From rustic towns and emerald valleys to lively cities and moss-draped ruins, experience Ireland with the most up-to-date 2021 guide from Rick Steves! Inside Rick Steves Ireland you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for planning a multi-week trip through Ireland Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the Rock of Cashel and the Ring of Kerry to distilleries making whiskey with hundred-year-old recipes How to connect with local culture: Hoist a pint at the corner pub, enjoy traditional fiddle music, and jump into conversations buzzing with brogue Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a Guinness Self-guided walking tours of atmospheric neighborhoods and awe-inspiring sights Trip-planning tools, like how to link destinations, build your itinerary, and get from place to place Detailed maps, including a fold-out map for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, Irish phrase book, historical overview, and recommended reading Updated to reflect changes that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic up to the date of publication Over 1,000 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Coverage of Dublin, Kilkenny, Waterford, County Wexford, Kinsale, Cobh, Kenmare, The Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, County Clare, the Burren, Galway, the Aran Islands, Connemara, County Mayo, Belfast, Portrush, the Antrim Coast, Derry, County Donegal, and much more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Ireland. Planning a one- to two-week trip? Check out Rick Steves Best of Ireland.

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.

Explore Europe's most prosperous corner: a smorgasbord of Viking ships, brooding castles, and emerald fjords. With Rick Steves on your side, Scandinavia can be yours! Inside Rick Steves Scandinavia you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the Tivoli Gardens, the Viking Ship Museum, and Hans Christian Andersen's house, to prehistoric monoliths and sleepy fjord villages How to connect with local culture: Take a dip in the fjords on a summer day, bask in the hygge of a cozy cabin café, grab a picnic of Nordic cheese and smoked fish from a farmers market, and chat with friendly locals over a glass of avkvavit Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a cup of coffee Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed maps for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, phrase books for Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Estonian, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 400 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Copenhagen, Roskilde, Æro, Odense, Justland, Oslo, Flåm, Aurland, undredal, Sognejord, Gudbrandsdal Valley, the Jotunheimen Mountains, Bergen, Stavanger, The Setesdal Valley, Kristiansand, Stockholm, Sigtuna, Uppsala, Vaxholm, Grinda, Svartsö, Sandhamn, Växjö, Glass Country, Kalmar, Öland, Helsinki, Tallinn, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Scandinavia. Cruising Scandinavia instead? Try Rick Steves Scandinavian and Northern European Cruise Ports.

Change the world one trip at a time. In this illuminating collection of stories and lessons from the road, acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates now more than ever. With the world facing divisive and often frightening events, from Trump, Brexit, and Erdogan, to climate change, nativism, and populism, there's never been a more important time to travel. Rick believes the risks of travel are widely exaggerated, and that fear is for people who don't get out much. After years of living out of a suitcase, he still marvels at how different cultures find different truths to be self-evident. By sharing his experiences from Europe, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East, Rick shows how we can learn more about own country by viewing it from afar. With gripping stories from Rick's decades of exploration, this fully revised edition of Travel as a Political Act is an antidote to the current climate of xenophobia. When we travel thoughtfully, we bring back the most beautiful souvenir of all: a broader perspective on the world that we all call home. All royalties from the sale of Travel as a Political Act are donated to support the work of Bread for the World, a non-partisan organization working to end hunger at home and abroad.

The history of Ireland has traditionally focused on the localized struggles of religious conflict, territoriality and the fight for Home Rule. But from the early Catholic missions into Europe to the embrace of the euro, the real story of Ireland has played out on the larger international stage. Story of Ireland presents this new take on Irish history, challenging the narrative that has been told for generations and drawing fresh conclusions about the way the Irish have lived. Revisiting the major turning points in Irish history, Neil Hegarty re-examines the accepted stories, challenging long-held myths and looking not only at the dynamics of what happened in Ireland, but also at the role of events abroad. How did Europe's 16th century religious wars inform the incredible violence inflicted on the Irish by the Elizabethans? What was the impact of the French and American revolutions on the Irish nationalist movement? What were the consequences of Ireland's policy of neutrality during the Second World War? Story of Ireland sets out to answer these questions and more, rejecting the introspection that has often characterized Irish history. Accompanying a landmark series coproduced by the BBC and RTE, and with an introduction by series presenter, Fergal Keane, Story of Ireland is an epic account of Ireland's history for an entire new generation.

This reference features a special chapter detailing activities, from canoeing to cycling to water-skiing; information on finding the best pint and Irish music; up-to-date facts on Irish politics, history, and architecture; and details of transport routes, from heady Dublin's nightlife to the wilds of Burren in County Clare. 79 maps., 28 in color.