Ireland & Scotland Trip
 

We are planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland next year for 14 days. We are planning to fly into Shannon, self drive for 7 days, take the ferry to Scotland and do another self drive for 7 days. My questions are: <BR>1. Can you take the same car from Ireland to Scotland? or does it make sense moneywise to get a new car in Scotland? <BR> <BR>2. How bad is the ferry crossing. I get really, really seasick. Would we be better off flying over? <BR> <BR>3. Think we want to stay at B&B's for money savings and to get to know the culture. Any tips? <BR> <BR>Any thoughts would be appreciated. <BR>Thanks, <BR>Diane

Hi Diane: <BR>It depends on what time of year you are traveling. I found the ride in October relatively smooth. I also get sea sick so I took a motion sickness pill and slept the whole trip! Enjoy your trip!

You certainly can take a car from Ireland to Scotland. I'll leave someone else to tell you whether or not you should <BR> <BR>I too sail badly but found it very smooth Cairnryan to Larne last June. The Seacat is faster and smoother by repute <BR> <BR>Try www.holiday.scotland.net for the full STB list of accommodation

Try stenaline.com for ferries.(online booking)It could be as cheap (or cheaper) to fly to Scotland, try Ryanair (to Prestwick?)& Easyjet. <BR> B&B is good, especially in rural areas - if not in the height of season you can find an area you like then go looking for B&B signs, without prebooking.(tends to avoid disappointments)Carry a list of addresses (see Sheila's post)you can phone in case you get stuck. <BR>Depends how adventurous you feel! <BR>The ferry can be rough in the winter, usually OK otherwise. <BR>Another way to get to know the culture is to talk to people, the Scots are friendly given a chance. <BR>You will talk to more people if you spend a few days out of your car - if you do happen to fly, consider delaying picking up another car until you have taken a train trip to Oban (eg)(beautiful journey).2 weeks in a car can be hard on the nerves, you may feel like a break! <BR>Petrol always used to be cheaper in the North of Ireland than in the South, probably still so.

Diane, <BR>Echo everything everyone else said except that petrol is cheaper in thr Republic of Ireland than in Northern ireland and Scotland. This is as a result of the weakness of the Euro which the Irish pound is tied to and the strenght of the British pound. Recently I had 2 friends from the States who did exactly what you are planning - except they satyd with me in Ireland and with another friend in Scotland ie Glasgow. I was the driver in Ireland and they trained and bused around Scotland. They flew to Preswick with Ryanair (really cheap check out www.ryanair.ie) and took the train into Glasgow - 2 British pounds (dead cheap train fare to encourage more people to use the train link). They toured around Glasgow in without the need for a car and took in a day trip by train to Edinburg before heading to the Higlands (at this stage you might like to hire a car). So you could opt for car hire in the Republic, return at Dublin airport, fly to Preswick (a good distance out of Glasgow) and spend a day or 2 in Glasgow, train trip to Edinburg, hire car there and hit the Higlands or return to Glasgow and then hire and tour. Some of the advanages include - no time wasted driving and sailing, no worry re seasickness etc and no hassle over whether you can bring the car or not. Hope this helps, post if you require anymore assistance, <BR> <BR>Cathy <BR> <BR>Ps www.ireland.travel.ie for lists of B&Bs in Ireland, it is the official site of the Irish Toruist Board.

We did B&B's or small inns/hotels thruout Ireland and Scotland (countryside - I would reserve in a city) with no reservations anywhere, and loved it. It's such a more up-close way to see a country/meet people. When travelling w/o any reservations, we always just kind of prepare ourselves that sour luck could mean sleeping a nite in the car, but we only came close to it once - driving thru what seemed like a desolate stretch north of E'burgh and no lodging to be seen - then I barely spied a tiny roadside sign, we whipped a right...and wound up at a jewel of a place (Fernie Castle). It's that serendipity that makes travel so wonderful.