Hi! I'm planning a trip to Europe for several weeks and my first stop is Ireland. After some consideration and reading Rick Steves' Ireland book, I've decided on Dublin, Galway and Dingle. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to get to the other places once I fly into Dublin. I won't be renting a car because I'm a solo traveler, but I'm not sure if public transportation is feasible. Suggestions and advice is much appreciated! Also, I don't know how I'd get out of Ireland to Amsterdam (my next stop) in the best and most logical/cost effective way. Thanks!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Bus or train will get you to Galway from Dublin, then you would take the bus to Dingle from there (there is also some train service further south, but not all the way to Dingle. You could then fly out of Shannon airport instead of backtracking to Dublin.
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
From Dublin you can take a train to Galway, or spend a bit less and get Bus Eireann. From Galway to Dingle I'd say Bus Eireann. If you base yourself in a larger city or town in Ireland you can take your pick of day tours to get to the more out of the way sights without having to rent a car. To get to Amsterdam quickly, I'd have a look at some of the low cost air carriers and see what prices are for flights from Shannon or maybe Cork. If you book in advance you may get a decent price. If you haven't bought your international flight yet, you may want to start your time in Ireland by landing in Shannon Airport and see Galway/Dingle then head to Dublin which is more enjoyable when you are over jet lag. In Dublin you'll find plenty of cheap flights to Amsterdam and Aer Lingus often has good deals if you buy a ticket during one of their web sales.