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Major city · Ireland

BallinaBéal an Átha

Base in Ballina for 2 nights if you have a car: north Mayo's abbeys, sea stacks and beaches are 20–50 min out, with no useful bus.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short days, many rural sites wet and windswept)
Airport
NOC
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • Ireland ↗Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen area; it sets its own entry rules and a Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland. Check Irish immigration for your passport.
  • Ireland ↗Ireland and the UK form the Common Travel Area, with no routine checks on the land border. Visitors who are not Irish or British must still meet UK rules (including the UK ETA where it applies) to enter Northern Ireland.
  • Ireland ↗Driving is on the left; rural roads are narrow with hedges and few passing places.

Ballina is a market town of about 10,500 on the River Moy, near its estuary in north County Mayo. The town itself is a base, not a sight: Georgian and Victorian streets, a small museum, a cathedral and a good pub strip. What you come for is out in the countryside — Rosserk and Moyne friaries, Killala, Downpatrick Head and the Céide Fields — and almost all of it needs a car. Two nights covers the north; three if you add a beach or a surf day at Enniscrone.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ballina, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealMain course in a mid-range restaurant€16–26 (≈ US$19–35)
  • Street or quick mealPub lunch (soup, sandwich or chowder)€10–16 (≈ US$12–19)
  • BeerPint of stout or lager€5–6.50 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across towncheck€8–12 (≈ US$10–14)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum or heritage site entryMany abbeys and beaches are free.€3–8 (≈ US$4–10)
  • Budget bedHostel bunk, a night, per person€35 (≈ US$45)
  • Mid-range bedB&B or guesthouse double, a night, per room€130 (≈ US$160)
  • High-end bedB&B or guesthouse double, a night, per room€180 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €110 (≈ US$130) · High €200 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

River Moy salmon fishing1798 French invasion historyRosserk and Moyne friariesDownpatrick Head and Dun BristeCéide Fields
Airports
NOC Ireland West Airport Knock (About 60 km southwest by road; limited UK routes. Many travellers fly into Dublin and hire a car.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ballina: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

8°C

3°C

20 rd

Feb

9°C

3°C

16 rd

Mar

10°C

4°C

18 rd

Apr

12°C

5°C

15 rd

May

15°C

7°C

15 rd

Jun

17°C

10°C

14 rd

Jul

18°C

12°C

16 rd

Aug

18°C

12°C

17 rd

Sep

17°C

10°C

17 rd

Oct

14°C

8°C

19 rd

Nov

11°C

5°C

19 rd

Dec

9°C

4°C

19 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need your own wheels. Sights are spread across the countryside with a sparse bus service: Bus 445 runs three times Mon–Fri along the coast to Killala and Ballycastle, and Bus 446 four times a day to Killala, Bangor Erris and Belmullet. Trains and buses reach Westport, Castlebar, Galway, Sligo and Dublin, but not the friaries or the headlands. Taxis work for short hops in town.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Killala and the 1798 sites

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car via R314, about 15 min; Bus 445/446 a few times a day

Round tower, cathedral and graveyard; the French landed at Kilcummin nearby in 1798.

Rosserk Friary and Moyne Abbey

go

Door to door: About 20–30 min

Car north on minor lanes off R314

Both Franciscan ruins are open 24 h and free; the access lanes are narrow.

Downpatrick Head

go

Door to door: About 45–60 min

Car north via Ballycastle on R314 and local lanes

Sea stack, blowhole and a WWII-era aviation marker; cliffs are unfenced.

Céide Fields

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Car west of Ballycastle on R314

Neolithic field walls under bog; visitor centre open mid-Mar–Oct, adult €5 (check).

Enniscrone

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Car north on N59, about 15 km

Surf beach and seaweed baths; the coast road continues into County Sligo.

Foxford

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car south on N26/R318, about 20 min; trains and buses also stop

Woollen mills shop and River Moy fishing; the Foxford Way is an 86 km walking circuit.

Westport

overnight

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Train or bus via Manulla Junction/Castlebar

Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick deserve their own night, not a rushed return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre (Pearse St, Barrett St, Dillon Terrace)

Walk to pubs, restaurants and the river; best for a car-free evening.

The Quay and east riverbank

Quieter, riverside hotels and a bistro; 10–15 min walk into town.

Belleek, north of town

Woods, castle hotel and a caravan park; needs a car for everything.

Out of town (Foxford Rd, Ballycastle, Enniscoe)

Country houses and coast bases; only worth it with your own transport.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€150 (≈ US$180)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B or guesthouse double1 × 2 nights × €130€260
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €110€440
Car hire, one day, compact1 × €60 · check; book ahead in summer€60
Fuel, about 150 km of local driving1 × €18 · check€18
Pub dinner with a pint2 × €28€56
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€86
Trip total≈ €238 per person per day, bed included€950≈ US$1,200

2026 estimate in euro; flights and car hire excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee€3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub lunch (soup, sandwich or chowder)€10–16 (≈ US$12–19)
Main course in a mid-range restaurant€16–26 (≈ US$19–35)
Pint of stout or lager€5–6.50 (≈ US$6–8)
Fish and chips€12–18 (≈ US$14–25)
Museum or heritage site entryMany abbeys and beaches are free.€3–8 (≈ US$4–10)
Taxi across towncheck€8–12 (≈ US$10–14)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Ballina is a low-crime town and the main risks are on the road and the coast: narrow lanes, unfenced cliffs at Downpatrick Head, and fast-changing Atlantic weather. Tell someone your route when you drive the north coast, and carry a charged phone — signal drops in the hills.
  • Rural lanes are narrow, often single-track with grass down the middle; drive slowly and use passing places.
  • Many ruins and beaches have no facilities, no lighting and no phone signal — go in daylight with fuel and water.
  • Traffic circulates clockwise around the town centre and over the two river bridges, and backs up at peak times.
  • Salmon fishing on the Ridge Pool is licensed and permit-only; do not fish without one.
  • Some country-house hotels take group bookings only in 2026 — confirm before you plan around one.

Emergency numbers

Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard (24 h)
112
Alternative emergency number
999

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BallinaBéal an Átha

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoilTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies (police, ambulance, fire, coast guard)112
  • Alternative emergency number999

Embassy

No embassy in Ballina. The US Embassy is in Dublin; the UK Embassy is in Dublin; most other countries keep embassies in Dublin — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Bus Éireann Expressway 22, Dublin to Ballina: about 4 h 20 min, six times a day (check the fare)
  • Train, Dublin Heuston to Ballina: about 3 h 30 min with changes at Athlone and Manulla Junction, five a day (check)
  • Bus 446, Ballina to Belmullet: four times a day, some continue to Blacksod (check)

Say or show

  • Dia duit — Hello (jeea gwit)
  • Go raibh maith agat — Thank you (guh rev mah agut)
  • Le do thoil — Please (le duh hull)
  • Sláinte — Cheers (slawn-cha)
  • Cá bhfuil an leithreas? — Where is the toilet? (kaw will un leh-russ)
  • Cé mhéad é? — How much is it? (kay vade ay)

English is spoken everywhere; Irish is used on signs and in Gaeltacht areas. Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants with table service, not expected in pubs.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ballina. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, many rural sites wet and windswept) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for NOC and Dublin: last bus and train departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four driving clusters with rescue anchors: town centre, the Quay and Belleek, Killala–Rosserk–Moyne, Ballycastle–Downpatrick–Céide.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and prices (Jackie Clarke Collection, Céide Fields, North Mayo Heritage Centre) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wet-day and hostile-weather fixtures so the rural day trips can go green or be swapped for town.

Meanwhile

Back to Ireland

Sources