Best Time for Ireland Vacations

Vacationing in Ireland for several days, a week, several weeks or more is a trip everyone will enjoy. And why not? The overnight flight to either Dublin or Shannon Airports will take you to a Mystical Island where you'll be enchanted with warm and friendly people, untraveled roads, and hauntingly beautiful natural scenery - you'll wonder why you didn't travel there sooner.

When is the Best Time to Vacation in Ireland ?

While most people choose the warm, sunny days of summer for their Ireland vacations, fall, spring and winter have their own special charms and are bargain times to travel. The scenery in varying shades of emerald green, rust and mustard is still stunning; the people are still friendly (and possibly more so, now that the hassle of the tourist deluge is gone); and few things are more rewarding than the camaraderie found in a welcoming Irish pub, especially to chase away the chill of a winter's night.

The most popular season, from mid-June through mid-September, is the busiest time for Irish vacations. Temperatures are warm without being miserably sticky and hot, skies are sunny and tourists converge on the small country from continental Europe, the UK, the US and afar. Prices are highest, both for airfare and accommodations. As the weather starts to change, with cooler temperatures and more overcast days, most of the vacationers return to their homes and the prices go down.

The "shoulder season" for Ireland vacations is mid-September through October, April, May and early June. "Low season," when the weather has a distinct chill and some shops, small hotels and B&Bs close, is the winter months from November through March.

Because the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf Stream passes along the coast of Ireland, winter temperatures are more moderate than other countries at a similar latitude. Ireland's winter weather is much more temperate than in the northern regions of the United States, and even more temperate than in much of continental Europe. Ireland's average winter temperature rarely decreases to freezing and usually hovers around a relatively mild 45 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the wind in winter is frequently quite strong, and rainfall - necessary to keep the Emerald Island a breathtaking and vivid green - is more prevalent in fall and winter.