Getting ready 2 go

tony2phones · Guru

Getting ready 2 go

mssherib · Member

Well, we are almost there! I have a question regarding money and exchange rates. I am considering getting prepaid mastercards. Has anyone here ever used the Travelex prepaid card? Also, we are going to London for 3 days and Edinburgh for 3 days then on to Belfast. Thought this would be best since NI uses pounds. I am thinking of getting 2 card one with pounds and the other for euros.

Oh, I guess I have a second question as well, approx how much is gas in Ireland? trying to get an estimate of hat we mght use for3 weeks.

Bertrand · Veteran Member

Not sure about the paid cards question, but gas was about 1.55 euro per litre when we were there a few months ago. With conversion (almost four litres to a gallon and 1.32 exchange rate today), you are looking at about $8 a gallon. It's high, but at least you don't have countless miles to drive over there and you get better gas mileage. We had a diesel last time that got almost 60 MPG so it was great.

Roy · Guru

I have looked into prepaid cards but found the exchange rate much to high.

Roy · Guru

I use ATMs and pay cash.

Michele Erdvig · Host

http://irelandyes.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/ireland-top-10-money-tips/

mssherib · Member

Thank you ALL for your info very helpful, as I knew it would be from this site. I will be putting up our itenerary in a day or two for input on that as well.
THanks again

mssherib · Member

Hello everyone,
I have some questions on my itenerary.
We are flying in from Edinburgh to Belfast and getting our auto.
Day 1 - Belfast Taxi tour and look around Belfast then head out to Portaferry with stops at Ulster Folk Museum, Mount Stewart Gardens
spend night in Portaferry
Day 2 - Down Patrick, New castle Mountains of Mourne, Newry and back to Portaferry
spend another night
Day 3 - Antrim Coast towards Bushmills, Dark Hedges, etc., as we will have no reservations we will stop in afternoon and find a town and find a place to stay.
Day 4 - Head towards Omagh, this is the area my ancestors are from. See Ulster American Folk park. Again we will just find a place to stay for one or two nights?
THis is where I need some input, please. Want to go on to Donagel Co. Newmills, Dunfangly on to Bunbeg and find a place to stay for a night or two?
Next day around to Adara, Slieve League, Killybeg and on to SLigo. From there I was thinking of going inland to Athlone. Does this sound reasonable?We are going to end out trip in Dublin, so that gives us about another 14 days to go further south and then back up to Dublin.

Michele Erdvig · Host

mssherib,

What time do you arrive in Belfast? You could easily spend a whole day at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. Your plans for Day 1 might be too ambitious.

Portaferry is at the tip of a long peninsula. Perhaps Downpatrick would be a better choice of where to stay.

Letterkenny is a pretty central point for Donegal. Or you could try Donegal town.

The trip from Sligo to Dublin is not all that long. Perhaps you could take the night from Athlone and add it onto another area.

Michele

mssherib · Member

Don't have good maps yet. Is Donegal and Donegal town the same? As we are going south from Sligo, and have 14 days, should we go to kerry and Cork and then back up to Athlone or over to wexford and then go inland to Athlone? Like everyone else, I think this is the BEST site for information! Thanks for the input!

Michele Erdvig · Host

mssherib,

There is County Donegal, which is a large area of Ireland that includes Donegal town.

You really need a map before planning your trip. Otherwise you are flying blind. Try this one till yours arrives: Tourism Ireland Map. Not the most comprehensive but will give you a general idea of where things are.

Is Athlone on your "must see" list? You keep coming back to it. Why not post your whole proposal and we will give you more feedback. It is hard to plan in bits and pieces and see the big picture.

Michele

mssherib · Member

Athlone isn't a must see. With all the coastal areas we are seeing , we wanted to do some inland areas as well. Must sees are : cork, waterford, kilkenny. The rest of the must sees are in NI which I think I've covered with the first week. Sorry to be so confusing but with so many area to choose from and when I start reading about them I want to go everywhere!! I'll put together the rest of the itenerary and then let you all help.

tony2phones · Guru

Some ideas for the Midlands Bog around Clonmacnoise south of Athlone

http://www.loughbooraparklands.com/parklands

www.loughbooraparklands.com/things-to-do

independent.ie/travel/inside-ireland/walk-of

slievebloom.com/lough-boora-sculpture-park-l

mssherib · Member

Here is the itenerary. As we were not going to make advance reservations except for first nights and end nights in Dublin, we are just going to wing it. We want to see as much as possible but we don't want to just do a green blur. Perhaps we could find several main areas and stay for 3 or 4 nights and do day trips would that be reasonable? Any and all recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Can't wait to get there!
ITENERARY
04/28/12 Saturday Fly to London
04/29/12 Sunday Arrive in London-leisure day
04/30/12 Monday London- guided sightseeing
05/01/12 Tuesday London- leisure day
05/02/12 Wednesday London-train to Edinburgh-
05/03/12 Thursday Edinburgh-guided sightseeing
05/04/12 Friday Edinburgh
05/05/12 Saturday Edinburgh- fly to Belfast Morning
05/06/12 Sunday Portaferry, Co Down 3 Nights
05/07/12 Monday Co Down
05/08/12 Tuesday Belfast City tour Atrim Coast to Ballycastle
05/09/12 Wednesday Causeway, Bushmills, 2 Nights
05/10/12 Thursday Omagh Ulster American Folk Park 1 Night or 2 nights
05/11/12 Friday Derry, Co Donegal-Stay Bunbeg or ? 1 Night
05/12/12 Saturday Donegal town 1 Night or 2 nights
05/13/12 Sunday Sligo and Bellina- Stay in Bellina? 2 Nights This was where I thought we might go inland.
05/14/12 Monday Bellina to Limerick (in one day?) 2 Nights
05/15/12 Tuesday Skibbereen and Mizen Head
05/16/12 Wednesday Cork to Waterford and to Wexford 2 Nights
05/17/12 Thursday
05/18/12 Friday Wexford to Kilkenny 2 Nights
05/19/12 Saturday
05/20/12 Sunday Kilkenny to Wicklow or Glendalough
05/21/12 Monday
05/22/12 Tuesday This is where I'm not sure of, should we go past Dublin
05/23/12 Wednesday and go to Trim?
05/24/12 Thursday
05/25/12 Friday
05/26/12 Saturday Turn in Car go to Dublin
05/27/12 Sunday Dublin
05/28/12 Monday Dublin
05/29/12 Tuesday Fly Home

-- Edited by mssherib on Friday 2nd of March 2012 12:25:58 PM

Michele Erdvig · Host

I am slightly confused. See below:

05/05/12 Saturday Edinburgh- fly to Belfast Morning
05/06/12 Sunday Portaferry, Co Down 3 Nights
05/07/12 Monday Co Down * Okay. This I understand although I think Downpatrick would be a better place to stay than Portaferry.

05/08/12 Tuesday Belfast City tour Atrim Coast to Ballycastle * Fine.

05/09/12 Wednesday Causeway, Bushmills, 2 Nights * If you spend two nights in Bushmills then it will be 5-9 and 5-10 there. This is where you lost me. Everything from her on will be bumped up a day as far as dates are concerned. Right?

05/10/12 Thursday Omagh Ulster American Folk Park 1 Night or 2 nights * This would be 5-11 instead of 5-10. Right?

Do you need to re-adjust your dates?

Michele

mssherib · Member

Do you think we need 2 nights in the bushmills area? That is why I didn't bump up a day. Is the Omagh Ulser Folk park anything like the Ulster museum in Co Down? THese dates are really just guides because we want to be able to stay extra nights if we find an area we want to stay in longer.
Perhaps we should allow more time in Donegal?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Well, you have a night in Ballycastle and one in Bushmills. They are not that far from each other. You could actually do two nights in either place and not have to pack up and move on. Then you would not need 2 nights in Bushmills and one in Ballycastle.

There are some similarities in the folk parks. They both have recreations of towns and buildings from Ireland's past. However, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum has a vast museum devoted to transportation in Ireland through the ages.

Letterkenny is a pretty central point for seeing much of Co. Donegal.

I wouldn't stay in Limerick for 2 days.

You are skipping a lot of the SW. How about some time in Killarney, Dingle or Kenmare?

Save Dublin for last. Turn you rental car in and choose a city center hotel. It is pretty easy to get around on foot and with public transport there.

Michele

Bertrand · Veteran Member

Kenmare and Dingle are quite nice, and as Michele notes, staying in Limerick for two days is not needed. Actually seeing what you need to see there and keep going would be even better.

The SW is also wonderful and would be worth the extra time getting there to see the west Cork area.

Sounds like you are going to see a lot this trip -- enjoy!

Regards,

Bert

mssherib · Member

Thank you for your advice! If we are coming from say the Sigo area to Killarney or Kenmare how much time is needed to get there? Would we stop for a night somewhere on the south or just go straight there? If we go to Kenmare for 2 nights and then on to Cork will we be able to see quite a bit in the south? Dublin is last and I remember reading a couple of suggestions for where to stay. Can you repeat them please?

Michele Erdvig · Host

I would probably stop somewhere in Co. Clare. If you were planning on seeing the Cliffs of Moher, then Doolin is a good spot. If you can get 3 nights in either Killarney or Kenmare that would be perfect.

See my lodgings page for Dublin hotels.

Michele

mssherib · Member

I am so excited about my trip! Thanks so much for all the input. I'm sure I'll be back for more until I leave.

Michele Erdvig · Host

You're supposed to be excited. Enjoy the feeling.

Roy · Guru

Good marketing slogan Michele: Enjoy the feeling!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Maybe I should come up with slogans. There has to be more money in it than Ireland. wink

Michele