Hi Michele just stumbled upon your website, and what can i say, amazing content! very helpful, id say by far the best out there, great job keep it up!

Anyways  I've just started planning my trip to Ireland i leave on the 28th of February fly to england train and ferry it to Dublin where my girlfriend is working at a hotel for Co-op experience. My trip is 6 weeks long 4 of which are being spend in Ireland, 2 weeks in Dublin, and 2 weeks in Kerry. the other two weeks are being spent in London, France, and maybe Amsterdam. Of course i don't expect to spend my time just in Dublin and Kerry as were renting a car and going traveling to all the B&B we can. The first two weeks in Dublin i am spending with my girlfriend and staying in her flat , then i am going back to London to meet up with my mother and great Aunt. Just out of the luck of the draw i was able to connect my trip to Ireland with my Mothers and great Aunts.

Now to brass tacks: ive never been traveling really, ive been on band trips where we have gone all over but that was in a Structured envirement with all the bells and whistles of guided tours and such. and i have been on Snowboarding trips but because i live in British Columbia, Canada, i never had to go far to get great Snowboarding done. So really this is my first trip were i have the reigns and the balls in my court so to speak. so i'm trying to plan it the best i can and be prepared for everything since it's my first real trip. I have alot of family in Ireland and London and all of Europe for that matter, but being in such a large family i only really know them by name and not much more.

Now I've never been much for tourist traps, I'd really like to get into the nit and grit of things, and being that i am 20 years old ,and my personality i guess, i don't really have experience or the knowledge to really enjoy most of the tourist locations.

sorry about the big introduction but i really wanted to go full out in my questions.

Questions:

• How much money should i bring, i know the more the better but i am not exactly royalty over here, but i have all my places to stay paid for on my trip and i am not much into souvenirs. I just want to make sure i bring enough and if that means selling something or w/e id like to know before i am hung up dry.
• What was the one item you wish had brought with you or the one item you thank the beard of Zeus you did bring. Now i have made a list of all the things i should bring but i am Green so to speak when it comes to traveling and i wouldn't want to forget something important
• If there were one place or thing you suggest doing in Ireland what would it be. Something that you look back on your trip and say that was awesome i am so glad i went there/did that.
• And Finally Tips for the new guy? the rookie? the mistakes everyone has to make for themselves but maybe not if i am well prepared?

Thank you so much in advance, i know i wrote a novella here but i am just trying to plan a trip that i can look back at and think: well done sir, well done.

any help would be amazing, and any questions feel free to ask, thanks again.

-- Edited by mykola at 15:42, 2007-12-21