Ireland is green hills, wild cliffs facing the Atlantic and pubs with live music in even the smallest villages. The country’s small enough for you to drive from Dublin to the west coast in a couple of hours, but the roads are narrow, and you’ll quickly end up spending more time in the car than you expect.
That’s why your choice of base matters so much. If you stay in the right places, you can see the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and Dingle without packing your suitcase every day. Here are my recommendations for six great towns in Ireland and hotels in several price ranges.
Contents
The Best Towns in Ireland
- Dublin - best city for a city break and your first night
- Galway - best town for pubs and live music
- Doolin - best base for the Cliffs of Moher
- Killarney - best base for the Ring of Kerry and the national park
- Dingle - best town for harbour charm and wild nature
- Kinsale - best town for food and the south coast
Below, I’ll take you through the six towns one by one, from the capital in the east to the west coast and the south coast, and recommend three hotels in each town in different price ranges.
1. Dublin - best city for a city break and your first night 🍺
- 📍 Location: On the east coast by the River Liffey. It’s the capital and the country’s largest city.
- 🚆 Transport: The Luas tram, the DART trains along the coast and city buses. Trains to the west and south leave from Heuston Station.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 30 to 45 minutes by bus from Dublin Airport to the city centre.
- 💰 Price range: €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £95 to £600 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Generally safe. Watch out for pickpockets in Temple Bar, and stick to well-lit streets late in the evening.
Most trips to Ireland start in Dublin, and it makes good sense to stay here for the first few nights. The city’s compact, so you can walk between Trinity College, Grafton Street, St Stephen’s Green and the pubs of Temple Bar in under half an hour. It’s also where most international flights land, so you’ll avoid a long drive straight after landing.
Dublin’s more expensive than the rest of the country, especially at weekends when there are concerts or rugby matches. If you stay a little outside the centre, for example in Drumcondra or Ballsbridge, you can often save quite a bit and still get into town by bus in 15 minutes.
I’ve written a full guide to where to stay in Dublin, where I go through the neighbourhoods one by one. It’s worth reading if you’re staying several nights in the city, because there’s a big difference between staying in lively Temple Bar and in the quiet Georgian streets around Merrion Square.
If you have two or three days, take a look at my suggestions for things to do in Dublin, and if you’re landing late, check how to get from Dublin Airport to the city centre before you travel. If you’re heading west afterwards, I’d pick up the hire car on your way out of the city rather than leaving it parked in Dublin, where parking’s expensive and the traffic’s heavy.
Places to Stay in Dublin
The Merrion Hotel - best luxury hotel on Merrion Square
The Merrion is on Merrion Square, a few minutes’ walk from St Stephen’s Green, and it’s one of the most exclusive hotels in Dublin. There’s a spa with an indoor pool, a restaurant, a bar and a garden, and it has an impressive guest rating of 9.5. On the other hand, it’s expensive, and several guests mention that drinks and snacks cost a lot.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything about this hotel is excellent: the service, the location, the breakfast, the bar, the room and the room’s size and comfort.”
See photos and book The Merrion Hotel here.
citizenM Dublin St Patrick’s - modern mid-range pick near St Patrick’s Cathedral
citizenM is on Bride Street in the southern part of the centre, within walking distance of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin Castle and Temple Bar. The hotel has a guest rating of 8.9 and a shared lounge, bar and café. The rooms are small and practically designed, so it suits you best if you mainly use your room for sleeping.
One guest praises their stay on Booking.com: “Excellent stay, great location and very friendly staff.”
See photos and book citizenM Dublin St Patrick’s here.
ABC House - cheapest pick in a quiet area north of the centre
ABC House is a small guesthouse on Drumcondra Road Upper, around 2.5 km north of the centre. It was by far the cheapest of the three when I searched, and it has a guest rating of 8.4. You’ll need to take the bus or allow for a longer walk into town, and a few guests mention that their room got very hot.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room was a good size, and the location was good.”
See photos and book ABC House here.
2. Galway - best town for pubs and live music 🎻
- 📍 Location: On the west coast by Galway Bay, around 210 km west of Dublin.
- 🚆 Transport: Trains from Dublin Heuston to Galway Ceannt take around 2.5 hours. The station is by Eyre Square in the middle of town.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 2.5 hours by car or bus from Dublin Airport and about an hour by car from Shannon Airport.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £180 to £275 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Safe. There can be noise and drunk people in the Latin Quarter late at weekends.
Galway is the town I’d choose if you can only stay in one place on the west coast. It’s small enough for you to walk everywhere, but it has enough pubs, restaurants and buskers that it never gets boring. Most of the action is in the Latin Quarter around Quay Street, Shop Street and the Spanish Arch, where Irish folk music is played in the pubs almost every night.
Galway’s also a good base for day trips. From here, you can drive out into Connemara with its lakes, bogs and mountains, take the ferry from Rossaveal to the Aran Islands or drive south to The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. If you don’t have a car, several companies sell guided day trips by coach from the centre.
If you’re coming by train, Galway’s easy to reach, because Irish Rail runs direct trains from Dublin Heuston to Galway Ceannt, and the station is right by Eyre Square. That makes Galway the obvious choice if you want to see the west coast without hiring a car.
The downside is the price. Galway is popular, and in summer and during festivals, the hotels in the centre get booked up quickly and become expensive. If you stay in Salthill, a little west of the centre, you’ll have the sea and the promenade right outside your door and often slightly lower prices.
Places to Stay in Galway
The Dean Galway - design hotel with a heated outdoor pool
The Dean is on Prospect Hill, a couple of minutes’ walk from Eyre Square, and it’s adults only. The hotel has a heated outdoor pool with a view, a sauna, a gym, a restaurant and a bar, and it has a guest rating of 8.4. Several guests mention that there’s limited space for clothes and luggage in the rooms.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The decor and the atmosphere were impeccable.”
See photos and book The Dean Galway here.
Imperial Hotel Galway - classic hotel right on Eyre Square
The Imperial Hotel is right on Eyre Square, so the train station, the buses and the Latin Quarter are all within a few minutes’ walk. It’s a classic three-star hotel with a restaurant and a bar and a guest rating of 8.2 from more than 4,000 reviews. Some guests mention that a few of the rooms are dark, with little daylight.
One guest writes briefly on Booking.com: “The hotel was central to everything.”
See photos and book Imperial Hotel Galway here.
The Lane Boutique Residence - cheapest pick and adults only
The Lane is on Forster Street near Eyre Square, and it’s an adults-only guesthouse with a guest rating of 8.5. It was the cheapest of my three picks in the centre, and there’s a lift and air conditioning. The rooms are small, and there’s no restaurant, but you’ll have pubs and cafés just around the corner.
One guest praises the staff on Booking.com: “Very friendly staff, and the hotel and the room were spotlessly clean.”
See photos and book The Lane Boutique Residence here.
3. Doolin - best base for the Cliffs of Moher 🌊
- 📍 Location: A small village on the coast of County Clare, around 75 km south of Galway.
- 🚆 Transport: There are no trains, and the buses don’t run often. A car is the easiest option.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 1 hour and 15 minutes by car from Shannon Airport.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £120 to £335 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. Take care on the narrow roads with no pavement and near the cliff edge on the coastal path.
Doolin is a small village with colourful houses, a handful of pubs and a wild coastline right on your doorstep. It’s known for traditional Irish music, and pubs like Gus O’Connor’s, McGann’s and McDermott’s often have live music in the evening. This is where you should stay if you want to see the Cliffs of Moher early in the morning or late in the afternoon, before and after the tour buses from Galway and Dublin.
The cliffs are a few kilometres south of the village, and you can drive to the visitor centre in 15 minutes. There’s also a coastal path from Doolin towards the cliffs, but parts of it can be closed because of erosion and safety concerns, so check the status of the coastal walk on the official Cliffs of Moher website before you set off.
From Doolin Pier, boats sail to the Aran Islands and out below the cliffs during the summer season, so you can see them from the sea. The village is quiet in the evening, and when the pubs close, it gets very dark, so bring a torch if you’re walking between your B&B and the village.
The downside of Doolin is that there isn’t much to do on a rainy day, and many of the places to stay are bed & breakfasts spread out along the roads. So check the map before you book, so you don’t end up with a long walk along a dark country road. The barren limestone landscape of The Burren is just east of the village and is worth driving through.
Places to Stay in Doolin
Hotel Doolin - best hotel in the middle of the village
Hotel Doolin is in the village close to the pubs, and it’s a four-star hotel with a restaurant, a bar and free parking. It has a guest rating of 9.0 and was the most expensive of the three when I searched. A few guests mention that the cleaning of their room wasn’t quite up to scratch.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “We loved the decor of the suites, the hotel, the breakfast and the staff.”
See photos and book Hotel Doolin here.
Moloney House - bed & breakfast close to the pubs
Moloney House is a four-star bed & breakfast in Doonmacfelim, a few minutes’ walk from the village pubs. It has a guest rating of 9.4, free parking and a garden. It doesn’t accept stag and hen parties or similar groups, so it’s best suited to couples and families looking for peace and quiet.
One guest sums up their stay on Booking.com: “Good room, easy check-in, friendly hosts, good breakfast and a good location, a short walk into town.”
See photos and book Moloney House here.
Blackberry Lodge Accommodation - cheapest pick with a high guest rating
Blackberry Lodge is in Toomullin at the eastern end of the village, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. It has a guest rating of 9.3, free parking and family rooms. A few guests mention that the extra bed in the room wasn’t very comfortable.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic place! Quiet, clean and comfortable. Easy check-in and wonderful staff.”
See photos and book Blackberry Lodge Accommodation here.
4. Killarney - best base for the Ring of Kerry and the national park 🦌
- 📍 Location: In County Kerry in south-west Ireland, right next to Killarney National Park.
- 🚆 Transport: Trains from Dublin Heuston take around 3 hours and 20 minutes, often with a change in Mallow. The station is in the centre.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 20 minutes by car from Kerry Airport and around 1.5 hours from Cork Airport.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £140 to £495 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. The main thing to watch out for is the traffic on the narrow roads in the national park.
Killarney is Ireland’s classic tourist town and the most practical base in Kerry. The town has lots of hotels, restaurants and pubs, and just outside the centre you’ll find Killarney National Park, which became Ireland’s first national park in 1932. Here you’ll find the Lakes of Killarney, Ross Castle, Torc Waterfall and Muckross House, which is just over 6 km south of the town.
From here, it’s also easy to drive the Ring of Kerry, a loop of around 180 km around the Iveragh Peninsula. Most people spend a full day on the drive with stops along the way, and it’s a good idea to set off early, before the coaches hit the road. You can explore the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass west of the town, on foot, by bike or in a horse-drawn carriage.
Killarney is one of the few towns in south-west Ireland where you can manage without a car, because the train runs right into the centre, and there are plenty of guided tours to both the national park and the Ring of Kerry. If you do have a car, I’d choose a hotel with free parking, because it’s not a given in the centre.
The downside is that the town is very touristy, and in summer the streets are full of tour groups. On the plus side, you’ll get a wide choice of hotels in every price range, and on weekdays outside the school holidays, you can often find good deals.
Places to Stay in Killarney
Great Southern Killarney - best luxury hotel in the middle of town
Great Southern Killarney is a five-star hotel in the centre with a garden, a spa and an indoor pool, and the train station is right next door. It has a guest rating of 9.3 and suits you well if you want luxury without staying outside town. It’s expensive, and the price is also what guests most often mention as a downside.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything! From the location, the building, the staff, the service, the food and the facilities, it was all fantastic.”
See photos and book Great Southern Killarney here.
Killarney Lodge - guesthouse with one of the highest ratings in town
Killarney Lodge is on Countess Road, a few minutes’ walk from the centre, and has an impressive guest rating of 9.6 from more than 1,000 reviews. There’s free parking, a garden and family rooms. There’s no restaurant, so you’ll need to find dinner in town, but it’s only a short walk.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Thank you to the team for a wonderful stay!”
See photos and book Killarney Lodge here.
Eviston House Hotel - cheapest pick with a bar and live music
Eviston House is on New Street in the middle of Killarney, and it was the cheapest of the three when I searched. It’s a three-star hotel with a bar, live music and a guest rating of 8.0. Many guests mention that there are only a few parking spaces at the hotel.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The hotel was very cosy, the staff were lovely, and even though I hadn’t booked breakfast with my stay, I was offered it included anyway.”
See photos and book Eviston House Hotel here.
5. Dingle - best town for harbour charm and wild nature ⛵
- 📍 Location: Out towards the tip of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, around 70 km west of Killarney.
- 🚌 Transport: There’s a bus from Tralee, but a car makes it much easier to see the peninsula.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 1 hour and 15 minutes by car from Kerry Airport.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £125 to £250 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. Drive carefully on the Slea Head Drive and over the Conor Pass, where the roads are narrow.
Dingle is a small harbour town with colourful houses, fishing boats and more pubs than you’d think possible in a town that size. It’s one of the places in Ireland where you’ll still hear Irish spoken in everyday life, and the signs are often in Irish. The town is smaller and more relaxed than Killarney, and there’s live music in many of the pubs in the evening.
The big draw is the Slea Head Drive, a 47 km loop that starts and ends in Dingle. According to Discover Kerry, you should drive it clockwise to avoid meeting the coaches on the narrow roads. Along the way, you’ll pass some of the most beautiful coastal views in the country and the village of Dunquin, where the ferry leaves for Great Blasket Island.
If you’re heading north, you can drive over the Conor Pass, one of the highest mountain roads in Ireland. The road is narrow, and larger cars and campervans should take the easier route around the mountain.
The downside of Dingle is that it’s quite remote, and there are relatively few hotels. Most of the places to stay are bed & breakfasts and small guesthouses, and they get booked up early in summer. If you’re combining Dingle with Killarney, it’s a good idea to stay a couple of nights in each place rather than driving back and forth.
Places to Stay in Dingle
An Capall Dubh B&B Dingle - most expensive and most central bed & breakfast
An Capall Dubh is on Green Street in the middle of Dingle, so you can walk to both the harbour and the pubs. It was the most expensive of my three picks when I searched, and it has a guest rating of 9.3 and free parking. Some guests feel the price is high for the rooms you get.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location was perfect, the accommodation was really good, and the staff were so friendly and helpful.”
See photos and book An Capall Dubh B&B Dingle here.
Dingle Bay Hotel - harbourside hotel with a restaurant and live music
Dingle Bay Hotel is on Strand Street facing the harbour, and it’s a classic hotel in the middle of town. There’s a restaurant, a bar with live music and a lift, and the hotel has a guest rating of 8.7. Some guests feel it’s expensive if you’re only staying one night.
One guest praises the decor on Booking.com: “The hotel is exceptionally stylishly decorated.”
See photos and book Dingle Bay Hotel here.
Murphy’s Pub and Bed & Breakfast - cheapest pick with a pub on the ground floor
Murphy’s is also on Strand Street by the harbour and has rooms above a traditional pub. It was the cheapest of the three when I searched, and it has a guest rating of 9.3 from more than 1,100 reviews. There are stairs up to the rooms, so it’s not a good fit if you have limited mobility.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Lovely view from the window. Very cosy room. It had everything you needed.”
See photos and book Murphy’s Pub and Bed & Breakfast here.
6. Kinsale - best town for food and the south coast 🍽️
- 📍 Location: At the mouth of the River Bandon in County Cork, around 25 km south of Cork.
- 🚌 Transport: Bus 226 runs between Cork, Cork Airport and Kinsale. The town is small and easy to walk around.
- ✈️ Time from the airport: Around 25 minutes by car from Cork Airport.
- 💰 Price range: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £80 to £290 a night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. Watch out for the traffic in the narrow streets in the centre.
Kinsale is a small harbour town with narrow streets, colourful houses and a harbour full of sailing boats. It’s known as one of the best places to eat in Ireland, and there’s an unusually large number of good restaurants, cafés and seafood restaurants for a town that size. That makes Kinsale a good choice if food is an important part of your holiday.
Kinsale is also the starting point of the Wild Atlantic Way, which, according to Cork County Council, stretches 2,500 km from Kinsale to Donegal. So if you’re driving all the way up the west coast, Kinsale is a natural place to start or finish.
Around 3 km from the centre is Charles Fort, a large star-shaped fort from the late 17th century with great views over the harbour. You can walk out there along the water, and on the way you’ll pass the village of Summercove with a little pub by the harbour. The Old Head of Kinsale, a narrow rocky headland with a lighthouse, is a short drive south-west of the town.
The downside is that Kinsale is a long way from Dublin, so it works best if you’re flying into Cork. The town is also small, and in summer it can be hard to find parking in the centre, so it’s worth choosing a hotel with its own parking if you have a car.
Places to Stay in Kinsale
Perryville House - best luxury pick by the harbour
Perryville House is on Long Quay in the middle of town, facing the harbour, and it’s an adults-only four-star guesthouse. It has an impressive guest rating of 9.6, a bar and free parking. Several guests mention that the road in front of the house is very busy and hard to cross.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Absolutely wonderful! I can’t recommend it enough!”
See photos and book Perryville House here.
Giles Norman Gallery & Townhouse - townhouse with rooms above a photography gallery
Giles Norman Townhouse is on Main Street in the middle of Kinsale, above a gallery of photographs, and has a guest rating of 9.5. You’ll have the restaurants right on your doorstep. There’s only on-street parking, and a few guests mention that there aren’t many plug sockets and that they’re awkwardly placed.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Everything! So much thought had gone into the whole stay.”
See photos and book Giles Norman Gallery & Townhouse here.
Clover Cottage - cheapest pick with free parking
Clover Cottage is a bed & breakfast in Cappagh, around 1 km from the centre, and it was by far the cheapest of the three when I searched. It has a guest rating of 8.2 and free parking, so it’s a good fit if you have a car. Some guests mention a bad smell in the room, but also that the host dealt with it quickly.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic, welcoming hosts who were always on hand to help.”
See photos and book Clover Cottage here.
Where should you avoid staying in Ireland?
I wouldn’t stay in Dublin for the whole holiday and take day trips to the west coast. It’s around three hours each way to the Cliffs of Moher, and you’ll end up spending most of the day on a coach. You’re better off staying a couple of nights in Galway or Doolin.
I also wouldn’t choose hotels by the airports or along the motorways, even though they’re often cheap. You’ll save a little on the room, but you’ll miss out on the evenings in the pub, which are a big part of the experience in Ireland.
And I’d avoid changing hotels every single night. The roads on the west coast are narrow and winding, so it’s better to plan two or three nights in each place.
If it’s your first trip to Ireland, I’d start with two nights in Dublin and then drive to Galway. If you have a week, you can carry on to Doolin and down to Killarney or Dingle, and if you’re flying into Cork, Kinsale is a good place to start or finish.
If you’d rather do without a car, Dublin, Galway and Killarney are the easiest towns, because the train runs right into the centre. Doolin and Dingle suit you best if you want small villages and wild nature, and Kinsale is for you if you want to eat well. In Dublin, you can get around by bus and tram.
If you’d like more wild nature and cosy pubs on the other side of the Irish Sea, I’ve also written guides to where to stay in the Scottish Highlands and where to stay in Edinburgh.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
• GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation
• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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