Wannabe Ireland tourist...

Mycuppajava · Member

Wannabe Ireland tourist...

youngka · Guru

Glad you found this site and it is going to be extremely helpful smile

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When we have gone to Ireland we like to stay in B&B's, and Self Catering homes. What time of the year are you going? How many people will there be? How long will you be staying? Driving is a good way to get around if you are going to be there awhile. Our next trip we are also thinking about different getting a car rental & day tours--by bus, and relax from some of the driving. Try and make your plans and get them in place before you leave --- then you will have something set in your minds. You can always change direction once you are there (on most things you have chosen). If you get a self catering home -- they are rented for a week, Saturday to Saturday - usually. This can be your "Base Camp" and a familar bed at night for that week & it is nice to be able to cook your own meals also. Just keep checking back to this site because there will be a lot of people giving you wonderful ideas as to where to eat, hear good Irish music, where to stay, what places not to miss, etc. GOOD LUCK, Youngka

Mycuppajava · Member

Thanks, Youngka...
I am hesitant to rent a car...directions would take away from my enjoyment time would it not? I am a good driver but I wonder if concentrating on the road would take my free time away. I really don't have that many certain places that I must see. I want to see the countryside, enjoy the music, trample with the locals at pubs, etc.. I almost think a tour would be more than I wanted but it makes me feel taken care of without worries. I will hang around this site and see if I would feel comfortable enough to make plans on my own. I have done all of my travels here in the states but of course I have heard of these places all of my life.

Thanks again for replying. My cuppa Java

Michele Erdvig · Host

Java,

Welcome to my forum! I think you will find a bunch of friendly people here who will be happy to help you make up your mind. Go to my FAQs page for details on a tour versus self-drive.

Will you be traveling alone or will you have another person accompanying you? If you have help one can be the navigator and the other can drive. You can also trade off.

If you want to sit back, relax and let everything be taken care of, then perhaps a tour is the way to go. If you choose the right one it can be very enjoyable.

Give us some more info and we will chime in with our opinions.

Michele

rebeccaf · Veteran Member

Welcome! I'm a major wannabe myself. My husband and I are planning our first Ireland trip in April to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We're plunging in and renting a car -- I figure our marriage has lasted healthfully this long that we'll be able to laugh our way through navigating the countryside, reading the maps, and remembering to stay on the "other" side of the road. As Youngka has already said, this site is so much help and truly fun to be a member of. I "lurk" a lot and just read and listen to what other travel veterans have to say -- and they're all great folk. I would also highly recommend buying Michele's book, from which I have planned nearly every detail of our trip. But even if you don't, you'll still get great advice hanging around this forum. Good luck and have fun planning!

Sidz · Guru

Almost everyone has some cold feet before they rent a car in Ireland for the first time, but that is really the best way to see the country. I would suggest flying into Shannon instead of Dublin if you are going to do that, as "learning to drive" right out of the gate in Dublin is not the way to go. The area around Shannon is a good place to get used to things.

Use this site to help you plan your trip and find the right B&Bs. If you like traditional music and the pub scene as we do, what you might want to consider is to always plan to book a B&B that is within walking distance of the pubs. We use the daylight hours to sightsee, park the car at the B&B by late afternoon, and don't get near it again until the next morning. That has been a good plan for us.

As several others have said, there are friendly people on this site who want to help make that Ireland trip the best it can be. Just ask questions as you plan, and don't be afraid to tackle driving over there. Pay a bit extra for an automatic is you normally don't use a stick shift, and you will be surprised how quickly you will catch on to things driving on that side of the road!

Have fun planning the trip.

You can do it, and we will try to help. biggrin

-- Edited by Sidz at 10:14, 2008-12-22

Mycuppajava · Member

Now just aren't you the kind ones! I already feel better about the planning. Driving, I just might with a lot more thinking. :) Good ideal about Shannon airport as I think that is a much less busy town/city than Dublin. I really just want to see countryside and listen to the Irish music while watching the Irish. I know this sounds strange as, "Why do you want to come so far and just be satisfied with...hanging out?" I have found that on tours I never had time to do the trivial things...it is almost always doing the touristy things. Doing some of it is great but I feel I lose out on what I came to enjoy. We will see! I will continue reading on this site, which btw has good info with a bit of warmth to it. Thanks much for this as I am a newbie.

What month would you say to come? I have just retired from teaching and time is plentiful. :)

Thanks much.

Cuppa

CowboyCraic · Guru

Cuppa,

With what you have indicated that you want to accomplish during your time in Ireland, Flying into Shannon and staying to the West would be your bets bet. This will require renting a car. However, since it sounds like it will just be you, all you will need is a compact car. You will feel like you have more room driving a smaller car. If you are concerned with driving taking away from your free time, I would suggest that you use the car to get to your destination and then take private day tours or walking tours from the base point. That will allow you the freedom found with renting a car and the leisure of having a local show you the area. I have done this before and come away with a deeper appreciation for an area as seen through the eyes of a local.

I would recommend that you travel over in May. Everything is in Bloom, the lambs are at play in the paddocks, the crowds are not present and the prices are a bit lower. Less crowds means less tourist traffic on the roadways.

You have not said yet how long you will be spending in Ireland. You have said you want to get to know the locals and absorb the culture. I would suggest a minimum stay of three nights in each location. The locations I would suggest would be Dingle, Killarney, Ennis, Galway & Bunratty. That would be a fourteen day trip counting air travel days. Thirteen nights with your last night in Bunratty so that you are close to Shannon for departure. You could cut the stays in Ennis and Galway to two nights, which would shorten your trip.

B&Bs are definitely the way to go, as you have more contact with the locals, your hosts will provide excellent advice on sites that you should see, some of which will not be remotely tourist fare.

Nollaig Shona Duit (Merry Christmas),

Bit

Mycuppajava · Member

Sorry...I didn't take ownership of if I would travel alone. No. I am brave but do not have that much courage. lol I will travel with a friend. I won't take the time to see everything, just the icons of the Irish. Music, performance, countryside beauty, pubs, etc. are really what I am seeking. I don't want to see every cathedral, castle, this and that. I want too have time to enjoy instead of pushing from one thing to another. I have been looking at Ireland and getting the drift a bit of the lay of the land. If you only had a few places to go to get the music, intertainment, beauty...where would you go? Thanks much. Cuppa

Michele Erdvig · Host

Cuppa,

I will echo Bit's advice about going in May. It is also my favorite month to visit Ireland. You will also get long daylight hours in May. That is a plus for any tourist.

Since you are traveling with a friend and from the other info you provided, I think renting a car and driving yourselves around will work best for your trip. Take Sidz's advice and fly into and out of Shannon. Most people with limited time usually hit the high spots of the west and SW of Ireland and are perfectly happy with that decision.

I suggest checking out some travel books from the library and reading. That way you can narrow down your interests. You are wise to realize you can't see it all. Just choose one or two castles, cathedrals, and other sightseeing venues that are of interest. As your trip progresses we will be happy to help you select them.

Do you know how long you will have in Ireland yet?

Michele

Mycuppajava · Member

Hi again...
I am not sure how long I will get to stay in Ireland...a week to ten days possibly. I want to use my budget travel as much as I have opportunity. Does anyone have an ideal of the average fee for a B&B? And fuel? Car rental? I checked on airfare and it was very reasonable. Guess I have a hidden chore in front of me...selecting that gutsy friend. :) I have always wanted to try driving and checking things out since I don't have a lot of "must see" places. Thanks so much for your cordial kindness. Cuppa

youngka · Guru

Hi Cuppa, where are you flying out from? Michele's book has many good ideas for B&B's along with hotels, etc. It is good to read over other questions on the forum and click on the blue names to get to the site for a lot of B&B's, etc. There are so many to choose from, it just depends where you will be by night fall. My husband and I stay mostly in the SW part of Ireland, venturing over to Cork and as far NW as Westport. The B&B's we have stayed at, and the self catering places are very nice. We like the -- www.buttermilklodge.com -- in Clifden, and really enjoyed our stay at Adare Manor - www.adarecountryhouse.com - the first night we arrived and landed in Shannon. The folks were very nice and accommodating. Michele has recommended the Bunratty Lodge which is very nice to stay the night before you fly out of Shannon. Our next trip will be in May and we can hardly wait. You will have fun figuring out your "plan" and change it a few time in between. We always like visiting Skibberean, and also Kenmare. Have fun planning and know you are going to have a wonderful trip, wherever you go! youngka

Green Dragon · Guru

Definitely drive yourself! Tours are usually more interested in stopping at places to shop and spend money. I prefer hanging out with people :)

Driving - it is scary the first time, but you can quickly get used to it. My first trip (anywhere!) was solo to Ireland for three days, then three days in London, and a week in the country with a group of new age-rs. I drove right out of Dublin airport and into downtown - wow, what an experience! If I were to do it again, I'd try Shannon. But I was young and didn't even KNOW about Shannon at the time (1996).

Get a GPS - getting lost is usually a lot of fun in Ireland, and I highly recommend it - but this means you don't have to STAY lost when you tire of it. It's a godsend - we just had it in Scotland and it was VERY useful. Most rental agencies will rent them, or if you have one for the US you might be able to by European maps for it.

I greatly prefer B&Bs and Self Catering places - Michele has a lot of great recommendations in her book. They allow you to talk to the hosts, find the best places to eat/see, and relax a bit.

I usually found B&Bs running around E40-45 a night on the low end, but that depends on location, time of year, and many other things. Fuel is much higher there, but the cars are more fuel efficient. I found it evened out in the end. I was paying $5 a gallon, but getting 45 miles per gallon when I was there last (2006).

If you like, I've got several trip reports posted in the Trip Reports forums here, and on my webpage. It might give you some ideas.

In a week, I'd stay in the west - County Clare, Dingle, County Kerry, and I'd be about done. For the first trip - because believe me, you will already be planning your next trip over before you're done. It's addicting :)

Michele Erdvig · Host

Cuppa,

Go to my Links page. Under the subject Accommodation you will find links to B&Bs, hotels and guesthouses. Click through to see the current rates. For petrol: http://www.aaireland.ie/petrolprices/ For car rentals you will have to go to several different sites and get prices. They vary widely depending on type, length of rental, time of year, extras, etc. Look at my Car Rental page first for many tips you must know before renting.

Michele