Travel Budget for County Donegal Visit County Donegal on a Budget or Travel in Style

County Donegal, Ireland

How much does it cost to travel to County Donegal?

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Travel cost data last updated: Dec 17, 2024

Budgeting and Travel Tips for County Donegal

  • Prices in the county rise and crowds swell during the peak summer season. For a more budget-friendly and less crowded experience, consider visiting in the shoulder or low seasons.
  • Opting for a slower travel pace can help you keep your budget in check while enjoying the scenic beauty. If you overbook your days with activities, you'll find yourself spending more. But taking your time often results in lower costs and a more fulfilling experience.

Budgeting Challenges

  • With limited public transportation in County Donegal, it could be wise to rent a car or arrange for transportation, such as a tour. Just keep in mind that this might affect your budget in other areas.
  • County Donegal isn't exactly teeming with hostels, so if you were hoping to find a low-cost dorm, you might want to rethink that. Finding a budget hotel or renting an apartment could be your best bet.
Traveling in County Donegal
County Donegal Donegal Coast

Bordering the Atlantic Ocean on Northern Ireland's northwestern perimeter, County Donegal is a largely Irish-speaking region known for its castles, rugged coastline, and scenic mountain landscape. Until around 1600, the area was largely controlled by the O'Donnel clan, one of Ireland's richest and most powerful Gaelic ruling families. Their base was located in what is now Donegal Town at Donegal Castle, which still stands today.

Like many areas on the western seaboard of Ireland, Donegal has a world renowned fiddle tradition with songs featuring a distinctive sound that can be heard in just about any village pub. It also has a long literary tradition, beautiful wool textiles, and a largely Catholic population.



Regions

Donegal Town, home to Donegal Castle, is the place that gives County Donegal its name. It is a quaint town with a handful of pubs and inns, and offers easy access to sandy beaches as well as hiking in the nearby Bluestack Mountains. While the pubs do have some nightly traditional entertainment, a better selection of shops and social amenities can be found in other nearby towns.

Letterkenny, for example, is the largest and most populous urban settlement in County Donegal. The town boasts a movie theater, annual music festivals, as well as a lively nightlife with many bars, pubs, and clubs to choose from.

If you seek more of a quaint, but bustling village, Ardara is becoming more and more popular with visitors. There has been some recent growth with pubs and shops featuring local crafts made from wool-as it is the woolen center of County Donegal. There is also a weaving museum, plus music, dance, and art festivals throughout the year.

Bundoran is the most southerly town in County Donegal. A popular seaside resort, the town caters primarily to tourism with a large selection of inns, pubs, and local activities.

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.