First Trip (Tour or Self-Drive)
 

My family will be traveling to Ireland in November. Two 20 something daughters and two 50ish parents. This is our first trip to Ireland and our first trip aboard. <BR> <BR>Would a bus tour be best or would a self-drive be better? We have heard that a lot of the tours do not run in NOvember, however for self-drive we are concerned because we hear darkness falls around 4:00 PM in November. Any recommendations on tours or car rental agencies?

Ireland is a great place to just climb into a car and drive (getting used to driving on the left, however, is anothre issue). I would opt for this, instead of a tour - and you can see the things you want to. You can rent through any travel agency here. Dick

Dear Mary Kay, <BR>I have not been to Ireland, but I did take a tour of Europe in 1991. My friend and I were both in our early twentys. After the trip I vowed never to take a tour again. It was easy getting of the bus and being taken from place to place, you have nice hotels to stay in, but as Rick Steves might say "you can't mix with the locals" properly when on a bus full of tourists. There is really no planning involved with a tour, you get on the bus and go where they take you. I found we had very little time to do what we wanted. As I plan my second trip now, 8 years later, with my husband I am so absorbed in the planning process, its like taking a trip before the trip. I hope this might help a little, have fun!

Mary Kay, By all means, self drive. Lots of info in the archives on Ireland. You might consider an automatic transmission, even though it's more expensive.

Drive it yourself. Much more fun. You can explore better and will get a better feel for the area. One small piece of advice: Pay what it takes to get an automatic transmission car or van. I am very comfortable driving stick shift in Europe, but England and Ireland are different. You will be shifting with your left hand, not right and still trying to pay attention to driving on the left. This gets real trick in crowded cities and areas where you need to adjust quickly. I found that by getting an automatic it was just one less thing to hassle with and the driving was not that bad. So, pay for the automatic. Trust me on that one. If you do not get an automatic, buy all the insurance.

It is the nature of the people that frequent this forum to be strongly biased in favour of building your own tour. It is my bias, too, but I also think that you have a valid concern about driving at a time when darkness comes early. It has been many years since I have driven in Ireland, but I found it next to impossible to navigate after dark. I also suspect that many of the tourist attractions outside of the major centres will not be open. If I were to go at that time of year, I would probably make it a largely urban experience - Dublin, Cork, Belfast, etc- using public transportation between the centres.

Ireland sounds like the type of place you want to have the flexibility to hop out of the car and enjoy the sights freely. I would definitely go for the self-drive, but I would definitely PLAN THE ITINERARY AHEAD OF TIME and get everybody involved. We traveled with another couple and the one thing that save our sanity was the fact that we had all agreed on a travel plan/route ahead of time.

....upps!, I forgot....I heard good things about Celtic Tours (http://www.celtictours.com). Also, Celtic International Tours have a really good reputation. These agencies offer self-drive packages that include airfare, car, and options of lodging. BTW, I think your family trip sounds wonderful.

I leave in 12 hours on a trip we've been planning ourselves and I can't imagine doing it any other way. You can get soo much help on this site and others like it. I think 1/2 the fun is exploring on your own. Who needs a tour to tell you what to see & do. Not for us! Have a great trip!! ;)

Do the self-drive! As Maira said, plan the itinerary ahead, so that you're well-ensconced before night falls. We did northern Ireland for two weeks; we got to our b&b by late afternoon, then went to dinner nearby so that it was only a short, easy drive. There are so many b&bs, inns, etc. that setting an itinerary will be a breeze. <BR>If you're used to a manual, then by all means, don't spend the money on an automatic (you're driving on the left). If you're not familiar with a manual, then spring for the automatic and save yourself a whole lot of aggravation. <BR>We used a local rental agency at Dublin Airport (don't remember the name; all the reservations were written in a ledger instead of downloaded on a computer, so the process was very leisurely. The high-powered, high-stressed girls in the group suddenly came smack up against the intractable "Irish time". Slowed 'em right down, and I think added about 10 years to their lives). <BR>We had some wonderful conversations with folks - they were amazed that 4 American women would come to northern Ireland (not many American tourists go there) so the conversations were very interesting! <BR>It'll be COLD AND RAINY. No matter when you go, Ireland is some degree of COLD AND RAINY. Be sure to have a real rain coat (like a rubber poncho) and 2 pair of walking shoes (one will always be wet) and extra socks. Layer with sweaters and thermal underwear (ok it's not like winter in Minnesota, but the dampness makes it feel colder), and have warm gloves (knit ones are fine; you don't need those big puffy ski mittens). <BR>And you've never seen such green in all your life! You know how at the paint store they've got like a gazillion paint chips of shades of green? HAH...penny ante compared to the greens of Ireland!