4-6 full days in SW Ireland

jbjayhawk · Member

4-6 full days in SW Ireland

CowboyCraic · Guru

That is definitely a lot of ground to cover in 4-6 days. You will end up seeing most of Ireland through your windshield, I am afraid. Also, the airfare seems rather high. You definitely would run over the $3500 budget. Flying out of Chicago on Aer Lingus, your airfare total, at the current rate, would only be 1342.26, which is better than the rates you were quoting.

If you have your heart set on traveling over for a short break, I would suggest:

Day 1 Arrive Shannon drive to Tralee Lodge two nights

Day 2 explore the Dingle Peninsula

Day 3 Drive to Killarney Lodge two nights

Day 4 Day Trip Ring of Kerry

Day 5 Drive To Shannon Area Lodge overnight

Day 6 Home

By taking the Killimer/Tarbert Ferry to and from the Southwest into Shannon, you will cut 85 miles off your trip.

If it were my trip, I am afraid that I would wait until I had more time to devote. I think ten days is the minimum needed to truly enjoy Ireland.

Slan Agus Beannacht,

Bit Devine

Michele Erdvig · Host

jb,

Welcome to the forum. That airfare sounds awfully high. Have you looked at Aer Lingus from Chicago? They usually have the lowest fares.

If you have only 6 days you can still enjoy Ireland, however I would not recommend just 4. You will be just getting over jet-lag when you have to go home with four days. I do agree with Bit that having more time would be wonderful but for some people it is just not possible.

The trick is to pare down your itinerary a little bit. Driving from Shannon to Killarney on your first day is fine. It takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I think I would skip the ROK in favor of time in Dingle. You could see the Cliffs of Moher and part of the Burren on your last day and end up in Shannon.

June 1 to 4 is a long holiday weekend so I would advise reservations then, as well as for your first and last nights.

Try for some lower airfares and do a bit of tinkering with your itinerary.

Let me know if I can offer more help.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 02:22, 2007-01-08

yesiree · Guru

Ouch on the airfare. Just booked a flight for around that same time and it was under $800 from O'Hare to Shannon. I used the "flexible dates" option on Aer Lingus and most of the flights on the calendar were between $285 & $385 each way. There were some even better prices offered by American Airlines.

Even a quick search on www.orbitz.com should find you a flight for less from KS.

jbjayhawk · Member

Thanks for the advice! I should have been more clear on the air prices. $1,600- $2,000 total for both my wife and I ($600-$1,000 per person with all taxes). I did find the Aer Lingus info. and did a little searching on orbitz, travelocity etc. I did not go to the Aer Lingus website yet. If we decide to take this trip in 2007, I think we will take an extra vacation day on our end & do a schedule of leave on Friday / arrive in Shannon Saturday morning- return home on Saturday trip. This would give us Sun- Friday as 6 full rested days to see Ireland. From a pure natural beauty perspective, is the Dingle area nicer than the ROK? It seems like a shame to miss the ROK but maybe it would be best to save it for another trip or maybe the extra day leaves us the opportunity to add the ROK. We could always return on a Sunday but we both would have to work on Monday so returning on a Saturday gives us a day to get adjusted to the time change a little. Thanks again for the help.

yesiree · Guru

That price sounds more like it. Whew! I thought someone was trying to overcharge you.

Dingle is a better idea for your trip...think of it as a ROK compressed into a more compact region that is closer to Shannon. You will not be disappointed. If you're in Dingle say hi to Mazz O'Flaherty at the Dingle Record Shop (let her know the guys from www.irishfireside.com sent you).

As for keeping the price of your trip down. You could save as much as $100 for the week by staying on the outskirts of towns and at cheaper B&Bs...BUT make sure you splurge at least once at a really nice B&B and stay there for two nights! Michele and the crew can help you find that perfect spot, and it'll have a great affect on your experience.

Other spots to save would be renting a small car that is manual instead of automatic...and limiting your eating out (especially dinners which can be pricy unless you catch an early bird special).

Good luck.

jbjayhawk · Member

Thanks yesiree! Assuming we stay 6 full days in Ireland (no travel days included) what is a realistic budget for food ,accommodations & tours or entry fees (no air)? During some initial research, It looked like we could find accommodations for under $100 total per night? For food, we usually budget $100 total per day ($20 for breakfast / $20-30 for lunch & $50-$60 for dinner) . We found this budget worked very well in Paris but Paris had lots of great places to eact cheap i.e. large falafal sandwiches for 5 or 6 euros each & breakfast crepes for the same price etc. I would think we could do this trip for $3,500-$4,000 total & have very nice trip while enjoying a mix of some nice meals and some cheap meals, some budget places to stay and a nice place to stay etc. Maybe not? The advice we are receiving is really leading us to visit Ireland so I appreciate it.

CowboyCraic · Guru

Jb,

Make sure you purchase Michele's book, as it will be very helpful.

As for eating, check this site, http://www.valuemenu.ie/control.asp, which will give you some places to eat that have special value priced meals. Also, Pub meals are usally cheaper than full restaurants. The food is hearty and plentiful. I found that I could always split a bowl of Irish stew or another menu item in a Pub with one of my trip mates and we would both be satisfied. We did a lot of picnic lunches, stoppping at the Maxol petrol stations, which have great delis, to purchase baguettes, Irish cheese, fried chicken and drinks. We would then find a scenic spot and pull over and enjoy a nice roadside picnic. Your breakfast, also hearty & plentiful, will usually be included in your lodging price. That will keep you going until midday.

Coill An Rois would be an excellent base for you in the Dingle area. You could also look to stay at Emlagh Lodge or The Lighthouse. All are excellent B&Bs and should be well under your $100 a night limit.

Check with Kemwel or AutoEurope for excellent car rental rates. I believe Michele has a link on this site for Kemwel. Use this site, http://www.aaireland.ie/routes/, to help you determine driving times and lengths.

Concentrate on the Dingle peninsula, there is so much to do and see. You will be back again. A slow pace, a sense of adventure and a relaxed attitude are the best things to bring with you to Ireland, along with a sturdy pair of walking shoes and a light waterproof jacket.

Enjoy your adventure!

Slan Agus Beannacht,

Bit Devine

Michele Erdvig · Host

jb,

Everyone has shared very good info with you. Since you have to return to work on a Monday, returning from Ireland on a Saturday with a day to rest sounds best. That would give you a week in Ireland.

Take a look at my "Tips & Tricks" & "Money" pages for info about budgeting, etc. Just click on IrelandYes Index near the top of the forum and a box will pop up with the index.

At B&Bs breakfast is included in the price. Irish breakfasts are so hearty you can get away with a bowl of soup and brown bread for lunch (about 4-5 euro each). Many Irish restaurants have "early bird" menus that are much lower priced than their a la carte menus. I would suggest doing that whenever possible. As Bit recommended, you can eat at pubs for dinner usually at lower prices than a traditional restaurant. Food in Ireland is expensive and so is drink. In the evening you probably will not find an entree for under 12 euro on a restaurant menu. However the early birds are usually three-courses and might run you 22-26 euro per person.

Most people prefer the Dingle Peninsula over ROK. It is just that ROK gets the press! When people read about it they figure they must do it. You might want to decide when you are there and let the weather determine it. If it is foggy or lashing with rain you might skip it.

Michele

jbjayhawk · Member

Thanks Michele! I sent you a pm last night and received an email response (Thanks!). We will probably be back with you. I know you mentioned June 1-4 is a holiday. Are we still in good shape to book B&B from May 26th- June 2nd or will we find that a lot of the better B&B are full? I know many of these are smaller with probably a range of 2-5 guest rooms? From a planning perspective how far in advance do we really need to book? I know when we stayed in Paris we stayed at a smaller hotel (8 rooms or so) and you had to book a good 6 months in advance to get a room. Are we at a point where we really need to make all of our bookings or do we have another 30 days or so to do some planning? Thanks!

Michele Erdvig · Host

jb,

There are so many B&Bs in Ireland that you have time to get your itinerary in place and then start your reservations. I think if you do so by March you will be fine. You have some breathing room.

Michele