http://www.sceptretours.com/vacations/ritz-pkg-wint?utm_source=travel%2Bzoo&utm_medium=eblast&utm_campaign=top%2B20%20apr15

my mom sent this link out to my and my little bro - so far my mom/step-dad/brother/brother's fiance are thinking about going and my mom is asking my grandmother if she wants to go - we initially said no since we are going to south africa next year and went to london and paris a few months ago but we're planning on starting to try to have kids next year so there's no time like the present it seems - costs will be lower than a typical trip for us because we'll be picking up some meals for free but at the same time it locks us into a few activities that we may or may not want to do

they're planning on going the week of thanksgiving currently - we'd arrive the morning of the 22nd and fly out the 28th - the hotel is just south of dublin in enniskerry but we'll have a rental car per the deal although i'd prefer to take trains everywhere at least into dublin

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Powerscourt/Default.htm

i don't know much about ireland at all really other than i plan to spend a few nights getting drunk with the locals in a proper pub as that was some of the most fun i had in london

we're still considering going and haven't fully decided yet - throw out suggestions for things to do or if the deal sucks because the location makes it not worth going or something along those lines - the weather seems to be in the 40-50s which isn't bad and it'll be rainy but it's always rainy there

as far as the cost - the cheapest room at the hotel goes for 255 euro/night so that alone makes the deal worth the $$ it seems - from ATL it works out to a little over 2k and to book the hotel alone it'd be 2k usd before taxes

4/16/2009 11:46:13 AM

I am jealous of all the traveling you're doing.

4/16/2009 12:23:33 PM

Quote :

"Includes Manual shift Full size car rental"

hahaha why would they do that - are they trying to get tourists killed?

4/16/2009 12:44:47 PM

Ireland is fucking awesome, but I don't know about staying in the same place the entire time. It's a small country, so you can make day trips just about anywhere you want, though. But there's a lot of charm in late-night pubs in small towns. The Ring of Kerry on the southwest corner is a full day and an absolute must-visit. It'd kind of suck to have to drive across the country in the morning and then drive back in the evening.

4/16/2009 12:50:36 PM

So, are you asking our opinions, want to know the area, or what?

Went last summer (late May) to Ireland - all over. Both the Republic and the UK part. Ireland is awesome - we were really fortunate that it didn't pour on us the whole time and half of the time the weather was in a "heat wave" (it was in the low 70s). We didn't do trains, we did buses - I wasn't aware there was a big train system in Ireland. If you want to see the cooler, smaller cities and such, bus is the way to go or driving.

Ireland is tiny - if you switch Ireland on its side, its pretty much the size of NC. You're not gonna find a PROPER pub in Dublin - the smaller cities have better pubs (in my opinion). I think my favorite town on our excursion around Ireland was Sligo or Galway. Belfast/Enniskillen was nice too, but we had shitty weather while we were up there. Belfast was really interesting for the history.

The one thing I really wanted to do was explore more of the middle. There are some ruins in Ireland that are older than Stonehenge, and its full of these old crypts and such.

If you want more details about certain cities, let me know. I think I even have some of the places we ate written down.

4/16/2009 1:17:48 PM

Ok, I'm over the 30 minute post limit as I was trying to upload photos and it took flippin' forever. Here are a few.


View from Parliament in Belfast.


Glencar Waterfall


Landscape nearby


House/castle/mansion where some brother to the Queen lives


Coastline


Cliffs of Moher


Other side of the Cliffs


Prepare to see lots and lots of old castles.


We visited Wateford Crystal as well.


The Curragh is a massive open plain area of Ireland. It's home to many horse racing places, and the horses have as much right to the land as the sheep do (so you'll see flocks of sheep just roaming around, eating in people's gardens, etc). No sheep in this picture though, obviously.


St. Fiachra's Gardens at the Irish National Stud


Of course we went to a horse race. This is Punchestowne.


We toured Dublin in a duck! You DO go in the water. And you shout at other tourists as you rumble by and try to scare them (you're encouraged to wear Viking hats). Ours was one that served official war duty.

4/16/2009 1:49:13 PM

Go to Temple Bar in Dublin (it's a neighborhood, not an establishment) and drink Guinness until you can't walk.

4/16/2009 2:07:19 PM

any comments on the area the hotel is in? we're worried it may be a bit too far away from everything

do you have to have a car in ireland or is the train setup as good as the rest of europe? we will have a rental but would prefer to stumble around via train

4/16/2009 2:14:55 PM

If I were you, I would rent a car and drive along the coast. Some of the coastal towns are some of the most charming places I've ever visited. The people are so nice and they are the real deal. There is so much to do in Dublin that you could spend your whole vacation there. However, staying in one place is a real shame if you ask me, especially in Ireland. If you get the chance, kiss the Blarney stone near Cork. See Giant's Causeway, but be very careful, there is a Giant that roams the area known as Finn McCool by the locals! Don't forget to drink and be prepared for eating lots of cods and spuds.

4/16/2009 2:21:26 PM

^^You'll have a right hand drive manual transmission and be driving on the left. Make your wife drive, hehe.

4/16/2009 3:39:40 PM

I am going with a friend to Europe for a few weeks this summer, and I have a question for those of you that have been to Ireland. I want to somehow see the Cliffs of Moher (as a day trip from Dublin), but I cannot figure out how to get there using public transportation. Any advice? It seems to be we should take the train from Dublin to one of the nearby cities and then a bus(?) to the coast but I can't find anything on the bus sites that list "cliffs of moher" as a stop. What stop should I be looking for and then do we have to walk a long distance to the coast??

Thanks in advance! (P.S. We are taking a guided tour to N. Ireland on one of our days there, so we want to try and avoid having to pay for a second guided trip).

4/16/2009 4:08:29 PM

^ You could do a Paddywagon Tour from Dublin: http://www.paddywagontours.com/viewtour.php?id=71 It's about $90 for the day.

The nearest city to the Cliffs of Moher is Limerick. You could either take a bus on Bus Eireann ( http://www.buseireann.ie/ -- about $30) or take a train on Irish Rail ( http://www.irishrail.ie/ -- $70+) .

More options here: http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/TransportProviders.aspx

[Edited on April 16, 2009 at 7:16 PM. Reason : $]

4/16/2009 7:14:18 PM

studied in ireland for a year. stay out of dublin. it's where dreams go to die. a pint will run you near 8 euro. All the other places in Ireland, however, are fantastic. Don't listen to people who say that Guinness tastes different in Ireland, they are lying, it tastes the same. Drink Snakebites, they seem to love that over there. Galway is the best "big" city you'll find in the republic and Belfast up north is just amazing. Pretty much anywhere you go that isn't Dublin is great. have fun, oh and if you can get to Kinsale, right out side cork, you'll get the best seafood you've ever had.

4/17/2009 10:07:05 AM

^ is right about the prices. I tried to be as economical as possible when I went, and it was hard. I didn't do a lot of drinking because I'd be broke. Cheapest I spent for some of my drinks was 5-6 Euro or 5-6 pounds, meaning your drink cost $7.50-$12.00. A few friends went clubbing, and mixed fruity drinks were up in the 10 Euro range. No thanks.

4/17/2009 11:32:02 AM

about the same in Italy of late, cheapest mixed drinks at a club are around 5 euro, most closer to 10

that's just how it goes for the American dollar these days, you just have to budget for fun like everything else and account for it costing you

although watching the Euro cup in a pub in Edinburgh I got a two pints for £4.00 special, McEwans 70 I think it was, so that wasn't so bad, you just have to look for the deals

[Edited on April 17, 2009 at 12:51 PM. Reason : ]

4/17/2009 12:45:54 PM

Any other suggestions for things to do? I am going there next month (I'm glad I searched before I made a new one, hah)

7/14/2009 3:57:18 PM

I'm going to Dublin in January (and yes, I know it will be cold)

Going for 6 days. Flight and hotel is $500 a person

7/14/2009 4:01:10 PM

how did you do that?

7/14/2009 4:45:01 PM

I love Ireland. I went for a week with my mother in 2003. We drove from Shannon to Dublin staying at random B&Bs every night, and I had a freaking blast. One of the best trips I've ever been on. Dublin was pretty cool, but small town Ireland is where it's at. Driving the manual rental was a challenge for all of 2 minutes. The gearbox is the same and the pedals are in the same orientation, you just shift with your left hand instead of right. Looking right instead of left was the challenge.

First we made a trip up to the Cliffs of Moher. After that our route was roughly Shannon to Limerick. Limerick to Tralee then to Dingle. Doubled back to Killarney and then on to Blarney and Cork. Next to Cobh (awesome town) and Waterford. Then up to Killkenny and eventually Dublin.

Ireland is pretty small and we saw a lot in those 7 days. I didn't feel too rushed or too cramped in the car either. We stopped wherever we felt like stopping and just tried to see as much as we could. I would go back without question.

7/14/2009 5:18:42 PM

my trip got canceled

7/14/2009 6:03:24 PM

smcain -- what was the exact name of that Duck tour?

7/17/2009 10:03:18 AM

Quote :

"I am going with a friend to Europe for a few weeks this summer, and I have a question for those of you that have been to Ireland. I want to somehow see the Cliffs of Moher (as a day trip from Dublin), but I cannot figure out how to get there using public transportation. Any advice? It seems to be we should take the train from Dublin to one of the nearby cities and then a bus(?) to the coast but I can't find anything on the bus sites that list "cliffs of moher" as a stop. What stop should I be looking for and then do we have to walk a long distance to the coast??"

the town you want to go to is Doolin...train to Galway, bus to Doolin. I stayed at Aille River hostel and it was nice.

7/18/2009 2:03:28 AM

To see Ireland effectively you will need a car. Just drive around the perimeter. Go in summer obviously.

7/18/2009 10:30:01 AM

Weather is pretty good here in fall too, up until about late September.

7/18/2009 2:17:34 PM

so I just found out our hotel is in the top 1% of Expedia Hotels all over the world I am SUPER excited... here are some pics:



It's an old historic estate




I'm glad my dad picked something interesting instead of like.. a Holiday Inn or Best Western. Staying in a castle would've been really cool but I'm sure it's not cheap - so I am satisfied with this choice!

8/5/2009 11:25:14 AM

Wow, that looks rather baller. Have fun!

8/5/2009 11:31:41 AM

Whoops, sorry. Forgot to check thread!

Quote :

"smcain -- what was the exact name of that Duck tour?"

It's called the Viking Splash Tour. http://www.vikingsplash.ie

8/5/2009 4:20:50 PM

Thanks!!

Only a little over 2 weeks now.. I'm so excited!

8/7/2009 9:01:57 AM

8/7/2009 9:08:28 AM

^ On the Splash tour, you (supposedly) see the old studio/building that U2 recorded/practiced their early albums. He also has a condo or something in one of the surrounding buildings.

8/7/2009 11:46:02 AM

does anyone have any advice as to what type of converter I should buy for the plugs over there? and as far as hair dryers go, should I even bother bringing mine or just buy a cheap one over there? :\

8/10/2009 7:59:16 AM

Buy one once you get there.

8/10/2009 8:43:29 AM

I was going to post this:

Quote :

"Hey, braggy face, STFU. Seriously, folks, let's shut this shit down. I know a few of you have been to Ireland and you wanna subtly get your brag on by recommending a hotel. But this shit should not be tolerated. I mean, a lot of you fuckers that have been to Ireland and are recommending shit...y'all should keep in mind that the trip that was probably lots of fun and a moderately big deal to you ain't shit to OB. He almost didn't go because he's just so exhausted with the whole world travelling thing. The Lounge is no place for blase travel talk. So come on, let's shut it down. Oh, and he mentioned starting a family. Well, good for him, but seriously, fuck this fucker. Hey, Omar, I hope your wife is barren."

But then I realized this is basically Samwise16's thread now. And I hope he has a wonderful time in Ireland.

8/10/2009 9:03:34 AM

^2 Ok, will do... I read this article saying the amount of voltage coming out of a socket in Ireland is almost twice the amount (or something like that) that comes out of an American socket -- so do I need an adapter or something along those lines?

^

Quote :

"And I hope she has a wonderful time in Ireland."

fixed it for ya but thanks!

8/10/2009 9:06:43 AM

Quote :

"does anyone have any advice as to what type of converter I should buy for the plugs over there? and as far as hair dryers go, should I even bother bringing mine or just buy a cheap one over there? :\"

Buy one there. On our trip, lots and lots of girls fried their hair dryers or straightening irons WITH the transformers. The transformers died too.

If you're bringing electronics with their own brick (transformer), like a laptop cord, or my DS cord, chances are they will internally convert it. For example, I brought my DS as an alarm, and with just the plug converter, I was able to plug it in and charge it. You just read the text on the brick/plug and it will tell you if it works with both voltages.

One girl was a priss - she actually straightened her hair with an iron in the hotel room I just let mine be its free wavy form.

8/14/2009 4:11:29 PM

be careful drinking hard in foreign countries.

my friend was drinking at a pub in Dublin and some guys came up and started talking to him, etc. ended up drinking with them for several hours and finally one of the guys tells him "man, we were planning on letting you get drunk then following you out of here, beating the shit out of you and talking everything you had but me and the guys have decided we like you and won't do that"

so yeah.

8/14/2009 7:30:13 PM

It's a standard UK plug, 3 prong with one longer than the other two (which is the earth): http://images.google.com/images?q=uk%20plug

If you're going to Europe too, you'll need a different adapter, 2 prong w/ no earth, more like a standard American plug, but with round connectors instead of (mostly) flat ones: http://images.google.com/images?q=eu+plug

It'd be best to get a universal adapter, something like this would be ideal: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YN01X4/

I haven't stayed at Powerscourt, but I did visit it a few years back; it's a very impressive estate, but it's a bit of a trek from Dublin city center (I lived in Dublin while I worked for IBM for a year and a half).

Regarding ncsuallday's scare story, it may be true, but Ireland is hardly a foreign country -- we're practically the 51st state! My advice is to avoid people with totally incomprehensible accents. Most respectable people in Ireland who live in cities - country people are very different - will have readily understandable accents. It's usually determined by which school you went to. The rough element of the Dublin 'working class' (I hate the term, but it's hard to find an alternative) are called 'scangers' or 'howiyas'.

It would be worth your while reading this and steering well clear: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Scanger Respectable people dress very differently and it's nigh impossible to come across a dangerous type in a pub unless you're looking for trouble already (trust me, I've lived here for most of my life).

Irish pubs (in Ireland in particular) are renowned for their friendliness. If you go out with a negative, cautious attitude and avoid talking to strangers, I can guarantee you'll have an awful time. Irish pubs are all about the 'banter'.

One last thing: with Dublin in particular, it's best to avoid the north side of the city at night; the north side being north of the river liffey. This web cam from the Irish Times (the best broadsheet in the country) is pointed at O'Connell bridge: http://www.irishtimes.com/weather/cam.html The camera's on the 'right' side of the city (the south side), pointing north. Crossing that bridge after 8 o'clock in the evening is risky as a tourist!

If you find yourself in Cork, let me know and I'll show you around. It's my home town and I know it better than most tour guides! My local comes highly recommended and I'd be happy to buy you a pint and introduce you to some friendly Corkonians! http://www.facebook.com/soberlane

8/16/2009 7:24:00 AM

thanks!! I think I am going to get a converter/adapter when I get over there. I appreciate all the help

I only have 4 days now!

8/18/2009 11:59:46 AM

no prob at all, have a great trip, most irish peeps love american tourists, you'll have a blast!

if you're visiting cork, send me a msg ( mail_compose.aspx ) and i'll give you my cell #

[Edited on August 18, 2009 at 12:12 PM. Reason : ]

8/18/2009 12:05:15 PM

Cool photos samwise!

[Edited on September 4, 2009 at 7:19 AM. Reason : http://www.thewolfweb.com/photo_folder.aspx?user=36627&filter=new ]

9/4/2009 7:19:25 AM

Thanks I actually took about 500 but I'm certainly not uploading all of those, hah!

9/4/2009 8:32:41 AM