Hey ladies,
My husband and I are trying to plan our anniversary trip in May. One of the places on our list is Ireland. Typically we spend around 2 weeks on vaca, give or take. End of May/beginning June. We are pretty adventurous, and don't trypically like staying at large resorts- we prefer villas, condos, smaller resorts, etc... We have spent the last 6 years exploring the Carribbean and Mexico- so we are def. beach people and enjoy scuba diving. We definitely interested in visiting pubs and distilleries in Ireland. I have heard to stay in Dublin for a few nights, and then rent a car and wander around... but that was just talk from a friend. I figured I'd start here before I research more. Thanks! (What is the weather like during May?)
Re: Ireland Info Needed Please
May should be lovely. I've only been there in fall and it was nice then.
Both times I've gone, I've done a fly/drive/B&B package. You get a rental car with unlimited mileage, and vouchers to use at B&Bs all over the country. Occasionally you'll also find some smaller hotels that will honor the vouchers if you pay an additional fee. I found that to be a great way to visit Ireland. You'll likely end up in some delighful little towns that you may never see on a tour, for example.
If you're interested in my itineraries, PM me.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
May will be cool, but should be nice -- and not too crowded. I went last year on the first or second day of June, and stayed for just shy of 2 weeks. The weather was really nice, things were open, but not overwhelmed.
We did not go to Dublin at all. Flew into Shannon, rented a car, and explored the southeastern third or so of the country, and flew back out of Shannon. Being out in the country, Shannon's an easier place to pick up a rental car and drive on the left for the first time, especially if you're just coming off a redeye. My next trip there I'd like to see Dublin, but I'm not a city person, so I don't expect to spend tons of time there. Just enough to see it.
As much as I enjoy a Guinness, St. James' Gate wasn't high on my list, or any distilleries. Particularly with Guinness, they're known for being pretty touristy. That wasn't what I wanted to see. I preferred small towns, tiny B&Bs, pubs with great music (Doolin was especially wonderful), and chats with people who live there. We stayed overnight in Galway, Doolin, Dingle, Kenmare, and Kinsale.
Renting a car is definitely the way to go once you leave Dublin. Just make sure that you're either prepared to drive a stick shift (shifting left handed, while driving on the left), or you reserve an automatic in advance. Most cars there are stick. I didn't mind, but some people do.
We went to Ireland in June 2007 and the weather was very lovely. Things were not very crowded so it made sightseeing very pleasant. We got B&B vouchers and a rental car which was a great idea. Each day we decided what we wanted to do and see and where we wanted to end up at night and then called B&Bs and lined them up for that night. Very easy and only once did we have to call multiple places, but that was because we needed two rooms (we traveled with another couple).
We flew into Dublin and out of Shannon. The Dingle Peninsula was the highlight of the trip for us.
LOL! DH wants to live there I think!
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
Don't drink the water.
Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
We loved Kinsale, the Cliffs of Moher (see sig pic below) and the Ring of Kerry. Dublin was cool but I wouldn't stay more than a day or two ... go into the countryside instead. Some towns are really touristy (Killarney, I think it was) and it's disappointing and doesn't feel authentic, so get off the beaten path a bit.
We also tracked down an ancestor's grave in a small town, mostly by talking to the locals. Wonderful experience! The Irish are so friendly.
We flew into Dublin, rented a car and made our way west to see the sights. We flew home from Shannon.