The Land of Saints and Scholars -Irish heads home

Share the juicy deets of your worldly travels, and discuss your pipedreams for future trips.
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Irish
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Wife unit and I have been yearning for "home"....

She found this deal for $799 per person, leaving in the Spring

Enjoy 6+ nights as you explore the magnificent Emerald Isle! From Kilkenny to Limerick, to Cork and Dublin, you'll get to experience a multitude of Ireland's best cities and attractions. With its luscious rolling hills and sheer cliffs, you'll quickly understand why Ireland's at the top of everyone's bucket list.

What's Included

Round-trip economy class airfare into Dublin (DUB)
Manual economy car for duration - upgrade to automatic available
1 night in Kilkenny at Hoban Hotel or similar
2 nights in Limerick at Absolute Hotel or similar
2 nights in Sligo at Ocean Sands Hotel or similar
1 night in Dublin at Roganstown Hotel or similar

https://www.greatvaluevacations.com/vac ... duration=6

Any thoughts from you worldly lads?
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Kilkenny? You bastards!
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Irish wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 7:34 pm Wife unit and I have been yearning for "home"....

She found this deal for $799 per person, leaving in the Spring

Enjoy 6+ nights as you explore the magnificent Emerald Isle! From Kilkenny to Limerick, to Cork and Dublin, you'll get to experience a multitude of Ireland's best cities and attractions. With its luscious rolling hills and sheer cliffs, you'll quickly understand why Ireland's at the top of everyone's bucket list.

What's Included

Round-trip economy class airfare into Dublin (DUB)
Manual economy car for duration - upgrade to automatic available
1 night in Kilkenny at Hoban Hotel or similar
2 nights in Limerick at Absolute Hotel or similar
2 nights in Sligo at Ocean Sands Hotel or similar
1 night in Dublin at Roganstown Hotel or similar

https://www.greatvaluevacations.com/vac ... duration=6

Any thoughts from you worldly lads?
Pretty sweet price. This doesn't look like one of those deals you can add on to, but if you could, I would go to Galway, and TBH one of the most fascinating bits of tourism I have ever done is a black cab tour of the the various highlights of "the troubles" in Belfast.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Irish
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troyguitar wrote: Thu Sep 30, 2021 7:37 pm Kilkenny? You bastards!
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wap
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Good on you, Irish! FWIW, I second Dirk's Galway suggestion. That was a very cool town, pretty, with nice restaurants/pubs/chippies, etc. If it's not in the cards this time, it's a great excuse to go back!

We also used Great Value Vacations for our Ireland trip, but but we traveled by train. They are a legit outfit, but we were a bit less than satisfied with some of their hotel choices. Not they were bad hotels by any means. They were sometimes just poorly located. For example, our hotel in Galway, which was very nice, was billed as "a ten minute bus ride from the middle of town". :yeahok: . It was more like 45 minutes, and more in traffic. That blew. Also, our Dublin hotel was located conveniently near a train station on the train line from the airport. BUT, every trip to the other towns on our itinerary left from another station across town. Also kinda sucky. I don't in any way want to dissuade you from booking this trip because, as I said, the company is legit, and the booking/ticketing process was flawless, and there were zero problems or hangups. Go for it!

In Limerick, a definite must-see is King John's Castle. There is also a 5/7 restaurant across the river from the castle with great views, called The Curragower. Definitely worth checking out. https://curragower.com

Took this pic from their patio waiting for dinner:
Image

You pretty much know what to see in Dublin: St. Patricks, Trinity College/Library/Book of Kells. There's also the Temple Bar area, and a :neat: Viking museum.

Hit me up if you have any more questions. :like:
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Irish
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Thanks for the responses fellahs.

We found another deal from the same agency... It offers non stop flights and 1 hotel night and 5 nights in bed and breakfasts but it flies into Shannon. Its A few hundo more pp, but seems worth it. Thoughts?

Also the offered car is an Econ :manuel: thinking of upgrading size and wondering about about the prudence of opting to shift with my left hand while trying to adjust to left side driving on narrow Irish roads.
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:24 pm Thanks for the responses fellahs.

We found another deal from the same agency... It offers non stop flights and 1 hotel night and 5 nights in bed and breakfasts but it flies into Shannon. Its A few hundo more pp, but seems worth it. Thoughts?

Also the offered car is an Econ :manuel: thinking of upgrading size and wondering about about the prudence of opting to shift with my left hand while trying to adjust to left side driving on narrow Irish roads.
I did it I thought it was NBD but YMMV.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Irish
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Desertbreh wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:37 pm
Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:24 pm Thanks for the responses fellahs.

We found another deal from the same agency... It offers non stop flights and 1 hotel night and 5 nights in bed and breakfasts but it flies into Shannon. Its A few hundo more pp, but seems worth it. Thoughts?

Also the offered car is an Econ :manuel: thinking of upgrading size and wondering about about the prudence of opting to shift with my left hand while trying to adjust to left side driving on narrow Irish roads.
I did it I thought it was NBD but YMMV.
I am actually really looking forward to that facet. What configuration car did you opt for?
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Desertbreh
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:46 pm
Desertbreh wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:37 pm

I did it I thought it was NBD but YMMV.
I am actually really looking forward to that facet. What configuration car did you opt for?
We just got some nameless, gutless Euro hatchback. Get ready for a shitton of roundabouts, that is THE traffic control favorite in Ireland.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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wap
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:24 pm Thanks for the responses fellahs.

We found another deal from the same agency... It offers non stop flights and 1 hotel night and 5 nights in bed and breakfasts but it flies into Shannon. Its A few hundo more pp, but seems worth it. Thoughts?

Also the offered car is an Econ :manuel: thinking of upgrading size and wondering about about the prudence of opting to shift with my left hand while trying to adjust to left side driving on narrow Irish roads.
What airport did the other :dill: fly into?

A coworker did the Irish B&B thing several years ago and loved it. His wife had to do the driving, :doe: :lolol: :flaccid:
As far as left-handed shifting, I've never done it but my brother has done it twice, once in Ireland and once in Cyprus. As Dirk said, he found it to be NBD, FWIW.

And, for 2 people an economy sized car should be fine. Wife and I rented a Fiat Uno in Poland on our honeymoon with 3 weeks worth of luggage (one suitcase and 2 carry-on's plus a shoulder bag) and had no problem. But we're short. If you and Mrs are tall you may want to go up a size. Think Up! to Polo.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Desertbreh wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:03 pm
Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:46 pm

I am actually really looking forward to that facet. What configuration car did you opt for?
We just got some nameless, gutless Euro hatchback. Get ready for a shitton of roundabouts, that is THE traffic control favorite in most of Europe.
Fixed.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Irish
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The other was in and out of Dublin. But had layovers both going and coming. This one is non stops into Shannon and out of Dublin.

I kind of like the second option because its more laid back and rural over there. Will give me a chance to acclimate to the driving.

Pondering whether to prepay for a Castle and Museum package. I like the idea of having goals to reach on given days but part of me likes to just follow my nose and not be beholden to a fixed itinerary.

Also extra car insurance or nah? Turbro EDIT: Looks like my VISA card covers insurance.....

Travel Protection for ~$85/ea or nah?
Last edited by Irish on Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Desertbreh
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wap wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:10 pm
Desertbreh wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:03 pm

We just got some nameless, gutless Euro hatchback. Get ready for a shitton of roundabouts, that is THE traffic control favorite in most of Europe.
Fixed.
I have not driven in the rest of Europe. :flaccid:
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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wap
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:22 pm The other was in and out of Dublin. But had layovers both going and coming. This one is non stops into Shannon and out of Dublin.

I kind of like the second option because its more laid back and rural over there. Will give me a chance to acclimate to the driving.

Pondering whether to prepay for a Castle and Museum package. I like the idea of having goals to reach on given days but part of me likes to just follow my nose and not be beholden to a fixed itinerary.

Also extra car insurance or nah? Turbro EDIT: Looks like my VISA card covers insurance.....

Travel Protection for ~$85/ea or nah?
That package does indeed depend on how you like to travel. Mrs and I usually like getting things like that because we try to get the max out of our trips by seeing all that we can. Meandering about is great, if you have the time to do so. But if you're only going for a week it's a waste, in MY opinion, to spend days driving through the pretty countryside without seeing and experiencing all that a city like Dublin or Galway has to offer. Again, this is all very personal with how you like to travel and I could totally see you wanting to just wander and see where the road takes you. That's kind of how we road trip thru Murica; have a destination in mind, know where we're going to spend the night, then just see what happens on the road to that point. We just prefer a more cultural experience in Europe. Now, we did see the countryside in Ireland, visited the Cliffs of Moher, etc, and it was fantastic, but we made sure to spend time in cities and towns, too.

Re insurance, you may also want to contact your insurance company to see if they'll cover you overseas, but yeah, your CC may be enough. Also, don't forget to get an international drivers license.

I don't recall buying anything like travel protection the few times I rented a car over there. Our Resident Turk may have more info on this since he is/was in the travel industry and seems to frequently rent cars when overseas...
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Desertbreh wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:29 pm
wap wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:10 pm

Fixed.
I have not driven in the rest of Europe. :flaccid:
I've only driven a bit in Poland and Greece, but I've certainly seen tons of roundabouts when walking around.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Irish
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wap wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:29 pm
Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:22 pm The other was in and out of Dublin. But had layovers both going and coming. This one is non stops into Shannon and out of Dublin.

I kind of like the second option because its more laid back and rural over there. Will give me a chance to acclimate to the driving.

Pondering whether to prepay for a Castle and Museum package. I like the idea of having goals to reach on given days but part of me likes to just follow my nose and not be beholden to a fixed itinerary.

Also extra car insurance or nah? Turbro EDIT: Looks like my VISA card covers insurance.....

Travel Protection for ~$85/ea or nah?
That package does indeed depend on how you like to travel. Mrs and I usually like getting things like that because we try to get the max out of our trips by seeing all that we can. Meandering about is great, if you have the time to do so. But if you're only going for a week it's a waste, in MY opinion, to spend days driving through the pretty countryside without seeing and experiencing all that a city like Dublin or Galway has to offer. Again, this is all very personal with how you like to travel and I could totally see you wanting to just wander and see where the road takes you. That's kind of how we road trip thru Murica; have a destination in mind, know where we're going to spend the night, then just see what happens on the road to that point. We just prefer a more cultural experience in Europe. Now, we did see the countryside in Ireland, visited the Cliffs of Moher, etc, and it was fantastic, but we made sure to spend time in cities and towns, too.

Re insurance, you may also want to contact your insurance company to see if they'll cover you overseas, but yeah, your CC may be enough. Also, don't forget to get an international drivers license.

I don't recall buying anything like travel protection the few times I rented a car over there. Our Resident Turk may have more info on this since he is/was in the travel industry and seems to frequently rent cars when overseas...
It appears that if use my CC as my back up insurance, they put a $3000 deposit on my CC...thinking of opting for thir walk away insurance for about $300

The Travel insurance allows: Postpone for any reason (up to 3 days before travel) 24/7 Emergency assistance, baggage loss/damage, travel delay, medical coverage for $85 pp ..... Since we are booking for April and a lot can happen between now and then, I am thinking of opting in....
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:39 pm
wap wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:29 pm

That package does indeed depend on how you like to travel. Mrs and I usually like getting things like that because we try to get the max out of our trips by seeing all that we can. Meandering about is great, if you have the time to do so. But if you're only going for a week it's a waste, in MY opinion, to spend days driving through the pretty countryside without seeing and experiencing all that a city like Dublin or Galway has to offer. Again, this is all very personal with how you like to travel and I could totally see you wanting to just wander and see where the road takes you. That's kind of how we road trip thru Murica; have a destination in mind, know where we're going to spend the night, then just see what happens on the road to that point. We just prefer a more cultural experience in Europe. Now, we did see the countryside in Ireland, visited the Cliffs of Moher, etc, and it was fantastic, but we made sure to spend time in cities and towns, too.

Re insurance, you may also want to contact your insurance company to see if they'll cover you overseas, but yeah, your CC may be enough. Also, don't forget to get an international drivers license.

I don't recall buying anything like travel protection the few times I rented a car over there. Our Resident Turk may have more info on this since he is/was in the travel industry and seems to frequently rent cars when overseas...
It appears that if use my CC as my back up insurance, they put a $3000 deposit on my CC...thinking of opting for thir walk away insurance for about $300

The Travel insurance allows: Postpone for any reason (up to 3 days before travel) 24/7 Emergency assistance, baggage loss/damage, travel delay, medical coverage for $85 pp ..... Since we are booking for April and a lot can happen between now and then, I am thinking of opting in....
Oh THAT! Yea, with the world in the midst of ending, I'd opt for that, too.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Oh, we had good boxty's at a place in the Temple Bar area. If you're interested I can dig up the name of the place for you.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Irish
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The travel insurance was going up by the minute...... pissed me off but I booked the trip!
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:59 pm The travel insurance was going up by the minute...... pissed me off but I booked the trip!
:fuckyeah:

First time going there, correct?
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Irish
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wap wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:39 pm
Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:59 pm The travel insurance was going up by the minute...... pissed me off but I booked the trip!
:fuckyeah:

First time going there, correct?
Yesir. Super stoked. We've been talking about it for years. Don't want to wait until i need a walker or worse.
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Irish wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 6:25 pm
wap wrote: Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:39 pm

:fuckyeah:

First time going there, correct?
Yesir. Super stoked. We've been talking about it for years. Don't want to wait until i need a walker or worse.
Good on you. It's a great feeling to go "home", especially the first time. You're gonna love it.
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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Irish
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Oh man, you weren't kidding Fap. I ADORED IT! When we arrived, the customs agent asked where my people we from and after I responded "Dundalk", he smiled right into my eyes and said "Welcome Home"..... I was on cloud nine the entire week. Magical people and a magical place!

Irish Goes Home 1.0

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Irish wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:53 pm Oh man, you weren't kidding Fap. I ADORED IT! When we arrived, the customs agent asked where my people we from and after I responded "Dundalk", he smiled right into my eyes and said "Welcome Home"..... I was on cloud nine the entire week. Magical people and a magical place!

Irish Goes Home 1.0

Whalecum back!
Nephew of a :plac: a few first gen immigrant on DFD, resident turk, and ex nazi egg lover now driving a middle class mom mobile.
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Irish wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:53 pm Oh man, you weren't kidding Fap. I ADORED IT! When we arrived, the customs agent asked where my people we from and after I responded "Dundalk", he smiled right into my eyes and said "Welcome Home"..... I was on cloud nine the entire week. Magical people and a magical place!

Irish Goes Home 1.0

So glad (though not at all surprised) that you had such a great time :mahman: ! My SIL's family is from Dundalk, btw. They are a very welcoming people, aren't they? :)
So whereall did you go? Just you and the Mrs went? How long were you there?

In4AllTheDeets :popcorn:
:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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