Region

East Coast and Midlands

Base in Dublin; day-trip Newgrange, Glendalough and the Curragh by train or bus, and rent a car only for the midlands.

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Key facts · Ireland

Best months: Apr–May, Sep
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Language: English everywhere
Plugs: G · 230 V
Time zone: GMT in winter

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…

Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
Ireland ↗Ireland is in the EU but not in the Schengen area; it sets its own entry rules and a Schengen visa is not valid for Ireland. Check Irish immigration for your passport.
Ireland ↗Ireland and the UK form the Common Travel Area, with no routine checks on the land border. Visitors who are not Irish or British must still meet UK rules (including the UK ETA where it applies) to enter Northern Ireland.
Ireland ↗Driving is on the left; rural roads are narrow with hedges and few passing places.

> The east coast and midlands is the lowland half of Ireland that radiates from Dublin: prehistoric tombs at Brú na Bóinne, monastic Glendalough, stud farms and racecourses in Kildare, and canal towns across the midlands. Trains and buses cover the coast and the main inland towns, so sleep in Dublin and day-trip; a car only pays off for the scattered midlands sites.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

DublinTrip line
Airport, all rail lines and the widest choice of beds; day-trip from here.
Best Apr–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Dublin →

Day trip

DroghedaCity guide
Rail stop for Brú na Bóinne and the Boyne battlefield.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Drogheda →
AthloneCity guide
Midlands rail hub on the Shannon; Clonmacnoise is a short drive out.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Athlone →
KilkennyCity guide
Reachable by train via Kildare; often treated as the south-east.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kilkenny →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Dublin 3, with one day-trip to Brú na Bóinne or Glendalough
5 nights: Dublin 3 + one night in the midlands (Athlone or Tullamore), day-trip the rest

Dublin's two main stations, Connolly and Heuston, are about 5 km (3.1 mi) apart — crossing between them costs a tram ride and 30–40 minutes.Dublin's two main stations, Connolly and Heuston, are about 3.1 mi (5 km) apart — crossing between them costs a tram ride and 30–40 minutes.
Wicklow mountain roads are narrow and often fogged; walkers should carry rain gear and a map, and mobile signal drops in the valleys.
Temple Bar is the tourist strip; pubs a few streets west or south are cheaper and quieter.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange)	Dublin	90 min	unknown	Access to the chamber is by guided tour only; book ahead and take the shuttle from the visitor centre.
Glendalough	Dublin	100 min	unknown	No direct train; bus or car. Go early — the valley car parks fill by mid-morning in summer.
Kildare town (Irish National Stud, Japanese Gardens)	Dublin	70 min	unknown	Train to Kildare, then a short taxi or a walk; the Curragh racecourse is nearby.
Clonmacnoise	Athlone	30 min	unknown	No public transport to the site; drive or take a taxi from Athlone.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding network here; travel light and use left-luggage at Dublin Connolly or Heuston if you change lines.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Dublin	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok
Drogheda	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Athlone	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Kilkenny	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Ireland (country-wide)	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	ok	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Dublin and the east coastDublin, Louth, Wicklow coast	cool	cool	ok	best	best	ok	ok	ok	best	ok	cool	cool
MidlandsKildare, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford	cool	cool	ok	best	best	ok	ok	ok	best	ok	cool	cool

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, grey

Dublin and the east coast: Mild and changeable year-round; rain any month. May–June and September give the best odds of dry days.
Midlands: Colder and wetter than the coast in winter; bog and canal paths can be muddy after rain.

Summer (Jun–Aug) brings the longest days and the biggest crowds at Newgrange and Glendalough; book timed tours and beds weeks ahead.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
DUB (Dublin Airport)	Dublin city	Aircoach, Dublin Express or city bus	~40 min	Direct buses also run from the airport across the region; taxis cost more.
Belfast	Dublin Connolly	Enterprise train	~2 h 10	Stops at Drogheda and Dundalk; book a seat in advance.
Galway / Limerick / Cork	Dublin Heuston	InterCity train	~2 h 30	Midlands stops include Athlone, Tullamore, Portarlington and Kildare.
Holyhead / Liverpool	Dublin Port	Ferry	~2 h 15 crossing	Dún Laoghaire is no longer a ferry port; sail into Dublin Port.

Regional passes

Verdict first

TFI Leap card

buy

Caps daily fares on Dublin buses, DART and commuter trains; useful if you stay several days.

Irish Rail online tickets

buy

Cheaper booked ahead than at the station; inter-city fares rise close to travel.

Rental car

check

Only worth it for the midlands and Wicklow; book from Dublin Airport in advance.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Pub lunch and seafood chowder	Dublin, Howth, Dalkey	Coastal pubs fill at weekend lunchtime; book or eat before 13:00.Coastal pubs fill at weekend lunchtime; book or eat before 1:00 PM.
Irish stew and beef	Midlands towns: Athlone, Tullamore	Carvery lunches are the cheap option; kitchens often close by 21:00.Carvery lunches are the cheap option; kitchens often close by 9:00 PM.
Distillery tours	Dublin (Teeling), Tullamore and Kilbeggan	Tours are timed and sell out; book a slot rather than turning up.

Go next

Dublin and the east

DART and commuter rail along the coast

Coastal towns and the city in one page.

Southwest Ireland

planned

Train from Heuston to Cork, ~2 h 30

Kerry and Cork for a second week.

Shannon Region

planned

Train from Heuston to Limerick, ~2 h 15

Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.

Northern Ireland

planned

Train from Connolly to Belfast, ~2 h 10

Planned. The border is at Dundalk; bring sterling for the north.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Going in… · Trips here

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 4, 30 min to 1 h 40
Nights suggested: 3–5 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Apr, May, Sep (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Trips that stop here

From the Ireland guide

Dublin and the west
7 days · 3 nights here
Dublin → Galway → Doolin or Clifden
West and south-west
10 days · 3 nights here
Dublin → Galway → Doolin (Clare) → Dingle → Killarney
Both sides of the border and the west
14 days · 3 nights here
Dublin → Belfast and Causeway Coast → Donegal → Galway → Killarney or Dingle → Cork

All Ireland trips →

Open Ireland Up to Ireland

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialFáilte Ireland — Ireland's Ancient East
officialIrish Rail (Iarnród Éireann)
officialTransport for Ireland
officialDublin Airport
secondaryWikivoyage: East Coast and Midlands, revision 5324941 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about East Coast and Midlands

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