first trip - lots of questions

Bonnie · Member

first trip - lots of questions

yesiree · Guru

I'll let Michele handle the itinerary portion of your questions...as for season and budget...that I have a few thoughts on.

September is a great month to travel in Ireland. July and August are the busiest "high season" months, but many places run their high season rates into October.

I'd suggest renting a car...you can recoupe part of the rental cost by staying at some of the great B&Bs that are just outside of town and by being able to drive to a grocery store for some food rather than being limited to what you can walk to. You can also save money by only having one person put on as a driver, and the other person is designated navigator. The other car advantage is that you'll have a lot more control over what you see...and let's face it, you won't get too "lost" in the countryside if you're on a bus or train.

I wouldn't say Dublin is touristy...it's a working, living city with a lot of tourist destinations. That said, there's a lot more to Ireland than Dublin, so no worries if you miss it.

Some other tips for maximizing your dollar:

- Have your main meal between noon and 1:30pm. The hotels and restaurants that the locals go to have delicious, huge "dinners" at that time for only a couple of euros. Just ask folks on the street or in the shops where THEY would go for lunch. Many locals will think that because you are on holiday you want to treat yourself so they recommend a fancier place...that's why I don't just ask "where's a good place for lunch")

- Grocery stores (and many petrol stations) in Ireland have great sandwiches and meal options for a great price...they're an especially good choice for dinner or "on the road" meals. Some grocery stores are now offering free samples from late morning to early afternoon.

- Plan on a few really nice places to stay and let budget influence the other places.

- Hikes and walks in Ireland are a great way to see the country and they are usually FREE.

- Get your money's worth out of the sites you pay admission for. Avoid the "we'll just catch part of it" mindset. It's your money (and your honeymoon), relax, enjoy and get the most out of it.

- Focus on smaller towns...most have their own heritage centres, tourist office and other very interesting things to see and give you a better flavor of the "real" Ireland.

- If you're a guidebook person, I'd suggest choosing one of the following budget-minded guidebooks: Frommer's Ireland from $90 a Day, Let's Go Ireland and Lonely Planet.

- Consider Michele's coupon book

Some potentially unexpected expenses:

- Petrol (gas): expect to pay about $5/gallon

- B&Bs and many hotels charge per person, not per room

- Many towns and villages now have disc parking (you pay at a machine that spits out a ticket you put in your window...it's not too expensive)

- Restaurants with "motorcoach parking available" are often pricey with few actual Irish people there

- The international service fee that is now being charged by most credit cards can cost you an extra 1% (I suggest taking cash out of an official bank ATM machine...I wasn't charged a fee from bank ATMs last summer when using my debit card with a 4 digit PIN#, but I was charged for every credit card purchase and every non-bank ATM withdrawl)

- Magnum Ice Cream Bars and 99s (these are ice cream cones with a Caburry Chocolate Flake stuffed in them) both are sold at petrol stations and both are addictive.

Andi · Senior Member

I don't have much to add, only that from my experience, everything yesseree says is right on!

Last summer we paid 28-35 Euros/person for B&Bs. These are just "regular" B&B's without alot of fancy trimming, but always friendly, clean and with a great and plentiful breakfast. The difference in price, I believe, is mainly due to the location--we paid 35Euro in Galway City, and only 28 Euro at Milltown Malbay in Clare. I've never heard of a discount for more than 1 night, but I never asked, either.

We nearly always purchased food from grocery stores during the day, and usually had a "cocktail hour" in our rooms before dinner, having purchased pre-dinner food and drinks. We didn't necessarily do this to be cheap--we enjoyed the unwinding time after being out all day. I also often brought a bottle of Jameson and had a nightcap in the living area of the B&B, enjoying the company of other guests, or the owners. We often split meals in restaurants at dinner. This might be frowned on in well-touristed, expensive and busy restaurants, but didn't seem to be at the places we were. Sometimes we would have 1 starter, 1 entree and 1 dessert for 2 people--portions in Ireland are big! Ethnic food restaurants are usually less expensive, and we had some good Italian, Indian and Thai food (don't expect this in small villages though).

Enjoying the beautiful scenery doesn't cost anything, although you may want to spring for one of the museums in the Burren area, etc.

One other good guidebook recommendation: Rough Guide to Ireland.

I agree that if you want primarily to enjoy the countryside, a car rental is better. Bus and train service between major destinations is good, but it's difficult to enjoy the Burren, Connemara or small villages without a car, unless you have reams of time.

Have a great time!

Melissa5 · Guru

Bonnie, how cool that you are planning a surprise 15th anniversary trip for you and your husband! Happy anniversary! I agree, 15 years is long enough to wait for your honeymoon. I call all of my trips alone with hubby now "second honeymoons", and I have to say they are even better than the original honeymoon. Romance ages well, I must say, and in fact, romance is quite wasted on the young, who don't actually understand what they should be treasuring.

(If anybody is very young who is reading this, don't take offense...we were all young once, and think of all you have ahead of you to anticipate!)

Michele will have lots of good tips for you. I have been planning our first family trip to Ireland for a year now, and we're going in July, yipeee! Hubby and I, and our 2 young adult daughters. You will like Michele's book, I have a pile of books on Ireland, and the b&b's and restaurants/pubs she recommends have good prices overall and sound like cozy places.

Keep us posted on how your plans are coming along!

-- Edited by Melissa5 at 16:27, 2006-02-24

Bonnie · Member

Thanks so much for the tips and enthusiasm (Yesiree, Andi, Melissa5). What I really want to accomplish is a slow, relaxing time seeing the countryside. And yes, Melissa5, romance ages great. I'm sure a honeymoon 15 years ago would have been fun, but so much more now when we are really great friends and there is no anxiety.

What is the best and worst you experienced? What is a Don't Miss! I was reading some more today in a Fodor guide and was wondering if one day in Wicklow will be enough. Sounds like it is really beautiful. We prefer the trees and hills to the bareness of say The Burren.

Will I need to make reservations ahead at the B&B's?

LifetimeNewYorker · Newbie

Hi Bonnie,
I can only add that if you have trouble finding a flight into Belfast, or if it's too expensive, you can fly into Dublin Airport and take AirCoach directly into Belfast. Journey time is about 2.5 hours.

Hi Corey,
I just got back from KIlkenny but haven't had a chance to offer you any feedback. I had a great time; Kilkenny is wonderful, as is Alcantra B&B (and your walking tour). Cheers.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bonnie,

Congrats on your 15th anniversary! Finally, a late honeymoon. I hope that you and your husband really enjoy it.

This September is going to be a busy one because the Ryder Cup will be in Ireland. Once you get your itinerary made it might be wise to make B&B reservations. From your comments it seems to me that you would prefer to have a leisurely paced trip with not too much packed into a day so that you can wander and explore at will. With only one week I think that you will need to cut some things out if that is the kind of trip you envision.

You will need to be on a very tight budget. Because of exchange rates Northern Ireland can be a bit more expensive than the Republic. Had you thought of cutting that portion out? I really would recommend renting a car for a week as it will be your most efficient way of getting around and make best use of your time. However, renting in Belfast and dropping at Shannon would mean a hefty drop-off fee. If you skipped Belfast and went into either Dublin or Shannon you would save money on that. A manual car and declining CDW with a gold or platinum MasterCard will also save (see my Car Rental page). You will want to take a look at my "Money" & "Budgeting" pages for good tips.

General questions -

1. Can we do what we want using the bus, and if so, what is the best way to go about getting a pass and what kind? or, would it be easier for us to rent a car in order to take our own time? * Rent a car.

2. Do B&B's have a certain time to be in at night? * No. You will get a key for your room and front door of the B&B and can come and go as you please.

3. Every search I do brings up different B&B's. Some say high season is through August, some say through Sept. Can I get a cheaper rate in Sept? Can I count on a discount for staying more than one night? * You can sometimes get a discount when staying 2 or 3 nights at a B&B but each place makes their own rules. Ask in advance. Lodging rates tend to go down in October. Go to my "Lodgings" page for recommendations. My book is chock full of great recommendations. Or ask specifically once your itinerary is firm.

4. Is there admission charges that I need to know about for touring? * There are admission charges to get into many things. Of those you mentioned there is a charge for Powerscourt, Kylemore Abbey, Aillwee Cave, Cliffs of Moher, etc. If you want a guided tour of Glendalough there is a charge (and for the visitor's center) but if you wander around by yourselves it is free. Depending on what you actually want to see you may want to check out my "Discount" page (it will be updated for 2006 shortly).

5. If we arrive in Belfast in the am and can't get in to our overnight lodging until afternoon, what can we do with our luggage while we entertain ourselves for the day? * Leave your luggage at your B&B till you can check in.

6. If our main goal is to be kind of secluded and on our own seeing the countryside, is there something I should take off my list, or specifically something that I shouldn't miss. I can see us being happy to pack a picnic and spend the day wandering around by ourselves. (At least that is my dream) : ) I also really want to feel like we saw Ireland. Ireland the country, not neccessarily tourist Ireland. * As I suggested above, you might cut out Belfast. Wicklow is a wonderful area and is deserving of a couple of nights. I think it is just the sort of place you are looking for. You will have to choose between the west (Galway/Connemara) and the southwest (Ring of Kerry/Dingle).

Re-think your itinerary and give it another go. It is the rare person who gets it right on the first try so be patient and try, try again.

Michele

Bonnie · Member

Michelle,

Thanks so much! My only real reason for wanting to go to Belfast was for the Glens of Antrim. Sounds just beautiful, but I have noticed the expence of NI. In deciding what to cut out as far as west or southwest, I'd like to get the biggest bang for my buck, or rather the most beauty with my time.

I have read all your pages. There is so much great info there and I have just been trying to absorb everything and keep it catalogued in my brain.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bonnie,

Consider flying into and out of Shannon. That way you could see the Galway/Connemara area and the southwest. In that case Wicklow would be out. There is only so much you can do in your alloted time.

Michele

Bonnie · Member

Thanks Michelle! I've spent the weekend rethinking my plans and now that my husband is at work again, I can do some more research. I guess what it amounts to is that we'll have to make more than one trip!! I created a list of all the things I wanted to see and then ranked them by priority (I'm just a litlle anal), so now I'll go over that list again and see where I come out. I'll let you know.

Bonnie

Melissa5 · Guru

making lists

Bonnie · Member

RE: first trip - lots of questions

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bonnie,

If those are you lodging options I highly suggest getting my book!

Try to stay in one place for more days. For instance in Co. Wicklow you can stay in just one place for doing Glendalough and Powerscourt. They are not that far apart. Not much to see in Arklow.

day 2 - Drive to Glendalough and spend the day walking and seeing. Stay in Glendalough - Carmels B&B? * Stay in Glendalough for 2 nights. I don't recommend Carmels.

day 3 - Powerscourt, Avoca, Arklow. Stay in Arklow - Koliba Country Home? * See comment above.

day 4 - Kilkenny castle (about 1 1/2 hr drive. Plan to arrive @10 am. I figure the drive will be great to see some country) Drive to Shannon after lunch (about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs drive) Possibly banquet at Bunratty that night (?) Stay over in Shannon - Tradaree? * This is a very long day. You might want to book the later banquet at Bunratty not the early one. Your drive times are optimistic.

day 5 - Knappogue Castle, Craggounowen. Drive to Clifden. Stay over in Clifden - Cregg House? * Okay. Roundstone is also a lovely place to stay. It is a much smaller fishing village with wonderful beaches and walks.

day 6 and 7 - Connemara (maybe bike Sky Road), Kylemore Abbey. Cregg House again. **Possibly stay in Clarinbridge at Karaun House on night 7? That would knock a bit off the drive on day 8, but I don't want to rush the day to fit it? What do you think? * You might as well stay put in Connemara.

day 8 - Drive to Dublin. I know its a long drive - 5hrs? but it will take us through a part of the country we haven't seen yet and we can just enjoy the drive. Should arrive mid-afternoon. Stay in Dublin - Tara Hall? * You could do sightseeing along the way. Clonmacnoise is great and Belvedere House and Gardens is lovely. You won't be doing any Dublin sightseeing because you just won't have time. Had you thought of staying north of the city for an easy commute to the airport? Malahide is ideal.

Michele

yesiree · Guru

On days 2&3, staying someplace further west than Arklow could save you time in the car on day 3. Staying in the same place both nights is a really good idea...Glendalough would also be a good choice (the grounds are great in the evening when the tour buses have left).

Yes, you'll be driving through some beautiful country...really beautiful country on Day 4...but realize there are no direct routes between Arklow-Kilkenny-Bunratty, so it will be the slowest of Irish driving. Michele is right, your times are very optomistic...namely for the route you are looking at.

You might consider cutting Kilkenny so you have more time. I'm a big fan of Kilkenny, but it's a busy place with a web of medieval streets. Getting in to town, parking and seeing the castle will take up a lot of time for just one site. A thought would be to make your way from Arklow (or near Glendalough) to Port Laoise (pronounced Port Leash) via the country roads.

Some of my favorite sites in that area are the Rock of Dunamase outside of Port Laoise, Browneshill dolmen outside of Carlow and Heywood Gardens in Ballinakill near Abbeyleix...and they're all free. You could then hop on the N7 to Limerick/Shannon (after several hours on those beautiful but exhausting side roads, you'll be ready to cover some ground on the highway).

If you've got rain on Day 5, I'd skip Craggaunonwen. I'll be honest, when I was there last summer I was disappointed. The crannog had burned down and was being rebuilt and there was only one person in period costume. The highlights for me were the Souterrain, the red deer and the walk through the moss-covered forest...still not quite enough for it to match up with their promotional materials and the 7.5 euro admission. I'd stop at Quin Abbey instead (it's also free) or just push onward to Connemara.

Connemara is magical. Malahide is a nice and convenient choice for your last day.