Friendly country of drinking, scenic rainy countrysides, and expensive living costs…what else?
Ireland is one of those out-of-the-way destinations that doesn’t appeal to many on paper. It’s got crap weather, worse than England (which is already considered bad)…annnd more expensive than London (again already considered bad). Ouch!
Many people don’t know much about Ireland, myself included. But upon visiting….I’ve come to notice some charms. Irish people are much nicer than the British, or at least London-ers (no offense). And they have more of a distinct culture…especially considering that they have their own language (Irish). Hahaha…I didn’t even know they had their own language until recently. I thought those funny words were old medieval English or something.
Oh and also…Ire
I think to visit Ireland and feel like you’ve seen all the main parts, 2 weeks is a good time. 1 week is enough to see the 3 main cities…Dublin, Galway, Belfast. But 2 weeks lets you do day trips to the small towns nearby. Ireland has beautiful countrysides so doing small trips out is especially rewarding.
General tips for traveling in Ireland:
- Coach buses – the coach bus companies (not to be confused with local public transportation buses) are super amazing and well organized. Yeah, the trains are faster but the buses can be more convenient since they run often and cheap. The staff at the bus stations are super helpful and seem to know where every bus is going at all times. Just run up and tell them where you want to go…they’ll direct you to the fastest bus going there. You run to the bus and can pay by cash or card right on the bus. No need to run around figuring out which company to use or what machines to buy tickets from. There is usually a bus station at every airport and city center.
Miscellaneous tips:
- Ireland is expensive – much more than anywhere else I’ve ever been. Maybe not the most expensive cities in America but very close to that.
Safety tips:
- Ireland is safe. No worries here.
Customs:
- Drinking and being nice/chatty with strangers. Hahaha.
Ireland cities (* = recommended, ** = must see):
- Galway** – I would seriously start here. Visit the Cliffs of Moher. It’s very authentically Irish and you get to see beautiful unique Irish countrysides/landscapes on the way here. You can think of this as an Irish town. 2 days is enough. Can do 3 if you want more time to walk around and try different pubs.
- Belfast** – hip edgey vibe in Northern Ireland (which is a different country from regular Ireland). I think Belfast is cool. A good midsize city, not too big or small.
- Dublin** – It’s fun. It’s cool. But in many ways, feels just like any other typical European big city (but the Irish-themed version of it). It’s like a classic big city and not so much like with a charmy old town like you might find in other smaller towns like Galways.
- Cork
- Limerick
- Derry
- Kilkenny – 1 day is enough.
- Kilarney – 1 day is enough.
Generally I hear Galway and the areas north of Galway are the most beautiful landscapes.
Nearby countries:
- Scotland – I hear it’s very nice but I’ve never been.
- Wales – I don’t know anything about this.
- England – you probably came from here. So I put this last.
Unfiltered notes: