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Back in the early 1990s Ireland was not a major destination for most backpackers, but in the 00s things changed in a big way. Now Ireland is thriving and tourism is booming as well. The downside of this is that Ireland in general and Dublin in particular have become insanely expensive. When searching for a hotel on the Internet you might think it’s giving you London or Tokyo prices, but that’s just what Dublin has become. Fortunately there are many hostels in Ireland that make the country affordable for us peasants.

Starting in the capital and largest city, Dublin has become crazy expensive. Fortunately it’s not just the capital of Ireland, it’s also the capital of Ireland hostels. There are many to choose from, but they are spread out all over town. True, it’s a far more compact city than many other European capitals, but there are still Dublin hostels, and places calling themselves hostels, spread through the suburbs.

You may have heard that Dublin is a bit of a drinking city and if the sound of that appeals to you you’ll probably want to base yourself as near the Temple Bar area as possible. It’s not named for one specific bar, but this medieval part of town is filled with drinking spots and the city’s best nightlife. When you are stumbling home in the wee hours it’s worth it to have paid a bit more for a hostel right in this area than to have booked a cheaper place that promises quick airport access. Barnacles Temple Bar House is a famous Ireland hostel with the best possible location. Bunks in the 10-bed rooms start around €20 per night and the place tends to get booked way in advance during peak seasons.

Cork is the second largest city in Ireland, but there are only about 120,000 residents so it looks and feels much smaller than Dublin. Hotel prices in Cork aren’t nearly as high as in Dublin, but they are not what you could call cheap. There are only a handful of hostels in Cork, but a few of them have great and central locations and they can save you quite a bit of money. Sheila’s Hostel is well located and reasonably priced. Bunks in their 8-bed rooms start around €14, and they even have a few private en-suite rooms starting around €50 for two people, which is a great deal in this neighborhood.

Galway, Kilkenny, and Limerick are also popular among the hostel crowd. Each city gives visitors a different look at small-town Ireland. These cities have more small hotels and bed & breakfasts, but prices of these are still quite high due to their popularity. Fortunately each of these cities also has a few hostels with dorm beds and kitchens available for the backpacking crowd. Due to the smaller scale, these cities can actually get booked up further in advance during the peak summer traveling season so it’s especially important to book your bed as soon as you can, or risk being shut out.