Ireland Vacation

**ladonnarosso** · 09-13-2014, 01:36 PM

We went to Ireland 2 years ago and did a tour through AAA. It was awesome and fairly cost effective because they covered food, transportation, hotels, and attractions. We also didn't have to worry about getting lost. It was one set price and we paid for everything in advance. I would totally do it again. The only downside was that you couldn't be on your own timeline. As for flights, they were expensive. My only advice would be to book at least 30 days in advance, and Tuesday mornings were the cheapest flights available online. Enjoy! It was a once in a lifetime experience that we absolutely loved. Make sure to get some fish and chips in Dublin!

**Goldy** · 09-13-2014, 05:35 PM

We went to Ireland for our honeymoon and loved it. I have tons of recommendations! We flew into Shannon and rented a car as we slowly made our way over to Dublin. The first half of the trip was spent camping and the second half we stayed in castles. One of the castles we liked was the Ross Castle which is small but lovely. We got the room in the top of the turret and actually had the entire castle to ourselves which was pretty darn cool. It was also very affordable. As I'm sure you have noticed, all rooms are per person per night. I always thought that the price looked reasonable until I calculated it to USD and doubled it for the second person. Lodging is expensive in Ireland, even the camping was expensive.

One of our favorite things was just spending time in small towns. We would find a bakery and get supplies for lunches, soda bread, cheese, and turkey which would last us days. We always went out for dinner but would usually split an entre and a soup.

We stayed for 13 days I think and the total cost came to about 5k if I remember correctly.

**snafu** · 09-13-2014, 09:26 PM

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Are you participating in a tour or is this trip self directed? How do you feel about the 'city tours' [Greyline type in USA] for a strong overview? Is a car rental truly necessary in Ireland? Is there efficient public transportation [bus, subway, streetcar, train]? I ask because the driver needs to concentrate on new, unfamiliar environments and never gets to see details. How does car rental/rail pass compare? Would you feel comfortable with new ideas like staying a night or two in a castle instead of major hotel chain? Before finalizing reservation verify if there is a 'resort' fee, booking fee, parkings charge, tax etc. Do you need a swimming pool, fitness and business centre at every hotel?

We have our major meal for lunch when traveling internationally. It's usually similar to the dinner menu at the more upscale, popular or trendy restaurants but at a far more reasonable price point. We then get to 'walk off' the meal and
if something disagrees with our system, it's easy to go to a pharmacy mid day. It's easy to choose a light supper like soup and salad. If you like wine or liqueur, it's fun to go to a wine store and choose something recommended by knowledgeable clerks. Less expensive than cover or corkage charges and a better product. Desserts are big profit margins for restaurants so we usually skip them or stop at a bakery for a local speciality. We find housekeeping staff give good recommendations that give us an opportunity to meet locals and see the best entertainment.

I suggest you check with your bank to know their fees for using your ATM card in Ireland. Some banks merely charge published rates, others have as many as 3 different tacked on fees. Hotels are the most expensive place to exchange currencies, airports are 2nd most expensive, local banks are the biggest hassle - take your passport, research money changers before leaving home. I use a cheat sheet, writing exchange on the back of a business card USD $10. = EURO 11.26 etc.

Ireland Vacation