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Rick Steves Ireland 2017
You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Ireland.
With this guide, you can explore lively Dublin, quaint Kilkenny, and the moss-draped ruins of the Ring of Kerry. Navigate meandering back roads that lead to windswept crags on the dramatic Dingle Peninsula. Explore Ireland's revered past by following St. Patrick's footsteps to the Rock of Cashel. Marvel at Newgrange, the mysterious mound older than the pyramids; then connect with today's Irish culture by grabbing a pint at the local pub, enjoying the fiddle music, and jumping into conversations that buzz with brogue.
Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He'll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You'll get up-to-date recommendations on what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.
With this guide, you can explore lively Dublin, quaint Kilkenny, and the moss-draped ruins of the Ring of Kerry. Navigate meandering back roads that lead to windswept crags on the dramatic Dingle Peninsula. Explore Ireland's revered past by following St. Patrick's footsteps to the Rock of Cashel. Marvel at Newgrange, the mysterious mound older than the pyramids; then connect with today's Irish culture by grabbing a pint at the local pub, enjoying the fiddle music, and jumping into conversations that buzz with brogue.
Rick's candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He'll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You'll get up-to-date recommendations on what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.
616 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
509 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Rick Steves
570 books692 followersRick Steves is an American travel writer, television personality, and activist known for encouraging meaningful travel that emphasizes cultural immersion and thoughtful global citizenship. Born in California and raised in Edmonds, Washington, he began traveling in his teens, inspired by a family trip to Europe. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in European history and business, Steves started teaching travel classes, which led to his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, self-published in 1980.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
September 23, 2021
Rick as always is a go-to travel resource, OK for Western Europe anyway, and has a great driving tour itinerary in Ireland which we were able to follow successfully. Unfortunately, he was a little weak on self-guided walking tours within cities like Kinsale and Dublin, pointing at organized tours to go join vs. mapping out routes with highlights, and the section on Dublin in general was lacking. He does have a separate Dublin book but he (or perhaps Pat O’Connor, listed as co-author) should have done better here; I learned some highlights from a wonderfully talkative taxi driver that should have been mentioned. Overall though, as in his other books, he demystifies, simplifies, and prioritizes the sights well. Maybe not the greatest for food recommendations, but that’s what TripAdvisor is for.
September 10, 2019
An enjoyable book to read through and daydream, though not quite as comprehensive as I hoped. Some major tourism hubs, such as Killarney, are essentially dismissed as being crowded tourism hubs; doesn't that still warrant them some attention and local recommendations? Other than those blank spots, the book is full of insights. I especially liked his tips to avoid the traffic on the Ring of Kerry.
March 12, 2018
So glad to be using Rick Steves to plan my upcoming trip to Ireland! He never fails to offer practical suggestions to get beyond the main tourist attractions. People think I have some travel sixth sense...nah, I just read Rick's guidebooks!
July 10, 2023
This guide is for 2013 so I had to keep that in mind. But I enjoyed reading a lot of parts in it and the history it contains is very informative and interesting.
December 31, 2022
Steves is a masterful guide to Europe and what will appeal to most American travelers. We found many useful insights as we toured the southern half of the Wild Atlantic Way. I love researching and planning trips and find Steves’ guides to be instrumental. I strongly second his endorsement of the Dingle Peninsula over the Ring of Kerry.
February 6, 2019
I read a good portion of this in preparation for the trip my husband and I took to Ireland last month with our daughter. I haven't purchased any Rick Steves travel books before, but overall I did enjoy the way it was laid out with various recommended itineraries that vary in length. We only spent 5 days in Ireland, so obviously we weren't going to be able to do Steves' recommended 3 week round-the-country trip. Also it was January so...cold.
As with most travel books, I think everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The rigorous 2 day Dublin itinerary was something my husband and I could have done by ourselves but was definitely not feasible with a toddler. Some of the top Dublin recommended activities were a bit of a let down for us (for us, the Old Library was way cooler than actually seeing the Book of Kells, but overall I felt the entire thing was overpriced), but some of the lower ranked activities were some of our favorites (Dublinia and the Guinness tour were so much fun!).
One of my primary complaints was how much fluff I had to skip to get to the actual information on sites, tours, etc. Information on laundry, post offices, heck even hotels can be helpful for some, but can't that all be pushed to the back of the chapters? I'd be willing to bet that most people are looking at a book about traveling to Ireland to see how they should best spend their time, not to figure out where they can do laundry halfway through their trip. *Most* people have international data on their smartphone plans and can just google that sort of thing while they're there. And I highly doubt people are going to book a hotel purely based on a recommendation in a book without doing any other research. Again, it may be helpful, but it's just annoying to skip past all to figure out what I should do with my day in Kilkenny.
So, overall helpful for figuring out what activities we wanted to do, but I'm really glad we did some things that weren't necessarily top of the list, or we would have missed out on experiences we found really fun!
As with most travel books, I think everything needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The rigorous 2 day Dublin itinerary was something my husband and I could have done by ourselves but was definitely not feasible with a toddler. Some of the top Dublin recommended activities were a bit of a let down for us (for us, the Old Library was way cooler than actually seeing the Book of Kells, but overall I felt the entire thing was overpriced), but some of the lower ranked activities were some of our favorites (Dublinia and the Guinness tour were so much fun!).
One of my primary complaints was how much fluff I had to skip to get to the actual information on sites, tours, etc. Information on laundry, post offices, heck even hotels can be helpful for some, but can't that all be pushed to the back of the chapters? I'd be willing to bet that most people are looking at a book about traveling to Ireland to see how they should best spend their time, not to figure out where they can do laundry halfway through their trip. *Most* people have international data on their smartphone plans and can just google that sort of thing while they're there. And I highly doubt people are going to book a hotel purely based on a recommendation in a book without doing any other research. Again, it may be helpful, but it's just annoying to skip past all to figure out what I should do with my day in Kilkenny.
So, overall helpful for figuring out what activities we wanted to do, but I'm really glad we did some things that weren't necessarily top of the list, or we would have missed out on experiences we found really fun!
March 25, 2018
I really appreciate Rick Steves' approach to travel advice (it's not just books, articles, but also podcast and videos and PBS shows). He draws on his overall vision of travel and that saturates the whole book, which is actually written by Pat O'Connor. There are Irish guides who are also informing the guidebook. It is constantly being updated. The writing is accessible and useful. The approach also focuses on getting the tourist more closely involved with the local people and culture, including pointing to good B&B and pubs.
I have not finished reading this book. I will take it to Ireland next month and consult it frequently, if not everyday. I'll also compare it to some other books that I have. I used his Mediterranean cruise book four years ago. I often catch his PBS shows -- most of them seem to be available online on YouTube.
I have not finished reading this book. I will take it to Ireland next month and consult it frequently, if not everyday. I'll also compare it to some other books that I have. I used his Mediterranean cruise book four years ago. I often catch his PBS shows -- most of them seem to be available online on YouTube.
May 31, 2018
Rick Steves's guides are the best for active travel. If you want to get out and explore a place on foot and get a little off the beaten track, Rick Steves provides the best information and advice for smart and safe travel. These guides don't provide much in the way of photographs, but good pictures are readily available on the internet; instead, they offer suggestions for top sights to see and things to do, and itineraries geared to the length of time you have available. Rick Steves also helps travellers stay within a budget and offers tips on how to avoid crowds and tourist traps. These guides are also handy to take along with you to review on the plane and during the trip.
August 17, 2019
Took a two-week trip in July and heavily relied on Rick Steves’ book for our itinerary/sightseeing ideas, B&B choices, and travel tips. Guidance for driving the Ring of Kerry was excellent. When our Cliffs of Moher walk from Doolin was canceled due to weather, we were ready with alternative plans in the Burren for our one day in County Clare, thanks to this book.
A few things like open hours were different than what was listed in the book but that’s not surprising. Just make sure to double-check when you’re there. Also Kells Priory had an excellent free guided tour of a tower that was not mentioned in the book, maybe it’s brand-new. But overall I felt well-prepared for the trip.
A few things like open hours were different than what was listed in the book but that’s not surprising. Just make sure to double-check when you’re there. Also Kells Priory had an excellent free guided tour of a tower that was not mentioned in the book, maybe it’s brand-new. But overall I felt well-prepared for the trip.
October 3, 2019
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
This book did not live up to my previous experiences with Rick Steves books. It was informative and interesting, but left out some pretty substantial areas of Ireland. For instance, the book dealt very little with Killarney and had no recommendations on lodging--because the authors seemed philosophically opposed to the touristyness of Killarney. I felt the DK book was much better.
It gave a sample 3-week tour. I wish it would have done some shorter recommendations as well.
This book did not live up to my previous experiences with Rick Steves books. It was informative and interesting, but left out some pretty substantial areas of Ireland. For instance, the book dealt very little with Killarney and had no recommendations on lodging--because the authors seemed philosophically opposed to the touristyness of Killarney. I felt the DK book was much better.
It gave a sample 3-week tour. I wish it would have done some shorter recommendations as well.
June 5, 2020
The perfect single resource for my upcoming trip to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland: history, art, maps, land, communities, conflicts, pubs, ideas for where to see and eat and sleep and dream.
PS a few months later: This is the year of coronageddon. My trip was canceled. But I can still dream.
PS a few months later: This is the year of coronageddon. My trip was canceled. But I can still dream.
January 19, 2024
I actually read the 21st Edition of Rick Steves' guide to Ireland, published in 2023. The latest edition does not yet appear on Goodreads as a choice. His guidebooks are simply the best! I would never travel in Europe without one. They are updated regularly, so you can rely on the advice.
September 26, 2021
I bought this, obviously, back in 2017 when I was planning on going to Ireland. Unfortunately that didn't work out so I've just left it sitting on my shelf. Then Covid happened and the world went crazy and I decided life is to short to wait. So I informed my mom to get ready because we are going to Ireland. She deserves a fun trip and luckily Ireland is a place we both want to visit. We're hoping to go next summer.
I'm trying to be proactive and get everything planned out so that all we'll have to do is book lodgings and we'll be good to go. I've been slowly reading this book over the past several months, making notes, and getting wildly excited.
I love Rick Steves. I always use his books when I go to Europe. After visiting many countries he's only led me astray once, and that was when he sent my friend and I on a "scenic" bus ride through Italy that turned out to be a hellish nightmare. I forgive him, we're all allowed mistakes.
One part of this book I really appreciated was the history of Ireland. I read another book called A Brief History of Ireland that I mostly found confusing. Rick Steves did a great job making it all clear and telling the story more simply.
Very excited to see all these cool sites in person!
I'm trying to be proactive and get everything planned out so that all we'll have to do is book lodgings and we'll be good to go. I've been slowly reading this book over the past several months, making notes, and getting wildly excited.
I love Rick Steves. I always use his books when I go to Europe. After visiting many countries he's only led me astray once, and that was when he sent my friend and I on a "scenic" bus ride through Italy that turned out to be a hellish nightmare. I forgive him, we're all allowed mistakes.
One part of this book I really appreciated was the history of Ireland. I read another book called A Brief History of Ireland that I mostly found confusing. Rick Steves did a great job making it all clear and telling the story more simply.
Very excited to see all these cool sites in person!
October 28, 2022
My book is an earlier edition than 2018. My Ireland Bible. I’ve been to Ireland four times, and I use this book a great deal. There were a couple of places I went that did not receive a good write up in this book, but I really enjoyed them. There were also some places I went that are not mentioned in the book. The locals always tell me that the best way to see Ring of Kerry is in the opposite direction from this book. I rely on this book to learn about customs, money, electricity adapters, etc. There are great write ups about the various areas, history, transportation, great sights to see, restaurants, etc. There’s plenty of information for people who have never been to help fit in and not look like a tourist. There’s valuable information about the airports. The book will even tell you to look for a green cross for a pharmacy. I would highly recommend reading this book before you visit Ireland. It will make your trip so much more enjoyable!
May 8, 2017
After 5 months of poring over this book I think I know it by heart! Really good for planning, if a little too marketed at the American tourist (lots of corny advice about narrow roads, driving on the 'wrong' side, etc) but lots of sites have an idea of how long to visit or what to miss (though sometimes when he says I'd give it a miss he doesn't say why)
A little too heavy to cart around with one, but that is what scanning and PDFs are for
A number of places we've heard on his podcasts like Donegal and Sligo are not mentioned in this book, and of course there is no Sicily at all, but apparently a separate one is coming.
All in all, a good preparation book for your visit; good ideas for dining - how else would one know there is a Jazz bar that sells pizza made by a very political French chef who used to be the darling of Sydney nouvelle cuisine in the 80s in Dingle!!
A little too heavy to cart around with one, but that is what scanning and PDFs are for
A number of places we've heard on his podcasts like Donegal and Sligo are not mentioned in this book, and of course there is no Sicily at all, but apparently a separate one is coming.
All in all, a good preparation book for your visit; good ideas for dining - how else would one know there is a Jazz bar that sells pizza made by a very political French chef who used to be the darling of Sydney nouvelle cuisine in the 80s in Dingle!!
June 25, 2017
Rick Steves manages to use great voice in writing making this a fun read for the candid advice needed when planning travel. He'll provide suggestions for every traveler and guidance on the questions of should I pay extra for this or that or stop here or there-He will say-if you like this go here if you prefer that, do the tour otherwise skip it and so on. The book is comprehensive considering all aspects of the trip including social norms and tipping. The end of the book has good general advice on car rentals and so on- I regretfully missed this before booking a car on my first Rick Steves book as I read it too chronologically- scan the whole book and then read the sections you need first. All of the places he advises to stay and eat are local, clean, neat and affordable. Every place he recommended did not disappoint!
July 29, 2024
To be frank, I really only cared about the last fifth of the book. That section focuses on Irish history, cultural progression, slang/terminology, and unique travel tips that differ from many of the other travel books I’ve gone through. Understanding the history and culture a little more helps me appreciate my visit more than anything else.
July 15, 2017
Lots of helpful details, sometimes buried in an unlikely place. (Example: I challenge you to find his recommendation for best driving map.)
Maps are very useful, but NOT on a Kindle Paperwhite. Use your iPad or other tablet to be able to see the maps. Or just get the paper edition.
Maps are very useful, but NOT on a Kindle Paperwhite. Use your iPad or other tablet to be able to see the maps. Or just get the paper edition.
January 17, 2018
Love Rick
But, Belfast info is a bit lacking. Dublin is under construction (has been for years) so walking tours are outdated.
But, Belfast info is a bit lacking. Dublin is under construction (has been for years) so walking tours are outdated.
February 28, 2018
Super helpful in planning and navigating our trip. Filled with great history and recommendations for food etc.
January 19, 2019
We planned our two-week trip to Ireland with this book leading the way. The best of the travel books we purchased by far.
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November 1, 2019Great guide. Used it and went to Ireland
May 31, 2020
Back in my European travel days during September 2012 - fun times.
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October 1, 2021Covers much of Ireland- misses important areas, e.g., Mayo, Sligo,Dongal
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2022
Rick Steves is always my go to for travel
Check out his website for great information! Book is awesome with great itineraries and lots of info for all travelers.
Check out his website for great information! Book is awesome with great itineraries and lots of info for all travelers.
May 10, 2022
Excellent travel partner if you’re visiting Ireland. Will be bringing this book with us, that’s how good it is!
September 29, 2022
20th edition. Don't leave home without it.
December 27, 2022
I’ve used his books in the past for travel and I love them! The self guided walking tours are amazing! Can’t wait for Ireland next year!
April 1, 2023
Love the tips, the maps, and the organization!
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April 7, 2023Helpful when planning our trip
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews