Travel in Ireland & Europe
Some tips for planning your trips
Being located just on the edge of Europe, studying at SHU in Dingle gives you a great opportunity to travel throughout the continent, in your own time, particular during your semester break.
Before you head off, here are some tips for planning your trips.
Get a good rucksack or small suitcase and bring only essentials with you, as overweight luggage will add to the cost of your flight – Clothes, sun screen, good walking shoes and sunglasses. If you must bring more, share a checked in bag with a friend to lower the cost.
Make photocopies of your passport, tickets and insurance: keep one set of copies in your luggage separate from the originals and keep a set at home. If you do lose the originals, then at least you’ll have those.
While most countries in Europe don’t require a visa for short visits, it’s best to know which countries do. Prior to your trip, a quick search online will find tourist visa requirements and whether you need to acquire a visa upon arrival at the airport or online prior to arrival.
With more than a dozen budget airline carriers throughout Europe, you can fly to almost anywhere on the continent for cheap. Usually the earlier you book, the cheaper the tickets. While you might be getting a bargain on airfare, make sure to check for additional fees and taxes, which are often not included in the advertised rate. Also avoid sizeable baggage fees by researching each airline’s rules on hand baggage and luggage size. As previously mentioned, packing light will help you avoid baggage fees and let you ease through the airport.
The main budget airlines travelling from Ireland are;
Traveling by train or bus in Europe is often efficient and sometimes easier than air travel. Book your ticket online. Many companies offer student discounts or special student travel deals.
Many museums, galleries, attractions, stores and transport services throughout Ireland and Europe provide discounts to those with valid student IDs. Always inquire about a student discount when paying.
Staying in hostels is a great way to see a place on the cheap and also to make lots of new friends. Most hostel in Europe are very modern and safe, with great atmospheres. If several of you are travelling together you can often rent out a whole dorm to have to yourselves for very cheap. If you’re uncomfortable with the potential idea of sharing a door, you can also rent out private rooms in hostels for a reasonable price. Check out the Hostel World website.
- Shannon Airport provides international and European flights. It is approximately 3 hours from Dingle.
- Dublin Airport provides international and European flights and is approximately 5 hours away.
- Cork Airport provides European flights and is approximately 3 hours away.
- Kerry Airport provides national and European flights and is approximately 1 hours away.
Several bus companies link the Irelands major cities to the airports.
