Buses
Bus Eireann (tel 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 Eireann offers a number of passes ideal if you want to explore the country at your own pace. Rambler tickets (around GBP30/?38.10 for any three days out of eight; GBP70/?88.90 for any eight days out of fifteen; GBP100/?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 GBP5/?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 Eireann, 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 Tir na nog (tel 01/836 4684, www.tirnanog.com ), the well-run and informed Shamrocker (tel 01/672 7651, www.radicaltravel.com ) and the new - slightly rowdy - kid on the block, PaddyWagon Tours (tel 01/672 6007, www.paddywagon.iol.ie ). 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 GBP150/?190.50. All of these companies run northern trips which take from four days to one week and cost from GBP70/?88.90 to GBP100/?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.
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