Getting around by boat and ferry Ireland

When the weather permits, after a 45 minute crossing, the boat drops anchor for a good 2 hours at Skellig Michael, an island known for its impressive black rocky outcrop. There you can see the ruins of the 6th century St Fionan's monastery, where the monks lived in particularly harsh conditions. Then the boat approaches Little Skellig to allow you to observe the bird colony and the seals. Ready for the odyssey? Book well in advance.

The French company Brittany Ferries operates the Roscoff (Finistère) - Cork route, the shortest from France to Ireland (between 13 and 15 hours). Since 2022, there has been a new ship on the Roscoff-Cork route, offering a new weekly crossing on Tuesdays from April to October, in addition to the Friday service. A good option for taking your car and motorcycle with you, to get your Irish road-trip off to the best possible start. The company also offers a wide range of à la carte packages. A true destination specialist.

On board Oscar Wilde, gift shop, restaurants, movie theater are service to make the crossing enjoyable. Staff on board is quite Russian, so for Irish adventure, expect to arrive in Rosslare.

Irish Ferries also operates weekly crossings from Cherbourg in France to Dublin, and from Pembroke in the UK to Rosslare in south-east Ireland (halfway between Dublin and Cork), and vice versa. From Dublin, you can also take the ferry to Holyhead, Wales (3h30 journey). On board the ferry, you'll find a range of classes, from single seats to suites. The Pembroke-Rosslare crossing takes around 4 hours, while the Dublin-Cherbourg crossing takes 20 hours (overnight on board).

The departure is made from Doolin and the crossing lasts 20 min.

Departure from Rossaveal (45 minutes or 1 hour from Galway) there are shuttles to Rossaveal from Forster Street. Adult return: 25 €, round-trip student: 20 €, return child: 13 €. The crossing lasts from 35 to 40 min.

Departure from Rossaveal (45 min or 1 hour Galway time) there are shuttles to Rossaveal from Forster Street, Connors and Threadneedle Road. Find out more about your hotel. Adult return: 20 €, round-trip student: 20 €; return child: 15 €. The crossing lasts from 30 to 40 min.

Shannon Ferries offers ferries across the Shannon, the largest river in Ireland. The connections are between Tarbert (north of Listowel) and Killimer. This is an ideal way to travel to Kilkee and County Clare from Kerry. Of course, you can take your car, motorcycle or bicycle on board. Crossings are daily, all year round. The journey takes about 20 minutes. Reservations can be made online (discounted rate).

In Dublin, this Swedish shipping line links the capital with Holyhead (Wales) several times a day in 3.5 hours. Stena Line also operates between Belfast and Cairnryan (Scotland) or Liverpool (England), and between Rosslare (a port between Dublin and Cork) and Fishguard (Wales). In France, a service runs between Cherbourg and Rosslare three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). The crossing takes an average of 18 hours. On board, you'll find all the comforts you need (restaurants, bars, stores, etc.).

A very pleasant way to discover the bay of the Irish capital and its surrounding villages can be to take the Dublin Cruises ferry to the charming towns of Dun Laoghaire (pronounced "Deune Lerry"!) and Howth. You can take a boat ride for an hour in the bay and then join Dublin, or another village by DART. A very nice trip and more original than with other means of transport. And which allows to discover this beautiful coast, on the sea side. An option to remember!