With mysterious castles, beautiful sheer cliffs, rolling greens, friendly locals, and of course, the world-famous Guinness beer, Ireland is easily one of the best places to visit in Europe. It’s a small country, making it easy for tourists to explore regardless of the length of the trip. Its capital city Dublin, is famous for its pubs and beautiful landscapes. We have talked about many of the best places to visit in this country, now let’s answer one of the most common question that pops into our head when we think about visiting Ireland – how much does an Ireland vacation cost?
As with any places in the world, the cost of your travel highly depends on how you travel. In this entry, we will talk about the typical expenses you can expect when traveling to Ireland.
For Accommodation
Accommodation prices in Ireland ranges from 10 to 20 EUR (roughly around the same with USD) per night for a hostel dorm room. You can of course, spend more for private rooms which usually ranges from 40 to 60 EUR. Most hostels offer free WiFi, linens, and many come with free breakfast. For budget accommodations, you can choose hotels for around 50 and will come with a private bathroom and Irish breakfast.
For bigger cities like Dublin, expect to pay more. You can however, share rooms for as low as 15 EUR each night with Airbnb, and entire homes usually range around 50 EUR a night.
For Food
For fast food, prices are usually at 4 to 5 EUR. A simple meal at the pub can cost 10 to 15 EUR. A nicer meal will be around 18 to 20 EUR. If you choose early lunch or dinner, there are many restaurants that offer big discounts to ‘early birds’.
Should you choose to cook your own meal, expect to spend about 50 to 60 EUR per week for your groceries. This will include basic foods, vegetables, chicken, pasta, etc. To get the best of Ireland has to offer, choose the pubs!
For Transportation
Going around Ireland is extremely convenient, as the country boasts first-rate public transportation. Whether you’re on a train or bus, you can stay connected online as they offer free WiFi. The country is also known for friendly drivers and timely departures.
Single journey bus trips around Dublin costs as cheap as 2 EUR. Longer bus rides such as Dublin to Belfast, will cost about 14 EUR. To go from Dublin to Cork, you would have to spend around 45 to 65 EUR by train, which is around 2.5 hours.
To get around Galway, you will have to spend about 35 to 55 EUR from Dublin, via train, which is around 3 hours. Buses may take about the same time, but they are around 10 EUR cheaper.
Taxis on the other hand, can be pretty expensive, and most places in the cities are walkable, you may want to explore cities on foot.
For Activities
The Guinness Brewery, which is something most tourists (if not all) can’t miss, is about 21 EUR at the door. It is expensive, but it’s hard to pass on this opportunity while you’re in Ireland. You can of course, save 10% by booking in advance online, and can give you a fast pass to skip the front during peak season.
Museums throughout the country cost around 10 to 15 EUR. While day trips on the countryside costs about 35 EUR, or even more.
With all these considered, your daily budget could be around 40 to 60 EUR. This is of course, assuming you stay in a decent hostel, eating a little outside and cooking some of your meals and using the public transportation. Use these budget tips and experience the best of Dublin without draining your bank accounts!