heatherwine

Hello - we will be in Ireland Jun 14-24, staying in Galway, Doolin, Dingle, Kenmare, Kinsale, Kilkenny & Dublin we think. We have bought the CIE Tours vouchers for 8 nights at B&Bs. We will secure separate hotels/B&B in Dublin for the last two nights.

Given the dates we will be there...and that we have to use the B&B vouchers, what does everyone recommend for either making reservations or playing it by ear? Or a combo? We hear that June isn't as busy as July and August but can still be busy...

Thanks!
Heather

Ricardo_215

Are your vouchers accepted by many b&b's? Generally I think you're better off not pre-booking unless you want a rigid schedule. There's been plenty of availability here in recent years, so then as you travel around you can go at your own pace and stay longer where you enjoy somewhere. But you may want to book your first night if you are unfamiliar with Ireland

heatherwine

The list of B&B's is quite long. The larger cities like Galway, Cork, Kilkenny have around a dozen options. Smaller towns have fewer. But even Inismor has 3 options.

Itallian_Chauffer

The GOOD news is that you are missing the Bank Holiday Weekend in June.

General rule is that even if a B&B accepts vouchers, it does NOT mean that they will accept YOURS ... think of voucher rooms as Frequent Flyer seats -- each B&B (or airline) merely agrees to accept them for a LIMITED number of rooms (seats), on any given day.

It is ALWAYS best to have lodging in place for FIRST, LAST and DUBLIN accommodations, or if their are any Special Events going on in the area.

I have 'Winged It' in Ireland, in June, without excess difficulty, but I do NOT use vouchers....

Most larger towns have Tourist Information Offices and they will find you accommodation for a very small fee (2 or 3 Euro) and that info can be handy in a pinch.

I ALWAYS recommend that you secure your night's lodging NO later than 2 or 3 PM. Usually, by then, you SHOULD have a pretty good idea of where you will end up and it is NO fun to be searching frantically at 7 or 8 PM...

Most B&B operator often form unofficial 'networks with other operators and they will often recommend someone at your next destination. They will often offer to call and book you in. If they DO, it would be good manners on your part to offer to pay for the call, as most Irish phone providers do NOT offer unlimited local calls.

Bob

allisonm

In any of the larger cities, it is better to book ahead, IMHO. If you are like me, a planner who wants to know in advance where I will be sleeping, then you may want to book others ahead. Especially in light of the vouchers. (see many posts here on pros and cons of vouchers.)

I have been hearing from the B&Bs that business is down (and not only during this volcanic-ash fiasco week).

The other day we were in Kinsale and they were charging 5E to book a B&B for a family.

I know you didn't ask for any opinions on your itinerary, but you might want to spend less time moving around. If you are stopping in Doolin for the music, you can hear music in Galway, for instance, so add a night to Galway. (I am sorry for opining here but I am sitting in Ireland hoping for a plane to get me home soon.)

heatherwine

Allison & Bob...thank you!! I am a huge planner...and flying by the seat of my pants isn't the easiest thing for me to do. We decided on the B&B voucher/car package before I started digging around heavily on these forums. Maybe we would have still gone that route because the price is good but who knows. Regardless...we have bought and paid for them and must make it work. I do have an itinerary sketched out and was going to share in its own forum thread. It is a big aggressive but my sisters and I really don't know that we'll ever get back to Ireland and have decided we can sleep when we're dead! Sleep in Ireland is going to be only and option. LOL

We are doing two nights in Galway, Dingle and Dublin...everywhere else is single nights. I'll post our itinerary in a moment for everyone's opinion.

Allison...I hope you make it home very soon! I've read this morning that they are trying to open some things up. I can't imagine the backlog that they'll have to work through.

Hastobe_Katt

If you are staying in Dublin check out The Celt in Talbot Street. Excellent live music and the guinness is much cheaper than the touristy Temple Bar area. I also recommend Kilmainham gaol - really worth visiting. Take the tram to get there.

Hastobe_Katt

Just to add - I love Doolin - as well as being renowned for traditional Irsih music it's also the start point for trips to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Isles.

Ricardo_215

I'm not sure about the phone charges comment; is this from experience a few years ago, Itallian_Chauffer? I don't run a business but we have unlimited calls (under 60 mins) to any land-line in Ireland & UK included in our phone package, it's fairly common now, probably even more so for businesses, but still no harm in offering payment

Itallian_Chauffer

Ricardo_215 --

My bad! I remember that it was that way, back when I first started visiting -- back in '99 -- and I 'ASSUMED' (and we all know what THAT can do! ) that it still was.

I've had an active Irish Vodaphone account for my Mobile since about 2002, so honestly haven't had any reason to remain current ...

Still, it DOES seem polite, to at least make the OFFER?????

Bob

bilboburgler

If in Dublin over a weekend then book it, book the first and last night so you feel safe. Thats it.

Eating in Dublin at the weekend, book the restaurants in the morning (by phone)

Kilroy

Ten years ago (I know that's forever)we played it by ear using vochers. It worked out pretty well, but we did spend a considerable amount of time in Tourist Offices trying to find a place to stay. Try Salthill in Galway, we really enjoyed that B&B - wish I could remember the name. Also, try StayDublin.com for (big suprise) Dublin. They book short let apartments. We're staying at St. Augustines during July. It looks wonderful and is perfectly located - it also got pretty good reveiws.

2psinapod

I am so confused. I wish someone could just recommend exactly what to do and which company to choose. We will be in Ireland for 17 days from July 24 to August 10 and need to pick up and drop off in Dublin. Thanks!

2psinapod

Sorry, I wanted to post to the car rental forum.