt to work for five hours!
Prices of Van Life in Eire
Eire isn’t low cost, and that was one of many causes the campervan made sense. Accommodations within the common spots can get dear quick, so having our mattress and kitchen with us took a variety of the sting out of the journey.
We appeared up some little B&Bs and stuff on the way in which and so they have been round $250 per evening for a primary small room, though we have been there within the shoulder season.
The van rental is the massive expense, clearly, however it saves you on the lodging and a few meals in. Thoughts you, we ate out just about each meal nonetheless as a result of we simply love the pubs and eating places in Eire and we received to fulfill individuals.
Gasoline prices have been OK. We crammed up the van twice for round €140 every time in 10 days. Eire appears small till you begin following each scenic street and taking detours locals recommend. We drove far more than anticipated, however it was price it for the worth of diesel for certain.
Campsites have been normally between 35 and 46 euros for a spot with electrical energy, showers, and someplace to dump the tanks.
There have been just a few small extras…tolls, a top-up of AddBlue, a parking payment right here and there. Nothing main. Total, the van made Eire much more reasonably priced than it might’ve been hopping between accommodations and eating places daily.
The place to Sleep With a Campervan in Eire
One factor we realized fairly shortly is that Eire doesn’t have the identical wild tenting tradition as locations just like the US or Canada.
You can discover the odd quiet pull-off with a fantastic view, however they’re not in every single place, and a variety of coastal spots have indicators asking campervans to not keep in a single day. Due to that, we ended up mixing correct campsites with just a few “discovered it on the final minute” locations.
Campsites have been simple sufficient to seek out and most had every little thing we wanted… electrical energy, scorching showers, a spot to dump gray and black water, and normally slightly kitchen sink space.
Total the standard was good in any respect of them and the homeowners have been all the time tremendous pleasant (is there a grumpy Irish individual wherever?).
We used Park4Night so much. It isn’t good, however it saved us greater than as soon as once we have been arriving someplace late and simply wanted a spot to park with out driving round in circles.
The one place we actually thought of wild tenting was round Connemara, however we determined towards it simply because there have been such stunning campsites up there.
Nonetheless, the very best campsites in Eire are a grass area with a surprising view, and the worst are simply cement parking tons full of campers. It’s extra about utilizing the campsite as a spot to sleep and to discover from there.
Digital Nomad Necessities to Pack for Van Life in Eire
Earlier than this journey, we thought the van would have just about every little thing we wanted. It has fairly a bit if you guide the add-ons, however in fact it doesn’t have every little thing a digital nomad would want.
There are some things we have been actually glad we introduced, and some we want we’d considered earlier. If you happen to’re planning to work from the street, these are the gadgets that really made a distinction for us and saved the journey working easily.
1. An actual energy financial institution (not a tiny one)
If you happen to’re staying in paid parking and charging the van each 2-3 nights, this wouldn’t matter, however when you’re wild tenting, you’ll undoubtedly need a big energy financial institution. You’ll find yourself utilizing extra energy than you assume. A correct energy financial institution that may cost a laptop computer is price bringing from dwelling.
2. Your personal pillows and bedding
Like I mentioned earlier, the rental stuff works, however it’s not nice. On the very least, convey your personal pillow when you can, or decide one up in Eire for the journey.
3. An additional lengthy charging cable
Shops in vans are by no means the place you need them to be. The van we received was fairly effectively arrange, however I do know they’re not all like that. A protracted cable saves you from working in awkward positions.
4. A small extension wire or energy strip
If you happen to’re plugged into campsite electrical energy, this allows you to cost every little thing directly as an alternative of messing round with completely different shops.
5. Telephone holder for the dashboard
You’ll depend on Google Maps consistently, and holding your cellphone or propping it someplace will get annoying quick. Surprisingly, the Energetic Lengthy in Eire didn’t have any display within the sprint so… no Apple CarPlay. Fortunately we nonetheless journey with cellphone holders.
6. A water-resistant bag to your electronics
Eire’s climate turns shortly. If you happen to’re strolling to a pub within the rain or hopping out for a hike, this retains your gear secure. I really like YETI for waterproof luggage. I didn’t convey mine on this journey, however it might’ve been good if I needed to take my gear out.
7. Journey-sized kettle or a simple espresso setup
The van has a range, and it comes with a Moka Pot, however when you’re not used to creating espresso in a kind of, then having your personal fast espresso setup makes mornings contained in the van so much smoother.
8. Journey Energy Adaptor
Not all vans can have multi-plugs. If you happen to’re coming from a rustic that doesn’t use EU fashion plugins, then convey your personal.
9. A second SIM or eSIM
Protection can soar round exterior cities. Having a backup community saved us greater than as soon as.
10. A small, light-weight laptop computer stand
That is one thing we forgot however would’ve been nice, particularly for a extra prolonged campervan journey in Eire. If you happen to’re going to be working so much, then it’s all the time good to search for somewhat than down at your display. The desk is snug, however it’s decrease than most kitchen tables, so a stand would undoubtedly be a bonus.
FAQs About Van Life in Eire
Is it laborious to drive an enormous campervan in Eire?
Folks all the time say the roads in Eire are tremendous slender, however even on The Ring of Kerry, we handed massive buses in our campervan and had no subject. Not as soon as did I even must again as much as give area.
Are you able to simply pull over and sleep wherever?
Generally. We discovered just a few quiet spots that felt completely fantastic, however it’s not a rustic the place you’ll be able to rely on wild tenting each evening. Campsites ended up being our base more often than not.
Do it’s good to guide campsites?
We didn’t guide forward in any respect in September/October. In summer season, we’d in all probability plan a bit extra, however shoulder season was broad open. Generally it was simply us and one different camper in your entire web site.
Is the WiFi ok to work?
In cities, sure. Out within the countryside, it comes and goes. Between our personal information, having 2 eSims, and the campsites wifi, we all the time managed.
Does it get chilly at evening?
It may possibly. Our van had heating, which made an enormous distinction. And it wasn’t only a fan heater, it was central warmth! If you happen to are available October, you could possibly reside with plenty of bedding (we noticed some campers doing it), however it’s far more snug to get a van with warmth.
Any particular license wanted?
Our common licenses have been sufficient.
Is it secure?
We by no means felt unsafe. Campsites have been quiet, and the few rural spots we stayed in felt relaxed. There’s all the time safety on the campsites so far as we may inform and Eire is fairly secure on the whole I believe, particularly exterior of Dublin.
Last Ideas on Campervan Life in Eire as Digital Nomads
This was a visit we had needed to do perpetually, and we’d undoubtedly suggest doing a campervan journey in Eire, whether or not you’re a digital nomad or not.
For us distant staff, clearly there’s a bit extra to consider logistically, however it was all doable. We just about all the time had sign and the van was tremendous snug to reside and work in.
IndieCampers was nice to work with. The checkout and checkin was tremendous fast and straightforward and truthfully, this van was so much newer than the van we had in Portugal, so we have been actually pleased with it.
If you happen to’ve ever considered visiting Eire, otherwise you’ve been earlier than however you probably did it the standard means in accommodations and B&Bs, I extremely suggest attempting it with a campervan. It was a blast and I don’t assume it’ll be our final time doing Eire this fashion.
I hope you discovered this put up useful. When you have any questions, shoot us an e-mail from our Contact Web page.
Completely happy travels!
