Transportation Around the West in The West

A car is helpful in the West, especially from September through June. Although the main cities of the area are easily reached from the rest of Ireland by rail or bus, transport within the region can be sparse. If a rental car is out of the question, one option is to make Galway your base and take day tours (available mid-June through September) west to Connemara and south to the Burren, and a day or overnight trip to the Aran Islands. Of course, it is possible to explore the region by local and intercity bus services, but have no illusions that buses run every hour.