WHEN YOU GO: |
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Getting There: Depending on the U.S. departure city, airlines serving Shannon's International Airport include American, Continental, United, and Aer Lingus. Another option is to fly into Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. Web links and phone numbers for these airlines and other airline companies are available at this magazines's Airlines page.
Visitors to Ireland are recommended to rent a car in advance from the U.S., available via Auto Europe, Avis, Europe By Car, and Hertz.. The 1-800 phone numbers and Web links for these agencies are available at this magazine’s Autos page. Driving is done on the left hand side of the road, and roads are often narrow. Automatic shift is recommended for drivers who are new to left-hand driving.
| Staying There: A variety of lodging accommodations and eating
establishing in Dingle Town and throughout Ireland are described in detail in Rick Steves' Ireland. Rick Steves also gives excellent advice on
sites and suggested itineraries. His six-page tour treatment of the Dingle Peninsula is a must
for exploratory travelers. Frommer's Ireland was
also utilized as an excellent resource. Click on this magazine's Travel Bookstore for quick access. The Web
site links below also provide information on history, sites, lodging, eating, and
activities. Fast Facts: Ireland is small (300 miles long by 170 miles wide) with 5 million inhabitants, including 1.6 million in Northern Ireland, part of Great Britain. Driving times in Ireland between the various cities and counties is relatively long due to the narrow local roads in most areas. The national currency, is the Irish Pound, or punt, with an exchange rate of approximately one punt to U.S. $1.50. Ireland is a member of the EU, and will therefore change its currency to the Euro in 2002. The climate is temperate due to the surrounding seas, and rainfall is fairly high, averaging 50 inches or more per year. Expect rain on your visit to Ireland, but the weather is constantly changing with sun breaks. Note that the advantage of the rain is that it provides the fifty shades of green for which the Emerald Isle is famous. |
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Useful WWW sites for Ireland and the Dingle Peninsula:
Lonely
Planet Destination Ireland: An excellent resource for history, culture, travel in
England and Scotland.
Ireland: official Web site of
the Irish Tourist Board
The Dingle Region: site
covering history, places, lodging, dining, activities
Return to Exploring Ireland's Dingle Peninsula article.
