Ireland is one of the most expensive European countries for garage charges, according to a survey published this week.
The study, carried out in nine European countries by British motoring organisation Green Flag, assessed the costs incurred by British motorists when they break down while on holidays.
Irish garages were ranked joint highest out of nine states for the cost of recovering a broken down vehicle.
It costs €2 per kilometre in the Republic to have your vehicle towed to the garage, the ferry or to your next destination. It costs the same in Switzerland, while Germany was also expensive with a cost of €1.70 per kilometre.
The same service is available at a fraction of the cost in Spain at 66c, followed by Italy (85c), Belgium (90c), the Netherlands (99c), Austria (€1.18) and France (€1.33).
Ireland was also ranked amongst the most expensive when it came to callout charges imposed by garages.
Call-out fees from Irish garages averaged €100, the same price as in Germany and cheaper only than Austria, where the charge averaged €110. Spain was again cheapest, where a garage callout averaged only €55, according to the study.
Belgium was second cheapest at €62, followed by Switzerland (€74), France (€77), the Netherlands (€85), and Italy (€95).
Ireland, however, was one of the cheapest European countries for the hourly cost of garage labour at only €50. This compares to €96 in Italy, €80 in Germany and €70 in Austria. Hourly labour was only €30 in Spain, €37 in Belgium and €45 in the Netherlands.
The results of the Green Flag survey come only days after the RAC ranked Ireland fourth in a league of EU holiday destinations with the most dangerous roads.
