As a largely rural county, much of the charm of County Wicklow is to be found in the small villages & hamlets which dot the mountainous countryside. The vast majority of these villages have old churches, shops & pubs.
County Wicklow is very mountainous with the highest peak Lugnaquilla rising to 3018 ft (925m). The mountains dominate the North and centre of the county, while along the coast is relatively flat. South Wicklow gives way to rolling hills where there is a lot more farmland.
Much of the mountainous area is covered with a layer of peat and this in turn has heather and conifer evergreen forests growing on it, with gorse in the drier areas. This makes for scenic vegetation and gives it a rugged appearence.
Wicklow roads can vary greatly from modern motorways to rough mountain roads & petrol filling stations can, at times, be hard to find.
Wicklow doesn't have a public airport, but due to its' proximity to the capital it can be easily reached from Dublin Airport, the largest airport in the country - see the 'Get in' section of the Dublin article for additional information on flying to Dublin airport.
The most straightforward way to get to your destination in County Wicklow from Dublin Airport is to travel by the dark green 'Dublin Bus' airport shuttle service to Busaras (Dublin city's central bus station near Custom House Quay) & to take a connecting bus or train from there.
Similarly for passengers to either Bray or Greystones a direct 'Aircoach' bus line exists. Further information on the Aircoach service can be found by following this link: [http://www.aircoach.ie/].
If you are travelling by car and you arrive at the sea port of Rosslare, Wicklow town is about a 1? hour drive away. For ferry travellers who leave the car behind you can take public buses to Wicklow. Buses run on the Rosslare to Dublin route and serve Arklow, Wicklow & Bray. More information is available on the Bus Eireann website.
Those arriving at Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire harbour from the UK should take the N11 road to reach the East of County Wicklow or the N81 to reach the West of the county. Likewise those travelling without a car can either get the train directly from Dublin(Connolly Station) or Dun Laoghaire station to reach Wicklow, Rathdrum, Bray or Arklow. Otherwise these towns & other destinations not served by trains can be reached by Bus Eireann coaches. Travellers are recommended to check the Irish Rain & Bus Eireann websites in advance to plan their route..
A coastal rail line serves Bray, Greystones, Kilcoole, Wicklow, Rathdrum and Arklow. However, services to anywhere but the first two are infrequent and overpriced. Visitors from elsewhere in the EU may be disappointed at the lack of connecting public transport services to anywhere within the mountains. A return ticket from Dublin_fs Connolly station to Wicklow town costs ?8.90 and takes around 45 minutes. Timetables are available from the website of Irish Rail.
Travellers to County Wicklow will find the public bus service to be of much more use than the coastal train service, which avoids much of the mountainous areas which Wicklow is best known for.
Buses serve all major towns & many villages along the route. Kilmacanogue, Newtown Mount-Kennedy, Ashford, Wicklow and Arklow are served by the Bus Eireann commuter network, with hourly services north to Dublin and Bray, and south to Wexford, Waterford and Rosslare Harbour. This route is numbered #133. Alternatively less frequent buses serve Rathdrum & Avoca.It is not entirely uncommon for buses to arrive at a stop later than scheduled. A one-way ticket to or from Dublin costs around ?8 & the journey time is just over an hour.
On the western side of the mountains, Blessington is served by the #180 bus service from Dublin to Athy. Likewise Blessington, Dunlavin & Hollywood are all served by the 'Dublin Bus' service.
Travellers to Glendalough can avail of the privately operated St.Kevins Bus Service which operates between Dublin & Glendalough twice daily. The bus leaves Dawson Street in Dublin at 11:30pm & 6:00pm daily. Further information can be found here: [http://www.glendaloughbus.com] This service also serves Roundwood, Bray, Kilmacanogue & Laragh. Tickets cost between ?10 & ?13 one-way depending on destination.
And for those looking for a 2 or 3 day walk.
Some excellent spots to eat: