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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Letterkenny
Leitir Ceanainn
Use Letterkenny as a 2-night base for Glenveagh and the north Donegal coast, not as a sight in itself: the town is a hub, the scenery is 20–75 km out.
Letterkenny is County Donegal's largest town and its transport and shopping hub, sitting above Lough Swilly about 20 km from Glenveagh National Park. The town centre is compact and walkable, but the coast, the national park and the mills all need a car or a bus. Most travellers use it as a practical base for two nights rather than a destination.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Leitir Ceanainn
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days); rally weekend in June books out beds
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard, mountain rescue 112 · Same services (alternative) 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–22 |
| Fish and chips | €12–16 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6.50 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | €10–14 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LDY · City of Derry
- About 40 min by road; flights from London Heathrow, Liverpool and Glasgow.
- CFN · Donegal Airport
- West coast, about 1 h 30 min by road; small regional flights.
- BFS · Belfast International
- About 2 h by road via Derry.
- DUB · Dublin
- About 3 h 30 min by road; Expressway 32 bus runs every couple of hours.
Typical fares
- Expressway 32, Dublin to Letterkenny
- about €25, 4 h (check)
- Expressway 64, Derry to Letterkenny
- about €6, 30 min (check)
- Taxi across town
- €8–12 metered
Get around
The centre is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. For Glenveagh, Newmills, Glebe House, Fanad Head and Malin Head you need a car or a Local Link bus. Taxis wait on Market Street and by the bus station and must use the meter; fares are nationally regulated. Car hire is available in town, but airport pickup is usually easier.
See and do
Known for
- Glenveagh National Park base
- St Eunan's Cathedral
- Donegal International Rally
- Gateway to Fanad and Malin Head
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Glenveagh National Park | Car on the R251 via Churchill, about 25 min; or Local Link 971 from Letterkenny | About 40 min by car |
| Newmills Corn and Flax Mills | Car 5 km west on the R250Car 3.1 mi west on the R250 | About 15 min |
| Glebe House and Gallery | Car on the R251 towards Churchill | About 25 min |
| Fanad Head | Car via Ramelton and Milford | About 1 h |
| Malin Head | Car via Carndonagh and the Inishowen peninsula | About 1 h 30 min |
| Beltany Stone Circle | Car 14 km southeast near RaphoeCar 8.7 mi southeast near Raphoe | About 25 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Main Street and Port Road)
- Walk to pubs, restaurants and the bus station; best for a car-free stay.
- Bus station and Port Road
- Expressway and Local Link departures on the doorstep; handy for one-night stops.
- Ramelton Road and the ring road
- Chain hotels with parking; 15–25 min walk or a short taxi to the centre.
- Out of town (Glenveagh, Churchill, Ramelton)
- Quieter and closer to the park; you need a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia dhuitjeea ghwitch |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the bus station? | Cá bhfuil an stáisiún bus?kaw will an staw-shoon bus |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- Outlying sights have no useful evening bus back: check the last Local Link departure before you set out.
- Some seasonal sites close outside May–September: check opening dates before travelling.
- Rally weekend in June fills every bed in town: book months ahead or stay in Derry or Donegal Town.
- Rain arrives fast off the Atlantic; a waterproof shell beats an umbrella on the coast.
One of Ireland's safer towns; the real risks are weather, unlit coastal roads at night and the last-bus problem on outlying routes. Standard city sense on nights out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Letterkenny yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Glenveagh National Park base
- St Eunan's Cathedral
- Donegal International Rally
- Gateway to Fanad and Malin Head
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Donegal County Council — County Museum: www.donegalcoco.ie//culture/countymuseum/
- Glenveagh National Park: www.glenveaghnationalpark.ie/
- Heritage Ireland — Newmills Corn and Flax Mills: heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/newmills-corn-and-flax-mills/
- Heritage Ireland — Glebe House and Gallery: heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/glebe-gallery-and-garden/
- St Eunan's Cathedral: www.steunanscathedral.ie/
- An Grianán Theatre: www.angrianan.com/
- Regional Cultural Centre: regionalculturalcentre.com
- Bus Éireann Expressway: www.buseireann.ie/
- Local Link Donegal: locallinkdsl.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Letterkenny, revision 5327708 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5327708
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
LetterkennyLeitir Ceanainn
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Letterkenny; US and UK embassies are in Dublin, and the US also has a consulate in Belfast. Consular help for most countries: Dublin.
Tourist information is inside An Grianán Theatre on Port Road, open M–Sa 9AM–5PM (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/letterkenny). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.