Travel between major centers in the Republic is generally straightforward, with reliable - albeit infrequent and slow - public transport operated by the state-supported train and bus companies Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) and Bus Éireann.

There are, however, glaring anomalies, and you should never assume that two major, local towns are necessarily going to be connected. It pays to think and plan ahead. Once off the main routes this becomes particularly important since it's quite usual for small towns and villages to be served by a couple of buses a week and no more.
Transport in the North is similarly infrequent in rural areas. Ulsterbus is generally regular and dependable, as is the (limited) train network. Ireland's relatively quiet rural roads make car rental an attractive and increasingly popular option, allowing you to visit the more remote areas of the country; most towns throughout Ireland will have rental outlets, though the best value is usually found in Dublin. Parts of the country, especially in the west, are ideal for cycling and bikes are available for rent in even the smallest villages.

Trains
In the Republic , Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann phone 01/836 6222) operates trains to many major cities and towns en route; on direct lines it's by far the fastest way of covering long distances, but the network is by no means comprehensive - Donegal, for instance, has no service at all. In general, train lines fan out from Dublin, with few routes running north-south across the country. So although you can get to the west easily by train, you can't sensibly use the train network to explore the west coast.

Train travel is not particularly cheap, either. If possible avoid traveling on Friday or Sunday when the prices are steepest and buy a return ticket as singles cost nearly as much. As a general example, an off-peak Dublin to Galway single ticket costs £16/?20.32, rising to £22/?27.94 on either a Friday or Sunday, a monthly return, excluding Friday and Sunday costs £22/?27.94. It's always worth asking about any special fares that may be on offer; or if you're doing a fair amount of traveling, it may be worth buying a train pass . Irish Rail's Irish Rover ticket, valid in the Republic and the North, costs £83.50/?106.04 for five days out of fifteen. A further option open to 16-26 year olds is the Faircard which gives a fifty percent discount on tickets. Available from any Iarnród Éireann office, it costs £8/?10.16 and is valid for a year.

Given the limited reach of the rail system, one of the most useful options is the Irish Explorer Ticket, a combined rail and bus pass , covering all intercity state and private rail and bus lines in the Republic (but no city transportation except DART ) and costing £67/?85.09 for any five days' travel out of fifteen consecutive days, and £90/?114.30 for eight out of fifteen days. For unlimited train and bus travel in the Republic and the North, an Emerald Card costs £115/?146.05 for eight days out of fifteen, £200/?254 for fifteen days out of thirty (same prices in Northern Ireland). Bear in mind, though, that the nature of travel in Ireland is such that you very rarely stick to your carefully drawn itinerary, and you may not get the value from your pass that you hope for. A Freedom of Northern Ireland Ticket, for daily (£10) or weekly (£37) unlimited travel on trains and all scheduled Ulsterbus services, is available at main bus and railway stations. The only service between the Republic and the North is the Dublin to Belfast express (6 each way daily); this is quite an expensive option but is by far the most comfortable train in the country. Once in the North , you'll find only three short train routes, but these are efficient and reasonably cheap: a Belfast to Derry ticket will cost you £7.10 single, £12.60 return. If you are looking for a train pass a Runaround ticket is valid on all Northern Irish trains for one week and costs around £37.

Students in possession of an ISIC card can buy a Travelsave stamp (£8/?10.16 from any USIT office in the Republic - Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Maynooth and Waterford), while in the North it's a Translink stamp (£7 from offices in Belfast, Coleraine, Derry and Jordanstown), which entitles you to discounts of fifty percent off standard train fares and thirty percent off bus fares.
The cost of taking bikes on trains varies between £4/?5.08 and £6/?7.62 per single journey in the Republic. In Northern Ireland it costs a quarter of the single fare.
North American travelers also taking in Great Britain might benefit from the BritRail and Ireland Pass , which entitles the holder to five days' unlimited travel within a month (US$528 first class, US$396 standard) or ten days within a month (US$752 first class, US$566 standard). The pass, which must be purchased before departure from North America, is available from Rail Europe  and some travel agents .
Buses

Bus Éireann (phone 836 6111) operates throughout the Republic , and its services are reliable, if infrequent. It's possible to travel by bus between all major towns, but routings can be complex, involving several connections, and hence very slow. Having said that buses are generally twenty to fifty percent cheaper than trains, with the best value given by private local companies which operate in most Irish counties.

Bus Éireann offers a number of passes ideal if you want to explore the country at your own pace. Rambler tickets (around £30/?38.10 for any three days out of eight; £70/?88.90 for any eight days out of fifteen; £100/?127 for fifteen days out of thirty) all give unlimited bus travel throughout the Republic; students can get reductions on standard fares if they have a Travelsave stamp.

It makes sense to pick up the relevant information for the area you intend to explore before you leave; remote villages may only have a couple of buses a week, so knowing when they are is essential.
Carrying a bike on a bus will cost you £5/?6.35 single regardless of length of journey, though be warned that the driver is under no obligation to take them and in any case usually only has room for one bike.
Private buses, which operate on many major routes, are often cheaper than Bus Éireann, and sometimes faster. They're very busy at weekends, so it makes sense to book ahead if you can; during the week you can usually pay on the bus. Prices for parts of the journeys are often negotiable, and bikes can be carried if booked with your seat.

You might want to consider one of the hop-on-hop-off bus services which allow you to travel around the country getting off at any given stop for as long as you like and then jumping back onto the bus again for a further section of the route. The more established firms offering this are Tír na nóg (phone 01/836 4684), the well-run and informed Shamrocker (phone 01/672 7651) and the new - slightly rowdy - kid on the block, PaddyWagon Tours (phone 01/672 6007). Each company offers either a full trip which lasts one week or a hop-on-hop-off service which must be completed within a year and costs from £150/?190.50. All of these companies run northern trips which take from four days to one week and cost from £70/?88.90 to £100/?127.
In the North, Ulsterbus runs regular and reliable services throughout the six counties, particularly to those towns not served by the train network. Students can get a fifteen percent discount on certain services with an ISIC card.
 
Driving
In order to drive in Ireland you must have a current driving license; a license from any EU country is equivalent to an Irish one. Licenses from non-EU countries are valid for one year after entry into the country, providing it has been held for at least two years previous (it is also advisable to obtain an international driving permit from your home automobile association before leaving as some car rental companies require both). If you're bringing your own car into the country you should also carry your vehicle registration or ownership document at all times. Furthermore, you must be adequately insured , so be sure to check your existing policy.

Out of the main cities the Republic's roads remain relatively uncongested, making driving a very relaxing option. It also remains (along with Britain) one of the few countries in the world where you drive on the left, a situation that can lead to a few tense days of acclimatization for many overseas drivers. Unleaded petrol is about 75p/?0.95 per litre; the national speed limit is 55mph/88kph, except where posted otherwise. All passengers must wear seat belts, and motorbikers and their passengers must wear helmets. In remote areas, wandering cattle, unmarked junctions, and appallingly potholed minor roads are all potential dangers, particularly for motorbikes. Other hazards to watch out for include drunk drivers late at night, a continuing problem in spite of high accident rates and a concerted police crackdown. A cause of some confusion are "passing lanes" or "slow lanes", indicated by a broken yellow line, where you can pull over to the left for the car behind to overtake. However, they should be used with care as many have poor surfaces and can suddenly end with little or no warning. Be careful if you take a car to Dublin - congestion is chronic, theft and vandalism rates are high, and you're best advised to leave your car in a supervised car park.
 

Although nominally converted to metric measures, with kilometers indicated by green signs on all the main roads, Irish people still tend to think and talk in miles, while rural areas still retain the old black-and-white fingerpost signs in miles. There is also such a thing as an "Irish mile" - longer than the standard imperial measure - though this is rare and found only on very old signposts. Unleaded petrol is available almost everywhere. In all large towns a disc parking system is in operation: discs can be bought in newsagents and have to be displayed on the vehicle when parked in a designated area; failure to display a disc will result in clamping or towing, especially in Dublin and Galway.

Roads in the North are, in general, notably superior to those in the Republic. Driving is on the left and the rules of the road are as in Britain: speed limits are 30-40mph/50-60kph in built-up areas, 70mph/110kph on motorways (freeways) and dual carriageways and 60mph/100kph on most other roads. Car seat-belt and motorbike-helmet rules are the same as in the Republic .

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