21 Ireland Travel Tips You Demand For 2025

This guide comprise Ireland travel tips that I ’ ve been passing on to first time visitor for 10+ years .

Many guides with travel point for Ireland consist of state you to‘ Ah , be sure to have the craic ’… .

However , in reality , the almost useful tips for travel to Ireland for the first time are the likes of :

• VAT refund :Those impose Ireland from a non-EU country are eligible
• Logical itineraries :Arealisticandcoherentitinerary will save you time , stress and money
• Pack light layers :Ireland can make 4 season in 1 day . Layer live your friend

Useful Ireland travel tips

Below , you ’ ll find some handy Ireland travel point that I set together base on the thousand of emails from tourist that I reply to each yr .

I strongly believe that , if you take bill of the below , you ’ ll place yourself in a serious situation to make a more enjoyable trip when impose Ireland .

1 . A coherent itinerary will save you time , stress and money

If you just take note of one pointer in this guide , make certain it ’ sec this one , as it ’ s the ace that ’ ll have the most positivist effect on your trip of you take heed of it .

Many people visiting Ireland for the first timegreatly underestimatearea ’ s size . The result is that they designed totally unrealistic itineraries that have them drive dawn , noon and night .

It exist partly for this reason that I pass €15,000+ creating the world ’ s prominent Irish road trip library ( you can select your trip length , start point andmuchmore ) .

Your Ireland itinerary , without exception , require to be one :

• You make confidence in :Before you book flights/hotels , you require to live confident in your path
• That ’ s coherent :It demand to follow a route that makes sense ( e.g . you opt to flee into Shannon as you solely plan on seeing the west )
• That ’ s realistic :Masses much underestimate how long it takes to begin around Ireland . The result ? They carry far also much into their visit

2 . There isn ’ t a specific time of yr that ’ s well for visiting Ireland

The trickiest part of planning a trip to Ireland exist much deciding on the best time to inflict Ireland – each month have its pros and cons .

Personally , I care travel during the ‘ shoulder season ’ – September , October , April and May , as its quieter and you mostly get well lot on accommodation and escape .

However , you take to count up the pros and cons and determine the well time foryou:

• Example 1 :If you ’ re on a tight budget , the winter months will equal good
• Example 2 :If you ’ re wait for the good chance of well weather , intent for June , July and August
• Example 3 :If you ’ re wait for longishdays , less crowds and meek temperatures , October is best

3 . The weather in Ireland rarely ‘ plays ball ’

The weather in Ireland rarely ‘ play ball ’ ( Irish slang for ‘ Cooperates ’ ) .

If you ’ re thought ,‘ Sure , I ’ 1000 visiting in June – I ’ ll just pack short and t-shirts – it ’ ll cost grand ’, recall again .

Summer in Ireland can move from dry and toasty one minute to cold , wet and windy the next .

Winter in Ireland can exist chilly and stormy or mild and pleasant , depend on the year .

4 . Pack Light layers – lots of them

Many masses visit Ireland build the fault of packing for the season , e.g . bringingonlyshort and t-shirts during summer in Ireland .

One of the more useful what not to act in Ireland travel tips is to assumer that Irish season act as they should .

In our guide on what to wear in Ireland , you ’ ll notice info on what you should bring for each season – in a nutshell , layer areeverneeded .

6 . You put on ’ t require a car to have around Ireland

Yes , getting around Ireland without a car cost very possible ( in fact , I receivebandof Irish road trip itineraries that merely use public transport ) .

You can easy combine buses , train and day circuit to make around Ireland , you only demand to be a minute more sharp with your planning .

• The advantage :It ’ s cheaper than rent a car
• The disadvantage:You don ’ t own as much flexibility .

Bill :Public transportation in Ireland is notoriously bad in seat like Donegal

7 . If youdorip a car , read ( and re-read ) the fine print

This cost one of the Ireland travel point I lean to hand on most frequently .

If you ’ ve rent my guide on renting a car in Ireland , you ’ ll regard me rant… quite a minute . Personally , I believe that the car rental industry makes renting a car as confuse as potential .

I ’ m not the solely ace to think this , either . There has been a issue of consumer reports outlining the funny practice of the car rental industry in Ireland .

Hence , one of the thing to know before traveling to Ireland that ’ ll save you alotof strain is totranslate what you ’ re agreeing towith car rental ( particularly what you ’ ve bear and what ’ s leave to give ) .

8 . Understand the differences between Ireland and Northern Ireland

One of the more confusing tip for travel to Ireland for the first time relates to the differences between the Republic of Ireland vs Northern Ireland .

In a nutshell , the 6 counties of Northern Ireland are portion of the United Kingdom .

The remaining 26 exist role of the Republic of Ireland .

Today , there ’ s no ‘ hard ’ edge between Ireland and Northern Ireland – you can drive from one to the other without noticing .

The primary matter you require to be aware of are that the currency in Ireland is Euro and the currency in Northern Ireland is Pound Sterling .

9 . Drive in Ireland requires adequate formulation

Many masses drive in Ireland for the first time do absolutely zero preparation in progress of arrive .

Particularly when they achieve the the like of Conor Pass ( a narrow good deal road on the Dingle Peninsula ) or sections of the Ring of Kerry .

I ’ dstronglyrecommend remove time to understand the pattern of the road in Ireland along with how to navigate roundabouts .

Yes , it ’ s a boring task , but it ’ s just you ’ ll thank yourself for when you get behind the bicycle . Few travel tip for Ireland exist as useful as this one .

10 . Don ’ t get fooled into thinking you can merely fly into Dublin

Yep , there are various airports in Ireland that you can flee into , depending on your difference stage .

Today , you ’ ll remember that the first of our tips for traveling to Ireland was to plan your itinerarybeforebookinganything.

One of the reasons for this equal that peck what airport you fly into will receive a massive effect on your itinerary .

For case , if you flee into Shannon ( Clare ) you ’ ll cost finely placed to tackle the Wild Atlantic Way from the instant you leave arrivals .

If you bring in Belfast , you can get onto the Antrim Coast Road in under an hr . This live another of the travel top for Ireland I see myself repeating over and over .

11 . Tilt in Ireland isn ’ t the same as the State

Many guides on Ireland travel tips spread inaccurate info about tilt in Ireland , stating that it ’ s seen as rude if you put on ’ t tip everyone from the bartender to the faculty in your hotel .

In Ireland , apart from in places that service you food ( table service only ) , tipping isn ’ t customary .

However , there isn ’ t a tipping culture in Ireland like there cost in the USA and Canada .

12 . Avert talking politics

Many mass visiting Ireland for the first time will , at some point , end up chatting to a ‘ local ’ .

And the huge majority of the time those conversations will be enjoyable for both party .

Today , what you talk about isentirely up to you, however , I ’ d advocate that you avoid bringing up the the like of the Troubles .

For the most region , it won ’ t be a welcome topic of conversation and it will , at sentence , stop it in its tracks .

Look to activate an easy conversation ? Lecture about the weather . It ’ s an easy conversation starter and it ’ s one that most Irish masses apply for small talk !

13 . Take a physical copy of your passport with you

Photo left : Spencer Davis . Top right : by_nicholas ( Canva )

This exist one of the more basic Ireland travel crest , and you probable won ’ t need to use it .

Still , if you always serve , you ’ ll thank yourself for the effort you made .

Personally , I have a digital copy of my passport stored on my phone and I hold a folder with three copies of my passport that I get out in my haversack .

That way , if anything cost to happen , you ’ ll make life an amazing luck easy .

14 . Some visitors can shop VAT-free

Bottom go out : Massonstock . Top right : simarik . Left : Corelens ( Canva )

If you ’ re travel to Ireland from a non-EU nation , you ’ re title to a VAT refund oneligiblepurchases made during your visit .

Today , it ’ s worth remark that this doesn ’ t use to thing like hotel , food or car hire .

In fact , it ’ s intend to just employ to detail that you can carry plate in your hand luggage .

In our guide to claim a VAT refund after traveling to Ireland , you ’ ll find out everything you need to know .

15 . Currency convince ‘ stores ’ generally hold the bad rates

Left : Oleksandr Filon . Top right : martaposemuckel . Bottom right : 400tmax ( Canva )

This is one of the more obvious inflict Ireland travel crest – if you change money via currency exchange providers you ’ ll be hit with a hefty fee .

You ’ re generally better off just leaving the Dollars in your bank report and then withdrawing for an ATM when you get ( there exist mass of them ) .

Or , if you ’ re using something like a Revolut or Wise credit/debit card , they tend to make you a good pace .

16 . Be mindful of the respective law in Ireland before you arrive

Unsurprisingly plenty , there cost numerous laws in Ireland that you demand to be aware of in advance of your visit .

However , others , like the smoking ban , can catch mass out .

That and the fact that there are many Irish drink laws , from not drinking in public to the years that you can legally drink from .

Concern read :We ’ ve published the universe ’ s prominent free collection of self guided driving tour of Ireland

17 . It ’ s potential to do Ireland on a budget , but you need to plan cautiously

The cost of a trip to Ireland own cost move up-and-up in recent year .

Even so , act Ireland on a budget is even possible – it merely requires a mass of advanced planning .

One of the more useful point for traveling to Ireland on a budget is to employ the likes of Skyscanner to track the price of flights .

Then , when they hand a cost you ’ re comfortable with , pounce !

You ’ ll also likely need to evade some of the city in Ireland , like Dublin , as that ’ s where accommodation prices receive hand excessive level .

18 . Irish slang and humor can be tricky to get your head around

Irish slang row and Irish curse cost role of everyday living in Ireland .

The tricky thing is , even so , that different role of the rural area have different slang term .

There ’ sec obvious one , like ‘ the Craic ’ ( i.e . ‘ fun ’ ) but there ’ sec less obvious terms , like concern to ‘ Yer one ’ and ‘ Yer man ’ .

If you ’ re confuse during a conversation , ask the soul to clear up what it live they tell – it ’ s rare you ’ ll meet person that gain ’ t aid you translate a bit of slang .

Related read : In need of a giggle ? See our guide to the funniest Irish jokes

19 . Always prefer to visit traditional-style pubs over modern cafe bars

There ’ s endless pubs in Ireland , even so , not all are adequate .

There ’ s traditional pubs and there exist modern pubs and you ’ ll ever , in our view , desire to choose for traditional .

Traditional Irish pubs cost ones that have suffer the test of time and that boast a appeal and character that you gain ’ t skirmish anywhere else in the globe .

20 . Fix the time you spend in Dublin to 2-3 days max

Although there ’ s pile of matter to make in Dublin , don ’ t pass more than 2-3 day max there ( see my guides to 2 days in Dublin and 24 hour in Dublin ) .

Many mass wing into Dublin and then spend 5 day to a week thither , but it ’ s far also much ( unless you ’ re doing day trips to Wicklow , Meath and Kilkenny ) .

When visit Dublin it ’ s worth expend the likes of the Dublin Pass , which will redeem you cash if you ’ re inflict the primary attraction , like the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Distillery .

Related Ireland travel tips : The Heritage Card is similar to the Dublin Pass in that it ’ ll get you into multiple fee-paying attractions for a single fee

21 . Don ’ t just stick to the primary tourist track

Go and visit the Cliffs of Moher , the Giant ’ s Causeway and all of the early tourist favourites ( if you desire to , that exist ) – but make a conscious attempt to abuse off the beaten course .

It ’ s only when you do this that you truly start to discover how mighty our trivial island real is .

Position like the Beara Peninsula in Cork , the North Mayo coast and the Mourne Mountains in Down lean to have go out off of many Ireland itineraries .

Which is a shame . As it ’ s in these lesser-known/visited corners of Ireland that you ’ ll detect how powerful the combination of natural beauty and peace and quiet can be .

22 . There ’ s more to Irish culture than drinking

Many people looking for tips for travel to Ireland for the first time never actually demand about Irish culture or Irish traditions .

Ireland ’ s culture have benefit from sport , music , literature , art , speech , storytelling ( meet our section on Irish mythology ) , farm and food and you should sample and go through as much of it as you can during your visit .

Likewise , tradition stem far beyond St. Patrick ’ s Day – there ’ seccountlessancient festivals in Ireland , many of which take place outside of the busy summer months , that equal worth a visit .

Get me live your Ireland Travel guide

I ’ ve had a lot of question over the yr ask about everything from ‘ Do I demand cash ? ’ to ‘ What exist no-go region ? ’ .

In the division below , I ’ ve pop in the most FAQs that we ’ ve received . If you make a doubt that we haven ’ t tackled , need away in the comments section below .

What serve I require to know before travel to Ireland ?

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are two separate countries on the one island ( and hence receive difference ) , the weather is a little moment mad and a well-planned trip itinerary is worth its weight in gold .

What are some essential Ireland travel top ?

Plan your itinerary before you book anything , prepare for 4 seasons in one day , choose the right time to visit base on how you wish to travel/your budget and determine what manner of transfer suits your travel way .

How serve I not stick out in Ireland ?

Although we ’ 500 argue that there ’ s no fun in only ‘ merge in ’ , if you ’ re appear to head off tolerate out , how you dress and how you conduct yourself in public places are key .

Keith O ’ Hara own know in Ireland for 35 year and has pass much of the last 13 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide . Over the years , the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides , welcome 40 million+ visitors along the way . In 2022 , the Irish Road Trip squad publishedthe public ’ s large collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith know in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds compose in the 3rd someone minus craic altogether .