Ireland to England - What to do?
Oct 15th, 2011, 09:54 PM
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Ireland to England - What to do?
We have 7 full days to spend in Ireland and England. We fly into Dublin and leave from London. Europe if completely new to me and I want to spend my time as best I can. Would you split the time equally? Should we just stick with Dublin and London or should we go to other parts of the country? What are the must see places? Thanks in advance for any help.
Oct 15th, 2011, 10:14 PM
#2
"<i>We have 7 full days to spend in Ireland and England.</i>"
7 days is a very short time for 2 countries
"<i>Should we just stick with Dublin and London or should we go to other parts of the country? What are the must see places? </i>"
That is barely time enough to see Dublin and a bit of London.
To give you an idea, Dublin and a quick jaunt around some of the scenic W/SW of Ireland takes at least 10 days/2 weeks.
A week in London barely scratches the surface -- 7 days might let you take 1 or 2 day trips, but cut London awfully short.
Not to discourage you, but just to explain that 7 days will really net you about 6 days free. And less than that if you are flying in long haul and have to deal w/ jetlag.
So for this trip, I'd plan about 2 or 2.5 days in Dublin and the rest in London and not try to squeeze in much else.
As for the 'must sees' -- everyone's musts are different. Start by clicking on "Destinations" at the top of this page and read upon both cities.
7 days is a very short time for 2 countries
"<i>Should we just stick with Dublin and London or should we go to other parts of the country? What are the must see places? </i>"
That is barely time enough to see Dublin and a bit of London.
To give you an idea, Dublin and a quick jaunt around some of the scenic W/SW of Ireland takes at least 10 days/2 weeks.
A week in London barely scratches the surface -- 7 days might let you take 1 or 2 day trips, but cut London awfully short.
Not to discourage you, but just to explain that 7 days will really net you about 6 days free. And less than that if you are flying in long haul and have to deal w/ jetlag.
So for this trip, I'd plan about 2 or 2.5 days in Dublin and the rest in London and not try to squeeze in much else.
As for the 'must sees' -- everyone's musts are different. Start by clicking on "Destinations" at the top of this page and read upon both cities.
Oct 15th, 2011, 10:15 PM
#3
Were I choosing, I would focus on Dublin plus a more rural area -- and London and an easy trip out of London--Bath, Oxford, and the like.
How are you getting around? (train, car...) Any particular interests? (traditional music, history, etc.)
You'll get advice about focusing on one or the other, or the cities only, but if I were planning the trip and trying to get the most out of it, I would spend 2 days in Dublin, an overnight elsewhere (perhaps a town not far away--Skerries? for example), though I am partial to Galway, which is a 3 hour train ride straight across the country, or even Kinsale or Dingle, but only feasible if you are into Shannon or Cork airport and out of Dublin or vice versa.
In London, not sure where to start, since so much is there to see. Consider 3 nights in London with a day trip or two (as mentioned above, or perhaps Winchester or another town that interests you) or an overnight, again really depends on your interests. There is so much to see in London!
If you do go to Dublin for a night or two I would not miss traditional music -- plenty in Temple Bar area but I'm sure elsewhere. Dublin is very walkable (a main street pedestrianized), with Trinity College and St. Stephen's Green in the thick of it, as well as items of very important historical interest and of course the riverside walks and bridges.
If you have more info on what your interests are I think you will get more feedback. Good luck with your trip planning!
How are you getting around? (train, car...) Any particular interests? (traditional music, history, etc.)
You'll get advice about focusing on one or the other, or the cities only, but if I were planning the trip and trying to get the most out of it, I would spend 2 days in Dublin, an overnight elsewhere (perhaps a town not far away--Skerries? for example), though I am partial to Galway, which is a 3 hour train ride straight across the country, or even Kinsale or Dingle, but only feasible if you are into Shannon or Cork airport and out of Dublin or vice versa.
In London, not sure where to start, since so much is there to see. Consider 3 nights in London with a day trip or two (as mentioned above, or perhaps Winchester or another town that interests you) or an overnight, again really depends on your interests. There is so much to see in London!
If you do go to Dublin for a night or two I would not miss traditional music -- plenty in Temple Bar area but I'm sure elsewhere. Dublin is very walkable (a main street pedestrianized), with Trinity College and St. Stephen's Green in the thick of it, as well as items of very important historical interest and of course the riverside walks and bridges.
If you have more info on what your interests are I think you will get more feedback. Good luck with your trip planning!
Oct 15th, 2011, 10:33 PM
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" Dublin and a quick jaunt around some of the scenic W/SW of Ireland takes at least 10 days/2 weeks."
It absolutely doesn't. The limited attractions of Dublin can easily be seen in a day. It'd take even less if the place had a decent public transport system. Admittedly, seeing the countryside of the South West (or anywhere else in Ireland) takes a lot longer - but the poster has shown interest only in Dublin.
If you've booked a flight to Dublin, personally I'd buy a connection to London, fly on there right away and spend the week in London.
It absolutely doesn't. The limited attractions of Dublin can easily be seen in a day. It'd take even less if the place had a decent public transport system. Admittedly, seeing the countryside of the South West (or anywhere else in Ireland) takes a lot longer - but the poster has shown interest only in Dublin.
If you've booked a flight to Dublin, personally I'd buy a connection to London, fly on there right away and spend the week in London.
Oct 15th, 2011, 10:41 PM
#5
"<i>The limited attractions of Dublin can easily be seen in a day. It'd take even less if the place had a decent public transport system. Admittedly, seeing the countryside of the South West (or anywhere else in Ireland) takes a lot longer - but the poster has shown interest only in Dublin.</i>"
I totally agree -- but the OP <i>did</i> ask if they could also go to other parts of the country.
From the OPs other thread -- they plan 4 of their 7 days in Dublin. (Big mistake IMHO. W/ just a week - I'd spend the entire time in London w/ maybe 1 day trip or 1 day/night somewhere in the hinterlands.)
I totally agree -- but the OP <i>did</i> ask if they could also go to other parts of the country.
From the OPs other thread -- they plan 4 of their 7 days in Dublin. (Big mistake IMHO. W/ just a week - I'd spend the entire time in London w/ maybe 1 day trip or 1 day/night somewhere in the hinterlands.)
Oct 15th, 2011, 11:02 PM
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Thank you very much for the quick posts! At first I had planned to split the trip up evenly between the two cities/countries. Now I am re-thinking that idea.
The reason we are starting in Dublin is because I have a meeting there (3 days) prior to our pleasure trip. We decided to fly out of London to be able to see another part of Europe. We plan to fly from Dublin to London to save time.
I know we are not allowing a lot of time for this trip, but I wanted to get my feet wet before spending an extended period of time in one or more countries. I thought of it as sort of a "cruise" in some aspects. You stop over a couple of places and decide where you may want to return.
Please keep the advice coming. I will probably come back to this post with more questions. You have been very helpful. Thanks again!
The reason we are starting in Dublin is because I have a meeting there (3 days) prior to our pleasure trip. We decided to fly out of London to be able to see another part of Europe. We plan to fly from Dublin to London to save time.
I know we are not allowing a lot of time for this trip, but I wanted to get my feet wet before spending an extended period of time in one or more countries. I thought of it as sort of a "cruise" in some aspects. You stop over a couple of places and decide where you may want to return.
Please keep the advice coming. I will probably come back to this post with more questions. You have been very helpful. Thanks again!
Oct 16th, 2011, 01:07 AM
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If you are already spending 3 days in Dublin in a meeting I would take maybe 1 more day to see the sites of Dublin (assuming you are in meetings all day those 3 days) and then fly to London first thing in the morning of the 2nd free day and spend the remaining time there. You would then have time to see the sites of London and perhaps even take 1 day trip to one of Bath, Oxford, Canterbury...
Check out www.walks.com for day trips out of London that are affordable and really good quality.
Check out www.walks.com for day trips out of London that are affordable and really good quality.
Oct 16th, 2011, 01:47 AM
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So you will 10 days, of which 3 days are blocked by the business meetings?
Unless your business duties also include evening dinners or else, I would say that you already have 3 evenings/nights to get a feel for the Dublin "vibe". You could do a pub crawl, or just roam around.
If you stayed in Dublin as a home base, you would save valuable time for packing/unpacking, travelling to/from hotels, back to Dublin airport eventually.
In addition to your 3 "business days", you may need one extra full day to explore museums, the jail, or whatever you find interesting.
Finally, one day for a day trip by rail or bus, e.g. to Kilkenny.
The rest, which should be 5 days, I would spend in London with maybe one or two day trips, e.g. to Oxford.
Keep in mind that London proper has so many sights that there is no need to travel all over England to fill 5 days.
Even if you needed a break from the big city, you could simply take the tube to Kew Gardens and spend half a day to relax - depending on season.
Unless your business duties also include evening dinners or else, I would say that you already have 3 evenings/nights to get a feel for the Dublin "vibe". You could do a pub crawl, or just roam around.
If you stayed in Dublin as a home base, you would save valuable time for packing/unpacking, travelling to/from hotels, back to Dublin airport eventually.
In addition to your 3 "business days", you may need one extra full day to explore museums, the jail, or whatever you find interesting.
Finally, one day for a day trip by rail or bus, e.g. to Kilkenny.
The rest, which should be 5 days, I would spend in London with maybe one or two day trips, e.g. to Oxford.
Keep in mind that London proper has so many sights that there is no need to travel all over England to fill 5 days.
Even if you needed a break from the big city, you could simply take the tube to Kew Gardens and spend half a day to relax - depending on season.
Oct 16th, 2011, 05:24 AM
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Dublin is not an Irish experience any more than London is an English experience let alone another part of Europe. Stick to Ireland or England and get out of the capitals. It's like me going to New York to experience America?
Oct 16th, 2011, 06:36 AM
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Tony, I think you are totally discounting what all three cities have to offer first-time travellers. I was 20 my first time in both New York and London and barely scratched the surface. But, I could say I had a great overview of both.
Of course I didn't know London and certainly not England after that first week there.
I would second jami's and cowboy's suggestion. Once you're in London, if you've had your full, you can always get out into the country. Or, stay on in Ireland and get out into the countryside. For me, London has more to offer than I will be able to see.
Of course I didn't know London and certainly not England after that first week there.
I would second jami's and cowboy's suggestion. Once you're in London, if you've had your full, you can always get out into the country. Or, stay on in Ireland and get out into the countryside. For me, London has more to offer than I will be able to see.
Oct 16th, 2011, 06:36 AM
#11
If you can see a bit of Dublin while you are there for the meeting (to experience the "vibe" as someone above noted, trying the pubs/music scene) then that does give you time to get out of the city and see country/smaller towns/non-city culture, maybe a country or small town B&B. For me, seeing Trinity College Library (Long Room) and Book of Kells is well worth the time; for you something else may grab you.
When I've had limited time in the UK I've scheduled overnights or day trips (as mentioned above, to Oxford, Bath, Winchester, Canterbury...), majority of time in and around London but definitely with the great rail service you can get to these other spots for a very different experience.
Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful trip. Personally I would not shortchange the Ireland part too much by just getting out of Dublin asap; I'm generalizing but often it seems easier to make London (which, yes, has incredible history and sights) part of future trips than Dublin and Ireland.
When I've had limited time in the UK I've scheduled overnights or day trips (as mentioned above, to Oxford, Bath, Winchester, Canterbury...), majority of time in and around London but definitely with the great rail service you can get to these other spots for a very different experience.
Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful trip. Personally I would not shortchange the Ireland part too much by just getting out of Dublin asap; I'm generalizing but often it seems easier to make London (which, yes, has incredible history and sights) part of future trips than Dublin and Ireland.
Oct 16th, 2011, 09:27 AM
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There are flights to London from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock, Derry and Belfast so there is no excuse to stay in Dub just for the flight. Equally there are flights to just about every Airport in the UK from somewhere on the Island of Ireland.
The point I was making is that you cannot get the measure of a county just by visiting the major cities. Dublin is a prime example of a singular location. Even the locals will tell you there is Dublin and the rest of Ireland. Sorry for being a Culchie.
The point I was making is that you cannot get the measure of a county just by visiting the major cities. Dublin is a prime example of a singular location. Even the locals will tell you there is Dublin and the rest of Ireland. Sorry for being a Culchie.
Oct 16th, 2011, 09:32 AM
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7 days - and do you really have 7 - or does that include the days you arrive and depart? - is barely enough to see the basics of Dublin (2 days) and London (the rest).
I wouldn;t even do a day trip unless there is some place that you are really in love with.
Agree that you can;t understand a country only by seeing one city - but that is a funcion of the fact that you can;t understand 2 countries in 7 days. If yuo really want to see/do much of anything I would reco 7 to 10 days for Ireland and at least 3 weeks for the ULK.
I wouldn;t even do a day trip unless there is some place that you are really in love with.
Agree that you can;t understand a country only by seeing one city - but that is a funcion of the fact that you can;t understand 2 countries in 7 days. If yuo really want to see/do much of anything I would reco 7 to 10 days for Ireland and at least 3 weeks for the ULK.
Oct 16th, 2011, 09:46 AM
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I would agree with janisj, in that 7 days is very tight. Given 3 weeks I would start suggesting car hire, ferry trips at al.
I would simply book a connecting flight and see both cities.
(BTW janis - I'm here under a different name to ensure that your quoted drive times are quicker than cycling) (at this point insert one of those silly smiley faces that only the yanks know how to post)
I would simply book a connecting flight and see both cities.
(BTW janis - I'm here under a different name to ensure that your quoted drive times are quicker than cycling) (at this point insert one of those silly smiley faces that only the yanks know how to post)
Oct 16th, 2011, 10:23 AM
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Thanks again for the great feedback!
The 7 days we have are full days not including the days we arrive and depart.
I think we have decided to spend 2 full days in Dublin, one day traveling between the two cities, and 4 full days in London. Knowing this, any advice you have is very welcome.
What do you suggest for travel between the two cities? Train, air, ferry, etc?
Also, what do you think of Waterford? My in-laws want crystal from Ireland...
The 7 days we have are full days not including the days we arrive and depart.
I think we have decided to spend 2 full days in Dublin, one day traveling between the two cities, and 4 full days in London. Knowing this, any advice you have is very welcome.
What do you suggest for travel between the two cities? Train, air, ferry, etc?
Also, what do you think of Waterford? My in-laws want crystal from Ireland...
Oct 16th, 2011, 10:27 AM
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Ryanair full stop
They will virtually pay you for flying and it is around an hour to Stansted. Terrible customer service, arrogant company but very, very cheap and fairly reliable as long as they don't cancel the flight due to its low bookings.
They will virtually pay you for flying and it is around an hour to Stansted. Terrible customer service, arrogant company but very, very cheap and fairly reliable as long as they don't cancel the flight due to its low bookings.
Oct 16th, 2011, 11:26 AM
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Just be careful about luggage allowances as they are VERY strict on Ryanair. I have found good prices on Aer Lingus and I like that I dont have to worry about luggage etc. Book as soon as you can to get the best price.
Oct 16th, 2011, 04:22 PM
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What about BMI (British Midland International)?? They are almost as cheap as Ryanair.
It sounds like the recommendation is to fly instead of taking the train/ferry. Since we are novels at European travel, would taking the train be an experience we should consider or is air just the way to go?
It sounds like the recommendation is to fly instead of taking the train/ferry. Since we are novels at European travel, would taking the train be an experience we should consider or is air just the way to go?
