Aran Islands

Best advice I can give:

1. For sure, try and get out to Inis Mor. But try to extend your time there if you can. Galway is a certainly pleasant enough town, but I'd trade any day in Galway for a day on Inis Mor.

2. Skip the ferry, it's slow, you waste half of your day going and returning, and if seas are rough, some folks get seasick. Instead, fly. Yes, fly. It's a 10 minute flight, it's an absolute hoot (tiny plane, they fly REALLY low), and it's dirt cheap. Worth it just for the low-altitude thrill, but the key is to go on the first (earliest) flight of the day, return on the last (latest) flight, that effectively buys you almost half day on the island - and it's the best parts of the day, because all the ferry-riding day-trippers won't be there - they'll still be on that slow ferry.

3. Spend the night on the island if you can work out the time. Early and late, when the day-trippers aren't there, the place becomes even more magical when you have it all to yourself and are only sharing it with the locals.

Accommodations are limited so you may need to make adjustments. Be prepared for a bit of rain in October, but don't let that stop you.

Spent 10 days in Ireland last August with our family group of 9. Our day on Inishmore was a highlight. Would highly recommend staying at the Harbour Hotel in Galway which is across the parking lot from the ferry launch. Hotel has a great bar and good breakfast, and is also within walking distance from many restaurants and pubs, including the Crane Bar which was very fun.

I think it would be worth it, Inishmore was a highlight of my 2022 trip to Ireland. I took the ferry, but David has a better idea if you can get a flight. Spending a night would be great if your overall timetable allows it, but there's much else to see and do around Galway.

It is worth visiting the Aran Islands. I have been there twice (1997 and 1999) and would visit again.

I strongly recommend reading John Millington Synge's nonfiction book, The Aran Islands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Aran_Islands_(book). A friend of mine once visited Inishmaan Island and saw Synge's chair: https://www.visitgalway.ie/explore/heritage-and-history/historic-buildings-and-places/synges-chair/

My favorite memory was bicycling Inishmore Island. You'll see the bicycle rental shops in Kilronan town.

The antiquities are fabulous. Most people visit Dun Aonghasa, the prehistoric stone fort: It's an incredible site. Also, I loved seeing the ancient stone circles, wells, field walls and homes, too. I believe it's important to keep context. The homes had once housed families. Now, they lay abandoned, open to all. I remember bicycling by an abandoned house from probably the 18th or 19th century and seeing an amazing hearth and thinking that generations of families had once huddled by it to keep warm. I stopped and looked but elected not to go in.

There is an excellent museum on the Aran Islands just outside Kilronan. Good bars, beer and fish.

For both of our trips to Inishmore, we stayed overnight. Both times, one day was pleasant (hiking and walking, plus bicycling - except there are hills and wind, so it’s not relaxing pedaling/cruiding), and the other an absolute downpour of rain. The most recent time was a late September, maybe similar to your October plans. It would be a shame to plan just one day, and have that day be the soggy one.

What David said earlier is right - fly, don’t go by ferry. The first time, we went by ferry, and it was ok, but we couldn’t get off the island the second morning, because ferries were all canceled due to rough seas. Second trip, we flew, and made our scheduled flights, while again, ferries were canceled. Many people were waiting for ferries to resume, and that undoubtedly affected their travel plans.

If you go, and the weather conditions allow it, hike to The Wormhole. Along with the island’s ancient Dun Aengus, it was a highlight of our second visit.

We took the ferry (from Rossaveal) abd spent the night in May a few years ago. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to squeeze an overnight into your itinerary though we love Galway too.

The flight involves getting to the airports, which are a long way from both Galway and Kilronan. I think the ferry from Rossaveal (and they have a dedicated bus from Galway CIty if you don't have a car) gets a bad reputation because the smaller ferries from Doolin do get canceled often. The Galway route is shorter and more sheltered, so cancellations are much rarer. When you see folks standing around in Kilronan, complaining about ferry cancellations, they're probably trying to get to Doolin.

On our first trip, with bicycles, we ride out from Galway to Rossaveal for the ferry, in the rain. It was a long, wet ride. But the rain stopped before we reached the ferry port, and we had a good crossing to Inishmore, with the touring bikes. The small plane wouldn’t have been able to take them.

The airport for Aer Arrann flights is between Galway and Rossaveal, so closer to Galway than the ferry, but still a ways away. That trip, we had a rental car, and parked it at the airport for the time we were on Inishmore.

Back to the first trip, with bikes. The ferries back to Rosssveal were all postponed indefinitely. A time was announced, then it got moved an hour later, then got moved again. A ferry for the mainland, much smaller but able to cram our bikes in the hold, was announced, headed for Doolin. We stopped (for fueling?) on Inisheer for an hour, en route, so got to see a bit of a second Aran island, and a bonus bike ride. The crossing was smooth, and less than 10 minutes after we got back to the mainland, a bit of a ride north to actual Doolin town, it started raining heavily again, and a very soggy ride. With bikes (or not enough money to pay for the flight), you need a ferry. Otherwise, flying is the clear winner.

My take on Aran Islands: spend at least one night, and hope for dry weather, but expect some heavy rain.

The flight is crazy cheap - €35 last time I checked - so that shouldn't dissuade too many people. They provide a bus, too (it's a "heritage bus," a bit old, quirky and full of character, just like the locals) between Galway and their little airstrip for an extra €5 (if you already have your own transport, you can save that €5). The flights (3 flights each way on most days, 2 flights on Sundays) are heavily subsidized by the Irish government, to help support the islanders - they use it as a form of routine public transportation, but tourists are welcome, too. The best €35 you'll ever spend on air travel.

Tip: Ask nicely when you check in at the airport, and if nobody else has already taken it, you may be able to sit "up front" in the co-pilot's seat (right next to the pilot), with incredible, panoramic views. Just don't press any of the buttons in front of you, keep your hands (and feet) off the controls(!) and don't distract the pilot, he will be busy during your very, very brief flight. A thrilling ride for sure.

Some photos of the Aer Arann experience for inspiration.

Definitely worth it! We took an early morning ferry (I loved taking the ferry as it was a really beautiful boat ride out to the islands and gave a different perspective) to Inishmore. You can rent bikes right at the docks, super easy to do. We explored the whole island at a leisurely pace on the bikes, had lunch, shopped, visited all the sights and then took the last ferry back to the mainland. While we did not spend the night on island, and I'm sure it would be a lovely experience, we did not feel like we missed out on anything. It was one of our best day trips of that Ireland vacation.

I see that the bus departs to Rossaveal (to catch the ferry) from the Spanish Arch. Any suggestions on hotels that are close and in easy walking distance to the Spanish Arches?
As always...thanks for the advice and information