boowinnie

Hi all!

My husband and I are considering a trip to Ireland in the fall. We have found rates on travel and accomodations, but have no feel for what we should expect to pay for meals and such once we are there.

I know the current exchange rate, and it isn't favorable, but I don't have a feel for what that money will buy.

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is this: we can afford to get there and stay there, but if a basic lunch will cost $50, then we may not be able to afford the trip.

Can anyone give me some sense of how much we will spend if we go?

Thanks in advance -- this is my first post on this forum!

Brenda

Edward2005

Each of you should be able to get by just fine on $30 a day for lunch and dinner, more for really fancy restaurants.

allisonm

Hi Brenda, welcome aboard! My husband & I have been to Ireland several times, once with 2 kids, then one, then by ourselves a couple of times. We go on a pretty reasonable budget, but I can't tell you exactly how much we spend for meals. We have always rented a car and driven ourselves around the country, staying at B&Bs and eaten almost exclusively in pubs. You can get a very decent pub meal for 8 or 9 euros each, plus whatever you drink. If you stay in B&Bs, your first meal of the day might really fill you up so that at lunchtime, you may only want a bowl of soup, which is served with brown bread and can be had for under 3 euros. I'm sure others will post - maybe someone kept track of how much they spent on food!

boowinnie

Thanks! This is great so far. We are looking at staying in B&B's and renting a car as well. Looking into one of the voucher type trips, so any insight to that would be appreciated as well.

Pub meals are probably what we mostly want anyway.

Thanks for your responses!

crazymina

If you like mussels, I'd recommend them. You can find them quite easily, and you get bread with them for dipping. Pretty cheap, and I was always totally stuffed afterwards. I ate tons of them while I was there!

Itallian_Chauffer

Pub grub for luch will run 4-10 Euro each, depending on how hearty you eat. Most pubs and restraunts have the Irish equivilant of "early bird" pricing for dinners that will save you a fair amount. Breakfasts are hearty and filling, making B&B's all the more attractive. B&B for two will run between 60 and 70 euro per night. Hotels may run specials in the off season, but generally don't include breakfasts.
You can always economize the old fashioned way - drop into a grocer's and buy 'picnic food'.

IrishEyes

Most points about budgeting on food in Ireland have already been covered by the other posters except that some restaurants have a fixed price dinner of 2-4 courses, which is usually a much better deal than ordering all the components separately. You will probably only do this on occasion and not every night as you are probably looking at 15-25 euro per person for that type of dinner. Don't order wine, bottled water or soft drinks (minerals) with meals as that will really blow your budget. Instead ask for a "jug of ice water". The water is fine in Ireland but how many actual ice cubes is floating in the jug depends on the place. There is generally an ice shortage in Ireland.

Pubs are an excellent option for dinner too. Many times they have an adjacent restaurant but if you eat in the pub area you get the same food at cheaper prices. (It all comes from the same chef and kitchen!)

You also asked about vouchers and that is a whole 'nother ball game. Sometimes they are a good deal because you get a great price on the whole package of airfare, car & B&B vouchers. At other times if you look at buying everything separately, you can save money by putting the pieces together yourself and paying cash as you go at B&Bs. Be careful with the type of vouchers you get. Town & Country vouchers are best that have no additional payment for an en suite bathroom. Farmhouses tend to be several miles outside towns and cities and vouchers for them are a little less but may not be convenient for you. In Dublin I think I can count on one hand how many B&Bs (way outside the city in the suburbs) take them. If you are visiting Ireland's capital city definitely upgrade to hotel vouchers.

Check the T&C website to look at B&Bs that take vouchers and what the prices are: http://www.townandcountry.ie

Gifthamney

I am in Ireland now for work, but use my weekends to roam the country staying at B&B's on the weekends.
Be careful with the vouchers, make sure that you know exactly where they are accepted.
At the B&B I stayed at this past weekend in Kilkenny, she asked if I was on the vouchers, I said know but was curious as to what she meant. She told me about them and then a story of a couple that stayed with her the previous night. I guess they got into Dublin on Saturday night and the places they wanted to stay at would not accept the vouchers, they called her back and asked if she would just buy the vouchers from them, she did buy them and did not feel as if she were losing anything by doing so.
Just know where the vouchers are accepted.

SiobhanP

You can go as low or high as you like for food. For example eat a large lunch and have something lite for dinner or go to the many coffee shops for a meal. There are also lots of places for fish and chips as well as a place in Temple bar where you can get a NY style slice of pizza for 3 euro. I live in Dublin and have yet to spend 50 euro or dollars on any lunch...but I hope to some day when I win the lotto! .

wojazz3

Unless you get a ridiculously low priced package deal, don't use vouchers. Those deals usually come in Jan and Feb. Food prices are pretty reasonable unless you want to spend. Another option is to pick up some groceries from a local store and have a picnic. The prices are pretty reasonable. Also, off license prices (liquor store) are reasonable too and some good Irish cheese, fresh baked breads and a bottle of wine makes a fine afternoon picnic.

Bill

welovedonegal

hey boowinnie: you should just go with the flow with meals. pubs serve very cheap meals and also restaurants serve early bird meals, so you can eat out very inexpensively.

welovedonegal

check out all the other posters here for their great advice.

www.welovedonegal.com