Ireland

Ireland (Republic of Ireland) is a member state of the European Union but with only partial participation in the Schengen Agreement. The recent economic upsurge has changed this situation a little bit though. But the recent and inevitable economic downturn has made the people a bit more accommodating and brotherly again. Ireland is an expensive country. Two main languages are spoken in Ireland: Irish and English. Irish is a minority but official language.

Transport

Hitchhiking is the easiest and fastest way to travel in the countryside and in the less inhabited regions where public transportation such as train or bus is not available or it is not as frequent as a traveler might expect (one or two buses per day). You can easily get multiple lifts from one village to another for really short distances, and people are very welcoming. You can get a lift virtually anywhere, even on the smallest roads. Long distance traveling can be a little slow, but the country isn't big. It's possible to get from one coast to the other in one day.

There are also train and bus companies in Ireland. Train is more expensive than bus.

Companies

{{#ask: Connects country::Ireland}}

Accommodation

All the usual hotels and hostels exist around the big touristy areas and towns, but are still quite expensive and would not be a long term solution. Camping is by far the most reliable for of long term sleeping arrangement as tucked away, empty fields can be found just minutes outside even the biggest towns. The farmers would probably appreciate your asking if you could stay but for the most part they probably wouldn't even care. Just try not to go into fields with crops or livestock and never light a fire that would be visible from a road or house. Forest fires aren't really an issue in Ireland either as it's usually so very wet. Be careful about Donegal, though, because some areas tend to be very boggy without a lot of fields. You could also try CouchSurfing for accommodation if you're interested in meeting local people. Most showers of rain in Ireland pass quickly but if you're unlucky enough to experience the weeks of drizzle and rain which can sometimes plague the country at any time of year you might need to cash out for a B&B to get a good nights sleep or to get a chance to dry out.

Food

Food is expensive in Ireland. Even the supermarket are quite expensive. But you can get a good meal in a snack or a pub starting at 5€. Dumbsterdiving is really doable.

Connectivity

{{#if: |== Visa == |}}

Cities

{{#ask: In country::Ireland}} add another city

visa:Ireland hitch:Ireland trash:Ireland couch:Ireland