DREAM

crittermom1950 · Member

DREAM

Judy · Guru

What a sweet dream. You will just have to go to Ireland and find that town. The closest that I can come up with is Finnea (Longford), Fintona (Tyrone) and Kilfenora (Clare).

Dreaming about Ireland is not strange, I do it all the time.

Judy M.

CowboyCraic · Guru

With the prevalence of Murrays in the North counties, could be Co Fermanagh or Fenagh in Co Leitrim, perhaps. Both are lovely lakeland areas with rolling hills and the like.

Dreaming of Ireland is what keeps the lot of us sane in between trips. YOu are among friends here, dream away!

Slan Beo,

Bit

Michele Erdvig · Host

Carol,

What a nice dream! The first thing that popped into my mind was Connemara. But Fermanagh really sounds more like it.

Michele

Date: 10:51 PM, 04/12/11

Thank you all so much. My husband's family came from Ireland in the 1800's. I'll have to do more research to find out from where.

All those places sound like a little bit of heaven! I love to dream that sort of dream. I remember thinking "The archetecture is beautiful!"

Michele Erdvig · Host

Carol,

Here are some photos I took of Adare. I think you will like the architecture.

Michele

crittermom1950 · Member

Thanks, Michelle, for the pictures! I love them. After my dream I have decided that our next big trip will be to Ireland. Do you suggest going with a guided tour of the country or going it on our own? And if a guided (motorcoach?) tour who is a good company to go with?

CowboyCraic · Guru

Carol,

A lot will depend on what type of traveler you are. If your interests point towards tourist spots then a tour might be a best choice. If you are looking to experience less crowded off-the-beaten path spots, then a self-paced drive yourself tour would be best.

You can plan your own trip. We are here to help and act as a rudder as you navigate some of the murkier waters of the planning.

Avoid the voucher packages, if you can. You really don't save all that much and they end up costing the B&B owners money.

Don't try to overplan and overdo. Yes, Ireland is a small country. However, her roads are smaller and the driving slower than we are used to in the states. There are Motorways, but you see more on the rural roads, in my opinion.

Try to limit your one-night stays. Two to three night stays are preferrable as they allow you to settle in and get to know the area.

If you can, flying into Shannon and out of Dublin or Vice Versa will allow you more flexibility.

A lot to digest, isn't it? I am sure Michele will offer her input soon.

Slan Beo,

Bit

crittermom1950 · Member

Thank you so much for the information, Bit. I appreciate it. I'll discuss it all with my husband to see what he wants to do. This will be our first time in Ireland so perhaps a "guided" tour would be best for the first time. Any suggestions on a tour company?

CowboyCraic · Guru

Carol,

My Best gal pal and I did our first trip in 2004. We had considered a tour but decided it just wasn't what we wanted, having to adhere to someone else's agenda. So we booked a self-drive tour instead. That is how we became educated on the pitfalls and foibles of B&B vouchers.

We made a lot of mistakes, covered far too much ground and had the best time of our lives doing it. It was our "once in a lifetime" trip. I have been back nine more times with my eleventh coming up in 8 weeks and three days.

If you want to check out tours, I have recommended Authentic Ireland to some folks. They were quite happy with their holiday. I have also set some folks up with CIE tours. Again, they were quite happy. Authentic Ireland has an edge over CIE, fr my taste, because they offer some off-the-beaten path choices.

Planning your own and driving yourself isn't as scary as it sounds.

Slan Beo,

Bit

Michele Erdvig · Host

Carol,

I have a little about tours vs. self-drives on my FAQs page. Take a look and it may help with your decision. CIE Tours is the granddaddy of all tour companies for Ireland. In business for over 70 years. I suppose they have learned something in all that time.

Michele

crittermom1950 · Member

Thank you all so much for the info! What about Sceptre, Celtic or Globus Tours? I haven't heard of authentic Ireland but I will definitely check it out. AND I will look through the FAQ page too!
I was/am a travel agent for over 20 years but when I stopped working in a store front office and tried to work from home with a friend of mine who owns a home based agency, I haven't been able to get established with clients. I've been out of the main stream for several years now and some things have changed - most have not. I suppose it's like riding a bike. I just need to get back into the swing of things!
The economy is so bad that a lot of people are dragging their feet about travel. The way I look at it is - you only live once and it's a short ride! We need to make the most of it.
I would like to see some of the tourist spots because I've never been to Ireland before but I also want to see "IRELAND".

Thanks again!
Carol

Monty · Senior Member

The first time I went to Ireland it was part of a tour, and we left the tour group halfway through and rented a car. biggrin We wanted to be on our own schedue. If you have no issues getting around, and have someone in the front seat that can read a map, you will do fine.

Just don't have a car in Dublin -- you won't need one -- and then head to the rural areas to get your bearings.

It is a personal choice, but I do not recommend a tour if you want a real interesting experience there. Getting on and off tour buses with others is not as appealing to me. Plus the tours always go to the touristy places! Get off the path a bit and explore. That is what Ireland is all about.

Monty

-- Edited by Monty on Friday 15th of April 2011 11:33:46 AM

Michele Erdvig · Host

Carol,

All of the tour companies have their pros and cons. Some people like xyz while others prefer abc tour company. Find a tour you like (if that is how you want to see Ireland) then do some research. But Ireland really is an easy country to do on your own.

Michele

crittermom1950 · Member

I'm starting to think that on our own would be a good way to see Ireland. There are a couple "touristy" things I want to see but mostly I just want to experience the country and it's people.

-- Edited by crittermom1950 on Saturday 16th of April 2011 11:40:25 AM