Major motorway construction over the last two decades has brought an end to small town bottlenecks and hours spent lost on backroads as straightforward intercity routes mean you can get from Dublin to any of the country's other major cities such as Belfast, Cork or Galway relatively easily and within a few hours.
The small price to pay for this is a network of tolls. The starting point for most people leaving Dublin is the M50, which has an electronic barrier-free system that identifies and charges your car automatically as you drive through (payable at any petrol station within 24 hours), but other tolls can be paid in cash at manned booths. We recommend having the exact change ready for a speedy, no-fuss cash drop facility.
Charges start from €1.80 per car. Check www.nra.ie for updates and toll locations.