Ireland
Small enough to cross in a day, varied enough to take a month. The west is wild and Atlantic-facing; the east is compact and easy. Both are worth your time.
I am from Ireland, which makes writing a travel guide to it complicated - I know what the country is like to live in rather than just to visit. What I can say is that most visitors underestimate how much variation there is in a country roughly the size of Indiana. The east (Dublin, Wicklow, the Boyne Valley) is compact and relatively easy. The west (Galway, Clare, Kerry, Mayo, Donegal) is genuinely dramatic and takes longer to move through than you expect.
Dublin is the main gateway and worth at least two full days on its own terms before you head anywhere else. Cork is a better city than its reputation suggests and a strong base for the south; Galway is the pivot point for the west. Beyond those three, the country opens up quickly into single-lane roads, coastal cliffs and villages where the pub is still the centre of social life. For a deeper dive into regions and day trips, my standalone Ireland site (Ireland Explore) goes well beyond what a single hub can carry.
The Best Time to Visit Ireland
Ireland's weather is Atlantic-driven, which means it is mild, frequently wet, and rarely predictable. The temperatures are moderate year-round - nothing close to extreme by European standards - but the wind and rain can make conditions feel much colder than the thermometer suggests, particularly on the west coast. The averages below are Dublin figures; the west and northwest get significantly more rainfall and stronger winds.
May, June, and September tend to be the most reliable months. The days are long, the Atlantic gales have usually eased, and the countryside is at its greenest without the July-August crowds. July and August are peak season - busy, expensive, and not necessarily the best weather. I have had beautiful August weeks in Kerry and also been rained on solidly for five days. You cannot plan for it; you adapt.
Winter (November to February) is underrated for city breaks. Dublin and Cork are quieter, hotel rates drop, and the light on a clear January day over the west coast is unlike anything in summer. Avoid the December-January weeks around Christmas and New Year if you want to avoid crowds and inflated prices. The west coast from October to March requires waterproofing and realistic expectations.
Monthly temperature
Dublin averages below. The west gets more rain and wind year-round. May-June and September are the sweet spot. July-August is busy and not guaranteed good. Winter is mild but very wet.
Getting there
Select your origin to see the best routing options.
The short hop - under an hour from much of Britain, a couple of hours from mainland Europe. Ferries from Britain are the alternative if you want the car.
| Carrier | Route | Type | Flight time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | LHR/MAN/EDI - DUB/ORK | Direct | ~1h 15m | The flag carrier; the densest network into Dublin and Cork from Britain. |
| Ryanair | LON/MAN/European cities - DUB | Direct | 1-3h | The widest low-cost network across Europe; useful for positioning flights. |
| Stena / Irish Ferries | Holyhead/Cairnryan - Dublin/Belfast | Ferry | 2-3h 30m | Bring the car across from Britain. I reviewed the Stena Superfast on Belfast-Cairnryan. |
| Various | Mainland Europe - DUB | Direct | 2-3h | Direct from Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Madrid and more on Aer Lingus and the European carriers. |
Aer Lingus runs a strong transatlantic operation into Dublin, and the US pre-clearance at Terminal 2 is the headline advantage - you clear US immigration before departure and arrive into the domestic terminal stateside.
| Carrier | Route | Type | Flight time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | JFK/BOS/ORD - DUB | Direct | ~6-7h | The core transatlantic network; Boston is the shortest hop. Reviewed in Business on the long-haul fleet. |
| United / JetBlue | EWR/JFK/BOS - DUB | Direct | ~6-7h | Nonstop from the New York and Boston areas. |
| Aer Lingus | East Coast - DUB - ORK/SNN | 1 stop | 8-10h | Connect onward to Cork or Shannon to start a west-coast trip without backtracking. |
Aer Lingus flies the only West Coast nonstops into Dublin (San Francisco year-round, Los Angeles seasonal); otherwise one stop via the East Coast or a European hub.
| Carrier | Route | Type | Flight time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | SFO/LAX - DUB | Direct | ~10-11h | The only nonstop from the West Coast - San Francisco year-round, Los Angeles seasonal. |
| United / American | SFO/LAX - EWR/ORD - DUB | 1 stop | 13-15h | Connect through a US hub onto a Dublin nonstop. |
| Various | West Coast - Europe - DUB | 1 stop | 14-16h | One-stop via a European hub off-season. |
No nonstop - it is the far side of the world. One or two stops via the Gulf or a London change.
| Carrier | Route | Type | Flight time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates / Qatar | SYD/MEL - DXB/DOH - DUB | 1 stop | 23-26h | The cleanest routing, via the Gulf with a single change into Dublin. |
| Etihad | SYD/MEL - AUH - DUB | 1 stop | 23-26h | Via Abu Dhabi; another one-stop into Dublin. |
| Various | Australia - Gulf/Asia - LON - DUB | 2 stops | 26-30h | Often the cheapest option pairs a Gulf or Asian hub with a short London-Dublin hop. |
Where to go
East is easy, west is wild. City guides below; full city hubs are on the way.
Getting around Ireland
Dublin has reasonable public transport for a capital its size - the DART coastal rail, two LUAS tram lines and an extensive bus network. Outside Dublin, Irish Rail connects the main cities (Cork, Galway, Limerick, Belfast) but coverage thins quickly once you leave the intercity routes. For anywhere on the west coast - Clare, Kerry, Connemara, Donegal - a hire car is not optional; it is the only way to reach most of what makes those areas worth visiting. The rail hub and route guides below cover the train network where it does reach.
Tested routes
2024Aer Lingus Business Class: Dublin to Los Angeles (EI145)Excellent→2024Icelandair economy: Dublin to KeflavikGood→2024SAS Business Class: Dublin to OsloGood→Planning the logistics?
The facts above are the short version. The full libraries - flights, rail, ferries and lounges - live one level down under Getting There.