What do you think?
Rate this book
Fodor's Ireland, 33rd Edition 2001
No matter what your budget or whether it's your first trip or fifteenth, Fodor's Gold Guides get you where you want to go. In this guide, updated every year, our experts who live in Ireland give you the inside track showing you all the things to see and do -- from must-see sights to off-the-beaten-path adventures, from shopping to outdoor fun. Start with the color planning section to help you decide where to go, use your personal supply of Post-it? flags to mark your favorite listings, and consult the foldout map to stay on course. Fodor's Ireland 2002 shows you hundreds of hotel and restaurant choices in all price ranges -- from budget-friendly B&Bs to luxury hotels, from casual eateries to the hottest new restaurants, complete with thorough reviews showing what makes each place special. The Smart Travel Tips A to Z section helps you take care of the nitty gritty with essential local contacts and great advice -- from how to take your mountain bike with you to what to do in an emergency. Plus, web links, maps, costs, and mix-and-match itineraries make planning a snap.
"The king of guidebooks." - Newsweek
"The king of guidebooks." - Newsweek
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 1986
About the author
Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.
1,839 books62 followersFodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 12, 2011
If you’re planning to spend a week or two in Ireland, this would be a good guide to introduce you to the wonderful island. It’s chock-full of small essays on various aspects of the regions and culture with planners, good-but-not-great photos and a pull-out map.
You’ll get an overview of major attractions, information about the major towns with a brief section on places to stay with starred top recommendations. A table of contents is sectioned in twelve parts, starting with “Experience Ireland” which contains a little on What’s New, Where to Go, What’s Where, Great Itineraries and so on. Second is a section on Dublin with a welcome, a planner, info about getting around, nightlife, sports, shopping and the like–most items on the typical tourist’s itinerary. Other sections include Dublin Environs (which include day trips to the Boyne Valley, County Wicklow and County Kildare), followed by The Midlands, The Southeast, The Southwest, Counties Cork and Clare, Connemara and Mayo, The Northwest, Northern Ireland and a host of small maps.
The guide seems best suited to travelers wishing to glimpse a bit of everything rather than be immersed in the culture of one or two regions. Lodgings consist of the more pricey accommodations rather than farm holiday lodgings, the B&B or the Self-catered cottage (my personal choice). While they have a “Top Ten” things to do, again, the book caters to the typical tourist rather than the individual who wants to explore a little beyond the bounds. My choice would be to pack this book along for reference, but to explore on your own. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as spending a rainy afternoon in a Glengariff pub with a glass of room-temperature Murphy’s at your right hand and a freshly made salmon salad sandwich created from the morning’s catch. What heaven! Or a May afternoon digging your bare toes into the fine sand at Cork’s Warren strand. Or a glimpse of the tiny museum at Clonakilty. These are itineraries that must be experienced in the moment and not planned from any guidebook. And there’s nothing quite as nice as purchasing a few sods of turf to burn in your own fireplace or a freshly baked loaf of brown bread available in most village shops.
You’ll get an overview of major attractions, information about the major towns with a brief section on places to stay with starred top recommendations. A table of contents is sectioned in twelve parts, starting with “Experience Ireland” which contains a little on What’s New, Where to Go, What’s Where, Great Itineraries and so on. Second is a section on Dublin with a welcome, a planner, info about getting around, nightlife, sports, shopping and the like–most items on the typical tourist’s itinerary. Other sections include Dublin Environs (which include day trips to the Boyne Valley, County Wicklow and County Kildare), followed by The Midlands, The Southeast, The Southwest, Counties Cork and Clare, Connemara and Mayo, The Northwest, Northern Ireland and a host of small maps.
The guide seems best suited to travelers wishing to glimpse a bit of everything rather than be immersed in the culture of one or two regions. Lodgings consist of the more pricey accommodations rather than farm holiday lodgings, the B&B or the Self-catered cottage (my personal choice). While they have a “Top Ten” things to do, again, the book caters to the typical tourist rather than the individual who wants to explore a little beyond the bounds. My choice would be to pack this book along for reference, but to explore on your own. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as spending a rainy afternoon in a Glengariff pub with a glass of room-temperature Murphy’s at your right hand and a freshly made salmon salad sandwich created from the morning’s catch. What heaven! Or a May afternoon digging your bare toes into the fine sand at Cork’s Warren strand. Or a glimpse of the tiny museum at Clonakilty. These are itineraries that must be experienced in the moment and not planned from any guidebook. And there’s nothing quite as nice as purchasing a few sods of turf to burn in your own fireplace or a freshly baked loaf of brown bread available in most village shops.
May 15, 2016
Oh, Joy Joy. I love Ireland because that people save civilization as we know it. They copied books they didn't even understand just for the sake of preserving culture; and preserving they did. Beautiful breathtaking libraries, beautiful landscapes and -of course- one day in Joyce's head. This is the perfect place to make an unforgettable trip.
Here is the cover of the book
Here is one of my favorite libraries in the world:
Here are two pages with breath-taking landscapes:
And here is the planning of the day of Joyce. They did all the thinking already, all you have to do is show up.
I hope you liked this entry. If you feel like viewing more of the books I read, you are welcome to visit my blog: http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com
Here is the cover of the book
Here is one of my favorite libraries in the world:
Here are two pages with breath-taking landscapes:
And here is the planning of the day of Joyce. They did all the thinking already, all you have to do is show up.
I hope you liked this entry. If you feel like viewing more of the books I read, you are welcome to visit my blog: http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com
April 24, 2012
I bought the Kindle edition of this book for our recent trip to Ireland, rather than carrying heavy travel books on this trip. I found it frustrating to use, although it seemed to contain the necessary information.
The most significant complaint I have is that there is no index, so finding information is difficult. I used it primarily in the evenings to read about the next day's sights, to be able to choose which of the sights to see in our limited time. The only way to find things was to use the Kindle search utility, and then, it often provided many entries, and it was tough to find the main entry, rather than a passing reference.
The table of contents is tiered, and if you don't know the main entry, you can't find the area you are looking for.
I did not read this book cover to cover - that isn't why I bought it. We had other books on Ireland we used to plan our trip from home. I intended this as an in-country reference book, and the organization and lack of an index made it less than ideal for this purpose.
The most significant complaint I have is that there is no index, so finding information is difficult. I used it primarily in the evenings to read about the next day's sights, to be able to choose which of the sights to see in our limited time. The only way to find things was to use the Kindle search utility, and then, it often provided many entries, and it was tough to find the main entry, rather than a passing reference.
The table of contents is tiered, and if you don't know the main entry, you can't find the area you are looking for.
I did not read this book cover to cover - that isn't why I bought it. We had other books on Ireland we used to plan our trip from home. I intended this as an in-country reference book, and the organization and lack of an index made it less than ideal for this purpose.
January 5, 2011
I have never been to Ireland. But if I do make that trip some day, this book would be a valuable help to me. Fodor's travel books are a pretty good product, very consistent. This is no different.
The book is organized sensibly enough: a generic introduction to Ireland, and then a region by region treatment. At the regional level (e.g., Dublin, the Midlands, the Northwest, Northern Ireland), the reader is introduced to placves to stay, places to eat, places to visit. There are many maps, which help locate places and provide a visual depiction of the areas being considered.
One special feature--golf courses (pages 659 and following). I'm not a golfer, but I could imagine that this would be an interesting resource for those wanting to go out on a course to play.
Another nice production from Fodor's.
The book is organized sensibly enough: a generic introduction to Ireland, and then a region by region treatment. At the regional level (e.g., Dublin, the Midlands, the Northwest, Northern Ireland), the reader is introduced to placves to stay, places to eat, places to visit. There are many maps, which help locate places and provide a visual depiction of the areas being considered.
One special feature--golf courses (pages 659 and following). I'm not a golfer, but I could imagine that this would be an interesting resource for those wanting to go out on a course to play.
Another nice production from Fodor's.
June 26, 2014
Poor. Not very good, but not awful. Would never buy another Fodor Travel Guide after buying the England and Ireland. Map was useless pretty much. Next time, will buy Lonely Island instead or Rick Steve.
Positives: color photos. some information on hotels and detailed information on main sights.
The Book of Kells is NOT the number one attraction in Dublin, despite what this idiot says multiple. The entire country would have to be ashamed if it were.
Positives: color photos. some information on hotels and detailed information on main sights.
The Book of Kells is NOT the number one attraction in Dublin, despite what this idiot says multiple. The entire country would have to be ashamed if it were.
February 19, 2012
Certainly the most comprehensive guide book I've picked up on Ireland so far. It's really well organized, has fantastic photos, and a lot more information on just about everything than I've seen in any other book so far. I borrowed a copy from the library, but I'm definitely planning on buying my own copy to take with us on our trip.
April 19, 2009
One of my three favorite Irish travel guides. My favorite feature is "Fodor's Choice" ratings which highlight places and events the editor's particularly recommend along with an explanation of *why* they recommend it.
October 12, 2013
Pretty decent travel book with lots of pictures. It helped plan a great trip to Ireland but some parts are somewhat misleading. I would recommend it to anyone thinking about taking a trip there, just don't use it as your only resource.
September 24, 2007
Found it kind of boring and hard to skim when planning our upcoming trip to Ireland.
Currently Reading
May 22, 2010I've learned there is way too much to see and two weeks isn't going to be enough time.
March 17, 2011
very useful guide
January 6, 2012
There are lots of maps for walking in Dublin. I consider buying this so that I can rip out the sections I might need for the day I will be in Dublin.
February 8, 2012
Just in case I get selected for Special Convention in Dublin =) Whooohoooo I'm going to Dublin in July!
March 13, 2012
Lots of beautiful pictures has me very excited to visit.
Read
May 25, 2015A start to look into highlights to explore.
July 21, 2015
Lots of helpful information for my upcoming trip!
January 7, 2016
Very helpful information for trip to Ireland.
August 3, 2016
Covers all the essentials and more. Practical information you typically don't find in other travel guide books.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews