Ireland Map Tourist Attractions

TRANSPORTATION

BY PLANE. Flying to London and connecting to Ireland is often easier and cheaper than flying direct. A popular carrier to Ireland is its national airline, Aer Lingus (081 836 5000; US 800-474-74247; www.aerlingus.ie), which has direct flights to the US, London, and Paris. Ryanair (081 836 3030; www.ryanair.ie) is a smaller airline that offers a lowest-fare guarantee. The web-based phenomenon easyJet (UK 08706 000 000; www.easyjet.com) has recently began flying from Britain to Belfast. British Airways (UK 0845 773 3377; Republic 800 626 747; US 800-247-9297; www.british-eiirways.com) flies into most Irish airports daily.

BY TRAIN, larnrod Eireann (Irish Rail; 01 836 3333; www.irishrail.ie) is useful only for travel to urban areas. The Eurail pass is accepted in the Republic but not in Northern Ireland. The BritRail pass does not cover travel in Northern Ireland or the Republic, but the month-long BritRail+lreland pass works in both the North and the Republic, with rail options and round-trip ferry service between Britain and Ireland (‚400-570). Northern Ireland Railways (028 9066 6630; www.nirailways.co.uk) is not extensive but covers the northeastern coastal region well; the major line connects Dublin to Belfast. A valid Northern Ireland Travelsave stamp (UKS6), affixed to the back of an ISIC card, will get you up to 33% off all train fares and 15% off bus fares over UK&1.45 within Northern Ireland. The Freedom of Northern Ireland ticket allows unlimited travel by train and Ulsterbus (1-day UKSll, 3-day UK&27.50, 7-day UK&40).

BY BUS. Bus Eireann (01 836 6111; www.buseireann.ie), the national bus company, reaches Britain and the Continent by working in conjunction with ferry services and the bus company Eurolines (www.eurolines.com). Most buses leave from Victoria Station in London (to Belfast: 15hr. C49UK&31, round-trip ‚79 UK&51; Dublin: 12hr. ‚42UK 27, round-trip C69UK&45); other major city stops include Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Liverpool. Services run to Cork, Derry, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, and Waterford, among others. Discounted fares are available in the low-season, as well as for people under 26 or over 60. Bus Eireann operates both long-distance Expressway buses, which link larger cities, and local buses, which serve the countryside and smaller towns.

Ulsterbus ( 028 9033 3000; Belfast 028 9032 0011; www.ulsterbus.co.uk) runs extensive routes throughout Northern Ireland. The Irish Rover pass covers both Bus Eireann and Ulsterbus services (3 of 8 consecutive days ‚60UK 90, children C33UK&50; 8 of 15 C135UKS200, children C75UK&113; 15 of 30 ‚195UKS293, children ‚110UK 165). The Emerald Card offers unlimited travel on Ulsterbus, North-

Ireland Railways, Bus Eireann Expressway, and many local services; for more info, see www.buseireann.ie (8 of 15 consecutive days C168UK&108, children ‚84 UKS54; 15 of 30 C290UK&187, children ‚145UK 94).

BY FERRY. Ferries, more economical than air travel, journey between Britain and Ireland several times per day (‚28-55UK 18-35). Weeknight travel promises the cheapest faxes. An Oige (HI) members receive up to a 20% discount on fares from Irish Ferries and Stena Sealink, while ISIC cardholders with the TravelSave stamp receive a 15-17% discount on Stena Line and Irish Ferries. Ferries run from Cork to South Wales and Roscoff, France (581), and from Rosslare Harbour to Pembroke, Wales, and Roscoff and Cherbourg, France ( p.581).

BY CAR. Drivers in Ireland use the left side of the road, and their steering wheels are on the right side of the car. Petrol (gasoline) prices are high. Be particularly cautious at roundabouts give way to traffic from the right. Dan Dooley (062 53 103, UK 0181 995 4551, US 800-331-9301; www.dan- dooley.com) is the only company that will rent to drivers between 21 and 24, though such drivers incur an added surcharge. Prices are C150-370UKS95-235 (plus VAT) per week, including insurance and unlimited mileage. If you plan to drive a car while in Ireland for longer than 90 days, you must have an International Driving Permit (IDP). If you rent, lease, or borrow a car, you will need a green card or International Insurance Certificate to certify that you have liability insurance and that it applies abroad. It is always significantly less expensive to reserve a car from the US than from Europe.

BY BIKE, FOOT, AND THUMB. Much of Ireland’s countryside is well suited for biking, as many roads are not heavily traveled. Single-digit N roads in the Republic and M roads in the North are more busily trafficked; try to avoid these. Ireland’s mountains, fields, and heather-covered hills make walking and hiking an arduous joy. The Wicklow Way has hostels within a day’s walk of each other. Locals do not recommend hitchhiking in Northern Ireland, where it is illegal along motorways; some caution against it in Co. Dublin, as well as the Midlands. Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking.

Ireland Map Tourist Attractions

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