Frommer's Ireland 2005 (Frommer's Complete)

By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Ireland features gorgeous color photos of the fishing villages, seaside cliffs, and quaint country pubs that await you. It's a highly personal guide that's fun to read and even more fun to use on the road. Our expert author offers insights into how to discover the real Ireland. You'll find complete details on lovely small towns, natural wonders, castles, literary landmarks, world-class golf courses, mysterious ancient ruins, and Dublin's cutting-edge nightlife.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764573551
• ISBN13: 9780764573552
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Frommer's
• Length: 591 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.2" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A must for those visiting Ireland

I purchased the book for my mom for Christmas and she loves it. She is visiting Ireland for the first time later this year.

Can't Go Without It!

I am a huge Frommer's fan and will purchase the newest Ireland book before every trip there. I'm on my 6th trip and my 5th Frommer's Ireland book. I love how the books are set up with nearly everything included; how to get there and get around, what you need to travel to Ireland, the money, top attractions, accommodations, shopping, night life, places to eat and (of course) to drink. There's even a new chapter dedicated to all things outdoors. Included for the attractions are accurate phone numbers, dates and hours places are open, up to date pricing and web sites.Places to eat and stay are divided by price into categories; Very Expensive, Expensive, Moderate and Inexpensive.For each major town, Frommer's includes basic facts (ie. tourist office location or where's the nearest pharmacy), sights to see, how to get around and a map. The lesser towns also have a list for interesting places to see, things to do, places to stay but usually no map.The book starts with a `Best Of` list then moves on to all that you need to know to plan your trip. Use this list Best Of list to help you plan your trip, especially if you only have a limited time in the Emerald Isle.New and improved are symbols that highlight Special Finds, Fun Facts, Especially for Kids, Overrated Places, Insider Tips and Great Values which are sprinkled throughout the book.Also new is their star system. Very Expensive and Expensive places are listed from 1 to 3 stars, the other categories are 0 to 2 stars while attractions and regions get 0 to 3 stars. The lowest rating is still considered "recommended" so you just can't lose.The next chapters go through Ireland county by county. The book concludes with Northern Ireland and all the same detailed information is listed for them. The appendix explores Ireland's history through modern times and it's language.If you want to spend less money (and who doesn't these days?) or you're on a tight budget then get "Frommer's Ireland From $60 A Day, 19th edition". It has all the same information but with a bigger, better selection of less expensive places to eat and stay. It also let's you know where it would be worth your while to splash out if you'd like. I really like the size of this Frommer's book, some other Name Guides I've tried to read are too small and want to flip closed all the time. Others have a lots of information but it's so packed onto small pages with no breaks or lists it's too hard to absorb or remember what you read about. Frommer's are just about right in my eyes. There are only about 8 color photos and these are at the beginning of the book. Do not buy this book for photos because you will be sorely disappointed. However, the amount of information contained within will keep this guide way up on the top of your list when planning or just dreaming your trip to Ireland.

Best of Travelguides

My family used Frommer's Ireland 12th Ed. extensively before, during ,and after our trip to Ireland in July of 2002. The first two chapters Best of..., and Planning your Trip... were worth the purchase price alone. All of the Best of tips we followed were excellent choices. The large fold out map that was included served very well during our driving tour of Ireland. Using the county and town maps that were included in the local sections kept us right on track. Distances are deceptive however. It takes longer to get anywhere you go than it would appear from reading the map. The Irish road system is not built for speed ( nor comfort for that matter) so plan accordingly. It takes a long time to drive across the country, or from county to county. More could have been made of this issue in the guide. Our biggest mistake was trying to do too much.The up to date information on Dublin was very helpful, as were the frequent tips throughout the guide on ways to avoid the summer crowds. I used the web addresses that were included for lodging and found them very helpful for checking availability and booking our rooms quickly. Don't go without it!

My Dreams Came True

On a tour with many other students everyone wanted to look at this book, why? Because every time we did anything the description in this book was dead on the money.

Well rounded and very informative!

I had previously purchased "Frommer's Ireland on $50 a Day" for my first trip in '96 so I had a good idea of what to expect. Frommer's delivered once again. It has everything; top attractions, accommodations, shopping, night life, out-of-doors activities, places to eat and, of course, to drink. Each of these categories is then divided price-wise into Very Expensive, Expensive, Moderate and Inexpensive. There are phone numbers, dates and hours places are open, accurate prices and any relevant web addresses. For each major town, Frommer's includes basic facts (such as, where the tourist and post office is or where to go if you need a pharmacy), how to get around and a map. The book starts with a "Best Of" list then moves to all that you need to know to plan your trip. It also includes a new section of web addresses which is most helpful if you've never booked an on-line ticket or don't wish to search through Ireland's many web sites for the best ones. The next chapters go through the country almost county by county then concludes with all the same sort of information listed above about Northern Ireland. The last chapter of the book is dedicated to a deeper understanding of Ireland through it's history, people and art.If you want a to get away with spending less money on your trip or you are on a tight budget then get "Frommer's Ireland From $60 A Day". It has all the same info but a bigger selection of less expensive places to eat and stay. It also gives data on where it would be worth your while to splash out a little.Do not buy "Frommer's Postcards 2001" for its pictures - it only has about 8 pages of color photos - but for the metric ton of information it contains. No other guide is needed.