Why Galway Should Be Your First Stop in Ireland – DoubleJ Destinations Travel Agency

Why You Should Spend Three Days in Galway Before Anywhere Else in Ireland

If you’re planning a trip to Ireland, you’ll likely want to spend time exploring Dublin. Maybe a few days in Cork, drive the Ring of Kerry, and if you have time you’ll get to Belfast in Northern Ireland. All of those areas are incredible and worth exploring if you have a couple of weeks to drive around the Emerald Isle. But if it is your first time in Ireland or you are short on time, you should start your journey in Galway. In this post, I’ll break down exactly why.

Getting to Galway

Galway is located along Galway Bay on Ireland’s west coast. While inside the bay, Galway is somewhat insulated from some of the harsher weather right along the coastline. The two main airport hubs for flights from the US to Ireland are Dublin and Galway. So when flying from the US to Ireland, you’ll likely fly to one of those two towns. Both of them provide easy access to Galway.

From the Dublin Airport to Galway takes about 2 hours by express bus or car. You can take the train from Dublin to Galway, but the train doesn’t go near the airport so you’ll have to get from the airport to the train station near the Dublin city center. The drive from the airport is relatively easy since it is motorway almost the entire way.

From the Shannon Airport to Galway, there are also options to take the bus or car. Again, it is mostly motorway, making the drive pretty easy. Here, a car takes just over an hour, while the bus takes just under two hours. While there are fewer flights from the US to Shannon, if you are willing to drive, you’ll save yourself some time by going through this airport.

The ease of getting to Galway from Ireland’s main airports makes it a superior first stop.

A Walkable, Compact City

Galway is a wonderfully compact city, which makes it easy to explore without spending much time worrying about transportation. Most of the major sights, restaurants, pubs, shops, and cultural attractions are concentrated around the city center, particularly in and around the Latin Quarter and along the River Corrib. Once you arrive in the heart of Galway, you can reach many of the places you’ll want to visit simply by walking.

Eyre Square is at the heart of the city of Galway and an accommodation near here makes almost everywhere in the city walkable. You can walk from one experience to the next and enjoy the city along the way. Galway’s pedestrian-friendly streets also make wandering part of the experience. You can easily go from shopping on Shop Street to the Spanish Arch, grab a drink at a pub, and continue exploring without ever needing to get in a car. And if it isn’t walkable, there are regular buses that will transport you to other parts of the city, like Salthill, almost all of which stop in Eyre Square.

An Abundance of Irish Culture

In Galway you will find so many restaurants, sites, pubs, parks and festivals, you might not know what to do with yourself. No matter what time of year you go,you’ll be close to some sort of festival. So if you want to make sure you partake in one check the schedules, you likely won’t have to adjust it too much. And the festivals run the gamit in what they offer. From the International Art Festival to the Galway Races (the biggest in Ireland) to the Oyster & Seafood festival.

Speaking of seafood, you’ll find plenty of it in Galway. Fish and chips are standard almost everywhere. I’ve enjoyed melt in your mouth calamari. And prawns are prepared at many restaurants that specialize in seafood. But seafood isn’t the only type of culinary treat you’ll find in Galway. Beef dishes, such as steaks, burgers and Irish stew, are no stranger to Galway. Shop street, Eyre Square and Salthill all have numerous options for you to choose from.

Looking for some Irish music? You won’t have to go too far. Galway is full of traditional pubs, some of which have music every day of the week. So grab a pint of Guinness or an Irish Ale and enjoy some local tunes.

The Kids Will Be Entertained

Galway has so many activities directed towards kids. Do your kids like trains? There’s a small tourist train that takes you from Eyre Square to Salthill right in front of the Galway Atlantaquaria and playground. It might not be the biggest aquarium, but it’s well worth an afternoon or morning visit, especially on a rainy day. And the kids will enjoy it.

There are playgrounds all over the city where kids can run around for a while, both outdoor and indoor (for those days when it rains just too much). There are fairy trails to explore and adventure parks to zipline and swing at. There’s even a small amusement park with rides, including a ferris wheel.

Just outside of the city, you’ll find multiple pet farms to spend an afternoon at. But these pet farms have more than just sheep and goats to feed and interact with. They also have slides, bounce houses, playgrounds and sports fields. Honestly, we spent more than just an afternoon at some of these because there was so much to do.

A Base for Day Trips

Ireland’s most dramatic landscapes are located along its western coastline. Many of these are within a half-day drive from Galway, including the famous Cliffs of Moher. From the city, you can also take day trips to places like the Burren, Connemara, and the Aran Islands without having to change hotels every night. This makes Galway a convenient option for those who want to see a lot of Ireland while still having a comfortable place to return to each evening.

Its location also means you can experience a variety of landscapes and attractions in a relatively short amount of time. One day could take you along the dramatic Atlantic coastline to the Cliffs of Moher, while another could have you exploring the mountains, lakes, and small villages of Connemara. You can even visit the Aran Islands for a completely different experience before returning to Galway for dinner and an evening in the city. For families, especially staying in Galway and taking day trips can make an Ireland itinerary much easier. Rather than packing up and checking into a new hotel every day or two, you can settle into one location and explore from there. The result is a trip that feels less rushed while still allowing you to experience many of the highlights of western Ireland.

A More Relaxed City

Galway is certainly a city filled with life, tourists and locals. From the street performers to the previously mentioned festivals, to the bustiling pubs, you won’t be alone in Galway. Yet it feels like a much more relaxed environment than the other Irish big cities like Dublin, Cork or Belfast. Within a few blocks of Eyre Square at the heart of the city you can walk along the bay almost completely alone.

Shop street can get busy, but you wont feel like you have to push your way through. The locals working the shops are friendly and the music at the Irish pubs keeps most in a happy mood. You can slow down and just enjoy the setting. You get many of the benefits of the big Irish cities, without the big city feel.

Ready to Begin Your Ireland Adventure in Galway?

Rather than thinking of Galway as simply another stop to add to your Ireland itinerary, think of it as the place that can set the tone for your entire trip. It gives you a chance to slow down, settle in, and experience a side of Ireland that has you immersing yourself in the culture, rather than marking off checklist items. Sometimes the best way to start a trip is not with the biggest city or the most famous attraction, but with a place that makes you want to keep exploring. So, what if Galway was where your Ireland story began? What if your first memories of Ireland were colorful streets, traditional music, friendly pubs, dramatic coastlines, and the feeling that you had already stepped into the Ireland you came to experience? After seeing what Galway has to offer, would you make it your first stop in Ireland?