Affordable lodgings in Ireland for four adults?

July 31, 2007 6:38 AM

What are the most affordable options for lodging in Ireland for four adults? Please recommend places.

My parents, my sister and I will be visiting Ireland in about a month. My sister and I are in our 20s, but usually when we travel together in the U.S. we'll get the standard two-double-beds room for all four of us and my sister and I will share a bed (and pay the moderate extra-person charges). As best as I can tell, though, in Ireland the hotels and B&Bs all charge per-person, not per-room. Self-catering cottages/apartments seem like a better deal, but although a few rent out per-night my searching suggests that 95%+ of them only rent weekly during peak season, which won't work for us. What can we do to find cheaper lodgings?

Conditions:
a) Not too far from tourist attactions. We are starting and ending in Dublin and doing pretty much the standard circuit, driving along the coast and hitting the major tourist attractions and cities. (I can give more details if you need, but think first-time visitors on a 9 day trip seeing famous sights, and you can probably guess it. If you have a suggestion for lodgings near an underrated attraction, though, we'll consider it!) We don't need to be right in the heart of things, but we also want to make the most of our trip by not spending too much time driving between lodgings and attractions. Probably 30-40 minutes drive out-of-the-way would be the max for us. We could also possibly stay en route between two cities, but we don't want to get too far off the beaten path. At least a couple nights we'll want to be somewhere close to a nice pub, but it doesn't have to be every night.

b) We are not picky or looking for anything luxurious or special. As long as the place is reasonably clean, safe, and the proprietors aren't going to rip us off, we're good. Dormitory-style housing in hostels is out, but a private room for four (or two private rooms for two) at a decent, non-sketchy hostel is fine if it's noticeably cheaper.

c) My sister and I are flexible on the bed situation. Sharing a double bed, using a sofa bed, rolling in a cot or two, whatever works. Our parents will want a double bed, of course!

So-- what are the most affordable options you're aware of, anywhere in Ireland? Are there any B&Bs or hotels that have discounts for more than two people and/or are just plain cheap? (There seem to be a lot that charge 35 Euros per person, so "cheap" would be anything less than that, the more the better of course.) Do you know of any self-catering cottages where they'll let us stay for only one or two nights? Any reasonably-priced hostels with private rooms that you can vouch for?

Please share your best bargain lodging finds!

posted by EmilyClimbs to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

It's probably not good for your purposes, but I've had good luck at UCD Village in Dublin. The buildings are student housing at University College, Dublin, which during the summer get turned into hostel accommodation. There are big, annoying groups of Spanish and Italian teenagers staying there while they go to language school, but it sounds like you'll be there at the very end of the summer, when they'll probably all be gone.

The problem, from your point of view, is that all the rooms are singles, so that I don't think even your parents could share a room. It's also likely that you could pay less somewhere for two doubles, although I don't know enough about Dublin hostels to know where. But the rooms are cheap (45 euros a night), clean and perfectly serviceable. It's about a 30 minute bus ride to the city center, which is actually not bad by Dublin standards. The rooms are clustered in apartments with a kitchen. Some apartments have shared bathrooms and some of them have a little bathroom in each room. There's not a lot in the immediate area, but there's a little shop, so you can buy breakfast supplies and save some money that way.

Like I said, it's probably not the right place for you, but I'm going to post it anyway, in case someone else ends up reading this.
posted by craichead at 7:27 AM on July 31, 2007

Oops. You mentioned that you're looking for stuff under 35 euros a night. Axe that suggestion: it's a bit more than that.
posted by craichead at 7:31 AM on July 31, 2007

Jury's Inns offer a per-room rate, have rooms which will fit four adults, and are usually in central locations. Looks like in September you'd be looking at around €150 per room per night to stay in Dublin, €122 in Galway.

Accomodation is not cheap in Ireland, and you might be better off with the €35 B&Bs, who will usually throw in a few chats with actual Irish people, and a big greasy fried breakfast (you'll save on lunch, believe me).

Also, most any night you'll be close to a nice pub - the trick is finding it - which is where the chats come in.

I'd consider Jury's Christchurch for the Dublin pick, right beside this great traditional pub (I know it looks like a fish restaurant, but don't be fooled - you want the lounge upstairs). Then I'd B&B it round the provinces.

Other great pubs.
posted by tiny crocodile at 7:50 AM on July 31, 2007

More on pubs (sorry, that must be where my expertise lies!). This place is amazing. This one is great for trad music.
posted by tiny crocodile at 8:02 AM on July 31, 2007

And there's more: Isaac's Hostel is working out around US$25 per person per night for a "4 bed mixed dorm". Might be more what you're looking for?
posted by tiny crocodile at 8:12 AM on July 31, 2007

In Aug '00 I was able to find lodging for 4 ppl fairly cheaply as we drove around for a week. In Dublin we stayed at Kinlay House, a hostel but we got a 4-person room. Don't know if your parents would be willing to sleep separately for one night in Dublin, but it was cheap and a great location.

Not entirely sure where you're going. We did the West coast and in Doolin stayed at a B&B two or three doors away from O'Connors (possibly called Riverhouse).

A few years ago I went again and bought a package for 2 ppl - 6 nights in farmhouses/b&bs. It was cheap and they sent me a book to pick the places I wanted to stay beforehand. I used Brian Moore Tours. My package included a rental car.
posted by jdl at 8:52 AM on July 31, 2007