Order a passport or update your old one if it's not current. All U.S. residents are required to have a passport to enter Ireland. You can order one at the State Department's website (see Resources). Secure your passport before moving forward on purchasing airline tickets.
Determine which city and airport in Ireland you want to fly into. Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Belfast, Donegal, Galway, Canmore, Silgo, Collooney and Wateford all offer international connections from the United States. Choosing a larger city like Dublin will typically result in a cheaper fare and offer more direct flight options.
Set a travel budget and decide which airline you want to fly with. Aer Lingus, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines offer non-stop flights from New York City and other American cities to Dublin. Other carriers, including American Airlines, Continental, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Northwest Airlines also fly from the United States to Ireland with at least one layover. Using sites like kayak.com or orbitz.com will show what airlines fly from your city to Ireland and fares.
Look at Europe's low-cost carriers. If you find a cheap fare on Delta from New York to London, look for discount fares on another carrier to get from England to Ireland. Log on at RyanAir.com or FlyBmi.com to look at fares from a European city of your choice to Ireland. Ryan Air frequently offers $1 promotions and deep savings across Europe.
Consider a ferry to Ireland. You need to find airline tickets to Britain or France first, and then check ferry schedules to Ireland at irishferries.ie.
Book a room in Ireland. If you're staying in Dublin, start by looking at Dublin's official tourism website, VisitDublin.com. You can also check hotels.com and expedia.com for hotels throughout Ireland. Ask the hotel how to get from the airport to your accommodations including taxi, rental car or bus. Most hotels in Dublin are easily accessible by city bus.
Write down the contact information for the U.S. Embassy in Ireland in case of an emergency or lost passport. Go to dublin.usembassy.gov or call 353-1-668-8777 or 353-1-668-9612 for emergencies during non-business hours. You can also visit the American Citizen Services at the U.S. Embassy Dublin at 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
