But the van really brought an extra element to the country. We could somewhat chase the weather, be spontaneous, work from the comfortable table, and stay connected by tethering our phones for wifi.<\/p>\n
In this guide, I\u2019m going to walk you through how to pick a van, the company we went with, the exact van we ended up with, and some tips we learned along the way so you can plan a better digital nomad trip around Ireland. See also: Best Jobs for Van Life<\/em><\/p>\nRenting a Campervan in Ireland with Indie Campers<\/span><\/h2>\nFull disclosure, we rented with Indie Campers on this trip because they reached out to us and asked us if we\u2019d like to have a campervan trip in Ireland and share our experience with our audience. I mean\u2026 who\u2019s going to say no to that?<\/p>\n
But, we\u2019ve actually rented with them before in Portugal and we know they\u2019re a great company, so we were excited to go with them anyway.<\/p>\n
Even though this was a sponsored trip, we did the booking process the same as you would if you rented \u2013 so we got the whole experience. It was super simple to book the van right on their website and there are lots of add-ons as well.<\/p>\n
The vans are all modern and well-maintained and the pickup and drop-off went really smoothly. It only took about 30 minutes from the time we arrived to drive away and the guy who checked us in gave us a really thorough walkthrough of the van and its features.<\/p>\n
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We went with the Active Long model. It was spacious, super comfortable, and it had really nice finishes. We loved that it had a proper bed that was pretty comfy (don\u2019t expect a king size pillow top though) and a great kitchen area, plenty of storage and central heat for the cool Irish nights.<\/p>\n
There was also a surprisingly comfortable workspace thanks to the seats that swivel around to a pullout table.<\/p>\n
Also, if you\u2019re worried about a campervan like this being too big for roads in Ireland\u2026 it really wasn\u2019t. If you\u2019ve driven on narrow roads before, you\u2019ll be fine. And if you haven\u2019t, it\u2019ll just take a few hours to get used to it. <\/p>\n
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If I were to give a critique of the campervan experience, it would be that the pots and pans and utensils were pretty minimal and it was a bit annoying having them in a big tupperware bin in the back. It would be better if they were put in drawers with some kind of mobile home shelving to keep them from bouncing around.<\/p>\n
Where to Go: Our 10-Day Digital Nomad Route Through Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\nFor this trip, we didn\u2019t really have a strict itinerary, which is really the beauty of van life if you ask me. We actually booked this trip pretty last minute, so while we had a rough idea of where we were going, we still decided day by day where we\u2019d go and sleep for the night.<\/p>\n
We started in Dublin for a night (we had a couple days in Dublin at the end of the trip), before picking up the van the next day. When we got the van, we headed south to Kilkenny, then worked our way through Nenagh, Lorrha, and along the coast to Galway.<\/p>\n
From Galway, we drove up to Connemara National Park and that was one of the major highlights of the trip. <\/p>\n
There were lots of spots that we could\u2019ve parked the van for the night and wild camped without anyone really noticing, but we decided on a beautiful campsite called Clifden Eco Beach Camping because it was too nice to pass up.<\/p>\nAfter Connemara in the North, we headed south down to Doolin where we checked out the famous Cliffs of Moher, and then southwest to Dingle, then spent a few days visiting Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.<\/p>\n
We finished the trip by checking out Cobh and Blarney Castle before heading back to Dublin. This was a pretty extensive trip of the country, although we didn\u2019t see Northern Ireland or the east coast, but it was easily done in 10 days.<\/p>\n
10 Essential Tips for Digital Nomads Doing Van Life in Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\nBefore we did this trip, we weren\u2019t sure how well van life and remote work would pair together in Ireland\u2026 especially in October.<\/p>\n
But it turned out that it worked beautifully, but there were a few things we learned along the way. If you\u2019ve ever wanted to travel around Ireland while working from a campervan, hopefully these will help you out.<\/p>\n
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1. Sort your phone plan out before you leave Dublin.We both used an eSIM, and it was decent, but we probably would\u2019ve had better coverage if we\u2019d mixed up providers. If you\u2019re traveling as a couple, both of you could get an eSIM from a different company.<\/p>\n
We didn\u2019t think of it until near the end of the trip, but once we varied our eSIMs it usually meant that at least one of us always had coverage.<\/p>\n
Ubigi offers 10% off it\u2019s eSIM plans for GoatsOnTheRoad readers. Click here and use promo code GOTR10 for 10% off!<\/em><\/p>\n2. Use rainy days as your workdays.<\/strong>3. Expect to work from the van more than you think.<\/strong>We also had to shoot some reels on this trip, which would\u2019ve been OK but the wind made it hard, even with the good mics we have! If you\u2019re shooting videos, the inside of the van on a sunny day is actually quite good acoustically and the lighting was great too.<\/p>\n
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4. Charge the van battery anytime you pay for a campsite.<\/strong>5. Empty greywater and blackwater whenever you have the chance.<\/strong>6. Bring your own pillows and bedding.7. Bring a powerbank that actually has power.<\/strong>8. Download everything before leaving bigger towns.<\/strong>9. Mix campsites with some wild campingBut next time I\u2019d love to go back and do a fishing trip around Ireland where I would wild camp about 50% of the time.<\/p>\n
If you read up on it, it says that it\u2019s not allowed in Ireland, but if you\u2019re respectful and you clean up after yourself and leave early in the morning, nobody would bother you. At least that\u2019s what the Irish people kept telling us.<\/p>\n
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10. Keep the van tidy from day one.11. Definitely book the outdoor setup add-on.12. Keep a few \u201cdon\u2019t move the van today\u201d meals in the cupboard.<\/strong>13. Build your work hours around your driving hours.<\/strong>It\u2019s a lot for the brain to handle if you\u2019re staring at a road and dodging other cars for 5 hours, and then you try to work for 5 hours!<\/p>\n
Costs of Van Life in Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\nIreland isn\u2019t cheap, and that was one of the reasons the campervan made sense. Hotels in the popular spots can get pricey fast, so having our bed and kitchen with us took a lot of the sting out of the trip.<\/p>\n
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We looked up some little B&Bs and stuff on the way and they were around $250 per night for a basic small room, even though we were there in the shoulder season.<\/p>\n
The van rental is the big expense, obviously, but it saves you on the accommodation and some meals in. Mind you, we ate out pretty much every meal still because we just love the pubs and restaurants in Ireland and we got to meet people.<\/p>\n
Fuel costs were OK. We filled up the van twice for around \u20ac140 each time in 10 days. Ireland looks small until you start following every scenic road and taking detours locals suggest. We drove way more than expected, but it was worth it for the price of diesel for sure.<\/p>\n
Campsites were usually between 35 and 46 euros for a spot with electricity, showers, and somewhere to dump the tanks. <\/p>\n
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There were a few small extras\u2026tolls, a top-up of AddBlue, a parking fee here and there. Nothing major. Overall, the van made Ireland a lot more affordable than it would\u2019ve been hopping between hotels and restaurants every day.<\/p>\n
Where to Sleep With a Campervan in Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\nOne thing we learned pretty quickly is that Ireland doesn\u2019t have the same wild camping culture as places like the US or Canada.<\/p>\n
You can<\/em> find the odd quiet pull-off with a great view, but they\u2019re not everywhere, and a lot of coastal spots have signs asking campervans not to stay overnight. Because of that, we ended up mixing proper campsites with a few \u201cfound it at the last minute\u201d places.<\/p>\nCampsites were easy enough to find and most had everything we needed\u2026 electricity, hot showers, a spot to dump grey and black water, and usually a little kitchen sink area.<\/p>\n
Overall the quality was good at all of them and the owners were always super friendly (is there a grumpy Irish person anywhere?).<\/p>\n
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We used Park4Night a lot. It isn\u2019t perfect, but it saved us more than once when we were arriving somewhere late and just needed a place to park without driving around in circles.<\/p>\n
The only place we really considered wild camping was around Connemara, but we decided against it just because there were such beautiful campsites up there.<\/p>\n
Still, the best campsites in Ireland are a grass field with a stunning view, and the worst are just cement parking lots crammed with campers. It\u2019s more about using the campsite as a place to sleep and to explore from there.<\/p>\n
Digital Nomad Essentials to Pack for Van Life in Ireland<\/span><\/h2>\nBefore this trip, we thought the van would have pretty much everything we needed. It has quite a bit when you book the add-ons, but of course it doesn\u2019t have everything a digital nomad would need.<\/p>\n
There are a few things we were really glad we brought, and a few we wish we\u2019d thought of earlier. If you\u2019re planning to work from the road, these are the items that actually made a difference for us and kept the trip running smoothly.<\/p>\n
1. A real power bank (not a tiny one)<\/h3>\n If you\u2019re staying in paid parking and charging the van every 2-3 nights, this wouldn\u2019t matter, but if you\u2019re wild camping, you\u2019ll definitely want a large power bank. You\u2019ll end up using more power than you think. A proper power bank that can charge a laptop is worth bringing from home.<\/p>\n
2. Your own pillows and bedding<\/h3>\n Like I said earlier, the rental stuff works, but it\u2019s not great. At the very least, bring your own pillow if you can, or pick one up in Ireland for the trip.<\/p>\n
3. An extra long charging cable<\/h3>\n Outlets in vans are never where you want them to be. The van we got was pretty well set up, but I know they\u2019re not all like that. A long cable saves you from working in awkward positions.<\/p>\n
4. A small extension cord or power strip<\/h3>\n If you\u2019re plugged into campsite electricity, this lets you charge everything at once instead of messing around with different outlets.<\/p>\n
5. Phone holder for the dashboard<\/h3>\n You\u2019ll rely on Google Maps constantly, and holding your phone or propping it somewhere gets annoying fast. Surprisingly, the Active Long in Ireland didn\u2019t have any screen in the dash so\u2026 no Apple CarPlay. Luckily we still travel with phone holders.<\/p>\n
6. A waterproof bag for your electronics<\/h3>\n Ireland\u2019s weather turns quickly. If you\u2019re walking to a pub in the rain or hopping out for a hike, this keeps your gear safe. I love YETI for waterproof bags. I didn\u2019t bring mine on this trip, but it would\u2019ve been good if I had to take my gear out.<\/p>\n
7. Travel-sized kettle or an easy coffee setup<\/h3>\n The van has a stove, and it comes with a Moka Pot, but if you\u2019re not used to making coffee in one of those, then having your own quick coffee setup makes mornings inside the van a lot smoother.<\/p>\n
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8. Travel Power Adaptor<\/h3>\n Not all vans will have multi-plugs. If you\u2019re coming from a country that doesn\u2019t use EU style plugins, then bring your own.<\/p>\n
9. A second SIM or eSIM<\/h3>\n Coverage can jump around outside towns. Having a backup network saved us more than once.<\/p>\n
10. A small, lightweight laptop stand<\/h3>\n This is something we forgot but would\u2019ve been great, especially for a more extended campervan trip in Ireland. If you\u2019re going to be working a lot, then it\u2019s always nice to look up rather than down at your screen. The table is comfortable, but it\u2019s lower than most kitchen tables, so a stand would definitely be a bonus.<\/p>\n
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