Ireland Tips

[NinaBella]

Hi,
Just joining this forum. We are interested in going to Ireland in a couple years, so we need to start planning and researching now.

My DH is asking if there are less expensive options than Disney? We are a (retired) military family (both DH and I served 20+ years and retired), have traveled abroad before, mostly in Asia. I have lived in South Korea for a total of six years between three tours and love Asia! Both DH and I have been to various locations in the Middle East and DH still travels to Middle East for work on occasion, but not as often as he use to. He doesn't actually care to go on those trips so they hired a new person specifically to travel for the conferences, events, there.

DH lived in England back in 1980-1982 when when he was 18/19 years old and hasn't been back since.

My sons are currently 23, 21, and 13. My daughter is currently 12. Both 13 and 12 year old say they would like to go to Ireland so DH says for the 13 year old's graduation trip we should go to Ireland. He is in 8th grade right now. LOL. Maybe we can go earlier than that, but looking to plan.

I will be reading previous posts over the next couple weeks but if you have any tips let me know. I am also wondering what other tour companies are available. We don't necessarily want to be with a large group. How many people are typically in a Disney group?

I am active on other forums on DisBoards, but first post here. We currently live in Tampa, Florida.

 

[Bobo912]

Hi,
Just joining this forum. We are interested in going to Ireland in a couple years, so we need to start planning and researching now.

My DH is asking if there are less expensive options than Disney? We are a (retired) military family (both DH and I served 20+ years and retired), have traveled abroad before, mostly in Asia. I have lived in South Korea for a total of six years between three tours and love Asia! Both DH and I have been to various locations in the Middle East and DH still travels to Middle East for work on occasion, but not as often as he use to. He doesn't actually care to go on those trips so they hired a new person specifically to travel for the conferences, events, there.

DH lived in England back in 1980-1982 when when he was 18/19 years old and hasn't been back since.

My sons are currently 23, 21, and 13. My daughter is currently 12. Both 13 and 12 year old say they would like to go to Ireland so DH says for the 13 year old's graduation trip we should go to Ireland. He is in 8th grade right now. LOL. Maybe we can go earlier than that, but looking to plan.

I will be reading previous posts over the next couple weeks but if you have any tips let me know. I am also wondering what other tour companies are available. We don't necessarily want to be with a large group. How many people are typically in a Disney group?

I am active on other forums on DisBoards, but first post here. We currently live in Tampa, Florida.

ABDs can have 40-44 guests. We had 40 on our Ireland trip. Tauck has a very similar itinerary for slightly less and there group sizes are similar. If you can live with a group of 40ish guests, you might want to take a look at CIE Tours. They have a wide variety of Ireland itineraries at various price points (all less than ABD). Trafalgar is another option that is less expensive, but also has larger groups. Rick Steves might be a good option for you, still less expensive, and the group sizes are 24 to 28. I haven't done a trip with Rick Steves, but the reviews are always good, and I think if we do another guided European trip we will try them. Personally, I found the Ireland ABD to be a bit disappointing. It was our 5th, and probably last, ABD.

 

[cedricandsophie]

You can easily go to Ireland on your own. Just rent a van assuming that driving on the left is not a problem. Fly into Dublin, spend a couple days and then start a drive around the country. Go south and then across to the west coast. Dingle is great, the cliffs of mohr, the town of Dooley which is a music Mecca, the villGe of Cong where the quiet man was filmed, donegal is beautiful and highly recommend Belfast and Northern Island. On your own you can do what you want. The best part of Ireland is meandering up and down the small roads, getting stopped by herds of sheep and finding cute little pubs. Find a few spots to stay and then take day trips. You can easily get around the whole country in 10 days to 2 weeks. You could rent their version of a motor home, called a Caravan and camp out. If you must do a tour check out gate 1 travel. Excellent tours at very reasonable costs although not many young people.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Hi Im from Ireland, I live in Dublin and I have travelled alot of my country

Ireland, while geographically similar to The UK , is very different.

From what I have read of the ABD Ireland trip, its a very expensive way to see my country. The hotels and restaurants on the trip would be on the fine dining / high end side and the excursions and trips overpriced and not really show the real Ireland, more a stereotypical nostalgic view.

My country has so much more to offer than just what is given on the ABD trip. Like @cedricandsophie has said, you can still be part of tour groups but at such better prices and see alot more.

You can use the ABD itinerary as a guide, some of what they do is a good plan, like arriving into Dublin and leaving from Shannon.

The Dublin hotel on the ABD is a good location BUT there are just as nice hotels across the street or around the corner with far better rates. I would recommend checking out the local hop on hop off bus companies, Big Red Bus is one of them. If you like walking tours, you can do that too. As for things to do in Dublin, my city is basically a living history, a modern day capital city co existing with streets and buildings dating back to the original 10th century Viking settlement.

After that plan your adventure to end up at Shannon airport in the south west of the country. You can go directly west from Dublin to Galway and then south to Shannon Airport or the ABD route south then north. Either way can be done by public transport or local / Irish tour companies or you can drive.

Feel free to ask me any questions, suggestions for places to visit, attractions to see

 

[NinaBella]

I think a group of 40 is way too many people for what we want. I would rather have a group of 20-12 or less. It seems like doing it on our on might be the better way for my family. I did think the ABD prices were high, but like anything Disney the prices are usually higher. It looks like I have a lot of research to do as far as hotels and travel routes.

Is June or July a good month to go? I am thinking summer months since the kids are out of school.

Thank you for the info. I will be back with more questions I am sure.

 

[Woodview]

Hello NinaBella.

Very good ideas given in the above posts ..... Here are some more./

You live in Tampa .......... Then drive or be driven to Orlando Int ( MCO ) and fly from there to Dublin ,Direct , with Aer Lingus.

When you arrive in Dublin ..... Hire a car or mini van ( Rentalcars.com ) ... use unlimited KM / miles

Note we drive on the left & there will be very few ( expensive ) Automatic drive cars .. ...Stick shift is normal.

Look for Diesel rather than petrol cars .. ( Petrol /gas .. & Diesel are sold in Liters .... Diesel is Euro 1.15 a liter . ( nearly 4 liters to gallon )

There are some good hotels in and around Dublin including 2x Best Western in City center . & North Dublin City Hotel . North of Airport.

Have a look at Paddywagon Tours who do day tours from Dublin , Cork, & other City's www.paddywagontours.com

Come South to Cork ..... where I live ...... & stay in The Clarion ( City Center ) or Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas

( I am looking at there Christmas Lights 1 mile away )

Again let Paddywagon tours take you on day trips .

You should use your hired car & explore the Shannon Area & have a Banquet at Bunratty Castle & then make your way back to Dublin

Airport for flight home to Orlando ( Direct )

Dublin ...... Newgrange...... Dublin ...... to Cork ...... Cork area ......... Killarney ..... Killarney area & Drive through Gap of Dunloe

to Moll's Gap .... to Killarney. ....... to Tralee ......to Limerick ......... the Burren .,,,, Galway ...... Dublin.

Hope this is of use to you and gives you a start on planning .

Ask more questions ..... will be glad to give info.

 

[NinaBella]

Hello NinaBella.

Very good ideas given in the above posts ..... Here are some more./

You live in Tampa .......... Then drive or be driven to Orlando Int ( MCO ) and fly from there to Dublin ,Direct , with Aer Lingus.

When you arrive in Dublin ..... Hire a car or mini van ( Rentalcars.com ) ... use unlimited KM / miles

Note we drive on the left & there will be very few ( expensive ) Automatic drive cars .. ...Stick shift is normal.

Look for Diesel rather than petrol cars .. ( Petrol /gas .. & Diesel are sold in Liters .... Diesel is Euro 1.15 a liter . ( nearly 4 liters to gallon )

There are some good hotels in and around Dublin including 2x Best Western in City center . & North Dublin City Hotel . North of Airport.

Have a look at Paddywagon Tours who do day tours from Dublin , Cork, & other City's www.paddywagontours.com

Come South to Cork ..... where I live ...... & stay in The Clarion ( City Center ) or Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas

( I am looking at there Christmas Lights 1 mile away )

Again let Paddywagon tours take you on day trips .

You should use your hired car & explore the Shannon Area & have a Banquet at Bunratty Castle & then make your way back to Dublin

Airport for flight home to Orlando ( Direct )

Dublin ...... Newgrange...... Dublin ...... to Cork ...... Cork area ......... Killarney ..... Killarney area & Drive through Gap of Dunloe

to Moll's Gap .... to Killarney. ....... to Tralee ......to Limerick ......... the Burren .,,,, Galway ...... Dublin.

Hope this is of use to you and gives you a start on planning .

Ask more questions ..... will be glad to give info.

Fantastic information! Thank you!

 

[Bobo912]

If your not comfortable with driving on the left you could also look into arranging for a driver or a private tour. We did a day tour with Rabbie's Trail Blazers when we were in Edinburgh and the driver mentioned that they can arrange a multi-day itinerary based on your interests. They also do tours in Ireland and I'm sure there are a lot of other similar tour providers.

 

[Woodview]

It is not as difficult as you think to drive on the left. ....... Foot pedals are in the same position .... & gear shift is still in the middle..

just that you use your left hand . to move gear stick.

Yes I know sometimes it takes a while to relax but in a hired car ... you are as other road users in that country.

I drive on left with manual stick shift .... then in Europe . ... Right hand drive with manual stick shift ..... then USA .. Right hand side

with Automatic drive .............. you just follow the flow ..

You will pay a lot of money for a private driver ..... So use Coach Day tours ... And train or bus to city's

 

[BadPinkTink]

I just remembered, you CAN get automatic cars from car rental places, my sister and her husband get one when they come home. You just have to specifically ask for one, as they are not common and most people drive manual

 

[NinaBella]

I just remembered, you CAN get automatic cars from car rental places, my sister and her husband get one when they come home. You just have to specifically ask for one, as they are not common and most people drive manual

Thanks, I can drive a manual transmission but my DH can not. So we would upgrade to an automatic if available. I learned to drive in high school with a manual transmission and my first car when I was in my 20s (that I purchased, not mom or dad's) was manual. I only sold it once I married my DH cause he couldn't drive it. Where we lived had a lot of hills that you had to stop at traffic lights on steep inclines.

 

[pad406]

Hi NinaBella

Glad to hear that you're planning to come to our beautiful country. What is it that you like, or what kinds of things would you like to see? Ireland has so much to offer. You can travel and stay in modern hotels or you can go around staying in beautiful castles.


One thing that we do very well here, is guesthouses. These are like small hotels, usually family run. There are some fantastic ones around the country. They would be more economical than hotels generally, though there are expensive ones also, but may not have all the facilities, eg, leisure centre, restaurants. One thing to bear in mind is that generally rooms here are smaller so you'll possibly need 2, not in all places but certainly in some.

If sightseeing is your thing, you'll not be left wanting. From the Wild Atlantic way

to Glendalough

Or the lovely beaches in Donegal


Ideally, if you can travel yourself you'll have much more flexibility and be able to tailor the trip to suit your family best. There are motorways between all the major cities now, though we still have plenty of country bóithríns (as we call them, small roads) which can be a bit nerve racking for foreign visitors

And yes, sheep on them is not unusual

I'd suggest that you start with www.discoverireland.com which is the website for the Irish Tourist Board.

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

 

[lesliekatya]

Lucky you! I would love to go back to Ireland! It's so beautiful, and has the loveliest, most welcoming people!

 

[jeepnjudy]

My DS who was 6 at the time and I went to Ireland. Flew into Shannon, rented a car and drove around the whole country over the course of 2 weeks staying at B&Bs every night. Fun trip and an amazing adventure. All the B&B owners were GREAT and offered much insight into what sights to see and local restaurants that were much better than the few tourist traps we ate at! Definitely much more economical to plan the trip and tour on your own especially since you are retired military and used to traveling as is the case for myself.

 

[Lady Marie]

DH and I have gone twice-- the first with a group, the second time on our own. We personally had a lot more fun renting the car and discovering things on our own pace. But we did love the group we went with. We used Go Ahead and there were only around 20 or so in our group.

One thing you may want to look into (I know Go Ahead does this-- not sure about other companies), but for the same price as your tour (if you purchase their tour plus airfare option), they will allow you to fly in or out of where ever you want however many days before or after your tour dates. You are obviously responsible for your expenses before your official tour dates start but they can arrange hotels for an additional cost. So theoretically you could have the best of both worlds-- go for a week with a tour group and stay on as long as you want to explore on your own.

But I would agree with all the others that Ireland is completely doable on your own with out a group. The B&Bs we have stayed at have been awesome with telling you what the local things to do are. Also check AirBnB-- there are some lovely and unique places you can stay.

 

[carpenta]

Beautiful pictures Pad406. My maternal parents came from Ireland and I should find time to travel to see the rest of the "family". After reading how easy travel seems to be it has motivated me to add this trip to the list and place it close to the top.

 

[NinaBella]

Hi NinaBella

Glad to hear that you're planning to come to our beautiful country. What is it that you like, or what kinds of things would you like to see? Ireland has so much to offer. You can travel and stay in modern hotels or you can go around staying in beautiful castles.
View attachment 140875 View attachment 140877

One thing that we do very well here, is guesthouses. These are like small hotels, usually family run. There are some fantastic ones around the country. They would be more economical than hotels generally, though there are expensive ones also, but may not have all the facilities, eg, leisure centre, restaurants. One thing to bear in mind is that generally rooms here are smaller so you'll possibly need 2, not in all places but certainly in some.

If sightseeing is your thing, you'll not be left wanting. From the Wild Atlantic way
View attachment 140878
to Glendalough
View attachment 140879
Or the lovely beaches in Donegal
View attachment 140880

Ideally, if you can travel yourself you'll have much more flexibility and be able to tailor the trip to suit your family best. There are motorways between all the major cities now, though we still have plenty of country bóithríns (as we call them, small roads) which can be a bit nerve racking for foreign visitors
View attachment 140884
And yes, sheep on them is not unusual

I'd suggest that you start with www.discoverireland.com which is the website for the Irish Tourist Board.

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Thank you. We did decide on a self drive tour. In Dublin we would stay at a hotel, but other locations I think staying at Guest houses would be great! How would I locate reputable Guest Houses? I don't mind paying for two rooms because there will be 4 of us.

 

[BadPinkTink]

hi @NinaBella take a look at http://www.discoverireland.ie/Where-To-Stay/B-Bs and http://irishfarmholidays.com/tourist-board-approved/ You should look for the Irish Tourist Board (Failte Ireland) Approved sign. This means it has been inspected and reached a certain standard. Most B and Bs / Guest Houses are family run.

 

[NinaBella]

What are the largest vehicles you can rent? Right now it's just the four of us. Was talking to our friend (another family of four) and we have vacationed together before. Do they rent vans? Just thinking if her family of four comes, we might need two cars. Or if it's just mom/daughter coming with us, maybe there are larger vehicles or vans to rent?

I just looked up a few websites have mini vans. Actually, with luggage, my family of 4 might need a mini van anyways.

 

[BadPinkTink]

@NinaBella take a look at this https://www.hertz.ie/rentacar/vehic...untryCode=IE&category=4WD/SUV /People Carrier

Thats just Hertz, there are other car hire companies. When search put Ireland after the company ie when I searched Hertz I typed Hertz Ireland