Review by Barb & Ron Kroll
Ireland
(Fodor's) ISBN 978-1400004904 140000490X
This Ireland travel guide is a comprehensive source of information for Ireland trips. You can plan your Ireland vacation with information about restaurants, attractions, shopping and Ireland hotels (from Irish cottages to castle hotels). You will learn about Ireland golf vacations, Irish music, food and drink, hiking in Ireland, guided tours and entertainment.
Besides information on air travel and flights to Ireland, the Fodor's guidebook provides details on Ireland ferries, car rentals in Ireland, driving routes and walking tours. Weather information helps you plan when to go on your Ireland holiday, based on temperature and rainfall.
For car rental in Ireland, the Travel Smart Ireland chapter provides information on major agencies, like Hertz Car Rental, as well as local car hire (e.g., Argus Rent A Car in Dublin). It also provides phone numbers and websites for wholesalers, such as Auto Europe and Europe by Car.Fodor's Ireland gives examples of car rental rates in Dublin, including the Irish Republic's 12.5% tax on car rentals. It also recommends that, when you reserve a rental car, you ask about cancellation penalties, drop-off charges and surcharges, and confirm that your car rental insurance covers you if you visit Northern Ireland and rent your car in the Irish Republic.
If you are planning a golfing vacation in Ireland, The Best Irish Greens chapter provides information on the best Ireland golf courses (e.g., Ballybunion and Lahinch) and several golf clubs in Ireland (e.g., Portmarnock Golf Club and Druids Glen Golf Club).
To make it easy to plan Ireland golf trips, the chapter includes the location, phone number, website, greens fees, golf courses and availability of driving ranges, practice areas, caddies, golf carts, club rentals and catering for each listed golf club in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
This 706-page guidebook begins with a summary of Irish politics, religion, culture and sports. The summary of Ireland's top attractions describes places like Newgrange and the Giant's Causeway. After describing Irish life (e.g., craic in pubs), Celtic sites and driving tours of Ireland, the guidebook provides advice for visitors searching for Irish ancestors.
Fodor's Ireland is organized by regional chapters, which are subdivided into cities, counties and things to do (e.g., hiking in Ireland).
The back of the Ireland trip planner explains how to get around Ireland. For example, it describes the five main ferry ports to Ireland and the Ulysses, the largest car ferry in the world, that travels between Dublin and Holyhead, Wales (crossing time: three hours and 15 minutes).
Close-Up sidebars provide travel advice, e.g., companies that offer cycling tours of Connemara in West Ireland. Word of Mouth sidebars contain travel tips, e.g., the Mountains of Mourne are a beautiful place for hiking in Ireland.
Fodor's Ireland has 54 maps, including a large map of Ireland and city map of Dublin that can be pulled out from the back cover. The inside front cover is a map of Dublin city center. Besides maps of counties, cities, towns and islands, you will find maps of Ireland driving tours.
More than 300 photos depict things to do in Ireland, from renting an Irish cottage to playing golf in Ireland.
Paul Clements, Alannah Hopkin, Andrew Collins and Anto Howard
Causeway Coast and Glens Trail
Galway and West Ireland Tour
Ireland Walking Routes, Falconry Centre and Atlantic Edge
Dublin Walks, Distillery Tours and Michelin Star Restaurant
Shelbourne Hotel Dublin - Genealogy Research
Ireland Hotels in Cork, Wexford, Clare and Limerick Counties
Vacation Packages at K Club Ireland
St. Patrick's Day in Dublin Ireland
