There is one major thing you should know about the Aran Islands Ferries... Do NOT use the option to leave out of Rossaveel. When we were planning at home, we thought by choosing the option to drive to the docks ourselves, it would give us more flexibility and boy we were wrong. After having a stressful night trying to determine how we would even get to the docks, we were able to secure 2 seats on the shuttle (leaving at 9:30 and returning at 5pm). What we did not realize until the end of a very long day, is that when we booked our tickets and changed the option to drive ourselves, we booked only the ferry to/from the islands and was not what we thought we purchased (we wanted the shuttle out of Galway, to the Aran Islands, then the Cliffs of Moher, and back). This difference (and more bad luck) was that we ended up taking an hour shuttle each way, only to be extremely disappointed when we left the Aran Islands to realize that we would in fact NOT be seeing the Cliffs of Moher, at all. Initially we thought this was a repercussion of an adhoc decision to catch the 4pm ferry back rather than the original 5pm ferry we booked. After an emotional ferry ride back, we also realized there was no shuttle at 4:45 to take us back to the hotel. This meant we stood around waiting for over an hour for the shuttle back to Galway and while we were waiting, the nice lady at the Aran Islands Ferries counter, explained that it made no difference (4 vs. 5) because the only ferry out of Galway that goes to the cliffs was actually leaving from Galway city port. The only silver lining here, is that we didn't have to spend 90 minutes each way on the ferry. We heard the water was quite rough and many people got terrible sea sickness that lasted days. We also thought this was a same-day eff-up, when in reality, we booked the wrong option when we decided that we would drive ourselves (when we were originally planning to have the rental car). User error by it really wasn't clear on their website However the day on the island was a fun day for what it all was. We knew we needed to rent bikes (I didn't see options for Ebikes, but apparently there was); we didn't really need the ebikes though, other than just to save time. *pro-tip make sure you bring at least $60 in euros to the Aran Islands to have an option for better bike rentals and skip the first option when you first get off the ferry. We were a little behind the rest of the tourists due to our misstep with not bringing cash or our debit card. In addition, we took the road left rather than left and up. It ended up working out though, because most of the tourists were far ahead of us by then and when we stopped for lunch at Watts, it was early and not too busy. Our friends from Dingle had recommended that we go to Joe Watts pub for lunch and it was really good, especially the cheesecake (biscof and carmel). The fish and chips came with a side of mashed peas which was super confusing and not really our preferred side dish. A little expensive because of the location, but we enjoyed the meal and was also happy to try the Hop House 13 beer that our friends also recommended. The island does have cars... Not many, but the drivers are clearly are used to the tourists and will get VERY close when passing on the narrow roads. There are also lots of horse and buggy carriages for those that don't feel comfortable with the bike ride. It was a beautiful day with strong winds (which apparently keep the biting bugs away), but mostly clear sunny skies and no rain. The bike ride was not too bad, 4 miles each way (at least) with lots of places to pull over and rest and take pictures. I particularly loved all the beaches, rock walls, and of course the horses, donkeys, and cows. At the end of the main road there are shops and ice cream. You can also pay an additional $5 euros to hike and see the point of interest, but we skipped it due to being ready to head back the other way. While in this tiny town of Dun Aonghasa, we did pick up some souvenirs... A couple sterling silver rings, a wool hat, and a beautiful wool scarf. We learned that the wool is not necessarily from the Aran Islands but it is the stitching that makes it unique to the area. The young man that helped us said that he was only on the island for a couple months over the summer to work and was heading back to Galway on Monday for the season. Ultimately, I would only recommend this stop if you have a whole extra day in Galway and make sure you do the ferry from the Galway City and be ready for the 90 minute ferry ride (each way). August 2023 read more

Save 10% if you book online. This is cool - in the U.S. many places charge a "convenience" fee for booking online, and that is absolute crap. The dock is about a 23 mile drive from Galway (but allow for close to an hour for the drive). You can choose to take the bus from their location in Galway, or you can drive yourself down to the pier - if you have a car, I recommend driving yourself, as it will save you some time and you can go on your own schedule. You have to show up a bit early to catch the bus down there. Drive yourself if you can, but get to the dock about 30 minutes prior to departure time. They do charge for parking at the dock though - I think it was €5. There's a LOT to see on the island, so I recommend taking the first ferry out and returning on the last ferry. We rented bikes and covered the entire island, but we still spent the entire day out there. The ferry is €45.00 for two people in September (if booked online). If you choose to take the bus from Galway, it's €63.00 for two people (if booked online). A limited number of bikes are allowed on the ferry, but they are not allowed at all if you choose to take the bus to the dock. RENT bikes on the island instead folks - they are CHEAP to rent! The inside of the ferry is heated, so it's quite comfortable, as opposed to what other reviewers have mentioned. You can go outside on the back end of the boat for outdoor pix if you like. On the return trip, there's a bar that sells a few beer choices and I think a couple of wines. This IS Ireland after all! The ferry trip out there was about 30 minutes but about 45 minutes on the way back. It all depends on the weather, the wind, etc. The water was a little rough, but the ferry was large enough that we didn't notice it or get sea sick as others have said. I would take this ferry again - no complaints, and FIVE solid stars! read more

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I absolutely loved dealing with everyone from this amazing Company. Everyone I encountered at the offices in Galway and the crew on the boat were all professional, friendly and genuinely cared about their customers. You won't be disappointed by utilizing this company. I had no problems at all due to all the information given to me when I purchased my tickets. I took the bus to the ferry terminal. Once at the ferry terminal we boarded the ferry to Isis mor. The crew were absolutely amazing and very professional. You can buy soft drinks and various food items also. The boat had plenty of seats and was very comfortable. It should be noted I am originally from Dublin, Ireland, Lived in the United States for over thirty years and served with the US Marines all over the world. I definitely know an amazing Ferry Company from all my Travels and Life Experiences. On the way back from Inis Mor everything was the same. Very Professional Crew and great bus journey back to Galway. I highly recommend visiting the Aran Islands and visiting the Aran Islands Ferries offices in the city of Galway. The staff are true professionals! Definitely looking forward to visiting the Aran Islands in the near future and utilizing this amazing company! The company rates five stars and more. You definitely won't be disappointed! read more

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Make sure there are no changes in your plan because this company will not be flexible for you. Our group had a scheduling conflict day of and the company was unwilling to change our booking to a later time, or refund our booking. They did however ask we buy another ticket for later in the day. Tickets were relatively inexpensive at €30, but again, make sure to avoid hiccups day of. read more

I drove to the ferry to take my children to the Aran Islands. We were fortunate to arrive shortly before the ferry was due to arrive and I bought my tickets then. The ferry was rather basic with hard chairs. Although it was August, it was damp and cool. I don't recall the amount of time it took, but it felt very long, and the sea was rough, perhaps over an hour is my guess. It felt so long because of the uncomfortable temperature, which cannot be controlled, but perhaps they could enclose the seating for the patrons. We didn't have any sea sickness issues, but got to where we were going. read more

I preface this by saying the Aran Islands are well worth the hassle to get to, biking around Inishmore was the coolest thing I've ever done in my life! That being said, it is a (literally) nauseating production to get to. You can drive to the docks. We took a bus from Galway, then the boat. The water is choppy, and the boat is rocky! It was too cold and rocky to get fresh air. There were a couple of digestive close calls. The company is super helpful, though. We arrived in Galway from Dublin and had a few hours to kill before we needed to catch the bus to the ferry. They let us store our luggage during that time. read more

Inishmore is beautiful and worth your while to visit, but beware if you get seasick. The seas were very rough the day my group took the trip and it made for a miserable experience on the way there. The return trip was much smoother (which is what most of the locals told us to expect). Of course this is no fault of the ferry or crew, it's just important to note if you tend to get motion sickness. I had one friend who was not bothered in the slightest and another who was very sick. A trip to the islands is very enjoyable, just make sure to take Dramamine or a nausea reducing product to prevent getting sick. The crew suggested a seat on the bottom deck of the ferry if you're concerned about illness during the trip. read more

Everything went smoothly. We took a bus from Galway to the ferry station (about 45 min) and transferred to the boat for the ride to Inishmore on the Aran Islands (another 45 min). Agree with other reviewers that the boat is nothing special, but it operated on time and efficiently. The return trip went well too. The Aran Islands were spectacular and worth the trip. Even better than expected. read more

There aren't many options for getting to the Aran Islands, but Aran Island Ferries provides good service at a reasonable price. I booked online (there's an online booking discount) and opted for the bus transport out to the ferry terminal. The ferry itself was great: clean and efficient service. The bus was great coming back, but the bus we took to get to the ferry was kind of dirty and had a broken baggage compartment. Passengers had to bring their bags onto the bus itself, and several people stacked their bags in front of the emergency exit at the back, which has to be a safety hazard. If not for that, I would have given this four stars. read more