What is the best time of year to travel?
April through October are excellent months to see Ireland. From April you will see the Spring growth, attractions are open and fresh for the season, and getting around is easier as kids are still in school and this is not family travel season. Up to October you will see the change in colors to Autumn colors, kids have gone back to school so traveling around is easier than in summer, and attractions are still open until the end of the month.

Traditionally the first half of May has the best weather days of the season. The last two weeks in June are the longest days of the year so sightseeing at night is ideal.

July and August is peak travel season for Ireland and it is highly recommended that you book your stay prior to arrival to avoid long lines at tourist offices or having to make numerous calls yourself once in Ireland. While there are those that prefer to travel "on the fly" (booking rooms as you go each day) in peak travel season you will find rooms scarce in many areas including highly popular areas such as Dublin, Cork, Killarney, Galway and Belfast. Dublin in particular is extremely busy in August as over half a million EU students come to Ireland to learn English that month.

One of Ireland's most famous saying is "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change". There was no truer statement every made!

While we can't predict what the weather will be like in 5 minutes, let alone a week, we have hooked up with a weather expert that will tell you. Daily weather updates is available on our website. Click on Weather on the menu bar at any time and you can check the weather in Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast. We also offer a Fahrenheit to Celsius converter, weather finder and a link to check the weather in your own home town so you know what to expect when you get to the airport.

The weather in Ireland is extremely changeable from day to day. Ireland is on the same Gulf Stream as the lower US states. As the warm air travels over the Atlantic is cools before reaching Ireland. This mild temperature and weather conditions give Ireland some lovely Summer months and the occasional Indian Summer. As you travel around Ireland you'll see many different microclimates, which are all a byproduct of the warm air coming off the Atlantic. Tropical climates in the southwest of the island have given places like Garinish Island the ability to grow exotic plants and flowers, and the Burren of north Co Clare the climate to grow rare species of flora that you won't see anywhere else in Ireland.

Ireland is on the same latitude as Washington State in the US. Weather in Ireland would be similar to that of, say, Seattle. Both Seattle and Ireland receive about the same rainfall per year and maintain similar temperatures. Like Ireland, Seattle also has pockets where exotic flora thrives.

That's not to say that Ireland doesn't get a cold. It does. In the winter, cold weather moves south from Iceland to cool those warmer winds of the Gulf Stream. Ireland gets a tremendous amount of rain which will usually continues well into the Spring. Snow is a rare treat for the southwest, but will often occur in the late Winter months in the northeast.

Click here to find out what the current weather is.

The best time of year to travel, again, depends on personal interest. Generally speaking, anytime from mid-Spring to mid-Fall is the best time for tourist travel. But if you're coming over for research and will be indoors much of the time, then any time of the year will suit you.

Financially speaking, you'll get the best exchange rates and widest availability for B&B's, but you'll be hard pressed to find many monuments and government run historical sites open. But if your after ruins and other fully accessible sites then anytime of the year is good for travel. And you'll find cheaper airfare as well in the winter.

For example: If you're wearing a T-shirt you can put on a sweatshirt over it to warm up. If you're still cold you can then put on a jacket. The same is true if you're already layered up and get warm, take the jacket off. If you're still warm, take off the sweatshirt.

You will often see many Irish men wearing an light T-shirt under a long sleeved shirt. Over that they'll wear a pullover sweater. When going out they'll put on a jacket or coat. And if it's raining they might even put on a Mac (waterproof coat - Mac is the nickname for the Macintosh coat, which gets its name from the inventor Charles Macintosh 1766-1834 who was born in Glasgow Scotland and invented a waterproofing agent for garments.)

How you should pack really depends on the type of holiday you have planned and the length of it. I will use the standard 7 day self drive holiday as an example here.

Pants: A couple pair of durable cotton pants, such as Dockers or denim. These can be worn every other day and pressed in the evening by using the innkeepers iron, which they will gladly let you borrow.

Shirts: 3 or 4 shirts, either long sleeve or short depending on the season. You can wear this over a T-shirt or under a sweater or fleece.

Undergarments: A change of undergarments for each day won't take up much room in your suitcase, however to cut down on packing you can pack 3 or 4 pairs of undergarments and hand wash every couple days.

Jackets/coats: A fleece or something similar that's easy to move around in. Or a cardigan or pullover sweater. Many visitors to Ireland tend to buy traditional Aran sweaters on their visit so you may not want to pack anything too bulky in anticipation of bringing something home.

Shoe: Usually only the one pair of comfortable shoes is necessary, something light and comfortable to walk in like sneakers. If you plan on being outdoors or spending time in the rain then you may wish to bring a second pair of shoes to wear while the others are drying out. Some people prefer to bring driving shoes that they wear only while driving and will put on walking shoes once they've reached their destination.

The best rule of thumb is to pack lightly. Pack what you think you'll need then take half out. Chances are good that you won't need the tux or the stilettos. Dining out in Ireland is casual, so as long as your clothes are clean you don't have to dress up.

If you find that your clothes are getting soiled you can always ask the innkeeper for the use of the laundry, which they will usually let you use after house if you're staying more than one night. Just be sure to ask if they have a dryer, as many B&Bs don't have them. Line drying denim in Ireland can take days!

Note: If you hand wash in your room, be respectful and DO NOT hang your garments out the window. Use the bathroom or drape them over the radiator in the room instead. Radiators are external units that contain circulating boiling water. You don't want to lay your delicates directly on the radiator, as they get very hot, but cottons are usually fine. Use a little common sense when choosing a place in the room to dry them. If you chose to drape items over the back of a chair, be sure to use a towel to soak up any remaining moisture. Again, if you ask your innkeeper, they will probably let you use their laundry line after hours.

Alternatively, use a local drop-off laundry service.