How Much Does A Trip To Ireland Cost? A Guide With Examples

Despite what you read online, it’s near impossible to answer the question, ‘How much does a trip to Ireland cost?’

I’ve lived in Ireland for 33+ years.

Even now when I’m budgeting for a weekend away in Ireland I get it wrong.

However, while I can’t give you an average cost of a trip to Ireland (I’d argue that no one can) I can give you a very good estimate based on endless days and weeks spent exploring out island.

Some quick need-to-knows about how much a trip to Ireland costs

There are several factors to consider when trying to determine how much for a trip to Ireland. Take 20 seconds to read the points below as they’ll get you up-to-speed quickly:

1. Take blogs online with a pinch of salt

There’s endless of blogs that claim to have the definitive average cost of a trip to Ireland. Many of these are well out of date, while others only discuss the costs based on that persons personal experience, not taking into account time of year and the fluctuating costs of accommodation and car rental.

2. Time of year has a massive impact

As we mention in our guides on the best time to visit Ireland and how to plan a trip to Ireland, when you visit has a huge impact on the cost of a trip to Ireland. Generally speaking, prices across the board are higher during the summer and around key holidays, like Christmas, Easter, and of course, St. Patrick’s day and cheaper during the off season (more info below).

3. You can do it on the cheap if necessary

Our little island is by no means cheap, but you can absolutely do Ireland on a budget. You just need to be more careful during the planning stage to ensure that you’re unavoidable costs are as low as possible (see below).

4. A logical route pays dividends

One of the most common reasons that we see an Ireland vacation cost soar is due to poor route planning. People will often get confused when planning their route and often end up getting caught in tourist traps. We’d recommend following one of our detailed Irish road trip itineraries which will provide you with ready made routes for any trip length/type.

5. Trip to Ireland cost examples

At the end of this guide we’ve laid out two different trip examples (with calculations) to give you a sense of how much for a trip to Ireland you can expect to spend. Here’s a quick glance at a 2-week road trip leaving from the USA:

• Budget: €3,850 or €137.50 per person per day
• Mid-range: €5,977 or €213.46 per person per day
• Luxury: €9,184 or €328 per person per day

7 things that determine the cost for a trip to Ireland

Many different variables come into play when trying to figure out a trip to Ireland cost.

Below, we’re going to show you costs for the likes of flights, public transport etc. We’ll use Dublin prices, as it’s one of the most expensive parts of the country.

1. The cost of flights

The firs thing to consider when coming up with an average cost of a trip to Ireland is the price of flying into one of the handful of airports in Ireland.

The cost of flights will vary depending on where you’re flying from along with the time of year. During the summer, school holidays, and events like Christmas, you can expect the cost of flights to jump up.

Below, we’ll take a look at a couple of examples to give you a rough idea of how much you can expect your flights to cost.

Example 1: Flying from the US

There are daily direct flights from a number of major U.S. airports (e.g. JFK in New York). Since New York’s JFK Airport offers the most regular connections to Dublin directly, we’ll take the cost of flights from here in this example.

Of course, prices will also alter depending on the airline you choose, the class of seating, and how much luggage you have.

• December: From €275 per adult one-way
• March: From €166 per adult one-way
• June: From €255 per adult one-way
• September: From €193 per adult one-way

Example 2: Flying from Germany

There are countless direct flights to Ireland from most major European cities. Generally speaking, prices will increase in line with the total distance travelled.

As such, we’ll take a look at prices from Germany’s Frankfurt airport, which is more or less central, to Dublin Airport.

• December: From €13 per adult one-way
• March: From €23 per adult one-way
• June: From €31 per adult one-way
• September: From €34 per adult one-way

2. Accommodation

Your choice of accommodation can have a massive impact on the overall cost of your trip to Ireland.

Once again, for this section, we’ll be looking at prices in Dublin since it’s arguably the most expensive place in the country when it comes to places to stay.

Like flights, time of year will impact the cost of accommodation. Below, we’ll look at the cost of accommodation in Dublin for two adults for one night:

1. Budget

For budget options, we’ll be looking at shared dormitories in hostels, as well as double or twin rooms in budget hotels and guesthouses, typically with a shared bathroom, that might be more than a mile from the centre of town.

• December: €44 – €100
• March: €61 – €120
• June: €78 – €200
• September: €61 – €130

2. Mid-range

Mid-range options tend to be bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, and hotels. You’ll enjoy breakfast included with the price, a private bathroom, and a decent location.

• December: €100 – €200
• March: €120 – €230
• June: €200 – €450
• September: €140 – €450

3. Luxury

Luxury, five-star options go all out, with gorgeous rooms and suites, amazing locations, and countless amenities and facilities to make your stay extra special.

• December: €270 – €480
• March: €230 – €466
• June: €430 – €650
• September: €435 – €640

3. Food and drink

The cost of food and drink is another unavoidable element that can have an enormous impact on the cost for a trip to Ireland.

There are plenty of places to get cheap, quality meals, but at the same time, you could easily spend over €100 for a meal for two.

Location plays a role. For example, food in Dublin tends to be more expensive than other cities, whereas restaurants and cafes in smaller towns are generally more affordable.

1. Breakfast

If you can, it’s always good to find accommodation that has breakfast included. That way, you can avoid the hassle of having to looking for somewhere to eat while saving reducing your Ireland trip cost in the process.

If your accommodation doesn’t offer breakfast, then you can usually get a decent feed and a cup of coffee for between €10 and €15 a day at a cafe.

2. Lunch

Lunch doesn’t have to be overly expensive in Ireland, but it can be.

Drop by a cafe or a pub, and you can often get a good lunch, like a soup and sandwich, Irish stew, or fish and chips, for between €10 and €15.

3. Dinner

For most people dinner is the largest meal of the day, so set aside a little extra.

Generally speaking, €15 to €25 per person should be plenty for a meal in a good pub or low-to-mid-range restaurant.

4. Drinks

Many people will want to visit an authentic Irish pub when they visit Ireland. However, it’s the night time ‘activities’ that tend to make the average cost of a trip to Ireland soar.

Below we’ve listed what we think are the average costs for a variety of drinks at Dublin prices:

• Pint of Guinness: €5.50
• Large glass of wine: €7
• Glass of standard Irish whiskey: €6.50
• Spirit and mixer: €7.50
• Irish coffee: €6.50

4. The cost of car rental

Renting a car in Ireland can be an absolute nightmare both from a cost and confusion perspective. However, driving in Ireland is arguably the best way to get around, so it’s an often necessary expense. 

But, like flights, prices fluctuate throughout the year, with a spike during summer months and lower costs over winter and the shoulder seasons.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the average cost of renting a small car including the price of insurance and any additional charges you can expect to pay.

1. The car rental and insurance

For this example, we’ll look at the cost of renting a car from Dublin Airport—which tends to be more expensive than anywhere else—for one week (Monday to Monday).

• December: From €135.50 (basic insurance) or €180.02 (full insurance)
• March: From €290.69 (basic insurance) or €335.21 (full insurance)
• June: From €383.06 (basic insurance) or €427.58 (full insurance)
• September: From €139.57 (basic insurance) or €184.09 (full insurance) 

2. Additional costs and optional extras

• Additional driver: Typically around €70 to €80.
• GPS: Typically around €100.
• Baby seat: Normally between €40 and €120 depending on the rental company and availability

3. Fuel costs

Once you have your car, there are a few other costs to factor into your trip. Primarily, you’ll want to think about how much fuel you’ll need. This will of course depend entirely on the trip you have planned. 

At the time of writing, the price of petrol (gasoline) in Ireland averages out at around €1.80 per litre. 

Let’s say you take a trip that covers a total of 1,500 km in a car with a fuel efficiency of 12 l/100 km. At a rough estimate, this could cost you €324. 

If you took a 1,000 km trip in a car with a fuel efficiency of 8 l/100 km, you could end up paying around €144.

4. Misc car costs

As well as fuel, you’ll also need to think about things like parking fees and tolls. There aren’t many toll roads in Ireland, and they’re not overly expensive either.

Likewise, many of Ireland’s attractions boast free parking. However, some charge an extortionate rate (we’re looking at you Giant’s Causeway!), so it’s worth doing your research.

5. The cost of public transport

One of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of a trip to Ireland is by using public transport rather than a rental. Yes, it has its limitations, but if you’re on a budget it can save you a lot of cash.

Unlike other elements on this list, the price of public transport is fairly consistent and remains more or less the same throughout the year. With that in mind, let’s go over some typical fares.

1. Trains

Train lines crisscross the country, making travel throughout Ireland a breeze. Best of all, it’s a fairly affordable method of transport and you’ll often be treated to some great views out of the window.

It’s almost always cheaper to purchase your ticket online and in advance. Here’s what you can typically expect to pay for the most popular routes:

• Dublin to Belfast: From €15.39
• Dublin to Cork: From €21.49
• Dublin to Galway: From €13.99

2. Buses

Buses tend to be the most common method of transport within the larger cities in Ireland, but you’ll also find plenty of long-distance buses to take you from town to town.

Again, these are fairly affordable with a good travel network ensuring you can reach almost anywhere with relative ease. Here’s a sense of what to expect:

• Dublin hop on hop off bus: A 24-hour adult ticket costs €27, while a 48-hour ticket will set you back €32
• Dublin Bus Fares: From €1.70 to €3 (30-day and 5-day tickets available)
• Dublin Express Airport Transfer: €7 one way or €9 return.
• Dublin to Sligo: €21.00 (single), €29.50 (return)
• Cork to Galway: €21.00 (single), €34.00 (return)

6. Tours and admission to attractions

There’s plenty of things to do in Ireland and, while there are endless places that are free to visit, other attractions will have an admission fee.

This varies quite a lot depending on the attraction. But, to give you a rough idea of what to expect, we’ll go over some of the more popular places below.

1. Heritage Ireland sites

With more than 70 incredible visitor attractions dotted throughout the country, Heritage Ireland is responsible for maintaining some of the most important historic and cultural sites and buildings in Ireland.

These include iconic attractions such as; Brú na Bóinne and Newgrange, Dublin Castle, Glendalough, Sligo Abbey, and much more.

Admission to some Heritage Ireland attractions is free. Meanwhile, others offer guided tours for an extra cost, while some require a general admission fee (between €5 and €15).

2. Privately owned attractions

There are a number of other privately owned attractions that are well worth a visit on your trip to Ireland (e.g. Kylemore Abbey and the Guinness Storehouse).

Admission fees vary wildly depending on the location and the amenities on offer, but you can expect to pay between €7 and €35.

3. Organised day tours

You can find countless organised day trips throughout Ireland. They typically offer a comfortable coach journey that takes in a clatter of attractions before dropping you back where you started.

If you’re not renting a car, it’s one of the best ways to see Ireland. You’ll find plenty of day trips to choose from in any of the larger cities, such as Dublin, Belfast, and Galway.

Depending on what the tour entails, you can typically expect to pay between €30 and €120.

7. Travel insurance

The final variable in your trip to Ireland cost is travel insurance. There are any number of things that can cause you to cancel your trip altogether, but it’s also worth covering yourself for any issues that might happen while you’re away.

A decent travel insurance policy will give you peace of mind and ensure that should the worst happen, you’ll be protected.

For shorter trips, you can easily find travel insurance for less than €20 (covering two people), with an excess of around €100 to €150.

Annual cover typically starts at around €30 but can cost more than €100 depending on the level of cover and the amount of excess you’re willing to pay.

Calculating the average cost of a trip to Ireland (3 examples)

Now that we’ve got an idea of how much you can expect each of the major elements to cost, we can calculate the average cost of a trip to Ireland.

Of course, everyone will have different experiences, so the following budgets are a rough guideline only.

Example A: 14-day trip for 2 flying from the USA using a rental car

Example A is a 14-day road trip taking in all the ‘main’ cities and attractions in one dream trip. Here’s a rough idea of what you can expect to pay for two people.

In this example (using these calculations), both the budget and mid-range options are priced according to trips in March or September respectively, while the luxury option is priced for the high season.

• Budget: €3,850 or €137.50 per person per day
• Mid-range: €5,977 or €213.46 per person per day
• Luxury: €9,184 or €328 per person per day

Example B: 14-day trip flying from Europe using public transport

Visiting Ireland from Europe and using public transport will definitely be a lot more affordable than flying from the U.S. and renting a car.

In this example (using these calculations), both the budget and mid-range options are priced according to trips in March or September respectively, while the luxury option is priced for the high season.

• Budget: €2,708 or €196.71 per person per day
• Mid-range: €4,488 or €160.28 per person per day
• Luxury: €7,211 or €257.54 per person per day

FAQs about a trip to Ireland cost

We get emails and DMs asking how much does a trip to Ireland cost constantly, and it can be a tricky question to answer as there are so many variables to consider.

I’m going to pop in the most common Ireland trip cost questions that we receive below, but shout in the comments if you have one we haven’t tackled.