How to get to Ireland: airports, flights and border crossings

Pick the airport that matches where you are going next, not the one with the cheapest headline fare. A cheap Dublin fare plus three hours of driving to Galway can cost more than a slightly higher fare into Shannon.

1. Decide your first two nights. Dublin only, or straight to the west or south-west? That answer picks the airport. If you land in Dublin and drive west the same day, allow for jet lag and left-hand driving before you commit to a long motorway run.

2. Compare Dublin against Shannon, Cork and Kerry for your dates, not just the fare. Add the cost of the onward coach, train or car hire. A rental picked up at Dublin airport and dropped at Shannon usually carries a one-way fee.

3. Book the flight, then the airport transfer. Dublin airport is about 10 km north of the city centre, with frequent coaches and city buses; allow 30–60 minutes in traffic. Shannon and Cork are smaller and quicker to clear.

4. Check your entry rules early, by passport, purpose and length of stay, on Ireland's official immigration site. Ireland and the UK run separate immigration systems, so a UK visa does not cover Ireland. Many nationalities, including US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and EU passport holders, normally enter visa-free for short visits, but stay limits and conditions differ and other passports usually need a visa applied for in advance (check).

5. If you are coming from Britain, price the ferry as well as the flight. Foot passengers and cars sail from Holyhead and Liverpool to Dublin, from Fishguard and Pembroke to Rosslare, and from Cairnryan to Belfast or Larne. Sailings take roughly 2–4 hours on the fast routes and longer on the slower ones (check).

6. Coming from Northern Ireland, just drive or take the train or coach across the border. There are no routine checks, but speed limits switch from km/h to mph and the currency switches from euro to pound sterling.

Dublin is the only Irish airport with nonstop flights to a wide range of US and Canadian cities, and it is the hub for onward travel by coach and train. Shannon keeps a smaller set of transatlantic routes and is the practical choice if your trip is Clare or the mid-west. For the south-west, compare Cork and Kerry with Dublin on total door-to-door time and cost. Belfast's two airports are useful if your plan includes Northern Ireland, Donegal or the north coast, and a cross-border coach links Belfast to Dublin in about 2–2.5 hours (check).

Fares swing widely by season. Summer and the Christmas period are the most expensive; late autumn, winter and early spring are usually cheaper, with fewer direct routes. If you are flexible, compare a midweek departure against a weekend one before you lock dates.

Ireland is in the Common Travel Area with the UK, which keeps movement between the two easy for many passport holders, but it is not part of the Schengen area. A Schengen visa does not give you entry to Ireland, and time spent in Ireland does not count against Schengen limits (check).

Travel insurance is worth arranging before you fly, particularly if you plan to drive, cycle or hike. Check that it covers medical care in Ireland and any ferry or flight disruption.