Friday morning in.
Aim to arrive at your base by 13:00–14:00 to enjoy the Friday activities. An early flight is useful, but a later arrival can still join us for the evening.
A little help getting here
Come over
and stay a while.
I’ve pulled together some ways to get here and places we could stay. Once we choose our base and dates, we can work out the journey that suits us.
Your dates. Your journey.
Check your flights and stay.
Choose when you would like to come and compare the journey and accommodation that suit you. You can explore any dates; the group weekend will be agreed together.
Checking search availability…
A base in Westport
Ireland West · NOC
London Stansted or Luton to Ireland West (Knock); Heathrow is another route to compare.
Compare dated schedules before choosing an arrival. No flight or onward connection is reserved.
Explore current flightsRoute references reviewed 13 October 2026. Future flight times and fares must be checked for your dates.
Sunday evening or Monday.
Sunday has an optional outing and an unhurried goodbye, not a compulsory milonga. Work backwards from your flight and airport check-in guidance. The planner distinguishes town departure from flight departure. Check whether a Monday morning service actually operates.
The last stretch.
Bus Éireann 440: Ireland West Airport ↔ Westport, Mill Street. €20–25 per adult return on scheduled route 440. A future-trip planning allowance, not a quote; check flight-compatible departures. Hotel-to-stop travel is extra.
Check the actual timetable and stops for your flight. Allow time for waiting, luggage and airport check-in. Travel between the bus stop and your accommodation, including any taxi, costs extra.
Check airport bus servicesTown-centred, full of character
Stay where the weekend happens.
A few places we could stay, with easy access to town. We’ll need to check dates, rooms and prices before deciding.
Town-centre character · 3 star
Clew Bay Hotel
A central Westport base with two-night breakfast-and-dinner offers. Compare a dated group package against the planner’s hotel allowance; no event rate is agreed.
Independent reference · no rooms held. Rates, breakfast, access and cancellation terms to confirm for your dates.
View stay & availability
Spa & town-centre comfort
Westport Plaza
Castlebar Street: a convenient base for town evenings, with a spa for the morning after.
Independent reference · no rooms held. Rates, breakfast, access and cancellation terms to confirm for your dates.
View stay & availability
Music & social dancing
Castlecourt Hotel
A central hotel with an established programme of social and ballroom dancing breaks. Dates vary.
Independent reference · no rooms held. Rates, breakfast, access and cancellation terms to confirm for your dates.
View stay & availabilityA guide to what a stay might cost.
For now, I’ve allowed €118 per person per night sharing, or €176 for a single room, including breakfast. These are guide prices, not quotes from these hotels. What we pay will depend on our dates, room choices and any group arrangement we agree.
See a guide price for your ideasA fair comparison · Westport
What might the weekend cost?
A per-person guide for two nights, with two adults sharing a twin/double room including breakfast. Add two dinners, your chosen activities and return airport travel by public transport. The same assumptions apply to all six destinations; dates and bookings remain to agree.
- Return flights from London · GBP
- £100–£250
- Stay with breakfast · EUR per night
- €90–€150 sharing
- Return airport bus · EUR
- €20–€25 per person
- Choose your activities · EUR
- €8–€65 per chosen outing
London Stansted or Luton to Ireland West (Knock); Heathrow is another route to compare.
Return economy flight per adult from London. Broad budgeting allowances, not live fares or a dated quotation. Small under-seat bag only; larger cabin bags, checked bags, seats and UK airport travel are extra. Peak weekends can exceed these ranges.
For Heathrow, use a separate broad allowance of £150–£300 return.
Check routes and dated faresPer person with two sharing a room; €140–€220 for sole occupancy. These are planning ranges, not offers from the suggested hotels.
The notebook uses €118 sharing or €176 single per night until we have quotes.
Bus Éireann 440: Ireland West Airport ↔ Westport, Mill Street. €20–25 per adult return on scheduled route 440. A future-trip planning allowance, not a quote; check flight-compatible departures. Hotel-to-stop travel is extra.
Allow time to wait for the bus. Fares cover airport-to-town travel; hotel connections and taxis cost extra.
The notebook starts with a planning group of 10; choosing 5 or 15 does not change the per-person bus allowance. A private vehicle needs its own quote.
Ireland West currently charges a separate €10 departure development fee for passengers aged 12+. Allow for this outside the notebook total.
Check the route and timetableWorking per-person allowances for the outing described on each card. Check the included guide, admission and local transport. Pick one main idea per day; alternatives are not added to your estimate.
Independent walks can cost nothing; meals, drinks and paid visits remain extra unless stated.
An example, using the notebook allowances
€362–€401 per person on the ground
Two shared-room nights with breakfast, two dinners, return public airport travel and one Saturday outing. The range combines the lower and upper airport-bus allowance with the different Saturday choices; it is not a supplier price range. No Friday or Sunday paid outing is included in this example.
Add your flight budget separately in pounds. Airport-specific fees, baggage, lunches, drinks, insurance and personal spending are extra. Optional tango arrangements are excluded and would need a separate agreed quote.
Build your own guide priceA guideline, with room to choose
A possible weekend in Westport.
- Friday
Arrive and settle into Westport. If timing allows, choose a town walk or Clew Bay outing; meet over dinner and find some local music.
- Saturday
Choose one main day: Croagh Patrick, a gentler Clew Bay outing, Foxford’s Irish–Argentine story, or a full North Mayo day at Downpatrick Head and Céide Fields. Return for dinner, music and optional tango if arranged.
- Sunday
Choose a shorter Greenway, heritage or town outing, or simply take a leisurely breakfast. Leave in time for the airport; stay until Monday if the flights suit.
These are alternatives to choose from, not a checklist. Flight times, access, weather and availability will shape the final itinerary.
Planning notes updated 13 October 2026. Flight, accommodation and future bus allowances are editorial budgeting assumptions, not live price checks. Today’s published bus examples are listed separately on the fare sources page.
Choose the journey that fits
Six places, the same assumptions.
| Destination | Gateway | Return flight · GBP | Two nights sharing · EUR | Return airport bus · EUR | Example ground weekend · EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donegal | Ireland West · NOC | £100–£250 | €220 | €40–€55 | €390–€435 |
| Sligo | Ireland West · NOC | £100–£250 | €230 | €30–€40 | €390–€410 |
| Mayo | Ireland West · NOC | £100–£250 | €236 | €20–€25 | €362–€401 |
| Galway | Shannon · SNN | £100–£250 | €262 | €30–€40 | €403–€440 |
| Clare | Shannon · SNN | £100–£250 | €220 | €15–€20 | €390–€425 |
| Kerry | Kerry · KIR | £100–£250 | €254 | €10–€15 | €373–€400 |
Per adult with two sharing a room. These are planning allowances, not live prices. The example includes two nights with breakfast, two dinners, one Saturday outing and return public airport travel. Its range reflects the Saturday options and bus allowance. A planning group of 5, 10 or 15 does not change the per-person bus cost. Flight budgets remain separate in GBP; no exchange rate is assumed. Optional tango arrangements, airport fees, baggage, lunches, drinks, insurance and personal spending are extra. See each destination above for ranges and inclusions.
Arriving from elsewhere?
Dublin can work well when you are building a longer Ireland trip. Check rail and coach connections before adding it to a short weekend.
Irish Rail journey plannerLet someone else drive.
Use the Transport for Ireland journey planner to compare actual public-transport departures. Rural routes and late-night services need particular attention.
Plan a public-transport journeyAlong the edge of Ireland
The Wild Atlantic Way.
Take a chapter of your own.
The 2,500 km coastal touring route connects extraordinary places along Ireland’s west coast. Choose a small stretch and give it time.
Beyond Donegal
Donegal town & bay · Killybegs & Sliabh Liag · Glengesh & Glencolmcille · Ardara & Rossnowlagh
Give Donegal another day for Glenveagh National Park and the landscapes around Errigal, or make a separate northern journey to the Fanad and Inishowen peninsulas. These belong to a longer stay, rather than being squeezed into the south Donegal weekend.
Explore the area
Beyond Sligo
Sligo town · Strandhill · Rosses Point · Drumcliffe & Benbulben
Stay for more of Lough Gill and the Yeats Trail, or arrange a separate Strandhill surf session or VOYA seaweed bath in a small group. Lissadell House currently says it is closed until 29 May 2027: consider it only after its reopening and dated access are confirmed.
Explore the areaBeyond Mayo
Westport · Clew Bay · Achill Island · Keem Bay
Stay for Achill Island and Keem Bay: make a full day of the Atlantic Drive, sea cliffs and the beach. Or pedal a section of the Great Western Greenway at your own pace.
Explore the area
Beyond Galway
Galway City · Spiddal · Connemara · Aran Islands
Take an extra day for Inis Mór or the Burren and Cliffs of Moher in neighbouring Clare. Ferry timetables and weather should set the pace, not a race back to the dance floor.
Explore the area
Beyond Clare
Ennis · Lahinch · Doolin & the Cliffs · Miltown Malbay & Spanish Point
Add a coastal night for Lahinch’s beach and live gigs, Doolin’s sessions, or Miltown Malbay and Spanish Point’s music. Bunratty’s castle, Folk Park and dinner-show offer another detour. An Inis Oírr day sails from Doolin to neighbouring County Galway; leave weather and ferry plans room to change.
Explore the area
Beyond Kerry
Killarney · Kenmare · Ring of Kerry · Dingle Peninsula
Give the Dingle Peninsula or the full Ring of Kerry its own day. Slea Head, coastal villages and a long lunch deserve a full day of their own.
Explore the areaThe place lists are inspiration for an extension, not a timed driving itinerary. Islands require ferry planning. The Cliffs of Moher and Burren are included in the Clare option.