Ireland travel guide

Getting there

Dublin Airport (DUB) is the main gateway, with Shannon (SNN), Cork (ORK) and Knock also receiving international flights. Ferries link Ireland with Britain and France, and there is an open land border with Northern Ireland.

Best time to visit: May–Sep – longer days and milder weather; Mar for St Patrick's Day.

Tougher months: No bad time – but November to February is dark, wet and windy, and some rural attractions close or reduce hours.

Weather by month in Dublin

• 8°J●●
• 9°F●
• 10°M●
• 13°A●
• 15°M●
• 18°J●
• 20°J●
• 19°A●●
• 17°S●
• 14°O●●
• 10°N●●
• 8°D●●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Europe/Dublin. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 78 of 198 other passports can enter Ireland without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 120 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Ireland (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-03-20). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Ireland travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Ireland are based around Dublin, Galway or Dingle Peninsula. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$70–100 for a backpacker and US$180–300 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Ireland page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: G. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +353.

Mobile data: read the eSIM for Europe before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Dublin (Capital · culture & nightlife): A lively, literary capital of Georgian squares, museums, pubs and Trinity College.
• Galway (West · music & festivals): A bohemian city with colourful streets, buskers and a gateway to Connemara and the Aran Islands.
• Dingle Peninsula (Kerry · coast & Gaeltacht): Spectacular coastal scenery, Irish-speaking communities and a charming harbour town.
• Killarney & Ring of Kerry (Kerry · lakes & mountains): A national park of lakes, mountains and woodlands, and the start of a famous scenic loop.
• Cliffs of Moher & the Burren (Clare · cliffs & karst): Towering sea cliffs and a lunar-like limestone landscape full of wildflowers and ancient tombs.
• Cork & Kinsale (South · food & harbours): Ireland's food capital and a pretty harbour town, with Blarney Castle nearby.
• Glendalough (Wicklow · monastic site & hiking): An early medieval monastic site with a round tower beside two glacial lakes.
• Kilkenny (South-east · medieval city): A compact medieval city with a castle, cathedral and lively pubs.

Things to do

• Drive the Wild Atlantic Way. Follow one of the world's longest defined coastal routes past cliffs, beaches and fishing villages.
• Stand atop the Cliffs of Moher. Walk the clifftop paths as the Atlantic crashes far below and puffins nest in early summer.
• See the Book of Kells. Admire the richly illuminated medieval manuscript and the grand Long Room library at Trinity College Dublin.
• Join a trad music session. Squeeze into a cosy pub as fiddles, tin whistles and bodhráns strike up an impromptu session.
• Explore Newgrange. Step inside a 5,000-year-old passage tomb aligned with the winter solstice sunrise.
• Cycle the Ring of Kerry or Dingle. Pedal past lakes, mountains and sweeping bays on Ireland's most scenic peninsulas.
• Hike in Connemara. Wander bogs, mountains and lakes in one of the wildest, most romantic corners of the west.
• Visit the Rock of Cashel. Explore a dramatic hilltop cluster of medieval church buildings in County Tipperary.

Source: full Ireland guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Irish stew – lamb or beef slow-cooked with potatoes and vegetables
• Full Irish breakfast – sausages, bacon, eggs and puddings
• Soda bread – quick bread made with buttermilk
• Seafood chowder – creamy fish soup with brown bread

Source: RoamSun Ireland guide

Money and safety

Currency: Euro (EUR). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants if service is not included.

Emergency numbers: 112 or 999 police, fire & ambulance.

• Ireland uses the euro; Northern Ireland, across the border, uses the pound sterling.
• Cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts.
• Ireland is very safe, but watch for pickpockets in busy parts of Dublin and keep cars free of visible valuables.
• Drive on the left and take care on narrow, winding country lanes, often shared with tractors and sheep.

Source: RoamSun Ireland facts