The best time to visit Ireland is during the shoulder seasons, May to June or September to October. The weather is milder, tourist sites are quieter, and accommodation is easier to book than in the busier summer months. There are highlights year-round: St Patrick's Festival transforms Dublin every March, the Galway International Arts Festival fills the city's streets each July, Puck Fair sees a wild goat crowned king in Killorglin every August, and the Cork Jazz Festival draws musicians from across the world every October.

The best things to do in Ireland include exploring Dublin, hiking Killarney National Park, and visiting the Cliffs of Moher.

• Exploring Dublin's Trinity College, home to the Book of Kells, and the live music and literary history along the River Liffey

• Visiting the Aran Islands, known for their ancient stone forts, and the Cliffs of Moher, stretching along the west coast

• Hiking in Killarney National Park or the Wicklow Mountains

• Exploring the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland, home to the Giant's Causeway's basalt columns

• Browsing Cork's English Market, one of the oldest covered food markets in the world, and Galway's Latin Quarter, with its lively pubs

• Exploring Newgrange, a Neolithic passage tomb older than the pyramids

• Touring Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone

• Taking a ferry out to Skellig Michael or Achill Island, with chances to spot dolphins and seabirds along the way

Ireland is reachable by ferry from several UK ports. From Wales, services sail from Holyhead and Fishguard to Dublin and Rosslare. From Scotland, ferries run from Cairnryan to Belfast, and from England there is a Liverpool to Belfast route. Ferries from continental Europe also connect directly to some Irish ports. Within Ireland, an extensive rail and bus network connects Dublin with towns and cities across the country, including Belfast, Cork and Galway.

Our price includes all transport, accommodation and a personalized itinerary for your trip. Byway's travel experts are also available on WhatsApp throughout for disruption support and travel tips.

No, flights to Europe aren't included, but all transport and accommodation once you're here is. Short-haul flights are highly carbon-intensive, and traveling around Europe by train, ferry or bus is an easy, enjoyable alternative.

Yes. Different hotel options are available to choose from on the trip page, and any room upgrade requests can be added in the booking form. Our team will then find upgrade options and discuss them with you.

No. If you'd like to leave Europe from a different city, our concierge team can build you a custom one-way trip.

Yes. Prices on our trip pages are shown in your local currency by default, or you can select your preferred currency, including USD, CAD, EUR or CHF, from the dropdown in the top right corner of the trip page. The payment page will always show the price in your chosen currency.

You can generally bring as much luggage as you can carry, as long as it fits in the luggage racks or overhead space. On Eurostar, UK and most European trains, the standard allowance is two large bags and one smaller item, provided you can manage them yourself; let us know in advance if you're planning to bring anything oversized. Since you may need to change stations or walk to hotels, packing light makes the journey more comfortable.

Most European train tickets are digital and sent to you by email. A few, including tickets for Spain, Portugal and some EuroCity trains, require paper tickets, which can be mailed to a hotel on your itinerary.

No, Byway trips are self-guided, not part of a group tour. You'll have on-demand personalized support by WhatsApp, text or phone throughout, so all the planning and booking is done for you, and any disruptions are handled without you having to worry about them.