Am I Crazy?
 

Hi everyone. I keep reading these emails about how lovely it is driving around Ireland. I am going soon (hopefully) and am on a tight budget so I thought I would take the bus and train everywhere. Am I nuts?

Erin, yes, you are. (Okay, sorry -- it was just too easy!) No, it depends on what you mean by going "everywhere". But if you're REALLY going EVERYWHERE, then maybe taking trains and buses (and additional local transportation costs to and from stations, etc.) really doesn't represent such a great cost-saving move. You really need to compare costs, based on your individual itinerary.

Are you traveling by yourself? I ask this because my husband and I spent a lot of time hiking around Ireland, and using buses and trains when we got fed up hiking. What we used when trains and buses wouldn't get us where we needed to go was hitchhiking. Now, I wouldn't do this by myself, but we had great success. Also, I wouldn't do this around Dublin or any of the cities (but you won't need to, as there is ample public transport in there areas). <BR> <BR>Renting a car there can be really expensive if you have to get insurance as well.

Erin, <BR> <BR>Ireland can be done by bus, and done well. Especially if you are going in the summer (Bus routes are reduced in the off-season), you can get to most places with Bus Eireann or with day-tours. <BR> <BR>As long as you're willing to consider the bus experience as part of the overall adventure, this can be a great way to see Ireland. One thing I especially appreciated was the fact that relying on public transportation forced me to interact more than if I had been self-sufficiently isolated in a rental car. <BR> <BR>Here are several options for day tours: <BR>- from Dublin: Glendalough or Newgrange with CIE tours <BR>- from Galway: Connemara or the Burren with Lally tours; Inishmore with Island Ferries or Doolin Ferries. <BR>- from Dingle: cruises on Dingle Bay with Eco-Tours; archaeological tours with Michael and Eilene Collins <BR> <BR>Dave

Erin, <BR>We spent 3 weeks traveling Scotland, Northern Ireland the the Republic by bus and loved it! It is cheaper and as Dave states it gives you the opportunity to interact with people that a car doesn't offer. We found that taking the coach is definately the way to go. Have Fun!

t

Thanks everyone! (JimRose--it's Ok I deserved it). I'm glad you all seem to think that traveling by bus is OK.