Dublin travel in the winter... Roads? Hotels? Pubs? Advice needed
Sep 12, 2016, 12:45 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORF
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Posts: 3,749
Boy, I hate to do this OP, but given your inexperience with Ireland and the known issues with renting a car there, you should look over this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-i...hlight=renting.
A brief summary: don't assume you can decline the insurance coverage offered by the rental company and be covered as you can on a domestic US rental, don't assume all credit cards that offer coverage for loss and damage to rental cars do so in Ireland, and don't assume that rental car companies in Ireland will accept, without documentation from the credit card company, that your rental is indeed covered by their credit card benefit.
I would strongly suggest that you pay for the "full cover" insurance because of the nature of the Irish roads. No matter how safe a driver may be in the US or in Ireland, it's not difficult to suffer some minor damage to your car as a result of some issue with the narrow roads in Ireland--but as we know, even "minor" damage may cost several thousand dollars to repair.
Finally, don't rent a car during your stay in Dublin. Instead, pick up your rental car at the airport when you leave the city and drop it off before returning to Dublin.
A brief summary: don't assume you can decline the insurance coverage offered by the rental company and be covered as you can on a domestic US rental, don't assume all credit cards that offer coverage for loss and damage to rental cars do so in Ireland, and don't assume that rental car companies in Ireland will accept, without documentation from the credit card company, that your rental is indeed covered by their credit card benefit.
I would strongly suggest that you pay for the "full cover" insurance because of the nature of the Irish roads. No matter how safe a driver may be in the US or in Ireland, it's not difficult to suffer some minor damage to your car as a result of some issue with the narrow roads in Ireland--but as we know, even "minor" damage may cost several thousand dollars to repair.
Finally, don't rent a car during your stay in Dublin. Instead, pick up your rental car at the airport when you leave the city and drop it off before returning to Dublin.
Sep 12, 2016, 2:46 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Posts: 2,210
TL;DR - Dublin is a difficult city to drive in. The only thing in the US I can possibly compare it to is Boston and Dublin was much worse.
Oct 15, 2016, 12:37 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 390
Phones work, roads stay open, as do Petrol stations (which are available on the motorway) and shops still sell what you are looking for. Tesco operate large superstores.
As far as someone from Atlanta is concerned the weather and daylight hours are the same in Edinburgh, London and Dublin. We will not argue over 1 degree or 20 minutes and a few hundred miles. THINGS STAY OPEN WHEN IT IS DARK or cold hahaha
Book one double for you two and a twin for the 2 remaining grown up kids.
Motorways run to Wexford in the South (90min from Dub) 1 Road, less than half a tank of petrol will get you there and back. You cant go wrong.
Good ($60 to $100 a night) 4* hotels include
Riverside Enniscorthy
Ferrycarrig Wexford Outskirts (Beautiful view)
Whitford Hotel Wexford Outskirts
Talbot Wexford town
Whites Wexford Town
Nearby is the 1798 memorial visitor center (Enniscorthy)
Vinegar hill (British battle)
Beautiful beaches that look like they belong in the Caribbean (people walk/fish there in winter too)
The Wexford heritage centre is amazing and you can stay in a ringfort overnight, with an open fire, thatch hut and dressed in full furs. They put on a big Irish stew for you, but Pizza hut deliver too haha.
New Ross is 30 min away on a main road, JFK arboretum, dunbrody famine ship, on to waterford 30 min further.
Forget about your american hotel booking sites. Venere and a discount code is consistently cheaper in Europe.
The problem with Ireland, is we keep the best places secret. So travelers get their travel information from TripAdvisor 'Experts' who have visited all the tourist places.
From your posts, you sound like you know very little about Ireland and the UK. You have the most to gain from your trip here and I hope you enjoy it.
As far as someone from Atlanta is concerned the weather and daylight hours are the same in Edinburgh, London and Dublin. We will not argue over 1 degree or 20 minutes and a few hundred miles. THINGS STAY OPEN WHEN IT IS DARK or cold hahaha
Book one double for you two and a twin for the 2 remaining grown up kids.
Motorways run to Wexford in the South (90min from Dub) 1 Road, less than half a tank of petrol will get you there and back. You cant go wrong.
Good ($60 to $100 a night) 4* hotels include
Riverside Enniscorthy
Ferrycarrig Wexford Outskirts (Beautiful view)
Whitford Hotel Wexford Outskirts
Talbot Wexford town
Whites Wexford Town
Nearby is the 1798 memorial visitor center (Enniscorthy)
Vinegar hill (British battle)
Beautiful beaches that look like they belong in the Caribbean (people walk/fish there in winter too)
The Wexford heritage centre is amazing and you can stay in a ringfort overnight, with an open fire, thatch hut and dressed in full furs. They put on a big Irish stew for you, but Pizza hut deliver too haha.
New Ross is 30 min away on a main road, JFK arboretum, dunbrody famine ship, on to waterford 30 min further.
Forget about your american hotel booking sites. Venere and a discount code is consistently cheaper in Europe.
The problem with Ireland, is we keep the best places secret. So travelers get their travel information from TripAdvisor 'Experts' who have visited all the tourist places.
From your posts, you sound like you know very little about Ireland and the UK. You have the most to gain from your trip here and I hope you enjoy it.
Oct 15, 2016, 1:00 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 390
How old are your kids?
If they are male teenagers, they will be easily entertained. Its a real mans country and entertainment is outdoors, dirty and fun. If you just want some craic, you could go to a GAA match and watch the lads kick the living crap out of each other.
Go paragliding off mount leinster, quadbiking in real countryside, horse riding, shark fishing off kilmore quays, extreme watersports in waterford and some of the best mountain biking in Europe.
If you have two teenage girls, there are a lot less options, shopping compared to the US is terrible. There are nightclubs in all towns and cities.
If they are male teenagers, they will be easily entertained. Its a real mans country and entertainment is outdoors, dirty and fun. If you just want some craic, you could go to a GAA match and watch the lads kick the living crap out of each other.
Go paragliding off mount leinster, quadbiking in real countryside, horse riding, shark fishing off kilmore quays, extreme watersports in waterford and some of the best mountain biking in Europe.
If you have two teenage girls, there are a lot less options, shopping compared to the US is terrible. There are nightclubs in all towns and cities.
Oct 15, 2016, 1:32 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: London/Glasgow
Programs: BAEC Silver (lapsed HNL Gold), Avis Preferred, IHG Diamond Amb, Hilton Plat, Marriot Plat
Posts: 351
How old are your kids?
If they are male teenagers, they will be easily entertained. Its a real mans country and entertainment is outdoors, dirty and fun. If you just want some craic, you could go to a GAA match and watch the lads kick the living crap out of each other.
Go paragliding off mount leinster, quadbiking in real countryside, horse riding, shark fishing off kilmore quays, extreme watersports in waterford and some of the best mountain biking in Europe.
If you have two teenage girls, there are a lot less options, shopping compared to the US is terrible. There are nightclubs in all towns and cities.
If they are male teenagers, they will be easily entertained. Its a real mans country and entertainment is outdoors, dirty and fun. If you just want some craic, you could go to a GAA match and watch the lads kick the living crap out of each other.
Go paragliding off mount leinster, quadbiking in real countryside, horse riding, shark fishing off kilmore quays, extreme watersports in waterford and some of the best mountain biking in Europe.
If you have two teenage girls, there are a lot less options, shopping compared to the US is terrible. There are nightclubs in all towns and cities.
OP - the days will be shorter than you're used to, the weather far more changeable, but in Ireland (as with Scotland and rural England and Wales) often bleak conditions make views more romantic and make you appreciate the hospitality even more.
Oct 19, 2016, 12:55 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 390
Whilst I am male, when I was a teenager my then girlfriend would have done all of the activities you list, and indeed aside from the GAA would have enjoyed them far more than me. Whilst complaining of 'Borderline racism' above, perhaps you could refrain from the outright sexism?
I said it was 'borderline racism' and in the same post I wrote I was going to go Drink a rake load of Guinness. Irish people are not all alcoholics, that's racist. 20% of people over 18 do not drink at all. I am one of them.
The point stands, the Irish countryside has more activities for masculine men (and women).
Oct 21, 2016, 10:24 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Poland
Posts: 869
The original trip included 2 of our older kids (19 & 20) but b/c of college commitments they had to back out so now it'll be a trip with our 12 & 13 yr olds. Too young to drink but the younger ones love history art museums etc. My stupid comma key seems to have stopped working.
We'll be spending Christmas Eve in a beautiful castle. The trip is costing us quite a bit since we'll also be in Edinburgh and London so we're trying to come up with small European themed gift ideas. Suggestions are welcomed! Maybe a necklace for my daughter? Not sure for my son. He's mainly into programming video games that kind of thing so he might be more difficult to shop for. Ok this lack of comma is seriously irritating me.
For New Year's we opted to be right in the heart of it all. After that we'll have 2 days where we commute into Dublin from the CityNorth hotel (it seemed teen friendly and had enough beds...plus at $30 (not Euros!) a night for a 4* we just couldn't resist. I think they were having a glitch that day. I was using either WorkingAdvantage or that other one...TicketsatWork. Let me know if anyone needs the company code that I used.) The rest of the trip we will be heading up to Belfast then back to CityNorth at that same great price and then we were thinking of taking 2 - 3 days to head towards the Cliffs of Moher and the Abbey.
Is there more to see on the way there/back going via Galway or via Limmerick? Any preferences? Any inns near the Cliffs of Moher or the Abbey that you would suggest that we stay at? We were also hoping to sneak in for a quick tour of Ashford Castle if possible.
Luckily we'll be on American time so we'll just wake up earlier to get to the places before the sun goes down. We might be able to do a day in Wexford. I'll check into venere. I'm guessing it's the Irish version of CheapTickets.
I know absolutely nothing about Europe. DH and I just did a 23andme test and it turns out that I'm over 98% Irish/UK and he's around 95%. Now I know why I obsess over those historical novels with the castles and vikings!
I'm also supposedly related to someone that is Lord (insert his name) of the House of Bruce? I have no idea what that means but he popped up when I did the DNA thing. Is there an actual House that tourists can visit or is it a title only?
Thx for all of your help guys. My passport is relatively new but I can't wait to start traveling to other places also.
We'll be spending Christmas Eve in a beautiful castle. The trip is costing us quite a bit since we'll also be in Edinburgh and London so we're trying to come up with small European themed gift ideas. Suggestions are welcomed! Maybe a necklace for my daughter? Not sure for my son. He's mainly into programming video games that kind of thing so he might be more difficult to shop for. Ok this lack of comma is seriously irritating me.
For New Year's we opted to be right in the heart of it all. After that we'll have 2 days where we commute into Dublin from the CityNorth hotel (it seemed teen friendly and had enough beds...plus at $30 (not Euros!) a night for a 4* we just couldn't resist. I think they were having a glitch that day. I was using either WorkingAdvantage or that other one...TicketsatWork. Let me know if anyone needs the company code that I used.) The rest of the trip we will be heading up to Belfast then back to CityNorth at that same great price and then we were thinking of taking 2 - 3 days to head towards the Cliffs of Moher and the Abbey.
Is there more to see on the way there/back going via Galway or via Limmerick? Any preferences? Any inns near the Cliffs of Moher or the Abbey that you would suggest that we stay at? We were also hoping to sneak in for a quick tour of Ashford Castle if possible.
Luckily we'll be on American time so we'll just wake up earlier to get to the places before the sun goes down. We might be able to do a day in Wexford. I'll check into venere. I'm guessing it's the Irish version of CheapTickets.
I know absolutely nothing about Europe. DH and I just did a 23andme test and it turns out that I'm over 98% Irish/UK and he's around 95%. Now I know why I obsess over those historical novels with the castles and vikings!
I'm also supposedly related to someone that is Lord (insert his name) of the House of Bruce? I have no idea what that means but he popped up when I did the DNA thing. Is there an actual House that tourists can visit or is it a title only? Thx for all of your help guys. My passport is relatively new but I can't wait to start traveling to other places also.
Last edited by TravelingNomads; Oct 21, 2016 at 10:35 am
Oct 21, 2016, 1:40 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HHonors Diamond, IHG Uninspired, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, UK AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,152
[1] First batch was produced in China, as were the next few hundred thousand. Once they'd got numbers up, the nice folks at Sony near Cardiff in Wales got in touch, and now most of them are made there. It's a fun talk if you can catch Eben / see him on youtube talking about the crazy launch, and getting to have the Pi made in the UK after all
Oct 22, 2016, 8:46 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Poland
Posts: 869
How about a UK designed, and now built[1] Raspberry Pi? Plenty of materials on building games, amongst other things like hardware hacking and robotics.
[1] First batch was produced in China, as were the next few hundred thousand. Once they'd got numbers up, the nice folks at Sony near Cardiff in Wales got in touch, and now most of them are made there. It's a fun talk if you can catch Eben / see him on youtube talking about the crazy launch, and getting to have the Pi made in the UK after all
[1] First batch was produced in China, as were the next few hundred thousand. Once they'd got numbers up, the nice folks at Sony near Cardiff in Wales got in touch, and now most of them are made there. It's a fun talk if you can catch Eben / see him on youtube talking about the crazy launch, and getting to have the Pi made in the UK after all
That's too funny. Two days ago DH had one in the Amazon cart - for himself! He went on and on about all that you can do with these things. Maybe I should get one for each of them!
