Ireland self-drive B&B tour package info/opinions please
Jul 19th, 2006, 05:53 PM
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Ireland self-drive B&B tour package info/opinions please
Hi everyone.
I'm looking into a package for Ireland in March '07. I've found a package through Dooley Vacations that includes airfare from Philadelphia to Shannon, open B&B vouchers (ensuite/Irish breakfast), admissions to two actvities (which is ok, the rest will be self-booked), and car rental. So, all this is for approx. $1060.00 per person. My question is, is this a good deal? I think it is, but I've never used a package before when traveling and this will be the first trip to Ireland. I'm open to ideas, suggestions or opinions. Even if someone can recommend another provider that offers a similar package, that would be appreciated as well.
This is just in the first stages of planning right now, so we're pretty flexible. We want to experience the scenery and hidden spots as well as historical sites. We'll also be there for St. Patrick's Day. Any information on that experience would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Jenn
I'm looking into a package for Ireland in March '07. I've found a package through Dooley Vacations that includes airfare from Philadelphia to Shannon, open B&B vouchers (ensuite/Irish breakfast), admissions to two actvities (which is ok, the rest will be self-booked), and car rental. So, all this is for approx. $1060.00 per person. My question is, is this a good deal? I think it is, but I've never used a package before when traveling and this will be the first trip to Ireland. I'm open to ideas, suggestions or opinions. Even if someone can recommend another provider that offers a similar package, that would be appreciated as well.
This is just in the first stages of planning right now, so we're pretty flexible. We want to experience the scenery and hidden spots as well as historical sites. We'll also be there for St. Patrick's Day. Any information on that experience would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Jenn
Jul 19th, 2006, 06:11 PM
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Sometimes they are good deals, sometimes not. You didn't say how long it was for -- that is a great deal for two weeks, an OK deal for one week.
Vouchers are debated a lot. I have never had a problem using them, but there is a limit to your choices, and in high season, the choices may be filled. You shouldn't have a problem in March, though.
Realistically, the rental car (if manual) will probably run you $200-400 for a two-week rental. The airfare you could get on your own would be, at best, around $300-$400. B&Bs are typically $30-$40 per night per person.
You figure the math
Vouchers are debated a lot. I have never had a problem using them, but there is a limit to your choices, and in high season, the choices may be filled. You shouldn't have a problem in March, though.
Realistically, the rental car (if manual) will probably run you $200-400 for a two-week rental. The airfare you could get on your own would be, at best, around $300-$400. B&Bs are typically $30-$40 per night per person.
You figure the math
Jul 19th, 2006, 07:20 PM
#3
Vouchers themselves aren't much of a benefit. If you price it out that the flight, a car and however many nights B&Bs, and the package is cheaper - tyen go for it - just takes some general math calculations.
Since you don't tell us how long, where you are flying from, or size of car - it is impossible for us to make those calculations for you.
But vouchers alone are no reason to take a package. They do not guarantee you a room - only that IF there is a room and IF the B&B takes vouchers then the room is paid for. In March you won't have any problem finding rooms. And many B&Bs (and most of the lower cost ones) don't accept vouchers.
Since you don't tell us how long, where you are flying from, or size of car - it is impossible for us to make those calculations for you.
But vouchers alone are no reason to take a package. They do not guarantee you a room - only that IF there is a room and IF the B&B takes vouchers then the room is paid for. In March you won't have any problem finding rooms. And many B&Bs (and most of the lower cost ones) don't accept vouchers.
Jul 20th, 2006, 03:08 AM
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Oops, forgot to mention how long, it's for eight days/seven nights.
I've checked airfare alone, depending on the carrier, it would run about $500.00 - $600.00 for that. I did check a rental car separately and that would run about $300.00 because I need an automatic transmission. It will be nerve-wracking enough to drive on the opposite side of the road for me since I've never done it, much less with a stick shift. It is for an economy/mini car and we figured since it's only the two of us, that shouldn't be a problem.
I don't mind going through a travel agent, but a quick check at the ones I know of (such as Liberty Travel and AAA) are much more expensive. I'm not high maintenance for a lot of things, such as I don't mind staying in a small, out of the way place as long as it's clean and safe, but I am not comfortable with sharing a bathroom. Of course, I would like a good value for the money. I'm also a self-paying college student so the budget is somewhat of a factor in pricing this out.
As for the vouchers, the site said there are 1200 throughout Ireland. We figured it didn't mean we'd be guaranteed a room, but if that number is true, we also figured there would be enough to choose from. The places we have an idea of visiting right now are Kilkenny, Cork, Killarney, Dingle, Galway, and Donegal. That's just a brief review and I'm sure that will change as well.
I'd almost rather go with a package because that way I feel we'd at least have some backing through the agency should we have any problems. Plus, having never been there, it's hard to narrow down what to see and where because there's so much. I thought that might help guide us a bit if we had a plan laid out through a package.
Thanks for the replies and the information.
I've checked airfare alone, depending on the carrier, it would run about $500.00 - $600.00 for that. I did check a rental car separately and that would run about $300.00 because I need an automatic transmission. It will be nerve-wracking enough to drive on the opposite side of the road for me since I've never done it, much less with a stick shift. It is for an economy/mini car and we figured since it's only the two of us, that shouldn't be a problem.
I don't mind going through a travel agent, but a quick check at the ones I know of (such as Liberty Travel and AAA) are much more expensive. I'm not high maintenance for a lot of things, such as I don't mind staying in a small, out of the way place as long as it's clean and safe, but I am not comfortable with sharing a bathroom. Of course, I would like a good value for the money. I'm also a self-paying college student so the budget is somewhat of a factor in pricing this out.
As for the vouchers, the site said there are 1200 throughout Ireland. We figured it didn't mean we'd be guaranteed a room, but if that number is true, we also figured there would be enough to choose from. The places we have an idea of visiting right now are Kilkenny, Cork, Killarney, Dingle, Galway, and Donegal. That's just a brief review and I'm sure that will change as well.
I'd almost rather go with a package because that way I feel we'd at least have some backing through the agency should we have any problems. Plus, having never been there, it's hard to narrow down what to see and where because there's so much. I thought that might help guide us a bit if we had a plan laid out through a package.
Thanks for the replies and the information.
Jul 20th, 2006, 05:00 AM
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ZilJenn
Do you live in Philadelphia or will you have to pay to travel there? And does that price cover everything? Taxes? You might want to check out Frommers,http://www.frommers.com/, who has an indepth article on Ireland in this month's issue.
We did a package a few yrs ago. There is an online site where you can type in the area where you will be see the different B&Bs offered as not all accept vouchers. It is: http://www.townandcountry.ie/ You can make reservations if you like. We made reservations at some but not all. We were there for St Patrick's day also. We celebrate here in the States more than Ireland does ( except for Dublin who has a huge parade). In Ireland it is a religious holiday.
You have made a good choice in car rental. The roads are very narrow with stone walls so you want a small car with automatic transmission. Just be sure you take the FULL coverage insurance. We didn't and ended up paying the deductable as we had various dents from those stone walls a flat tire from a hole in the road and a cracked windshield from a flying stone. SAD little car.
We loved Ireland and would love to go back!
Do you live in Philadelphia or will you have to pay to travel there? And does that price cover everything? Taxes? You might want to check out Frommers,http://www.frommers.com/, who has an indepth article on Ireland in this month's issue.
We did a package a few yrs ago. There is an online site where you can type in the area where you will be see the different B&Bs offered as not all accept vouchers. It is: http://www.townandcountry.ie/ You can make reservations if you like. We made reservations at some but not all. We were there for St Patrick's day also. We celebrate here in the States more than Ireland does ( except for Dublin who has a huge parade). In Ireland it is a religious holiday.
You have made a good choice in car rental. The roads are very narrow with stone walls so you want a small car with automatic transmission. Just be sure you take the FULL coverage insurance. We didn't and ended up paying the deductable as we had various dents from those stone walls
a flat tire from a hole in the road and a cracked windshield from a flying stone. SAD little car.We loved Ireland and would love to go back!
Jul 20th, 2006, 05:53 AM
#6
OK breaking that out using your numbers:
$600 X 2 for airfare
<u>$300 for car</u>
= $1500
$1060 X 2 = $2120
that means you are paying about $620 for accomodations -- $88 / €70 per night.
Nice B&Bs run from approx €25 to €40 per person, so the package is in the ball park but not any savings
$600 X 2 for airfare
<u>$300 for car</u>
= $1500
$1060 X 2 = $2120
that means you are paying about $620 for accomodations -- $88 / €70 per night.
Nice B&Bs run from approx €25 to €40 per person, so the package is in the ball park but not any savings
Jul 20th, 2006, 06:06 AM
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Janis did the math. Another thing to check is the insurance coverage. AS I stood in line at the Dublin airport waiting for my car, I watched every attendant at the car rental counters gettiing yelled at as their rental price doubled and tripled due to various insurance charges, airport taxes and other things that they can sneak on you as you wait. The folks in question hadn't done homework and found all sorts of additional charges when they arrived.
Whether or not you will be able to use MC in March for your CDW on your rental is still a matter of some debate. We will know more in September when MC says they are dropping coverage there. That is the current story anyway. Some people are saying they are getting letters proving their coverage. We'll have to wait and see.
Bill
Whether or not you will be able to use MC in March for your CDW on your rental is still a matter of some debate. We will know more in September when MC says they are dropping coverage there. That is the current story anyway. Some people are saying they are getting letters proving their coverage. We'll have to wait and see.
Bill
Jul 20th, 2006, 06:10 AM
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By the way, if you are merely going to break even, I wouldn't go with the deal. The flexibility of not having vouchers is nice. The company says they have 1200 B&Bs ... of course, not all of those will be open at that time of year. Plus, I'd rather give the money to the hard working B&B owner and not the travel agent.
By the way David, that's a no no here.
Bill
By the way David, that's a no no here.
Bill
Jul 20th, 2006, 09:43 AM
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We did one of those packages (I can't remember who we went through) for 7 days/6 nights over New Year's Eve. Most of the B&Bs were not open, but we had absolutely no trouble finding places. The Town and Country vouchers are great and the book is very detailed and easy to use. We booked all of our nights the morning of and found it very flexible. The owners were all very familiar with vouchers and pleasant about (we did tip most of them!). I recommend it, it was such a bonus to not have to worry at all about money - no "check-out" hassle, nothing. All the funds we had to bring were for 1 meal a day (since the breakfasts are HUGE) and anything fun we wanted to do. I don't want to speak for the price, we didn't include airfare in ours, but I found the package (as long as you have Town and Country homes) wsa excellent and we recommend it to anyone going over there. Have fun!
Jul 21st, 2006, 08:22 AM
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Thanks for the breakdown Janis. So, I was looking at booking B&B's directly (can't remember what site it was that listed them by county) and found that for a double, it was listed at $35.00 pp (ensuite - $30 w/shared). They looked like decent places, but I know that the pictures aren't always representative of the actual property.
Thanks for the info all, there's still quite a bit of research to be done on our end and I appreciate the advice and opinions. They're still welcome if anyone cares to post any. We're looking for "can't miss" places too, but I'm sure Fodors has loads of them already.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the info all, there's still quite a bit of research to be done on our end and I appreciate the advice and opinions. They're still welcome if anyone cares to post any. We're looking for "can't miss" places too, but I'm sure Fodors has loads of them already.
Thanks again!
Jul 22nd, 2006, 03:26 PM
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Just an update, after taking the replies into consideration and more research, we've decided to do this on our own. I've read more and more on Fodors about vouchers not being too popular with the owners and I don't want to take that chance.
I found airfare for under $500.00 and B&B's for about $35.00 a night per person. I also called the Irish Tourist Board (1-800-223-6470) and they're sending a packet of maps, suggested itineraries, rental car info, B&B guide book, and (if I remember to call back after the first of the year for the 2007 version) a coupon book for various sites. I wanted to share that in case anyone else would like the information.
Thanks all
I found airfare for under $500.00 and B&B's for about $35.00 a night per person. I also called the Irish Tourist Board (1-800-223-6470) and they're sending a packet of maps, suggested itineraries, rental car info, B&B guide book, and (if I remember to call back after the first of the year for the 2007 version) a coupon book for various sites. I wanted to share that in case anyone else would like the information.
Thanks all
Jul 23rd, 2006, 03:16 AM
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I think we'll be happy too. After I saw your quickie breakdown, then took time to research more (had to wait for the weekend because work keeps getting in the way of planning!), we found that it's cheaper to do it ourselves. I have to watch my pennies, but not to the point where it will prevent a good time. I'd rather use cash instead of pay for a voucher I may not be able to use.
Ok, next, off to research where to see. This is addicting!
Ok, next, off to research where to see. This is addicting!
Jul 25th, 2006, 05:57 PM
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ZilJenn, I also was originally looking at a fly/drive pkg from a company called CIE Tours. Their airfare was high out of Seattle and we wanted to travel 'open jawed' - Seattle to Dublin, then London to Seattle. I compared their price for a 7-day car rental + 6 nights vouchers to what I could find myself.
I got an airfare in the 2nd week of September of $620 (including taxes, fees and that pesky fuel surcharge) out of Seattle! It's usually $250-$300 more than eastern coast fares.
I also found an excellent car rental rate with Enterprise. My friend didn't feel comfortable with a stick so we're also getting an automatic. I have a car reserved for 8 days at a rate of $144 (without CDW). I figure even if that's doubled we'll still be at roughly $300 and with an extra day too.
I got an airfare in the 2nd week of September of $620 (including taxes, fees and that pesky fuel surcharge) out of Seattle! It's usually $250-$300 more than eastern coast fares.
I also found an excellent car rental rate with Enterprise. My friend didn't feel comfortable with a stick so we're also getting an automatic. I have a car reserved for 8 days at a rate of $144 (without CDW). I figure even if that's doubled we'll still be at roughly $300 and with an extra day too.
Jul 25th, 2006, 06:28 PM
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Hi Jen,
I think that you will be happy with your decision to plan your own trip. The research to make it happen will make the trip more rewarding to you.
In addition to Fodors and these boards, there is a resource that is unique to Ireland. There are people who write only about Ireland after many years of personal visits there. One of these that I can recommend is Michele Erdvig who has a very comprehensive website; www.irelandyes.com Michele also publishes a book called 'Best Little Guide to Ireland'. I'm not connected in any way with Michele other than that we found her ideas for travel and lodging to be very good. Perhaps you will also.
I think that you will be happy with your decision to plan your own trip. The research to make it happen will make the trip more rewarding to you.
In addition to Fodors and these boards, there is a resource that is unique to Ireland. There are people who write only about Ireland after many years of personal visits there. One of these that I can recommend is Michele Erdvig who has a very comprehensive website; www.irelandyes.com Michele also publishes a book called 'Best Little Guide to Ireland'. I'm not connected in any way with Michele other than that we found her ideas for travel and lodging to be very good. Perhaps you will also.
Oct 17th, 2006, 04:28 PM
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Thanks for the link, I'll look into it. We've got our accomodations for Dublin, but we're considering a "figure it out as we go approach" to the rest. It ought be a bit fun and adventurous, even if a bit unscheduled and off the cuff. I've read a really funny book about a man's travels through Ireland (while lugging around an apartment size 'fridge). I think that's where we got our let's see what happens theory.
It's getting closer every day and I get more excited all the time. Thanks for all the input.
It's getting closer every day and I get more excited all the time. Thanks for all the input.
Oct 26th, 2006, 04:26 AM
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I'm in Philadelphia and have traveled US Airways PHL-SNN (I thought that was just 'seasonal' service). I usually fly out of Newark (EWR) on Continental airlines. Aer Lingus has great deals for off-peak season travel (from JFK) - we flew AerLingus out of Baltimore but they have dropped that service.
If you book & buy now for Mar '07, you should be able to get a good airfare. The bad thing about your timing: you want to be there for St. Patrick's day (17 Mar). That might eliminate some cheap fares.
I don't drive in Ireland because of my age: most rental companies don't rent to drivers 75 or older. As a college student, you may run into the lower end of those rental restrictions (i.e., too young for car rental companies).
Have you given any thought to flying into Dublin and taking a 'backpacker'-type tour? http://www.Paddywagontours.com
If you book & buy now for Mar '07, you should be able to get a good airfare. The bad thing about your timing: you want to be there for St. Patrick's day (17 Mar). That might eliminate some cheap fares.
I don't drive in Ireland because of my age: most rental companies don't rent to drivers 75 or older. As a college student, you may run into the lower end of those rental restrictions (i.e., too young for car rental companies).
Have you given any thought to flying into Dublin and taking a 'backpacker'-type tour? http://www.Paddywagontours.com
Oct 26th, 2006, 09:07 AM
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Thanks for the reply Ned. We've actually got the airfare already, mine is a little over $400.00, friends is a little more than $1000 (because we're in different parts of the country).
We're still working on the car bit, but I have no worries about the age restriction...I'm nearly 38 years old. Don't let the college thing fool you, though I am old enough to be the mother to some of the others. =o)
I've contacted my credit card companies about the CDW/Theft insurance too. Both Visa and MasterCard cover it. Visa is sending me the written info, so I'll have to check the fine print to make sure of all the coverages. The only problem with the car is trying to figure out where to drop it because we start in Shannon and end in Dublin. I'm not keen on driving in Dublin so we're looking for somewhere on the outskirts and then public trans for the rest of the stay.
Any tips on that are welcomed too.
We're still working on the car bit, but I have no worries about the age restriction...I'm nearly 38 years old. Don't let the college thing fool you, though I am old enough to be the mother to some of the others. =o)
I've contacted my credit card companies about the CDW/Theft insurance too. Both Visa and MasterCard cover it. Visa is sending me the written info, so I'll have to check the fine print to make sure of all the coverages. The only problem with the car is trying to figure out where to drop it because we start in Shannon and end in Dublin. I'm not keen on driving in Dublin so we're looking for somewhere on the outskirts and then public trans for the rest of the stay.
Any tips on that are welcomed too.
Oct 26th, 2006, 09:25 AM
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My friend & I did the same trip in March of 2004 starting in Shannon and ending in Dublin. Go with the automatic even if one can drive a shift. We didn't and regreted it. Your plan of not driving in Dublin is right on the money. I have driven in other cities in Europe and never had a problem. We had to drop the car in Dublin and it was a nightmare. The streets signs are very hard to read (small and way up high on buildings) and most of the streets were blocked off due to the St Patrick's Day celebration. I finally paid a cab driver to let us follow us to the rental place. St Patrick's Day in Dublin was packed. Get there very, very early if you want to see the parade. IMHO, we wished we were not in Dublin for St Patrick's Day due to the crowds.
Oct 26th, 2006, 09:29 AM
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we did our trip in the opposite direction...starting in Dublin ending in Shannon. We got a good price on the car rental from Hertz/OScainlinn. Hertz has a site not too far from downtown Dublin, but easy enoough to get out of town from there.
this was one of the few times when we were pleased that the rental car was kind of beat up. It already had scratches on all panels, and a dent in the front, a few dings on the rear fender. I'm SURE there were no NEW dings and scratches when we returned it...but at least we had no worries about paying for minor damage.
this was one of the few times when we were pleased that the rental car was kind of beat up. It already had scratches on all panels, and a dent in the front, a few dings on the rear fender. I'm SURE there were no NEW dings and scratches when we returned it...but at least we had no worries about paying for minor damage.
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