We are going to Ireland 14 days in september. We are looking for places to go/se. And where to stay. Bed/ breakfast or rent a little house. Do You have any tips, <BR>Thank You

frantsen, <BR> <BR>Could you give us more specifics where you plan to tour, as Ireland has several counties. Also, which airport will you fly into? <BR>

If you are going to stay in one area for a week, then look at renting a place for a week, if you are moving around more, then B&B's will run about 20-30 punts per person. The Irish National Tourist office has good listings and descriptions of many, many B&B's. In Ireland, the book Bed & Breakfast Ireland 2000 by the Town and Country HOmes organization is an inexpensive guide. - their website is www.townandcountry.ie

Frantsen, <BR>Check out the following web sites and come back with questions after you have seen them <BR>www.ireland.travel.ie and its links, www.hidden-ireland.com, www.loughcrew.com, www.ireland.com and www.cie.ie <BR> <BR>Hope you will get some ideas from these sites. Happy to answer any specific questions when you have more planning, <BR> <BR>Cathy

Ireland in September is beautiful. The weather is still warm (though always unpredictable) and the hordes of Americans in kelly green pantsuits and tartan golf trousers have mostly disappeared. <BR>You could concentrate on the West of Ireland, from Galway up to Sligo and Donegal. Rent a car and get yourself lost. The roads are good, the people friendly, and the rates for B&Bs reduced, usually. Galway is great, though much bigger than it used to be. You could base yourself there for several days and take day drives into Connemara. Westport, in Mayo, is also beautiful, and a great base for touring the countryside. Or, conversely, you could travel south from Shannon (if that's your airport destination) into Kerry and Cork - also beautiful in September. The Dingle Peninsula, the coast of Kerry, the coast of Cork are all great destinations. In Cork, you could base yourself in Kinsale, which has a beautiful harbor and lively nightlife and lots of good restaurants. <BR>Whatever you decide, enjoy!

Good month to go. Try not to do too much. Just to add one more to Cathy's suggestions http://www.tourismresources.ie/ has loads of accommodation, links and other helpful bits

September is the best month for visiting Ireland, as your chances are greater than any other time of having nice weather. That's not saying you will, of course! <BR> <BR>Anyway, if you want to get away from the tourist hordes down south, head up to County Donegal. There's a drive around the Inishowen Penisula that rivals any in the world. Malin Head is the most northern point of Ireland. Some really lovely B&Bs tucked away up there. I've also been in a few pubs in some more remote areas around there were English wasn't spoken, just Gaelic. <BR> <BR>The towns in Donegal aren't anything to speak up (including Donegal Town). Stay in the countryside--the Atlantic Coastline is really too beautiful to stay away from for two long. <BR> <BR>You're also close to County Fermanagh (spelling?), where you can visit the Belleek china factory if you like that sort of thing. Beautiful stuff. And I'm not sure where this is exactly, but I know it's in the county. There are prehistoric carvings in what I think is a small cemetary in the middle of a pasture. It's fascinating, but can be hard to track down--most guidebooks do refer to it, though. There are also some nice caves in the county. <BR> <BR>Derry is worth a side trip. It's not somewhere I would spend a great deal of time, as it can be a depressing town sometimes, but there is a fascinating tour you can take where a guide takes you "walking the walls" of the city. <BR> <BR>You're also not too far from the Bushmill's Distillery and the seaside town of Portrush. The Antrim Coast Road that passes Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede bridge, etc., is a close second to Inishowen. You can take the road down to Belfast, which is a lively and interesting town. Don't miss Belfast City Hall, which is one of the most beautiful city halls in Europe. Eat at Nick's Warehouse and go for a drink at the Rotterdam (you'll need directions from both from locals). Newcastle and the Mountains of Mourne aren't too far from Belfast and the Mournes have some great hiking trails. About 20 minutes from Newcastle is Killyleagh, a nice little town on the Strangford Lough. There is a castle in the town that offers accommodation. Try www.dufferinarms.com--that's the pub across the street--a great place for a night of drinking, but the food isn't anything to right home about. <BR> <BR>Dublin's about 2.5 hours south. And you can find plenty on what to do in Dublin. If you like mountains, head for the Wicklow's south of the city. <BR> <BR>Kilkenny is Ireland's best inland city. Lots of fun, a nice castle, don't drive while you're there.