Getting There

By Plane

About half of all visitors from North America arrive in Ireland on direct transatlantic flights to Dublin Airport (tel. 1/814-1111; www.dublin-airport.com), Shannon Airport, or Belfast International Airport. The other half fly first into Britain or Europe, then "backtrack" into Ireland by air or sea.

In the Republic, there are seven smaller regional airports, all of which offer service to Dublin and several of which receive some European traffic. They are Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Knock, Sligo, and Waterford. In Northern Ireland, the secondary airports are Belfast City Airport and Derry City Airport. Services and schedules are always subject to change, so be sure to consult your preferred airline or travel agent as soon as you begin to sketch your itinerary. The routes and carriers listed below are provided to suggest the range of possibilities for air travel to Ireland.

From the United States & Canada -- The Irish national carrier, Aer Lingus (tel. 800/474-7424 in the U.S., or 0818/365-000 in Ireland; www.aerlingus.ie) provides transatlantic flights to Ireland with scheduled, nonstop flights from New York (JFK), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore to Dublin, Shannon, and Belfast international airports.

American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) flies directly from New York (JFK), Boston, and Chicago to Dublin and Shannon. Delta Airlines (tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com) flies directly from Atlanta and New York (JFK) to Dublin and Shannon. Continental Airlines (tel. 800/231-0856; www.continental.com) offers nonstop service to Dublin, Shannon, and Belfast from Newark.

From Canada, Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262 in the U.S. and Canada, or 0180/070-0900 in Ireland) runs frequent direct flights to Shannon and Dublin from major Canadian cities.

It's possible to save money by booking your air tickets through a consolidator (also known as a bucket shop) who works with the airlines to sell off their unsold air tickets at a cut price. But note that the savings generally range from minuscule in the high season to substantial in the off season. UK Air (tel. 888/577-2900; www.ukair.com) sells tickets to Britain, Ireland, and the rest of Europe on regular Delta, British Airways, and Continental flights.

From London -- The London-Dublin and London-Shannon routes are two of the busiest flight paths in Europe, and competition is stiff -- which means that you can often get a fantastic deal.

The following carriers offer direct flights from London: British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297 in the U.S., or 087/085-9850 in Britain; www.ba.com); Aer Lingus (tel. 800/474-7424 in the U.S., or 0818/365-000 in Ireland; www.aerlingus.ie); Lufthansa (tel. 800/581-6400 in the U.S.; www.lufthansa.co.uk); bmi baby (tel. 800/788-0555 in the U.S., or 01/242-0794 in Ireland; www.bmibaby.com); CityJet (tel. 0345/445588 in Britain); and Ryanair (tel. 01/609-7800 in Ireland; 0906/270-5656 in Britain; www.ryanair.com).

Belfast has two airports, Belfast International Airport (tel. 028/9448-4848; www.bial.co.uk) and Belfast City Airport (tel. 028/9093-9093; www.belfastcityairport.com). Airlines flying directly from Britain to Belfast include British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297 in the U.S., or 087/085-0850 in Britain; www.ba.com).

From the Continent -- Major direct flights into Dublin from the Continent include service from Amsterdam on KLM (tel. 800/374-7747 in the U.S.; www.klm.com); Madrid and Barcelona on Iberia (tel. 800/772-4642 in the U.S.; www.iberia.com); Brussels on Ryanair (www.ryanair.com); Copenhagen on Aer Lingus and SAS (tel. 800/221-2350 in the U.S.; www.scandinavian.net); Frankfurt on Aer Lingus and Lufthansa (tel. 800/645-3880 in the U.S.; www.lufthansa.com); Paris on Aer Lingus and Air France (tel. 800/237-2747 in the U.S.; www.airfrance.com); Prague on CSA Czech Airlines (tel. 212/765-6588 in the U.S.; www.csa.cz); and Rome on Aer Lingus.

Quite recently, Cork Airport (tel. 021/431-3131; www.cork-airport.com) passed Shannon to become the second-ranked airport in Ireland, though it offers no nonstop transatlantic service. Aer Lingus, British Airways, KLM, and Ryanair are among the airlines flying into Cork from Great Britain and the Continent. Direct service to Shannon from the Continent includes Aer Lingus from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Paris, and Zurich.

There are no direct flights from New Zealand or Australia to Ireland; if you're coming from there, you'll most probably transfer in London.

By Ferry

If you're traveling to Ireland from Britain or the Continent, especially if you're behind the wheel of a car, ferries can get you there. Several car and passenger ferries offer reasonably comfortable furnishings, cabin berths (for longer crossings), restaurants, duty-free shopping, and lounges.

Prices fluctuate seasonally and depend on your route, your time of travel, and whether you are on foot or in a car. It's best to check with your travel agent for up-to-date details, but just to give you an idea, the lowest one-way adult fare in high season on the cruise ferry from Holyhead to Dublin starts at around €31 ($40). Add your car, and the grand total could be four or five times that. The Irish Sea has a reputation for rough crossings, so it's always a good idea to consider an over-the-counter pill or patch to guard against seasickness. (Be sure to take any pills before you set out; once you're underway, it's generally too late.)

The websites given below have regularly updated schedules and prices.

From Britain -- Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.ie) operates from Holyhead, Wales, to Dublin, and from Pembroke, Wales, to Rosslare, County Wexford. For reservations, call Scots-American Travel (tel. 800/427-7268 in the U.S.; www.scotsamerican.com) or Irish Ferries (tel. 0870/517-1717 in the U.K., or 0818/300-400 in the Republic of Ireland; 00353/818-300-400 in Northern Ireland; www.irishferries.com). Stena Line (tel. 01/204-7777; www.stenaline.com) sails from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire, 13km (8 miles) south of Dublin; from Fishguard, Wales, to Rosslare; and from Stranraer, Scotland, to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Brittany Ferries (tel. 021/427-7801 in Cork; www.brittany-ferries.com) operates from Holyhead to Dublin; from Fishguard and Pembroke to Rosslare; and from Stranraer to Belfast. Swansea/Cork Ferries (tel. 01792/456-116 in Britain, or 0033/214-271-166 in Ireland; www.swanseacorkferries.com) links Swansea, Wales, to Ringaskiddy, just outside Cork City, County Cork. P&O Irish Sea Ferries operates from Liverpool to Dublin and from Cairnryan, Scotland, to Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. For reservations, call Scots-American Travel (tel. 561/563-2856 in the U.S., 0870/242-4777 in Britain, or 01/638-3333 in Ireland; www.poirishsea.com). Norse Merchant Ferries (tel. 0870/600-4321 in Britain, or 01/819-2999 in Ireland; www.norsemerchant.com) sails from Liverpool to Belfast. Isle of Man Steam Packet Company/Sea Cat (tel. 08705/523-523 in Britain, or 01/800-80-50-55 in Ireland; www.steam-packet.com) operates ferries from Liverpool to Dublin, and from Heysham and Troon, both in Scotland, to Belfast.

From Continental Europe -- Destinations are changeable, but at the moment Irish Ferries sails from Roscoff and Cherbourg, France, to Rosslare. For reservations, call Scots-American Travel (tel. 561/563-2856 in the U.S.; www.scotsamerican.com) or Irish Ferries (tel. 0870/5171717 in the U.K., or 01/638-3333 in Ireland). P&O Irish Sea Ferries operates from Cherbourg, France, to Rosslare. For reservations, call Scots-American Travel (tel. 561/563-2856 in the U.S., 0870/242-4777 in Britain, or 01/638-3333 in Ireland; www.poirishsea.com). Brittany Ferries (tel. 021/427-7801 in Cork; www.brittany-ferries.com) connects Roscoff, France, to Cork.

Note to Eurailpass holders: Because Irish Ferries is a member of the Eurail system, you can travel free between Rosslare and Roscoff or Cherbourg.