Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry
Colorful, tidy town and ideal base for side-
stepping the throngs flocking to drive Ireland's most-famous scenic loop route.
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Dingle Peninsula
My favorite fishing village (a traditional Irish-music pub
paradise), which serves as a launchpad for the gorgeous Slea Head loop drive (or
bike ride), featuring a wealth of Celtic and early Christian sites.
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County Clare and the Burren
Ireland's rugged western fringe, with the take-
your-breath-away Cliffs of Moher, stone landscape of the Burren, cozy trad music
crossroads of Doolin, and handy Shannon Airport access from friendly Ennis.
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Galway
Energetic university city with thriving pedestrian street scene, great
people-watching pubs, and the west coast's best base from which to reach the Bur-
ren, Aran Islands, and Connemara.
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Aran Islands
Three windswept, treeless limestone islands in the Atlantic,
laced with a maze of angular rock walls, crowned by Iron Age ring forts, and in-
habited by sparse villages of hardy fisher-folk.
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Connemara and County Mayo
Lushly green and hilly Irish outback of cot-
tages, lakes, and holy peaks, dotted with photogenic settlements such as Cong,
Kylemore Abbey, and leafy riverside Westport.
Northern Ireland
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Belfast
No-nonsense industrial revolution metropolis, with stirring sectarian
political murals, grandly domed City Hall, sprawling Ulster Folk Park and Trans-
port Museum, and the charming nearby Victorian seaside retreat of Bangor.
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Portrush and the Antrim Coast
Unpretentious beach resort of arcades and
amusement park rides, a stone's throw from the geologic wonderland of the Giant's
Causeway, dramatic cliff-edge ruins of Dunluce Castle, and exhilarating Carrick-a-
Rede Rope Bridge.
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Derry and County Donegal
Seventeenth-century English settlement ringed by
stout town walls—infamous as the powder keg that ignited Ireland's tragic mod-
ern “Troubles”—with an insightful city history museum and access to the rugged
beauty of Donegal.
Room and Board:
YoucanthriveinIrelandin2014on$120adayperpersonforroom
and board (more in big cities). This allows $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner, $10 for snacks
or a Guinness, and $60 for lodging (based on two people splitting a $120 double room that
includes breakfast). That's doable, particularly outside Dublin, and it's easy for many trav-
elers to come in under budget. Students and tightwads can enjoy Ireland for as little as $75
a day ($35 for a bed, $40 for meals and snacks).
Sightseeing and Entertainment:
In big cities, figure about $10-15 per major sight (for
example, the Book of Kells at Dublin's Trinity College-$12), $5 for minor ones (climb-
