checklist when booking B&B
 

Hi everyone, was just about to book some B&B's for our first trip ever to Ireland (soooo super excited!)

Anyhow, does anyone have a checklist of what I should prepare for and ask in advance? Here is what I was thinking of so far:

- Does it have a bathroom ensuite
- Are the rates per person or per night
- Is there a tv in the room
- Does the rate include taxes
- Is parking available
- Cancellation policy

Anything I haven't thought of? Thanks so much for your help!

One thing I would want is a mini fridge, or use of some space in the house fridge.

what is the configuration of beds (one large, two twins, etc)

bath vs shower, or both

You have just about covered it. You will find that most room are ensuite.(You will be amazed at the small space that a bathroom can be retrofitted in). Most rates are quoted per person. The going rate seems to be about 35 euro per person higher in the upscale places any lower than that and I would want to ask more questions. Off street parking is a plus but not essential unless you are in a large city. T.V is usually available (2 or 3 stations but you can get the morning news). I notice that some upscale B&B's are advertising their breakfast menu. The trad. Irish breakfast can get old after 3 or 4 days, Smoked salmon and crepes are a nice change. There are alot of web sites that list B&B's. a good start would be the Town & Country web site. They list all the criteria you mentioned for all the places listed. In eight trips to Ireland I only had one bad B&B experience so it is hard to go wrong. Have fun and if you list the B&B's you like I am sure some folks will chime in.

Thanks so much for the info! By the way, I wanted to mention that I ordered the free town and country book that someone recommended on here and just this afternoon they sent me a HUGE packet full of free goodies! I got like 3 big books just on b&b's alone, how exciting!

Some other things that may be useful:
- exact location of B&B
- directions on how to get there
- is a deposit required and how much
- how to pay deposit, eg credit card
- is there a shower or bathtub or both?
- is breakfast included
The last one may seem strange - it is called a B&B after all, but we've stayed in these places in Italy and breakfast can be included or not. Usually we don't pay for it, it's nicer/cheaper to go down the street to a cafe. In Ireland I imagine breakfast would be automatically included in the cost.
Kay

These are some issues I've considered:

How do you handle late or early arrivals? Can the owners be reached by cell phone at any time?
What if you have a late-night emergency?

Also, some B&Bs will give you a private bathroom - but adjacent to the room. So ensuite should cover that, but perhaps you would be okay with a private bathroom adjacent.

Yeah Ireland! B&B IS Breakfast!! And, they mean breakfast!! In 7 trips to Ireland I have never been served just a roll and juice like in Italy!!
The breakfast are filling and if you load up on "brown bread" can take you through most of the day!! Some are getting more creative but all are good and filling.
Shadow