s the only nation within the European Union with no direct landlink to the continent, [the UK is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel] Ireland is heavily dependent on the quality of its air and sea links into and out of the country. Fortunately, almost all routes to Ireland have been either upgraded or expanded in recent years. As a result, a great variety of travel options are now available to holidaymakers who wish to visit here.
To give you a headstart in planning your journey, in this section we have outlined the main routes to Ireland available by air, by ferry and by bus. The information is organised by transport mode and departure point, so you can find the section you need quickly. We have also included contact details for the transport companies themselves, should you wish to follow up on any of the options shown.
There are no excuses for not getting a good deal on a flight to Ireland. More airlines than ever before are now operating services to this country and such is the level of competition that you are very likely to succeed in booking passage at a low price.
This trend has been encouraged by the development of facilities at the country's regional airports. International flights are now available to such centres as Kerry - Ciarraí, Knock - An Cnoc and Waterford - Port Láirge, as well as the more established arrival points of Dublin - Baile Átha Cliath, Belfast - Béal Feirste, Cork - Corcaigh and Shannon - An tSionainn.
The deregulation of air transport in Europe has opened the way for a large number of companies to enter the Irish market offering flights to nearly every available airfield in the country. Many of these airlines are of the low-cost variety, so while comfort may not be great, it is more than made up for in terms of value.
Outside the EU a number of scheduled flights are operated to major centres including Russia, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
While the United States has a number of airlines operating routes to Ireland, unfortunately there are as yet no direct scheduled flights available between Ireland and Canada. As such, those seeking to travel from Canada are best advised to check out travel options to Britain and to make further arrangements from there. Air Canada and Canadian Air do offer indirect services to Dublin - Baile Átha Cliath, Belfast - Béal Feirste and Shannon - An tSionainn via London but try shopping around first because there are bargains to be had, especially at the European end of the trip.
A limited service to guests from Central America is available from Mexico City.
If you are after a more leisurely experience or if you are just a sucker for punishment you could try taking the ferry. Only joking ! The ferries now plying the Irish Sea are amongst the most modern in the world having been transformed in recent years. They now more resemble floating amusement parks rather than modes of transport. The effect of the recent abolition on Duty Free within the EU has yet to make itself felt and fares do not seem to have changed too much for the moment. In general they are quite cheap.
Be sure to consider your options with regard to points of entry to Ireland, especially if you are bringing your car. Dublin - Baile Átha Cliath can get pretty congested whereas Rosslare and Larne - Latharna both have pretty good road links to the rest of the country.