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GETTING THERE
Air
Aer Lingus (886 8888) is the Irish national airline with international connections to other countries in Europe and to the USA.
Dublin, Shannon and Cork are linked by a variety of airlines to many cities in Britain. The standard return economy fare from London to Dublin is around 180 €, but advance-purchase fares can see tickets as low as 80 €. Ryanair has some of the best deals, sometimes as low as 25 € one-way.
Land
As the flights are so cheap, getting to Ireland by land (including ferry) is not very popular. For details in London, contact Eurolines (0870-514 3219) or National Express (0870-580 8080). London to Dublin by bus takes about 12 hours and costs from 25/45 € to 35/60 € one-way/ return. To Belfast it's 13 hours and slightly more expensive.
Sea
There's a great variety of ferry services from Britain and France to Ireland. Prices vary drastically, depending on season, time of day, day of the week and length of stay. One-way fares for an adult foot passenger can be as little as 25 €, but nudge close to 60 € in summer. For a car plus driver and up to four adult passengers, prices can range from 200 € to 350 €. There are often special deals, discounted return fares and other money savers worth investigating.
Irish Ferries run from Roscoff and Cherbourg to Rosslare Harbour, April to January, taking 14 hours and 18 hours respectively.
For Roscoff to Cork, Brittany Ferries (021-277801 in Cork) sails once weekly from April to early October (leaving Friday from Roscoff, Saturday from Cork). The trip takes 14 hours.
GETTING AROUND
Passes & Discounts
Eurail passes are valid for train travel in the Republic of Ireland, but not in Northern Ireland, and entitle you to a reduction on Bus Eireann's three-day Irish Rambler tickets (see the Bus section following). They are also valid on some ferries between France and the Republic. InterRail passes offer a 50% reduction on train travel within Ireland and discounts on some ferries to/from France and Britain.
For 10 €, students can have a Fairstamp affixed to their ISIC card by any USIT agency. This gives a 50% discount on Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) services.
Irish Rambler tickets are available from Bus Eireann for bus-only travel within the Republic. They cost 35 € (for travel on three out of eight consecutive days), 80 € (eight out of 15 days) or 120 € (15 out of 30 days).
For train-only travel within the Republic, the Irish Explorer ticket (105 €) is good for five travel days out of 15. In Northern Ireland the Freedom of Northern Ireland pass allows unlimited travel on Ulsterbus and Northern Irish Railways for one day (12 €) or seven consecutive days (40 €). The Irish Rover ticket combines services with Bus Eireann and Ulsterbus for three days (50 €), eight days (110 €) or 15 days (170 €).
Bus
Bus Eireann is the Republic's national bus line, with services all over the Republic and into Northern Ireland. Fares are much cheaper than regular rail fares. Return fares are usually only a little more expensive than one-way fares, and special deals (eg, same-day returns) are often available. Most intercity buses in Northern Ireland are operated by Ulsterbus.
Train
Iarnrod Eireann, the Republic of Ireland's railway system, operates trains on routes that fan out from Dublin. Distances are short in Ireland and fares are often twice as expensive as the bus, but travel times can be dramatically reduced. As with buses, special fares are often available, and a midweek return ticket is often not much more than the single fare.
Northern Ireland Railways has four routes from Belfast, one of which links up with the Republic's rail system.
Car
Road Rules
As in Britain, driving is on the left and you should only overtake (pass) to the right of the vehicle ahead of you. The driver and front-seat passengers must wear safety belts; in Northern Ireland passengers in the rear must also wear them. Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear helmets.
Speed limits in both Northern Ireland and the Republic appear in kilometres, miles or both and are generally the same as in Britain: 112km/h (70 mph) on motorways, 96km/h (60 mph) on other roads and 48km/h (30 mph) or as signposted in towns. On quiet, narrow, winding rural roads it's simply foolish to speed. Ireland's blood-alcohol limit is .08% and strictly enforced.
The Automobile Association (AA) breakdown number in the Republic is 1800-667788; in Northern Ireland it's 0800-887766. Also in Northern Ireland, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) breakdown number is 0800-828282.
Bicycle
You can either bring your bike with you on the ferry or plane, or rent one in Ireland. Typical rental costs are 9 € to 12 € a day or 35 € to 45 € a week. Raleigh Rent-a-Bike (01-626 1333), Raleigh House, Kylemore Rd, Dublin 10, has dozens of outlets around the country.
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