Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [632]
Recommended agencies:
Canadian Affair ( 1604-678 6868; www.canadianaffair.com) Cheap one-way fares to British cities.
Flight Centre ( 1877-967 5302; www.flightcentre.ca)
Travel CUTS ( 866-246 9762; www.travelcuts.com)
Continental Europe
Price wars have cut the price of flights to Ireland from continental Europe to their lowest rates ever. The two biggest players in the market are the one-time national airline, Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com), now a low-frills airline in virtually every respect, offering competitive prices to over 40 destinations; and the king of all low-fares airlines, Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), which serves over 80 European destinations from Dublin and over 100 from its (now) main hub at London Stansted. Ryanair’s success is predicated on using secondary airports in or around major cities, which can make for expensive and time-consuming transfers. Check when you book.
UK
There is a mind-boggling array of flights between Britain and Ireland. The best deals are usually available online, and it’s not unusual for airport taxes to exceed the base price of the ticket on the lowest fares (generally for early morning or late-night flights midweek).
Most regional airports in Britain have flights to Dublin and Belfast and some also provide services to Shannon, Cork, Kerry, Knock and Waterford.
USA
In the USA, discount travel agencies (consolidators) sell cut-price tickets on scheduled carriers. Aer Lingus is the chief carrier between the USA and Ireland, with flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, DC, to Shannon, Dublin and Belfast. Heavy competition on transatlantic routes into London might make it cheaper to fly there and then continue on to Ireland. The Sunday travel sections of the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle-Examiner, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune list cheap fares.
Some of the more popular travel agencies:
Ireland Consolidated ( 212-661 1999; www.irelandair.com)
STA Travel ( 800-781 4040; www.statravel.com)
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LAND
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) has a three-times-daily coach and ferry service from London’s Victoria Station to Dublin Busáras. For information on border crossings, Click here.
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SEA
There are many ferry and fast-boat services from Britain and France to Ireland. Prices quoted throughout this section are one-way fares for a single adult on foot/up to two adults with a car, during peak season.
UK & Ireland
There are numerous ferry and fast-boat services between Britain and Ireland but it’s definitely wise to plan ahead as fares can vary considerably, depending on the season, day, time and length of stay. Often, some return fares don’t cost that much more than one-way fares and it’s worth keeping an eye out for special offers. International Student Identity Card (ISIC) holders and Hostelling International (HI) members get a reduction on the normal fares.
These shipping lines operate between Britain and Ireland:
Irish Ferries ( in the UK 0870-517 1717, in the Republic 1890 31 31 31; www.irishferries.com) For ferry and fast-boat services from Holyhead to Dublin, and ferry services from Pembroke to Rosslare.
Isle of Man Steam Packet Company/Sea Cat ( in the UK 1800 805 055, in the Republic 01-836 4019; www.steam-packet.com) Ferry and fast-boat services from Liverpool to Dublin or Belfast via Douglas (on the Isle of Man).
Norfolkline ( in the UK 0870-600 4321, in the Republic 01-819 2999; www.norfolkline.com) Ferry services from Liverpool to Belfast and Dublin.
P&O Irish Sea ( in the UK 0870-242 4777, in the Republic 01-407 3434; www.poirishsea.com) Ferry and fast-boat services from Larne to Cairnryan and Troon, and ferry services from Liverpool to Dublin.
Stena Line ( 0870-570 7070; www.stenaline.com) Ferry services from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire, Fleetwood to Larne and Stranraer to Belfast, and fast-boat services from Holyhead to Dublin, Fishguard to Rosslare, and Stranraer to Belfast.
The main routes from the UK to the Republic include