Intro

Ireland (from the Old Irish Ériu, which is the name of a goddess from Irish mythology) is located on the third-largest island in Europe. It is surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and seperated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea.

There are a lot of fascinating myths and legends in Ireland, which were passed down orally first. Later they were written down. They tell stories about fairies and the Otherworld as well as the Leprechaun and the Pukka among others.

We spend 12 days exploring this beautiful country by doing an epic roadtrip in October! We explored Dublin, the stunning Wicklow Mountains as well as a good part of the southwest and west coast.

Ireland map

Ireland FAQs

Planning your trip to Ireland and don’t know where to start?

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In general the best time to travel to Ireland is from June until August – especially if you are headed to the Wild Atlantic Way. Shoulder season is from April until May as well as from September until October. They are both not bad times to visit either if you wish to see Ireland with less crowds. The winter months tend to be dark and grey. Also be aware that most outdoor activities, in particular boat tours on the Atlantic Ocean do not operate during winter.

This very much depends on your Ireland route and your travel pace. There are people that manage to round the whole island (i.e. Ireland and Northern Ireland) in 7 days, but be aware that you will spend quite a lot of time inside your car that way. We would recommend to choose either the north or the south and then plan 7-10 days, depending on what you wish to see and do.

If you want the focus of your trip to be more on Irish cities (i.e. Dublin, Galway and Cork) you can easily travel between them by bus. The Cliffs of Moher are also quite easy to visit as part of a day trip tour. However, if you want to explore Ireland’s countryside, national parks as well as the Wild Atlantic Way, then yes renting a car in Ireland is the better option.

If you are from an EEA country (EU, Norway, Iceland & Liechtenstein) you will not need a visa. There are also a number of non-European countries that do not need a visa to enter Ireland. Find out more on the official Irish immigration website.

Ireland is part of the European Union, which is why the currency used is Euro (€).

Even though Ireland is part of the EU, the power plugs used are not the ones from Continental Europe, but those used on the British Isles (Type G). The voltage is typically 230 V. If like us, you forgot your plug adapter, try looking in souvenir shops or kiosks – that’s where we found one!

Travel Planning Guides

No time for an Ireland road trip? Get a glimpse of Ireland by doing a quick city trip to Dublin!

Plan a City Trip to Dublin

What to see and do while in Ireland!


THE MIGRATORY BIRDS

We are Florence and Andy, the faces behind The Migratory Birds!

Travel is a passion of ours and ever since meeting each other we have been to more than 15 countries together! Currently we are on a long-term trip through Asia!

On this blog we share our experiences, but also focus a lot on travel planning as well as destination guides. With our posts, we aim to give you inspiration for your own travels and provide the tools you need to plan your own trips.

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