VacationFilter: Help Plan a Three-Generation Adventure in Ireland.
February 29, 2016 8:53 AM Subscribe
We're planning an 8 to 12 day vacation in Ireland this summer (late June / early July) for 11 people (mostly Canadian) ages 1 through 70. Looking for suggestions for family-friendly places to stay, things to see, ways to get about.
Vacation Expectations: We're hoping to experience the beauty and history of the Irish countryside.
Travel: We'll be flying into Ireland from elsewhere in Europe, as this is part of a longer vacation. We're open to some travel during our time in Ireland, perhaps by train, but we don't want to be on the move too often.
Accommodations: BnBs or AirBnBs would be preferred over hotels; access to a kitchen will simplify meals. We're open to non-conventional accommodations as well, example: farm stay.
Our crew:
* Four kids ages 1, 1.5, 3.5 & 4.5
* Four parents, late 30s.
* Three grandparents, late 60s to early 70s.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Vacation Expectations: We're hoping to experience the beauty and history of the Irish countryside.
Travel: We'll be flying into Ireland from elsewhere in Europe, as this is part of a longer vacation. We're open to some travel during our time in Ireland, perhaps by train, but we don't want to be on the move too often.
Accommodations: BnBs or AirBnBs would be preferred over hotels; access to a kitchen will simplify meals. We're open to non-conventional accommodations as well, example: farm stay.
Our crew:
* Four kids ages 1, 1.5, 3.5 & 4.5
* Four parents, late 30s.
* Three grandparents, late 60s to early 70s.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Response by poster: In response to DarlingBri:
Thanks for the B&B clarification. Yes, AirBnB or cottage rental does sounds much better!
Crowds are okay, but we're open to going off the beaten path. We definitely don't need to hit all the standard tourist fare. The guiding factor for most decisions will be: "Is this easy to do with kids and grandparents in tow." :D
Hadn't thought about a car. I imagine having access to a car/van would simplify things. How hard would it be to rent a vehicle that'll fit us all?
Also: Based on previous AskMefi questions I'm starting to lean towards the west-coast with a focus on Galway and Dingle.
posted by stungeye at 9:54 AM on February 29, 2016
Thanks for the B&B clarification. Yes, AirBnB or cottage rental does sounds much better!
Crowds are okay, but we're open to going off the beaten path. We definitely don't need to hit all the standard tourist fare. The guiding factor for most decisions will be: "Is this easy to do with kids and grandparents in tow." :D
Hadn't thought about a car. I imagine having access to a car/van would simplify things. How hard would it be to rent a vehicle that'll fit us all?
Also: Based on previous AskMefi questions I'm starting to lean towards the west-coast with a focus on Galway and Dingle.
posted by stungeye at 9:54 AM on February 29, 2016
If you consider the West, may I suggest Westport? It is close to really spectacular scenery, there are some easy walks, including a former railway, now a walking/biking path. There are great beaches nearby (you will need a car), and lots of historic stuff nearby as well. MeMail me for suggestions on where to stay, I know of at least one B&B that might suit - and they also have cottages available.
posted by dbmcd at 10:06 AM on February 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by dbmcd at 10:06 AM on February 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
You could rent two minivan sized vehicles that can each seat six comfortably, including luggage, or go with 3 four-seaters if you have enough drivers and it doesn't cost too much more. Your group has 4 car seats, right? That will give your group more flexibility so that some can stay an extra hour somewhere and others can go back to the room if they are tired. Be prepared to pay extra for automatic transmission and even if some in the group can drive stick, remember they drive on the left and some roads are narrow. Also, not all credit cards cover rental car insurance in Ireland, so check with yours. Print out your reservations at home so the rental company doesn't try to stick you in a 4 door sedan. Some companies also charge a big premium for extra drivers, so try to get that nailed down before you go as well.
posted by soelo at 10:39 AM on February 29, 2016
posted by soelo at 10:39 AM on February 29, 2016
Nothing against Galway, but I'd skip it for this trip based on your request. I did a great walk on the Cliffs of Moher with only a dozen or so people that I would highly recommend normally, but I think the kids in your group might be too young for the whole walk. That said, I'd spend a couple nights in that area (go to the main area of the cliffs by car) then use Dingle as the base for water & countryside.
posted by Laura in Canada at 12:54 PM on February 29, 2016
posted by Laura in Canada at 12:54 PM on February 29, 2016
The west of Ireland is definitely the place to go for dramatic scenery. You could base yourselves in Connemara for half the trip and Kerry for the other half. Kerry is about a 4 hour drive from Dublin, Connemara is about 2.5. Renting a cottage in 2 different places for 6 days is probably a good idea. It's going to be hard to get around other than in cities without cars, but it'll be hard (and very expensive) to get a single vehicle that will carry 11 of you. Is there any way you could get 2 cars?
If you decide to base yourselves in Dublin (which I'd advise against, it's a long way from most of the most beautiful parts of Ireland), be sure to visit Glendalough in Wicklow. Will be lovely, if tourist filled, at that time of year. Everything will be very very green!
I'm sure you're aware already, but it does rain a lot here. You may get lucky but then again it could end up being miserable for at least some of your trip, so having somewhere nice to stay will make a big difference.
If you can't get cars, Galway City and Killarney would be good as your 2 bases, as they're easy to get to and plenty of tour buses go from there. The ring of Kerry is a long day on a bus but you'll see so many incredible views to make it worthwhile. Also if you don't have cars you're going to be forced to stay on the beaten path for the most part!
Donegal is amazing, but the roads are very narrow and so it takes a long time to get anywhere. With the number of people you have to transport it's not worth the hassle. The midlands of Ireland is fairly boring, cute fields but that's about it. You'll see as much as you want to of it driving through it to other places. The Giant's Causeway is a bit of a disappointment, I wouldn't bother with that trip.
Hope you have a great time whatever you decide on!
posted by Lucy_32 at 3:33 PM on February 29, 2016
If you decide to base yourselves in Dublin (which I'd advise against, it's a long way from most of the most beautiful parts of Ireland), be sure to visit Glendalough in Wicklow. Will be lovely, if tourist filled, at that time of year. Everything will be very very green!
I'm sure you're aware already, but it does rain a lot here. You may get lucky but then again it could end up being miserable for at least some of your trip, so having somewhere nice to stay will make a big difference.
If you can't get cars, Galway City and Killarney would be good as your 2 bases, as they're easy to get to and plenty of tour buses go from there. The ring of Kerry is a long day on a bus but you'll see so many incredible views to make it worthwhile. Also if you don't have cars you're going to be forced to stay on the beaten path for the most part!
Donegal is amazing, but the roads are very narrow and so it takes a long time to get anywhere. With the number of people you have to transport it's not worth the hassle. The midlands of Ireland is fairly boring, cute fields but that's about it. You'll see as much as you want to of it driving through it to other places. The Giant's Causeway is a bit of a disappointment, I wouldn't bother with that trip.
Hope you have a great time whatever you decide on!
posted by Lucy_32 at 3:33 PM on February 29, 2016
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
Based on this thread (and the others listed below) we're thinking of splitting our time across two cities/towns in the west/south-west counties. We'll rent a cottage/AirBnB in each place, and two vehicles (at least for some of our trip). If feasible, we'll fly into Shannon at the start of our visit, rather than Dublin.
Picking which cities/towns to rent in will likely be influenced by the availability of 4 bedroom cottages/AirBnBs. Possibilities include: Dingle, Galway, Kilkee, Killarney, Kinsale, Westport...
Other AskMefi threads I found helpful:
posted by stungeye at 7:53 AM on March 1, 2016
Based on this thread (and the others listed below) we're thinking of splitting our time across two cities/towns in the west/south-west counties. We'll rent a cottage/AirBnB in each place, and two vehicles (at least for some of our trip). If feasible, we'll fly into Shannon at the start of our visit, rather than Dublin.
Picking which cities/towns to rent in will likely be influenced by the availability of 4 bedroom cottages/AirBnBs. Possibilities include: Dingle, Galway, Kilkee, Killarney, Kinsale, Westport...
Other AskMefi threads I found helpful:
- Ireland with 9 Month old - 2015
- Last Day of Ireland Vacation - 2015
- 8 days in Ireland: Southwest or Northwest - 2014
- Ireland Itinerary - 2013
- Where is the Real Ireland - 2009
posted by stungeye at 7:53 AM on March 1, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
This country is nothing but countryside. Very little of it is not beautiful. Can you be a little bit more specific? Are you looking to like, tromp the Cliffs of Moher with 3,000 other people or do you want to stand in the middle of the oldest standing stones in Europe that nobody knows about? Information about how crowd-averse you are would help. Also, I love travel by train but if you are planning to have no car(s) for this trip, that is really key information!
posted by DarlingBri at 9:37 AM on February 29, 2016