UPDATED! Aran Islands Transport Questions

We’ve had two trips, one by ferry and one flying, and both involved canceled/delayed ferry back to Rossaveal. In both cases, we left Inis Mor by another means while no return ferry to Rossaveal was able to depart, so I don’t know whether one eventually sailed back to Rossaveal, or if people were truly stranded on Inis Mor for the night.

We did have a trip where the ferry was cancelled but the flight was not. Our second trip (in 2018), we flew, and spent the night on Inis Mor, as planned. The next day, heavy rain was blown absolutely sideways by fierce wind. All the flowers outside our B&B were absolutely destroyed. We stayed inside, unable to explore the island further. The weather cleared enough by late afternoon that our scheduled flight back to the mainland went as scheduled, but as we flew off, I understood that no scheduled ferry to Rossaveal was cleared yet to depart. Again, I don’t know whether ferry passengers were eventually stranded for the night, but I don’t think any ferries had even been able to sail from Rossaveal that day, so nobody new had been deposited on Inis Mor by ferry. There weren’t any stranded ferry daytrippers, at least, but perhaps there were still folks who couldn’t get back to Rossaveal by ferry who’d already spent at least one prior night on Inis Mor. Maybe a late ferry was finally dispatched to Inis Mor, and returned to Rossaveal that day, but it didn’t sound like that was likely.

The only possible drawbacks of flying vs. ferry are that flying costs more, and luggage capacity on the planes is less than on a ferry, so if you have massive luggage or are bringing a bicycle, for example, a plane isn’t an option. If getting to and/or parking at the airport is not a preference, perhaps that could be another drawback.

Our first trip, we took the ferry (with bikes!) to Inis Mor, and stayed the night, as planned. The next morning, ferries were all cancelled. I’m not sure about the status of any flights, as I didn’t even know if flights were an option (this was in 2008). Well, after being told to check back at the ferry office in an hour, and then an hour later, and then in another hour, and so on, a ferry was finally announced, but it was sailing for Doolin, not Rossaveal. The Rossaveal ferry was still in cancelled/postponed status as we left on our eastbound ferry for Doolin. I have no idea if a ferry for Rossaveal ever sailed from Inis Mor that day, either.

Unless flight cost, luggage capacity, or departing from the airport vs. from Rossaveal are an issue, flying is the way to go..

Thanks Cyn! Very interesting experiences! Seems like bad weather is a real concern.

Anyone know about the chances of the ferries selling out? Thinking if we decide to go with the ferry (although we’re leaning towards flying), maybe it would make sense to monitor weather and purchase tickets a couple days out? Or is weather predictively unpredictable in Ireland? But we’d hate to miss our chance at the Aran Islands because of the ferry selling out!

The ferry company allows a full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before your scheduled sailing, so you can make a booking and then check the weather before committing without penalty.
If sea states are running high you wouldn't want to be on the boat anyway - flying is the better way to go (IMHO).

Other posters on earlier threads have stated the Rossaveal ferry rarely sells out. We used it and had great weather and no cancellations in early May. When we spent the night, the B&B owner wouldn't take a booking if we were traveling from Doolin. She explained that the Doolin ferry cancels due to weather as often as 30% but that Rossaveal was far more reliable for reasons of the length of the trip, the home harbor conditions , and the boat size. She was quite adamant, so we re-organized to come from Galway.

We flew there for the day. We chose to fly due to concerns about the ferry operating and by taking the first flight we arrived a couple of hours before the first ferry. I had reserved e-bikes and we spent the day riding around the island before taking the last flight of the day back.

I like the idea of flying since it would maximize our limited amount of time.It seems likely we’ll go this direction. But it’s a good point that the ferry tickets could be cancelled with 24 hours notice pending a poor weather forecast.
Thanks All!

The cancellation policy at Aer Arann will be a lot more strict than the ferry. Late June weather should be relatively stable, but you'll still want to check the forecast before you commit to a particular day.

Thank you for the follow-up report, Barbara G. Glad the flight and the island visit went well.