Welcome to Rick Steves’ Europe
Map: PLACES COVERED IN THIS BOOK
Ireland’s Best Three-Week Trip by Car
Flung onto the foggy fringe of the Atlantic pond like a mossy millstone, Ireland drips with mystery, drawing you in for a closer look. You may not find the proverbial pot of gold, but you’ll treasure your encounters with the engaging, feisty Irish people. The Irish culture—with its intricate art and mesmerizing music—is as intoxicating as the famous Irish brew, Guinness.
The Irish revere their past and love their proverbs, such as “When God made time, he made a lot of it.” Ireland is dusted with prehistoric stone circles, burial mounds, and standing stones...some older than the pyramids, and all speckled with moss. While much of Europe has buried older cultures under new, Ireland still reveals its cultural bedrock. It’s a place to connect with your Neolithic roots, even if you’re not Irish.
The 300-mile-long island (about the size of Maine) is ringed with some of Europe’s most scenic coastal cliffs. It’s only 150 miles across at its widest point. No matter where you go in Ireland, you’re never more than 75 miles from the sea. Despite being as far north as Newfoundland, Ireland has a mild maritime climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream. Rainfall ranges from more than 100 inches a year in soggy, boggy Connemara to about 30 inches a year in Dublin. Any time of year, bring rain gear. As Ireland’s own Oscar Wilde once quipped, “There is no bad weather...only inappropriate clothing.”
Though a small island, Ireland has had a large impact on the rest of the world. Geographically isolated in the damp attic of Dark Age Europe, Christian Irish monks tended the flickering flame of literacy, then bravely reintroduced it to the barbaric Continent. Ireland later turned out some of modern literature’s greatest authors, including W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Oscar Wilde. In the 1800s, great waves of Irish emigrants fled famine and colonial oppression, seeking new opportunities abroad and making their mark in the US and beyond. (Every Irish family seems to have a relative in America; about 50 million people claim Irish descent in North America alone.) And although peace now prevails in Northern Ireland, the religious and political conflict there long held the world’s attention.
Northern Ireland (with 1.8 million people) is a province of the United Kingdom (like Scotland and Wales), while the Republic (with 4.8 million people and 80 percent of the land) is an independent nation. No visit to Ireland is complete without a look at both.
The Republic of Ireland boasts more sights, from the famous Book of Kells manuscript, prehistoric ruins, Celtic artifacts, and evocative monastic settlements to Iron Age ring forts. The country is bordered by green hilly peninsulas, craggy islands, and sheer cliffs rising up from the crashing waves of the Atlantic.
A ceilidh (KAY-lee) is an evening of music and dance...an Irish hoedown—and can be one of the great Irish experiences. You’ll find traditional Irish music in pubs all over Ireland. “Sessions” (musical evenings) may be advertised events or impromptu (and quality can be hit or miss), but either way things get going at about 21:30—though Irish punctuality is unpredictable. Last call for drinks is just before midnight.
Pub music ranges from traditional instrumentals (merry jigs and reels) to ballads (songs of tragic love lost or heroic deeds done) to sing-along strummers. Sessions generally feature a fiddle, a flute or tin whistle, a guitar, and a bodhrán (BO-run, goatskin drum), sometimes joined by an accordion or mandolin. The music often comes in sets of three songs. The wind and string instruments embellish melody lines with lots of tight ornamentation.
Percussion generally stays in the background. The bodhrán is played with a small, two-headed club; the performer stretches its skin by hand to change tone and pitch. More rarely, you’ll hear the crisp sound of a set of bones: two cow ribs (boiled and dried) that are rattled in one hand like spoons or castanets, substituting for the sound of dancing shoes in olden days.
Watch the piper closely. The Irish version of Scottish Highland bagpipes, the uilleann (ILL-in) pipes are played by inflating the airbag (under the left elbow) with a bellows (under the right elbow) rather than with a mouthpiece. Uilleann is Irish Gaelic for “elbow,” and its sound is more melodic, with a wider range than Highland pipes. The piper fingers the chanter to create individual notes, and taps the chanter on his thigh to close the end and raise the note one octave. He uses the heel of his right hand to play chords on one of three regulator pipes. It takes amazing coordination to play this instrument well, and the sound can be haunting.
Irish dancing at a pub, accompanied by a bodhrán player
During your night out, it’s worth staying until the wee hours for the magical moment when a rare sean nós (Irish for “old style”) lament is sung to a hushed and attentive pub crowd. This slightly nasal vocal style may be a remnant of the ancient storytelling tradition of the bards whose influence died out when Gaelic culture waned 400 years ago. Stories—often of love lost, emigration to a faraway land, or a heroic rebel death struggling against English rule—are always heartfelt.
Sometimes a session hits all the right notes and the atmosphere is spellbinding. The drummer dodges the fiddler’s playful bow. Sipping their pints, the musicians skillfully maintain a faint but steady buzz. The floor on their platform is stomped paint-free, and barmaids scurry artfully through the commotion, gathering towers of empty, cream-crusted glasses. Make yourself right at home, “playing the boot” (tapping your foot) under the table in time with the music.
A uilleann player, entertaining a pub crowd, fueled by beer
The people of the Republic of Ireland are best known for the legendary “gift of gab,” which has its roots in the ancient Celtic culture. With no written language (until the arrival of Christianity), the ancient Celts passed their history, laws, and folklore verbally from generation to generation. Even today, most transactions come with an ample side-helping of friendly banter. As an Irishman once joked, “How can I know what I think until I hear what I say?”
Listening to the thick Irish brogue, you’ll get the fun sensation you’re understanding a foreign language. But if you can’t understand a thing, you’re probably hearing Irish Gaelic, spoken in a Gaeltacht. These government-subsidized cultural preserves are found mostly in far western coastal regions (where English works, too).
The shamrock—used by St. Patrick to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity—is the most recognizable symbol of the Republic of Ireland. Another national symbol you’ll see during your visit is the harp (on the back of Irish euro coins and reversed on every pint of Guinness). The Irish seem born with a love of music. Live music is a weekly (if not nightly) draw at any town pub worth its salt.
Northern Ireland is an underrated and often overlooked region that surprises visitors with its striking scenery and friendly people. Its coast boasts the alligator-skin volcanic geology of the Giant’s Causeway and the lush Glens of Antrim, while its interior is dominated by rolling hills of pastoral serenity and Lough Neagh, the UK’s biggest lake.
Left: Prepared for rain
Right: An Irish Gaelic sign for Dunquin; Míle Fáilte = A Thousand Welcomes
Left: The serene, green Antrim Coast
Right: Raise a glass in Belfast’s historic Crown Liquor Saloon
An interesting hybrid of Irish and Scottish cultures, Northern Ireland is only 17 miles from Scotland at its closest point. The accents you’ll hear in the North are distinctly different from their counterparts south of the border. With a population just a bit larger than that of Phoenix, it’s small enough to have one phone book for the entire province, yet is twice as densely populated as the Republic to the south.
The people of the North generally fall into two categories: those who feel they’re British (Unionists) and those who feel they’re Irish (Nationalists). Those born in the North can choose which of the two passports they want. The turmoil of the Troubles—the decades-long conflict between Unionists and Nationalists, starting in the 1960s—has essentially ended, and Northern Ireland is now statistically one of the safer places in the Western world.
Today’s Ireland is vibrant and cosmopolitan, yet warm and down to earth. Want to really get to know Ireland? Belly up to the bar in a neighborhood pub and engage a local in conversation. The Irish people have a worldwide reputation as witty, musical, moody romantics with a quick laugh and a ready smile. Come join them.
There’s so much to see in Ireland and so little time. This overview breaks the country’s top destinations into must-see sights (to help first-time travelers plan their trip) and worth-it sights (for those with extra time or special interests). I’ve also suggested a minimum number of days to allow per destination.
The island’s top three destinations are Dublin, the capital city of the Republic of Ireland, on the east coast; the lush Dingle Peninsula on the west coast; and the rocky Aran Islands to the north, just off the coast of Galway. Each stop has a distinctly different flavor: from big-city Dublin and small-town Dingle to the remote and ancient Aran Islands. If you build your trip around these destinations, you’ll get an unforgettable introduction to the best of Ireland.
The bustling Irish capital offers fascinating tours (historical, musical, and literary), passionate rebel history (Kilmainham Gaol), treasured Dark Age gospels (starring the monk-illustrated Book of Kells), and intricate Celtic artifacts (National Museum: Archaeology). For evening fun, pub-hop through the rambunctious Temple Bar district, cocking your ear to seek out traditional music.
My favorite fishing village, Dingle town, is a traditional Irish-music pub paradise. It’s also a launchpad for a gorgeous loop drive (or bike ride) around the tip of the Dingle peninsula, awash with striking scenery and a wealth of Celtic and early Christian sites.
Three windswept, treeless islands in the Atlantic are ringed by cliffs, crowned by striking ruins, and home to sparse villages of hardy fisherfolk. The island of Inishmore hosts the star attraction, the 2,000-year-old Dun Aengus fort, perching precariously at the edge of a sheer cliff.
You can weave any of these destinations—rated ▲ or ▲▲—into your itinerary. It’s easy to add some destinations based on proximity, but some out-of-the-way places can merit the journey, depending on your time and interests.
Of the varied sights near Dublin, the best is the Boyne Valley’s ancient pre-Celtic burial mounds of Brú na Bóinne, with the majestic Norman castle in Trim nearby. Other choices are the green horse-racing pastures of the Irish National Stud, the graceful Gardens of Powerscourt, and the evocative monastic ruins of Glendalough.
These are the best two destinations in Ireland’s interior: the medieval town of Kilkenny, with its narrow lanes, colorful facades, and stocky castle; and the Rock of Cashel, with its dramatic hilltop of church ruins, overlooking the Plain of Tipperary.
This gritty, historic port sparkles with the Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre. There’s also a 12th-century lighthouse, the Dunbrody Famine Ship replica, the Irish National Irish Heritage park, and the Kennedy ancestral homestead.
County Cork has two quaint harbor towns: Kinsale, beloved by foodies, fun for strolling, and guarded by the squat Charles Fort; and the emigration hub of Cobh—the Titanic’s last stop.
The tidy town of Kenmare is the ideal home base for side-stepping the throngs flocking to drive Ireland’s most-famous peninsula. The scenic loop route connects fairy forts and villages, with options for a boat excursion to the hermitage island of Skellig Michael.
Ireland’s western fringe has the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, the stony prehistoric landscape of the Burren, the trad music crossroads of cozy Doolin, and the friendly town of Ennis.
This energetic university city has a thriving pedestrian street scene and great people-watching pubs. For tourists, it’s the west coast’s best home base for reaching the Burren, Aran Islands, and Connemara region.
This region is a lushly green, hilly Irish outback of cottages, lakes, and holy peaks, dotted with photogenic settlements such as Cong, Kylemore Abbey, and the leafy riverside town of Westport.
Drivers will enjoy this far-flung section of the Republic and its ruggedly beautiful landscape. The region’s main town, Donegal, has a striking castle.
This Northern Ireland town, which became a 17th-century British settlement encircled by stout town walls, is infamous as the powder keg that ignited Ireland’s tragic “Troubles.” Its insightful city history museum tells the tale.
Portrush, an unpretentious beach resort, is the pleasant gateway to the geologic wonderland of the Giant’s Causeway, the Old Bushmills Distillery, the cliff-edge ruins of Dunluce Castle, and the exhilarating Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
The no-nonsense capital of Northern Ireland has stirring sectarian political murals, the Titanic museum, a grandly domed City Hall, and the charming Victorian seaside retreat of Bangor nearby.
Top: Galway picnic Bottom: Ashford Castle in Cong, Belfast’s City Hall; crossing Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
To plan your trip, you’ll need to design your itinerary—choosing where and when to go, how you’ll travel, and how many days to spend at each destination. For my best advice on sightseeing, accommodations, restaurants, and transportation, see the Practicalities chapter.
As you read this book and learn your options...
My recommended itinerary (on here) gives you an idea of how much you can reasonably see in 21 days, but you can adapt it to fit your own interests and time frame. If you like what big cities have to offer—museums and nightlife—linger longer in Dublin. If trad music strikes a chord with you, your top stops are—in this order—Dingle, Doolin, Galway, Westport, and Dublin. Food lovers savor Kinsale.
If you’re partial to prehistory, you can go back in time in the Burren, Brú na Bóinne burial tombs, and Aran Islands. Modern historians appreciate Belfast. If you’re researching Irish roots, Cobh’s a great place to start.
Drivers like to joyride around the Dingle and Kerry peninsulas and explore sights scattered throughout County Clare, Connemara, and the Antrim Coast. Nature lovers find inspiration at the Cliffs of Moher and the surprising rock formations of the Giant’s Causeway. Photographers want to go everywhere.
Peak season (June through Aug) is my favorite time to visit because of the longer days (with daylight from 4:30 until 22:30—Dublin is as far north as Edmonton, Canada). Note though that summer crowds have grown over the years due partly to the cruise-ship industry, which affects mostly Dublin, the Cobh/Cork region, and Belfast.
Travel during “shoulder season” (mid-April through May, plus Sept through early Oct) offers fewer crowds, less competition, and all the tourist fun.
Winter travelers experience no crowds, soft room prices, colder rain, and shorter sightseeing hours (such as 10:00-16:00 instead of the usual 9:00-18:00, or sights open only on weekends, or even closed entirely Nov-Feb). Winter weather can be chilly, dreary, and blustery, dampening the island’s rural charm, though city sightseeing is fine.
No matter when you go, expect rain. Just keep on traveling and take full advantage of “bright spells.” For weather specifics, see the climate chart in the appendix.
Left: Cobh statue of US-bound emigrants, including teenager Annie Moore
Right: The “Dark Hedges,” near Northern Ireland’s Antrim Coast
| Day | Plan | Sleep in |
| 1 | Fly into Dublin | Dublin |
| 2 | Dublin | Dublin |
| 3 | Dublin | Dublin |
| 4 | Rent car at Dublin Airport, then drive through Glendalough | Kilkenny |
| 5 | Rock of Cashel | Waterford |
| 6 | Waterford | Waterford |
| 7 | Explore County Wexford and Cobh | Kinsale |
| 8 | Kinsale | Kinsale |
| 9 | Drive to Kenmare | Kenmare |
| 10 | Ring of Kerry | Dingle |
| 11 | Dingle Peninsula Loop | Dingle |
| 12 | Blasket Island, Dingle town | Dingle |
| 13 | Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Dunguaire Castle banquet | Galway |
| 14 | Aran Islands | Galway |
| 15 | Explore Connemara | Westport |
| 16 | Drive to Northern Ireland | Derry |
| 17 | Derry | Portrush |
| 18 | Explore Antrim Coast | Portrush |
| 19 | Drive to Belfast | Belfast |
| 20 | Drive to Boyne Valley sights | Trim |
| 21 | Return car and fly home from Dublin |
Notes: Spend your first three nights in Dublin, using buses and taxis, then pick up a car for the rest of this itinerary. For three weeks without a car, cut back on the recommended sights with the most frustrating public transportation (County Wexford, the Ring of Kerry, the Burren, Connemara, and the Boyne Valley). You can book day tours by bus for some of these areas at local TIs. For at least two people traveling together, taxis—though expensive—can work in a pinch if bus schedules don’t fit your plans (e.g., Cork to Kinsale). If you have time for only one idyllic peninsula on your trip, I’d suggest the Dingle Peninsula over the Ring of Kerry. If you’re picking up a car at Dublin Airport, consider starting your trip in small-town Trim, and let Dublin be your finale, when you’re rested and ready to tackle the big city.
Link your destinations into a logical route. Determine which cities you’ll fly into and out of. Begin your search for trans-atlantic flights at Kayak.com.
Decide if you’ll travel by car or public transportation. For the efficiency and freedom, I recommend driving. You won’t need a car in big cities (park it), but a car is ideal for exploring regions, stopping wherever you like.
If relying on public transportation, you’ll likely use a mix of trains and buses, and fill in transit gaps by taking minibus tours to outlying sights.
To determine approximate transportation times between your destinations, study the driving chart in the Practicalities chapter, or train and bus schedules (see www.discoverireland.ie and select “Getting Around”).
If your trip will include other European countries, check Skyscanner.com for intra-European budget flights.
Figure out how many destinations you can comfortably fit in your timeframe. Don’t overdo it—few travelers wish they’d hurried more. Allow enough days per stop (see estimates in “Ireland’s Top Destinations,” earlier). Minimize one-night stands, especially consecutive ones. It can be worth taking a late-afternoon drive or train ride to get settled into a town for two nights. Include sufficient time for transportation; whether you travel by car, train, or bus, it’ll take you a half-day to get between most destinations.
Staying in a home base (like Dublin or Galway) and making day trips can be more time-efficient than changing locations and hotels.
Take sight closures into account. Avoid visiting a city on the one day a week its must-see sights are closed. Check if any holidays or festivals fall during your trip—these attract crowds and can close sights (for the latest, visit Ireland’s tourist website, www.discoverireland.ie).
Give yourself some slack. Every trip—and every traveler—needs downtime for doing laundry, picnic shopping, people-watching, and so on. Pace yourself. Assume you will return.
Run a reality check on your dream trip. You’ll have major transportation costs in addition to daily expenses.
Flight: A round-trip flight from the US to Dublin costs about $1,000-2,000, depending on where you fly from and when.
Car Rental: Allow at least $300 per week, not including tolls, gas, parking, and insurance.
Public Transportation: For a three-week trip, allow $350 per person. Because Ireland’s train system has gaps, a rail pass probably won’t save you money, but buying train tickets online in advance can save as much as 50 percent.
You can cut my suggested average daily expenses by taking advantage of the deals you’ll find throughout Ireland and mentioned in this book.
Transit passes (for all-day or multiple-day usage) in bigger cities decrease your cost per ride. In Dublin and Belfast, using a hop-on, hop-off bus to get around isn’t cheap, but it provides a live guide, a city introduction, and an efficient way to reach far-flung sights (cheaper than taxis and less time-consuming than city buses).
Avid sightseers consider two different sightseeing passes—the Heritage Card and the Heritage Island Visitor Attraction Map—that cover dozens of sights across Ireland (see “Sightseeing Passes,” in the Practicalities chapter). On a smaller scale, some cities offer combo-tickets or passes that cover multiple museums. If a town doesn’t offer deals, visit only the sights you most want to see, and seek out free sights and experiences (people-watching counts).
Some businesses—especially hotels and walking-tour companies—offer discounts to my readers (look for the RS% symbol in the hotel listings in this book).
Book your rooms directly with the hotel. Some hotels give you a discount if you pay in cash and/or stay three or more nights (check online or ask). Rooms cost less outside of peak season (mid-June-Aug). And even seniors can sleep cheap in hostels (some have double rooms) for about $30 per person. Or check Airbnb-type sites for deals.
It’s no hardship to eat cheap in Ireland. You can get hearty, affordable meals at pubs and early-bird dinner deals at nicer restaurants. Cultivate the art of picnicking in atmospheric settings.
When you splurge, choose an experience you’ll always remember, such as the Dunguaire Castle medieval banquet or a flight to the Aran Islands. Minimize souvenir shopping—how will you get it all home? Focus instead on collecting wonderful memories.
A teachable moment, a soaring sculpture (Rock of Cashel), a Dingle drive
You’ll have a smoother trip if you tackle a few things ahead of time. For more info on these topics, see the Practicalities chapter (and www.ricksteves.com, which has helpful tips and travel talks).
Make sure your passport is valid. If it’s due to expire within six months of your ticketed date of return, you need to renew it. Allow up to six weeks to renew or get a passport (www.travel.state.gov).
Arrange your transportation. Book your international flights. Figure out your main form of transportation within Ireland: You can rent a car, or buy train and bus tickets (either as you go, or you can book train tickets in advance online at a discount).
Book rooms well in advance, especially if your trip falls during peak season or any major holidays or festivals.
Reserve or buy tickets ahead for major sights, ensuring entry and saving you from long ticket-buying lines. It’s smart to book online for Dublin’s Book of Kells and Kilmainham Gaol, and for Brú na Bóinne (near Dublin) and Titanic Belfast. Garden tours at Glenveagh Castle and National Park in Donegal are only available with an advance reservation. Boat trips to Skellig Michael can sell out weeks in advance—reserve ahead.
Consider travel insurance. Compare the cost of the insurance to the cost of your potential loss. Check whether your existing insurance (health, homeowners, or renters) covers you and your possessions overseas.
Call your bank. Alert your bank that you’ll be using your debit and credit cards in Europe. Ask about transaction fees, and get the PIN number for your credit card. You don’t need to bring euros or pounds for your trip; you can withdraw local currency from cash machines in Europe.
Use your smartphone smartly. Sign up for an inter-national service plan to reduce your costs, or rely on Wi-Fi in Europe instead. Download any apps you’ll want on the road, such as maps, translation, transit schedules, and Rick Steves Audio Europe.
Rip up this book! Turn chapters into mini-guidebooks: Break the book’s spine and use a utility knife to slice apart chapters, keeping gummy edges intact. Reinforce the chapter spines with clear wide tape; use a heavy-duty stapler; or make or buy a cheap cover (see Travel Store at www.ricksteves.com), swapping out chapters as you travel.
Pack light. You’ll walk with your luggage more than you think. Bring a single carry-on bag and a daypack. Use the packing checklist in the appendix as a guide.
9th-century Book of Kells, service with a smile, on to the next adventure
If you have a positive attitude, equip yourself with good information (this book), and expect to travel smart, you will.
Read—and reread—this book. To have an “A” trip, be an “A” student. Note opening hours of sights, closed days, crowd-beating tips, and whether reservations are required or advisable. Check the latest at www.ricksteves.com/update.
Be your own tour guide. As you travel, get up-to-date info on sights, reserve tickets and tours, reconfirm hotels and travel arrangements, and check transit connections. Visit local tourist information offices (TIs). Upon arrival in a new town, lay the groundwork for a smooth departure; confirm the road, train, or bus you’ll take when you leave.
Outsmart thieves. Although pickpockets aren’t prevalent in Ireland, it’s wise to be cautious in crowded places where tourists congregate. Keep your cash, credit cards, and passport secure in a money belt tucked under your clothes; carry only a day’s spending money in your front pocket. Don’t set valuable items down on counters or café tabletops, where they can be quickly stolen or easily forgotten.
Minimize potential loss. Keep expensive gear to a minimum. Bring photocopies or take photos of important documents (passport and cards) to aid in replacement if they’re lost or stolen.
Guard your time and energy. Taking a taxi can be a good value if it saves you a long wait for a cheap bus or an exhausting walk across town. To avoid long lines, follow my crowd-beating tips, such as making advance reservations, or sightseeing early or late.
Be flexible. Even if you have a well-planned itinerary, expect changes, closures, sore feet, bad weather, and so on. Your Plan B could turn out to be even better.
Connect with the culture. Interacting with locals carbo-nates your experience. Enjoy the friendliness of the Irish people. Ask questions; most locals are happy to point you in their idea of the right direction. Set up your own quest for the best pub, traditional music, ruined castle, or ring fort. When an opportunity pops up, make it a habit to say “yes.”
Ireland...here you come!
