A vacation in Ireland is a holiday like no other. A trip through the Irish landscape is a unique journey, and the Irish people are amongst the warmest and most welcoming – and talkative – in the world. Although some of the best parts of any Irish vacation are unplanned, any visitor needs a good guidebook for pre-planning the perfect Ireland trip.
The latest 2010 edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Ireland runs to over 750 pages, with 113 maps, a color section of Ireland's Highlights, another color chapter on Irish Culture, and not one but two indexes.
Green Eco-Friendly Ireland
The second index in this Lonely Planet guide has the rather clumsy name of the GreenDex. It's a separate index for those who want to make their travels as green and eco-friendly as possible. It lists the best sights, the best places to stay, to eat and drink, and to shop, chosen by the book's team of five expert authors. The GreenDex entries are chosen because they "demonstrate a commitment to sustainability", with attractions being listed because "they're involved in conservation or environmental education or have been given an ecological award."
Ireland Vacation Highlights
The massive book begins with a choice of Ireland Highlights – not the usual Top Ten or Top Twenty but, this being Ireland, a Top Seventeen. And why not? The authors' choices include experiences as well as places, and cover such Irish delights as:
- Pubs
- Traditional Music
- Food and Drink
- Belfast Black Taxi Tours
Among the obvious and not-so-obvious places singled out for special mention are:
- Dublin
- Glendalough
- Baltimore, County Cork
- The Clare Coast
- Dingle
- Cork
- Galway
- The Shannon-Erne Waterway
- The Bru na Boinne burial sites in County Meath
Ireland Trip Itineraries
An excellent feature of the book for those planning an Ireland vacation are the suggested Trip Itineraries. They include Classic Routes, such as one week in the West and SouthWest of Ireland or a three-week circular tour starting and ending in Dublin, to the Roads Less Travelled, and four Tailored Trips. These recommended trips are tailored to:
- Those with families, touring Ireland with children
- Adrenaline Adventures
- The Best of Historical Ireland
- Ireland for Food Lovers
The Best of the Rest
The rest of the Lonely Planet Ireland guide has the usual comprehensive information about all major and minor destinations throughout the island, including Northern Ireland. All major towns and cities have street maps, with recommended hotels, eating places, and attractions all marked on them. There are further sections on essential travel information including health, language, transport, and visas, and background reading with lengthy chapters on Irish history, culture, food and drink, and the state of the environment. Anyone looking for a good guide to help plan their Ireland vacation need look no further.
The Lonely Planet Guide to Ireland
The Lonely Planet Guide to Ireland costs $22.99 in the USA and £15.99 in the UK. For more information, and some extracts from the book, visit the Ireland section of the Lonely Planet website.
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Suite Links to Other Ireland Guidebooks
Visitors to Ireland should also read about the ecoscape Ireland guide and the recent Frommer's Guide focussed on cheap Irish travel.
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Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
