Yankeesmama1951

Trying to figure out which makes the most sense and would be most affordable. My husband and I are taking are adult children (20's) to Ireland next year, and although I would prefer a self drive, I'm wondering if we should take a tour for our first trip, as the hotels/B&Bs will be included, plus transportation, some meals, and entrance fees. Would this be the most economical way to go? The drawback, of course, is that we would be limited by the group's itinerary. All I know is that I want to fly into Dublin, spend limited time there, and then head West and fly home from Shannon. Other than that, I don't even know where to start! A friend who has been there many times recommended CIE Tours. Any feedback would be appreciated!

klondike

Depends how adventuresome you are, how well you research and how you handle things not going "perfectly", which occurs even in a tour for that matter.

You could check out Europeandestinations (and do search here) on-line. We used them several years ago because they could do it cheaper than we could ourselves.

They set up air, hotels and car rental for independent people/groups. We were like you, family of 4 with children being in their 20's.

I suggest you research on line to get scenarios/cost ideas but then call and talk to a real person for specifics. "Sonia" was able to help us and switch things around and suggest things we hadn't even considered. Just read the fine print carefully because it is costly if you have to change your itinerary once you've signed the dotted line. (one son who had declined going on trip decided a month after we committed that he wanted to go after all so booking had to be cancelled and renewed, and by that time the airfare had gone up We were unhappy with our son, but happy with the trip results!

Paul1950

I've never seen a tour that could match what I could do on my own in terms of price or schedule.

longhorn55

I almost never go on organized tours because I want my vacation to be "my" vacation, not the vacation that the tour company thinks I should have. The exceptions have been when I traveled to locations, e.g. Egypt and Russia, where I felt that language and logistics would just be too overwhelming. That's definitely not the case with Ireland. We had a great vacation there last year with our 18-y.o. and 21 y.o. doing a self-drive and staying in B&B's. (I used a couple of good guidebooks, a good map of Ireland and the Internet to arrange it all.) I don't think that any tour could have matched what we did for the price we did it for.
I can't see that an organized tour on a tour bus would be much fun, especially for your children. But, maybe if you feel you need help just getting the flights, accommodations and car rental, then a company like the one klondike mentioned might be what you need. But, this help does come at a price.

Yankeesmama1951

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your replies. I am definitely a planner and have always planned our family vacations, so that is not the issue. I guess I was thinking organized tours might be cheaper, but truth be told, I don't want to sacrifice my itinterary for theirs, and that's probably the most important thing. Thanks for helping me make that decision.

bdokeefe

I would also recommend the driving/B&B route.

We used CIE a few years back for their self drive package w/ B&B vouchers. It was great, being able to do what you want, when you want.

If expense is a big concern, maybe you could rent a cottage for a week and use that for a home base, then venture out to B&B's for the remainder of your time.

The other thing I'd add; do you really want to see Dublin?
Driving distances in Ireland are greatly magnified. Driving in the countryside can be hectic, I wouldn't want to do it in Dublin. In 12 days we barely scratched the surface in the SW corner of the country. Combined w/ the ease of getting into and out of Shannon...you might want to think about that route.

Go w/ a good sense of humor and you'll have a great time.

allisonm

How long will you be there? You can spend a couple of days in Dublin then drive to Galway, about half a day's drive, depending on how often you stop. We have been multiple times with and without kids and have yet to do a tour. I am sure we have missed some things but I am equally sure we have seen parts of Ireland that a tour misses. And we have done it at our own pace.

TarheelsInNj

My husband and I went to Ireland several years ago and did everything on our own. It was one of our very favorite trips, in part because of the sense of adventure that went along with it. We did book our B&Bs in advance, but left ourselves open in terms of getting to and from. That way we could pull over whenever the mood struck us, and follow suggestions from our fellow B&Bers. One of these led us to do the Ring of Beara drive, which was truly the highlight of the trip!

I should add that I'm a crazy planner, and so I definitely had a lot of tips/ideas/recommendations before I left, but we didn't set anything stone other than the B&Bs.

Yankeesmama1951

Although we would love to stay longer, I think the most we can do is 8 or 9 days (because of my kids grad school schedules). My thought was to fly into Dublin, spend an afternoon, then take off towards the west, which I hear is beautiful. I would then want to fly home from Shannon. I don't want to spend a lot of time in Dublin, but I figure we should at least see it, right?

jefe

If you only plan on spending an afternoon in Dublin, I'd say to not bother at all. You won't see enough of it to make the effort worthwhile. Save it for another trip and use the time to enjoy more of the west.

sheri_lp

I can tell you that when we flew into Dublin (with no plan to stay in town), we immediately took the bus to the train station, then took the train to Galway.
I liked that because we were still 'making time' but I wasn't driving-while-jetlagged on the left side.
Then we picked up the car in Galway and toured down to Dingle and Kinsale.

Haven17

We recently went to Ireland for our first time and decided to drive ourselves around rather than take a tour. We never take organized tours, though. The experience is always so much better when you skip the tour and explore on your own.

We flew into Dublin, stayed there for two night, then rented a car and headed to Dingle for four nights, and then up to Galway for two nights, and then flew out of Shannon. It was an amazing trip. I'm glad we visited Dublin, but next time we'll fly right into Shannon and then spend all of our time in Dingle.

Yankeesmama1951

It sure seems overwhelming to plan this, and you have all given me a lot to think about. Maybe I will skip Dublin...

sheri_lp

If you're planning the trip, and you really want to see Dublin, then you should do it! I'm sure the kids would enjoy it for a night or two as well. But, if what you really want is to spend time in the west, could you fly in and out of Shannon? It would shorten your drivetime and get you where you want to be. Don't get discouraged!

colduphere

I am a fan of the west coast as well but am happy I have seen Dublin. It's worth a night. Don't worry - you will love whatever you do and won't miss what you didn't do.

latedaytraveler

Yankeemama, I agree with above posters. A tour with 20 year olds would be deadening. You do not have to cover a great deal of territory to enjoy and come to know Ireland. The west coast is magical. Happy travels...