Region
Northwest Ireland and Lakelands
Base in Sligo or Donegal town and drive; without a car this region is a series of bus hops.
Key facts · Ireland
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- English everywhere
- Plugs
- G · 230 V
- Time zone
- GMT in winter
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.
This is the Border Region: Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan, about 400,000 people spread over lakes, bog and low hills. It is not a single destination. Sleep in Sligo for Ben Bulben and the prehistoric sites, in Donegal for cliffs and Gaeltacht coast, in Cavan or Monaghan for lakes and waterways. A rental car is close to essential; the only railway in the region is the Dublin–Sligo line.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- SligoCity guide
Rail from Dublin, Ben Bulben, Carrowmore and Carrowkeel tombs, surf beaches.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND - Donegal townPlanned
Base for the northwest coast, Slieve League and the Gaeltacht; bus links to Derry.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- CavanPlanned
Lakes, drumlin country and the Shannon–Erne waterway; bus from Dublin and Belfast.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Day trip
- MonaghanCity guide
Market town with a distillery; bus from Belfast via Armagh.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND - Carrick-on-ShannonCity guide
Leitrim's river town; head of navigation on the Shannon and start of the Shannon–Erne link.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Night sequences
- 3 nights
- Sligo 3, with Ben Bulben, Carrowmore and a Strandhill afternoon
- 5 nights
- Sligo 2 + Donegal town 3, driving the coast between them
- 6 nights
- Cavan or Carrick-on-Shannon 2 + Sligo 2 + Donegal 2 for lakes plus coast
- Trying to cover Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan in three days is mostly driving.
- Hills here top out near 500 m but turn cold, wet and misty fast; Atlantic waves and causeway tides catch visitors out.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strandhill and Rosses Point | Sligo | 25 min | check | Hourly bus from Sligo; surf beach and a short hill walk. |
| Carrick-on-Shannon | Sligo | 60 min | check | Drive or bus; river cruises and the Shannon–Erne waterway start here. |
| Derry | Donegal town | 90 min | check | Crosses into Northern Ireland; bring sterling for the far side. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding in this region; you carry your own bags between bases.
When and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sligo | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Monaghan | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Carrick-on-Shannon | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Ireland (country-wide) | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | ok | ok | go | go | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donegal and Sligo coastAtlantic west and northwest | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | hot | storm | storm | best | cool | cool |
| Cavan, Monaghan and LeitrimInland lakelands | cool | cool | ok | best | best | wet | hot | hot | storm | best | cool | cool |
- Donegal and Sligo coast
- Wettest and windiest part of the region; rain arrives on any month, so pack a shell.
- Cavan, Monaghan and Leitrim
- Slightly drier and calmer inland; lakes and waterways are best May to September.
May to September gives the longest days and the best chance of dry weather; the coast is exposed year-round.
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUB (Dublin Airport) | Sligo | Rental car, or bus from the airport | ~2 h 30 by car | Best range of flights; onward buses run from central Dublin via the airport. |
| BFS / BHD (Belfast) | Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim | Rental car or bus | ~1 h 30 to Monaghan/Cavan, ~2 h to Donegal | More convenient than Dublin for the northern counties; buses run via Armagh to Monaghan and Cavan. |
| LDY (City of Derry) | Donegal | Rental car or bus | ~1 h to Donegal town | Flights from London Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Liverpool. |
| CFN (Donegal Airport) | Northwest Donegal | Rental car | check | Flights from Dublin and Glasgow; the airport sits on the coast and is only useful for northwest Donegal. |
| NOC (Ireland West, Knock) | Sligo | Rental car or bus | ~45 min to Sligo | South of Sligo; flights from UK cities and some European destinations. |
| Dublin Connolly | Sligo | Train via Carrick, Boyle and Ballymote | ~2 h 15 | About five trains a day; the only railway across the region. |
Regional passes
Rental car
buyThe practical way to see the region; buses connect towns but are too sparse for sightseeing stops.
Train + bike
checkBike-on-train works on the Sligo line for the Ballymote prehistoric sites, which sit some miles from the station.
Inter-city buses
checkFine between towns on routes like Derry–Letterkenny–Donegal–Sligo–Galway; check timetables before relying on them for a day out.
Eat and move on
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Seafood | Sligo and Donegal | A staple along the coast; book ahead in summer. |
| Hotel dining | Counties Donegal and Cavan | The upmarket hotels hold the region's best kitchens; otherwise a pub is your best bet. |
Go next
West Ireland
plannedDrive south into County Mayo
Bleak hills, bog and scattered islands, much like Donegal.
Shannon Region
plannedDrive south via Carrick-on-Shannon
Continue along the Shannon and its waterways.
East Coast and Midlands
plannedTrain or drive to Dublin
The Sligo line runs back to Dublin Connolly.
Dublin
Train from Sligo, or drive
Where most trips start and end.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source