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10 Steps To Plan Your Trip To Ireland

10 Steps To Plan Your Trip To Ireland

The good news: You're coming to Ireland! The bad news: You don't know where to even start with planning your trip. It's overwhelming when you start.

I'm an Irish tour guide and work with visitors all the time. I've seen what they love and the mistakes they've made. My 10 steps helps you simplify your trip planning.

Step 1. Learn about Ireland

You've heard of Dublin and the Cliffs of Moher, but what else is there? We break down Ireland into four regions.

  • Southwest The most popular picture postcard perfect region with Cork & the Ring of Kerry.
  • West & Northwest: Galway but also the under visited Mayo, Sligo & Donegal. More remote, less crowds but stunning & as authentic as it gets.
  • East: The Ancient East including Dublin.
  • North: Belfast, The Giants Causeway and Northern Ireland.

✅ Read our Irish Regions guides to get familiar with Ireland

Step 2. Pick A Region

The biggest mistake visitors make is trying to see the whole country in one week. Ireland may be small, but our roads are winding and exhausting.

Our biggest tip is to pick just one region to visit. You will still see everything that makes Ireland special, but you'll drive less, avoid burnout and have a better time.

You may not see all the famous spots, but that's ok, they're overcrowded these days anyway and we'll give you better alternatives.

✅ Pick your favorite region to explore

Step 3. Map Your Must-Sees

Now you're narrowed down an entire country to one region. Our county guides will give you ideas to pick your must-sees. It might be a castle or cliff, but it could be a hotel or restaurant too. Put them in Google Maps and you can see your rough route. Don't book anything yet, you're just sketching it out.

✅ Put your must-sees in Google Maps

Step 4. Villages Not Cities

Don't stay in Ireland's big cities. They are crowded, full of traffic and have generic stores you'd find at home. Skip the cities of Cork, Galway, Belfast, Limerick. Controversial I know!

Instead, stay in local villages. People are friendlier, the scenery is better and parking is easy to find. Give me a night in a local village pub over a touristy city bar every night of the week. This is the real Ireland that you won't find anywhere else.

✅ Pick your villages

Step 5. Book Your Flights

I'm a plane geek and I've flown from the US to Ireland more than 100 times. My guides will help you book the best flights to Ireland.

✅ Book Your Flights

Step 6. Stay In Dublin Day One

The exception to my city rule is Dublin. If you fly into Dublin from North America on a red eye flight, do not rent a car on Day 1. It is dangerous to drive on the left side in a new country when you are exhausted.

Spend your first day in Dublin. Let the jet lag wear off before you hit the narrow roads. Do the Dublin Jetlag Walking Tour with me when you land. And here's more on what to do in Dublin.

My Where To Stay In Dublin guide will tell you the best hotels.

✅ Book Your hotel in Dublin

Step 7. The 2 Night Rule

Now your flight is set in stone, you can book hotels.

Another big mistake people do is change hotels every night. This is a vacation, not a race. Stay 2 nights or more in each place. Use it as a hub. You'll thank me when you're not unpacking your suitcase every day.

I recommend doing at least one fairytale stay in a castle or a manor. Our hotels page has lots of good suggestions.

We have a hotel shortage in Ireland so book well ahead of your visit.

✅ Book your accommodation

Step 8. Book a Rental Car

Driving takes a lot more effort than you may be used. If I had a Euro for every time I heard someone say "it's ok, we're used to driving back a lot home". Well, you are not used to the Irish version of driving. It's white knuckle, stick shift, narrow lane, wrong side of the road stuff here. It's mentally & physically tiring. But fun too!

✅ Book a rental car and max out on the insurance.

Step 9. Get Your Tour Tickets

I'm a Dublin walking tour guide, so I am biased, but everything makes more sense when you have a local explaining things to you. Guinness, Book of Kells and the famous one need to be booked at least a few weeks ahead of time. But don't over do it, leave room in your schedule for downtime and exploring side roads.

✅ Buy your attraction tickets and book one of my walking tours in Dublin

Step 10: "Before You Leave" Checklist.

You can do these closer to departure day.

  • Get travel insurance. Absolutely essential!
  • Buy an eSIM so your phone works when you land
  • Book your airport transfer so you're not stuck in a long taxi line in Dublin.
  • Check the weather in Ireland before you pack.
  • Don't forget a Type G travel adapter.
  • Get some Euros in cash, although you can use cards everywhere.
  • If you are going to Northern Ireland. make sure you have your ETA. You'll need one soon for Republic of Ireland too if you are non-EU.

Have Questions?

Ask them on our Facebook page or in the comments below.

Want Help With Your Trip Planning?

I offer a personal Irish trip planning service. Go from stressed about your trip to excited after an Irish trip planning call with me. Learn more.