Irish Holiday Hostels of Ireland
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BY AIR
The main airlines that fly into Dublin Airport are Aerlingus which has a total of 17 flights per day 10 from Heathrow Airport, 3 from Gatwick and 4 from London City. Ryanair, which can be the most economical airline, has up to 25 flights per day during the peak season from London Stansted, Gatwick and Luton airports. Catering for Northern Ireland, Ryanair also flies into Derry twice a day from Stansted airport. British Midland Airlines has 8 flights a day from London Heathrow to Dublin and 8 flights a day from London Heathrow to Belfast. British Airways City Flyer Express has 7 flights per day from Gatwick to Dublin and 5 flights per day from Heathrow to Belfast. EasyJet flies into Belfast 4 times daily.
Websites
Aer Lingus: www.aerlingus.ie
Ryan Air: www.ryanair.com
British Midland: www.flybmi.com
British Airways: www.britishairways.com
EasyJet: www.easyjet.com
Dublin International Airport
10 km north of city centre (bus link)
Wicklow Mountains (start 20km south)
Boyne Valley (30km north)
Waterford Airport
10km south of town.
Wexford 45km east
Cork Airport
5km south of city centre
Blarney 12 km, Youghal 50km east, Kinsale18km south
Kerry Airport (Farrenfore)
Killarney 12k south, Ring of Kerry - starts within 15km, west Tralee 16km north,
Dingle Town 57km west
Shannon Airport
Limerick 20km east, Ennis 18km north, Doolin 56km
Galway Airport
8km east of city, Aran Islands boats from Galway Connemara begins 30km west, Cong 50km north
Knock International Airport
nearest town Charlestown 7km north, Castlebar 58km, Westport 75km, Ballina 49km
Sligo Airport (Strandhill)
8km west of town. Frequent bus service.
Leitrim Glens and Lakes start 20km east, Ballyshannon 42km north, Bundoran 51km north
Donegal Airport (Carrickfinn)
Dungloe (nearest town) 20km. In middle of Rosses/Gweedore area.
Mount Errigal 18km, Glenveagh National Park entrance 35km
City of Derry Airport
13km east of city
In Northern Ireland: Giant's Causeway 47km, Sperrin Mountains 30km,
Gortin Glen Parks (History and Folk) 54km
In Donegal: Inishowen Peninsula 15km, Malin Head 65km, Letterkenny 50km
Belfast International Airport
26km west of city centre
Lough Neagh 3km west, Glens of Antrim start 30km northeast, Armagh 60km southwest
Belfast City Airport
4km north east of city centre
Strangford Lough 16km east, Downpatrick 42km south, Newcastle 55km south, Lough Neagh 30km west, Glens of Antrim start 40km north
BY FERRY
Stena Line operates in conjunction with the British train services, Virgin Trains, First North Western Trains, First Great Western Trains and Scotrail. The ferry rail services run from London Euston station to Dun Laoghaire Port in Dublin, four times a day from Monday to Friday and three times a day on Saturday and Sunday. Stena Line also operates a service to Belfast from London Euston, six times a day from Monday to Saturday and three times a day on Sunday. Prices are very economical.
Irish Ferries offers a service from Holyhead in North Wales to Dublin on their Cruise and Dublin Swift ferries. There are six ferries per day, however between 15 July and 3 September there are only five midweek and six on Saturday and Sunday.
Seacat is a fast ferry service that runs from Liverpool to Dublin and Heysham to Belfast. There is one daily sailing during the off-peak season and sailings twice daily during the peak season. This crossing is very fast and just takes 2 hours 30 minutes. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more foot passengers or for students, senior citizens, and children between 5 and 15 years old. A Rover Ticket is also available which allows up to four standard single fares on any of the Sea Cat routes between Ireland, the Isle of Man and Britain.
Norse Merchant Ferries also offer a service between Liverpool and Dublin. Prices vary for morning and evening sailings and return specials are also available.
Websites
Stena Line: www.stenaline.co.uk
Irish Ferries: www.irishferries.ie
Swansea - Cork Ferries: www.swansea-cork.ie
Sea Cat: www.seacat.ie
Norse Merchant Ferries: www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk
BY BUS
Bus Eireann is the national bus company in the Republic of Ireland. Ulsterbus is the bus company in the North of Ireland. Both companies have services between most towns and villages throughout the country in the peak season, however there is a reduced service in the off-peak season. To know exactly what services are available and where, get hold of the free Bus Eireann timetable, which is available in tourist offices and bus stations around the country. Timetables are usually posted in most hostels. Bus drivers are usually friendly and accommodating and will stop even if you are not at the designated stopping point. There are various reduced rates and special discounts on offer for young and old alike all year round.
Private Bus Companies also operate throughout the country at a very economical rate. The local tourist information office is the best source of information on these services. Also note that there are regions, such as the northwest of Donegal, where Bus Eireann does not operate so the private companies will be your only option.
Websites
Bus Eireann: www.buseireann.ie
Ulsterbus: www.translink.co.uk
BY TRAIN
The Iarnroid Eireann (Irish Rail) train service runs from Dublin out towards most of the larger towns and all the cities including the Northern ones. Don’t always expect to leave exactly on time and reach your destination at a precise time. It is more expensive than the bus (especially at weekends, when fares are increased by up to 50 per cent). You can buy travel cards but only in second class. Sometimes a single ticket is more expensive than a return – always ask the price of both at the ticket desk. Timetables are available from stations and tourist offices. The Irish Rover Ticket is good value for money and is valid for 14 days and you can select five days during that period for unlimited train travel in both parts of Ireland.
Websites
Iarnroid Eireann (Irish Rail): www.irishrail.ie
Northern Ireland: www.translink.co.uk
Contact Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) (01) 836 3333 or make enquiries at: The Travel Centre, 35, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. (01) 836 6222. Contact Northern Ireland Railways (028) 9089 9411
BY BIKE
What better way to see Ireland than on your bicycle. There are usually quite short distances between towns and villages which makes it bike friendly. The only obstacle you will probably come up against is the weather, so bring wet gear “just in case” as you will probably need it. Cyclists should note that there is a series of five maps available for Ireland. They have very accurate contour lines and also show places of interest. They are available at tourist offices and bus and train stations. As the roads are not always in a good state of repair make sure that your bike is. A town and country bike is recommended. If you want to hire a bike it is not expensive but you are advised to bring your own if you are intending to bike extensively. On the plane, your bike will be part of your baggage allowance. If you want to hire a bike contact the company Raleigh Rent-a-Bike, which has many cycle hire shops throughout Ireland. Fully inclusive hire is around 50 euro per week or 8 euro per day and, on prior arrangement, you can return the bike to a different location from where you hired it. Buses will accept bikes if the hold is not full but you will be charged a small supplement. You are also expected to pay for your bike on the trains but riders are rarely charged.
BY CAR
Travelling throughout Ireland by car gives you tremendous freedom and you can see very remote spots that public transport doesn’t permit. It there are four of you, it is a good idea to hire a car for a least a week as it is fairly economical and the road system is fairly good. However, don’t forget that although the green direction signs are in kilometres the speed limits are all in miles per hour. A word of caution, be careful of the narrow country roads where the bends in the road are often very sharp and windy. Seatbelts must be worn by all passengers whilst driving. It is important to note that parking in the free town centre car parks, if there are any, is generally limited to one hour and parking is prohibited on double yellow lines. Bartholomew has produced five road maps which are ideal, despite the fact that the motorist may have problems with the village names which are written in English on the map and in Irish on the road signs. To hire a car drivers must be over 23 years old and have had a licence for at least two years. Some good hire car companies include National Car Rental, Irish Car Rentals, Argus, Atlas Car Rental and Europcar all of which have information desks at Dublin Airport as do the more international hire car companies, Hertzand Avis.
WALKING
Walking around the villages, towns and cities of Ireland is a highly recommended and enjoyable experience. The usual precautions at night should be taken. There are very many beautiful walks through the main cities of Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Belfast and the surrounding areas. For a more traditional taste of Ireland make sure you take a walk around the smaller towns and villages where people are very friendly and stop and chat to foreign travellers. There a plenty of marked out and mapped trails through forests, mountain regions and surrounding lakes. Information on the local walking trails can be obtained at the local tourist information office.
Getting to Ireland from countries other than the UK
Australia or New Zealand
By Air:
The following and/or their agents have
services to Europe and on to Ireland.
Note: Phone numbers are from within Australia.
Aer Lingus
www.aerlingus.com
British Airways
www.britishairways.com
Quantas
www.quantas.com
Belgium
By Air Direct:
Aer Lingus
Troonstraat, Rue du Trone 98, 1050 Brussels.
Tel: 02 548 9848
e-mail: sales.brussels@erlingus.ie
www.aerlingus.com
Ryanair
Tel: 071 251 251
www.ryanair.com
www.air.travelplace.org/air/ryanairbelgium.htm
Canada
By Air National Carriers:
Aer Lingus
Tel: 800 223 6537 (US)
Tel: 212 557 1100 (NY)
www.aerlingus.com
Delta Air Lines
Tel: 800 241 4141 (US)
Tel: 800 221 1212 (CAN)
www.delta.com
Denmark
By Air:
Aer Lingus
Jernbanegade 4, 1608 Köhamn V
Tel: 33 12 60 55
Fax: 3393 05 09
e-mail: aerlingus@target-marketing.dk
www.aerlingus.com
SAS
SAS-Huset, Hammerichsgade 1-5, 1611 Køavn V
Tel: 70 10 20 00
Fax: 32 32 64 48
www.sas.com
Ryanair
Barkat House, 116 - 118 Finchley Road, London NW3 5HT
England
Tel: (071) 435 7101 (UK)
Fax: (071) 435 1983 (UK)
www.ryanair.com
France
By Air Direct:
Aer Lingus
47, Avenue de l'Opera
75002 Paris
Tel: 01 47 42 12 50
Fax: 01 42 66 36 62
www.aerlingus.com
Air France
Tel: 0 802 802 802
www.airfrance.com
Cityjet
Tel: 00 353 1 844 5566 (Dublin)
Tel: 01 48 62 13 40 (Paris)
www.cityjet.com
Ryanair
Aéport de Paris/Beauvais,
60000 Beauvais
Tel: 03 44 11 41 41
Fax: 03 44 11 41 49
www.ryanair.com
Germany
By Air Direct:
Aer Lingus Reservations,
Berliner Allee 38, 40212 Düorf.
Tel: 0211 323 0231
www.aerlingus.com
Lufthansa
Tel: 01803 803 803
www.lufthansa.com
Netherlands / Holland
By Air Direct:
Aer Lingus
Tel: 0031 20 6238620
www.aerlingus.com
British Airways Express, Rotterdam - Cork
Tel: 0031 10 437 8911
www.britishairways.com
Cityjet
Tel: 0032 2 752 9090
www.cityjet.com
Ryanair Charleroi - Dublin
Tel: 0032 71 251 251
www.ryanair.com
South Africa
By Air through Europe/Britain National Carriers:
Aer Lingus
c/o British Airways
PO Box 535
Parklands 2121
158 Jan Smuts Ave
Rosebank
Johannesburg
Tel: (011) 441 8400
www.aerlingus.com
SA Airways
Airways Towers
39 Wolmarans Street
Braamfontien
PO Box 7778
Johannesburg 200
Tel: (011) 356 2059
Fax: (011) 356 1795
www.flysaa.com
Spain
By Air Direct:
Iberia
Tel: 91 329 5767
Madrid - Barcelona - Dublin
www.iberia.com
Aer Lingus
Tel: 91 541 4216
Madrid - Dublin
e-mail: madrid@aerlingus.com
www.aerlingus.com
The USA
By Air Direct:
Aer Lingus
Tel: 888 474 7424
Tel: 800 474 7424
www.aerlingus.com
Delta Air Lines
Tel: 800 241 4141 (US/Can)
www.delta.com
