Planning your journey to Connemara:
It is now very easy to get to Connemara as the roads, particularly Dublin – Galway have been upgraded beyond recognition. Also Knock Ireland West Airport has a regular and frequent flying schedule from the U.K. with Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Flybe. For families the simplest and most popular route is by car through Holyhead, Pembroke, Fishguard, Liverpool or Stranraer.
If you are driving from the south of England it is perhaps easier to sail from Fishguard or Pembroke to Rosslare, and then drive up through Dublin to Galway and then west to Connemara. Holyhead to Dublin or Dun Laoghaire is probably a better route for those traveling from more North and West.
Try the following links to get you started:
Directferries are a good place to start looking at ferry routes, times and prices. (http://www.directferries.co.uk/)
Ryanair need no Introduction and fly to Knock Ireland West from Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, Luton, Stanstead, Edinburgh and London City. (http://www.ryanair.com/en)
Aer Lingus flies to Birmingham and London Gatwick from Knock. (http://www.aerlingus.com)
All of these airlines and more fly from Dublin to numerous destinations in the U.K and Europe.
A list of airlines that fly to Dublin is available here.
Another destination that may be more convenient is Shannon Airport, which has flights to several U.K airports including Heathrow, it takes aproximately two hours to drive from Shannon to Clifden.
There are Trains to Galway from Dublin, and a coach Service from Dublin and the Airport to Clifden through Galway.
Car hire is in line with hiring a car in any other country in Europe and you can hire from Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Easycar and Budget-Ireland at Knock and Dublin Airports.
Plan your route using the AA route planner here.
