Shannon, Ireland at $675 RT

This one's dedicated to Geoffrey, my dad from St. Mary's, ON — who's endured one too many Dublin detours to visit me in the real Ireland (does this count as a Father's Day gift?) 

Ok, so whaddaya mean when you say real Ireland? I hear you ask! Newsflash: most of my country's best stuff: cliffs, castles and a whole lotta craic, is FAR from the capital.

Sure, you could fly into Dublin for $150 cheaper — blink at it's stunningly bleak skyline and bolt for the nearest bus station or car rental agency. But congrats, you've just burned a full day of precious PTO and blown your savings on overpriced Dublin B&Bs (enjoy that $45 continental breakfast of Cornflakes, btw)

Or, you could land in Shannon in Co. Clare, skip the cross-country schlepp and start your Emerald escapades before the jet-lag even catches up!