Among the European tourists Ireland has long been known as an excellent place for a holiday - thanks to its extensive "excursion", tasty beer, original nature and impressive history. But from Russia to conquer Ireland arrives very few travelers (however, the recently appeared direct flight Moscow - Dublin gradually improves the situation). Together with the sophisticated "individuals", Ireland is also interested in students who come here to learn the wisdom of the English language.

As for the beauties of Ireland - then this is the rare case when promotional photos from tourist catalogs almost lose to the real magnificence of nature .Northern loneliness Connemara and the wild expanses of Donegal county, the rebellious waves of the Atlantic and the majestic beauty of Glendalough is just a small fraction of what Ireland has reserved for connoisseurs of seclusion .However, fans of art of all styles and directions will also not be disappointed: Ireland is equally glorious with theatrical performances of Dublin and conceptual rock parties in Limerick .And Ireland as well as possible characterizes the fantastic hospitality of the local: a foreign guest here is not only easy to help, but also carefully to ensure that he is well, in absolutely no trouble |.The secret of a national character is simple: an Irishman is comfortable only when everyone is happy .Well, what can I say ... Ireland, sincerity - your credo! The

The capital is Dublin.

Popular cities and resorts: Cork, Waterford, Shannon, Galway, Limerick, Clifden, Aran.

For a complete list of cities in the country, search the city page and the resorts of Ireland.

How to get to Ireland

Direct flights to Dublin from Moscow commence S7 .Also, a number of airlines offer flights with transfer in different cities of Europe, for example CSA (via Prague) or Swiss Airlines (via Zurich) .You can fly to London, and then take advantage of one of the many daily low cost airline flights to Ireland .If the tourist is staying in the UK for less than 24 hours, a transit visa may not be needed, as the visa-free travel authorization is issued by the airport customs officer at his discretion .However, 100% guarantee that the tourist will be given such permission, no .The

A lot of ferries depart daily to Ireland from the English ports of Liverpool, Stranraer, Holyhead, Swansi and others. Travel time - from two hours. Also there are daily ferry services from France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

From Minsk to Dublin Air Lingus flies with docking in Frankfurt or Paris, in Shannon - Belavia. From Kiev to London fly "International Airlines of Ukraine", from there you can get to the country by flights of local airlines.

Visa to Ireland

To travel to Ireland, you must first apply for a visa.

Customs office

Import of foreign currency is not limited, export - within the amount declared at the entrance. Duty-free can import 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillas or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, a liter of alcoholic beverages with a strength of over 22 ° or 2 liters of alcohol with a strength of up to 22 °, not more than 50 ml of perfume and 250 ml of toilet water.

It is forbidden to import video tapes with horror films and pornography, as well as books and magazines of similar content. When importing medicines prescribed by a doctor, you must provide the appropriate permit (prescription).

When importing domestic animals, it is necessary to present a permit of the veterinary service of the country and a veterinary certificate, as well as a certificate of vaccination against rabies done no earlier than 7 months before entry.

Useful phone numbers

The Embassy of Ireland in Moscow: Grokholsky pereulok, 5; Tel. (495) 937-59-11, 937-59-00 and 737-36-36 (visa department); website

The Russian Embassy in Dublin: 184-186, Orwell Road, Rathgar; Tel. (1) 492-20-48; website

Information Service in Dublin: (1) 874-84-44

Single European emergency number: 112

Police, ambulance: 999

Telephone codes of cities: Dublin - 1, Cork - 21, Waterford - 51, Galway - 91, Kilkenny - 56.

Transport of Ireland

At last, having modernized its roads, the Irish significantly reduced the demand for domestic flights: now planes fly only between Dublin, Kerry and Donegal.

The bus network of Irish Bus covers most of the country's settlements. Dublin buses are two-storey, green. You can buy a ticket from the driver, while various discounts are offered for prepaid tickets for a period of one day to one month, as well as the number of trips. There are special discounts for railway and bus tickets. With such a ticket, you can travel 5-8 days to Ireland and on buses, and on trains.

The Irish "piece of iron" connects Dublin with all the cities and large settlements of the country. The wagons are clean, modern and comfortable, of two classes: "standard" - second class, "super standard" - first.

The west coast of Ireland is dotted with small islands. Sea ferries to them are carried out from the nearest seaports of the coast. The Aran Islands can be reached by regular ferry services (if the sea does not storm), or from the port of Rossavila. Regular shipments are also made to Aranmore Island from Donegal and to Inishbofin Island from Galway.

Rent a car

To rent a car, you need an international driver's license, age from 23 to 79 years, the availability of two credit cards or a cash deposit of 500-1000 EUR. Without insurance for driving a car in Ireland, you do not sit.

Car Rental in Ireland with Best Price Guarantee

The climate of Ireland

The climate is temperate oceanic. The western and northwestern coast of Ireland is washed by the Gulf Stream, so the climate here is warm and humid. In general, the local weather is unpredictable - as the Irish joke, "four seasons in 24 hours." Rains are not strong, but frequent, the shower can be replaced by the sun several times a day.

Abbey Bowl

Pub in Westmeath

Cathedral in Dublin

The average temperature in winter is +4 .. + 7 ° C, in summer +16 .. + 21 ° C. In the winter months, the weather is warm, but raw, snow falls very rarely. Average temperature of sea water: in winter +6 .. + 10 ° С, in summer +12 .. + 17 ° С. It gets dark in the winter months around 5:00 pm.

The best time to visit the country is July and August. A visit to Ireland in June or September also has many advantages - the weather is still (or already) quite warm, all the sights are open to visitors, but there are fewer tourists. Actual information: weather forecast for the main resorts in Ireland for the coming days.

Ireland hotels

For a clear correspondence of the Irish hotels of the declared "star" you can vouch. And in general, the level of hotels here is higher than in Europe. Starting from 3 *, each room has a hairdryer, TV and kettle. In addition, the country has a lot of "guesthouses" (guesthouses) and small private pensions that are cheaper than hotels.

Most Irish hotels provide services for children. They have play areas in the open air or in special rooms, children's menu.

In Ireland, the same voltage in the electrical grid as in Russia: 230 V, 50 Hz. But the sockets - with three holes, so hotels might need an adapter.

Banks and exchange offices

Currency can be exchanged in exchange offices, hotels and travel agencies, but the best course is traditionally offered in banks. Banks work on weekdays from 10:00 to 16:00 (on Thursdays - from 10:00 to 17:00).

With international credit cards, you can withdraw money at any time of the day from ATMs located almost at all bank branches. Credit cards and traveler's checks of the world's leading payment systems are widely used. When cashing eurocards, you need a plastic card, there are no restrictions on the number of checks.

Shopping and shopping in Ireland

Shamrock is a special "Irish" green - the main subject of inspiration of local souvenir craftsmen. You can meet him everywhere: from the magnet to the refrigerator to paintings and interior items. Still from the country you can bring plates with national music - folk and bagpipes, bagpipes proper (to the delight of neighbors) and other national musical instruments, for example, a flute "whistle" and a tambourine "boyaran". Souvenirs in glass containers - liquor "Baileys", whiskey "Jameson", "Middleton", "Bushmills", etc., beer "Murphy" and "Guinness".

Large stores are open from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, some supermarkets are open on Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00. Many small shops are open from 7:00 to 23:00 and longer. Good, suitable souvenirs: liquor "Baileys", whiskey, plates with national music - folk and (oh yes!) Bagpipes.

Kitchen and Restaurants

The national cuisine of Ireland is quite simple, but it is also unique. Many local cooks have remained faithful to their hearths and are still frying meat according to the traditions of their ancestors: on an open flame, using peat instead of firewood. The main ingredients - lamb, pork, potatoes and cabbage, the method of preparation - long quenching. Spices are practically not used, except for salt and black pepper.

The most famous national dishes: classic Irish stew, stewed cabbage with bacon, mashed potatoes with onion "champ", "kolkennon" - also puree, but with cabbage, potato stew, pork sausages and bacon "codl", fish poultry "sifud pai ", Potato pancakes" side ". A dish that can be found in almost any restaurant - the so-called "Irish breakfast", or "frai" (served throughout the day) - impressive scrambled eggs with bacon and sausages.

It is famous for Ireland and its porter, black and viscous. But the main beer brand of the country - of course, the unsurpassed dark "Guinness". As a rule, hotels and restaurants add to the account 10-12% for service, in schools the class is less often tipped.

Do not forget to remind tourists that in Ireland there is a ban on smoking in public places, backed up by hefty fines.

Entertainment, sightseeing and sightseeing in Ireland

The number of empty castles, monasteries, Celtic wells and abandoned houses in Ireland is absolutely incredible. How incredible and the number of legends about the trolls, leprechauns and sorcerers that live in them.

In the north of the county of Mayo, near the Sid-Fields, the remains of the Neolithic settlement of the 3rd millennium BC were found. e. with megaliths. Near Dublin is the burial of Newgrange. The stands and castles of the Vikings, as well as the cathedrals and monasteries, which are real architectural masterpieces, have survived no worse: the Kong Abbey, the Leyssedell Mansion, the Dublin Cathedral of St. Kenaike, the Millaifont Abbey, the Kells Monastery.

Despite the abundance of ancient cities with an insanely interesting "excursion", the main attraction of the country is still its nature .For example, in the county of Kerry on the Aiveraug peninsula, you can walk along the famous "Kerry Ring" walking route .The route begins in Killarney, near the homonymous national park with beautiful forests, lakes and waterfalls .Many tourists are attracted by the famous "cliffs" - sheer cliffs of almost two hundred meters on the Atlantic coast of the country, as well as dull but no less impressive heathlands and hills - the scene of all local legends and legends .The

In the town of Dan Leray there are such famous architectural masterpieces as the built in Venetian style Town Hall, the obelisk in honor of King George IV - Royal St. George, as well as the Church of St. Michael Church, in the building of which is now the state maritime museum Nashnle-Maritime-Museum.

Waterford - the first city founded on the territory of the country by the Vikings back in 914, therefore it is not surprising that it has a vivid medieval charm - the old city walls, narrow paths and the Norman tower Reginald-Tower. In the city there are many notable churches, especially the interior of the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Galway City Always Rejoices and Impresses Its Guests .His university enjoys a rather bohemian reputation, and a frenetic nightlife is not inferior to the famous tourist centers of mainland Europe .University Church of St. Nicholas of Myrrh is considered the largest medieval church in Ireland .Among the many interesting stone buildings of the city stands out Lynch Castle, as well as the Spanish Arch .Here you can get acquainted with the masterpieces of local stone masons: the gates and windows of the Galway Abbey are considered the most beautiful in western Ireland .The

The Aran Islands are located in the throat of Galway Bay. The three islands, Inishmore, Inishman and Inishir are long and low strips of the "lunar landscape" with harsh, but rare in beauty landscapes. Here settled the first Christians of Ireland, and before them there lived absolutely unknown tribes. Island isolation has allowed the old Irish culture to survive, while in other places it has almost disappeared.

Castles of Ireland

Almost every county in Ireland has preserved ancient castles: Bellly, Calduill, Bunratti, Ballintobir, Carrakefirgus, Clogheng, King John's castles in Limerick and Louth, Monie, Donsoghlai and dozens of other not less remarkable ones. Many of them have now been converted into first-class hotels. Photos of Ireland (538)