Killarney B&B for early March stay - need help

njmom · Member

Killarney B&B for early March stay - need help

YaYa · Guru

NJMom,

Ten years ago I stayed at Killarney Royal and Killarney Park Hotel. They are both right in town and very comfortable. I noticed they are listed high on Trip Advisor so they must still be OK. My room at Killarney Park looked out to The Great Southern gardens. Killarney Royal had street scenes but was quiet enough.

Have a great trip, Joan

WCOMALLEY · Veteran Member

We stayed at the Glenn Fia in late October, definitely the most beautiful B&B we experienced in Ireland. I don't know if it is open in March or not; I do know it is out in the country NE of Killarney, definitely not in walking distance of city centre. Once you locate the car parks driving in Killarney at night isn't bad at all. WC

-- Edited by WCOMALLEY at 13:13, 2008-01-31

njmom · Member

WCOMALLEY,
It's good to hear that driving in/out of the town isn't too bad, in case we wind up doing that. I haven't heard back from the Gleann Fia or Friar's Glen yet, but I'm feeling a bit better now about staying outside of the town center. I drive in & out of NYC without a problem but I 'm worried about the darkness and road conditions in Ireland - as well as the parking situation in Killarney. Is parking expensive? Parking in NYC can be a nightmare, although it was wonderful during the writers strike when we went to see The Grinch (one of few plays running). We were able to get free street parking right in the Broadway (Play) district.

Gleann Fia seems a bargain at just 30Euro pp/pn (during the off season) compared to the 55-80Euro pp/pn at other places we've looked.

I'm looking forward to my NEXT trip to Ireland when I know what to expect. It's the fear of the unknown that's bothering me. But it's exciting too. Can't wait.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Diane,

Friar's Glen is not walking distance of Killarney. It is a few miles from town off the Muckross Road and up a hill. But it is very nice. Try the following (all walking distance):

In Town:

Fairview
Copper Kettle
Foley's

Walking Distance:

Ashville
Applecroft
Chelmsford
Robeen House

Hope you find something.

Michele

njmom · Member

Thanks Michele for the suggestions.

I'm waiting to hear back from the Fairview, Gleann Fia and Friar's Glen. I was scared away by some bad reviews of the Copper Kettle on TripAdvisor, plus I don't like that the common areas and breakfast are located down the block, in the Fairview. Copper Kettle also charges for parking, but doesn't list the rate.

Got scared away from Foley's due to some so/so reviews on Trip Advisor and the 75Euro rate seemed high compared to other places.

Fairview seems like a good choice for in town and they have 25% discount for booking online bringing the March rate to 40Euro. I need to check if they charge extra for parking like CopperKettle. Some not so great reviews, seems the host is a bit cold and not forthcoming with information, like parking and directions...

Friar's Glen (40Euro) and Gleann Fia (30Euro) both seem like nice options as well, although they will require driving into town. Does anyone know if parking in Killarney is expensive?

So, I'm waiting to see who has room and then I'm dumping the decision on my daughter. That way she can't complain.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Diane,

I hope you find just the right place to stay. Parking is not expensive maybe a euro per hour. In the evening the parking is usually free. Check the sign in the lot or near where you are parking for that info.

Michele

njmom · Member

Michele,
Thanks for the parking info. It will be nice to have parking signs that make sense. When looking at some of the hotels/B&Bs websites, I saw town photos and noticed there's street parking. Hopefully there will be signs explaining who can park there and when. I realize there are also parking lots. Sometimes it's impossible to understand the parking signs in NYC - a spot can have multiple signs all saying different things with arrows pointing in all directions. Hopefully, Ireland does things better than NYC.

Many of the places you (or others) suggested seem just right for us. It will depend on who can give us two beds that time of year. I didn't realize that it would be tougher to get a twin room. I'm noticing now how many B&Bs have rooms with just one bed.

I sent my daughter the links and she seems to be leaning toward Friar's Glen. I may leave one night (Mar 1) open in case we decide to spend another night up by the Cliffs but will definitely book the other 2 nights in Killarney.

Thanks again.
Diane

Sidz · Guru

I stayed at one of the places Michele mentioned -- Chelmsford House -- and it is real nice, great hosts, and within easy walking distance of city centre. That was a must for us.

Check out the reviews here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186612-d212592-Reviews-Chelmsford_House-Killarney_County_Kerry.html

We liked the place a great deal. It was a spotless B&B with a great breakfast.

-- Edited by Sidz at 11:43, 2008-02-01

Michele Erdvig · Host

Sidz,

Glad to hear Chelmsford was a hit with you. I must stay there next time I am in Killarney. Problem is they are usually full. Guess I will have to make a reservation.

Michele

njmom · Member

I did try Chelmsford but they didn't have a twin room for us. Maybe next time...

Looks like Gleann Fia has room but my daughter prefers Friar's Glen. Haven't heard back from them so I will have to call tomorrow. Read a complaint on Trip Advisor about someone else having trouble getting a response from Friar's Glen to email. Guess they dont' check their email often. I did notice their website isn't as tech savy as other B&Bs and there is no online booking process. Has anyone ever stayed at Friar's Glen? I got the name from Michele's list for Killarney (after trying the other places first). The negative I saw was that it's too far to walk. But after looking at people's photos of Killarney town, I think she prefers being in "the country." Guess all those camping trips we've gone on have influenced her.

-- Edited by njmom at 19:54, 2008-02-01

Merle · Senior Member

When I got frustrated waiting for replies, I just called them directly and they were so nice. Sometimes the emails don't go through for whatever reason. I do not have any personal recommendations for Killarney other than Killarney Lodge, which you mentioned was closed.

Merle

Michele Erdvig · Host

Diane,

I have stayed at Friar's Glen a couple of times. I have a complete review of it in my book. It is an excellent place to stay. Even though it is only a few miles from Killarney it feels very rural. It is surrounded by Killarney National Park and you may even see some deer in the vicinity. Good breakfast, comfortable rooms, open fires in the public areas and nice host.

Michele

P.S. It is true that a lot of B&B owners are not tech savvy. And - believe it or not - many emails never actually make it to Ireland. I communicate with people there all the time and not only do my emails not go through, but theirs don't come to me. It could be that at this time of year they are away on holiday too. It is always a good idea to put your phone number in any email reservation request. That way if there is a communication problem the B&B can phone you.

njmom · Member

I finally heard back from Friar's Glen and as with our other choices, they're closed. They open March 13. I expect to hear back from Gleann Fia later today. I also tried a few other B&Bs that were recommended but they were closed or full.

I'm glad I didn't decide to wait and wing it at the last minute. I had thought it would be easy to find a place because it was off-season. Jokes on me.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Diane,

Travelling off-season has its own challenges. Lots of places closed is one of them.

Michele

njmom · Member

Just booked 2 nights in Killarney at Gleann Fia Country House. Didn't book our 2nd night in Ireland yet because I'm not sure if we'll take our time up in the Cliffs/Burren area or not - will depend on the weather and how tired we are on arrival.

I'll report back about Gleann Fia after the trip, since so few have stayed there. Hopefully, we'll be as happy as WCOMALLEY (Old Sod Part1). My daughter wasn't thrilled at first because she had it confused with one of the hotels in Killarney.

All set now. Just have to investigate phone card/cell phone. Michele, you said you've been successful with using phone cards. We have the international card from Costco and use it to call Ireland, but haven't used it to call the US. I think we'll have internet access to email folks back home, so I really just need a way to call ahead to reconfirm our lodgings and maybe call restaurants/attractions to see if they're open (most likely we'll check that before we go, though). Do you think we can do that with our Costco card? buy a new card in Ireland? rent a phone?

Diane

-- Edited by njmom at 01:02, 2008-02-04

Michele Erdvig · Host

Diane, I don't know if your Costco calling card will work in Ireland. Read the fine print to see where it is good. You can buy cards in Ireland. The airport shops sell them as does the tourist office. I generally get a 5 euro card and it lasts for the trip. Next time I am trying the cell phone I have on my website: World Phone. I will let everyone know how I like it. Seems like a good deal, especially if a phone is needed for an emergency when in the middle of nowhere.

Michele