Is 65 euro/day in Ireland enough?
Aug 8th, 2006, 08:19 AM
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Is 65 euro/day in Ireland enough?
Yes, I am stealing this post idea from another traveler, so please forgive me wherever you are. His numbers/currency/country needs were different than mine so that's why I felt the need to start a new post.
Having said that, I'm starting to wonder if my daily budget for Ireland will be enough. Excluding airfare, car rental, B&B costs, Heritage Card---will 65 euro per day be enough? The main expenses I see will be food, gas and souvenirs.
I figure I'll need 2 meals per day (breakfasts being covered at the B&Bs) but since I'm a single traveler I don't plan on having any 'fancy' meals. Mostly pub food, supermarket trips, etc-I can eat pretty cheap. I'll also need gas money. I fly into Shannon and drive along the southern coast to Dublin over 15 days. The Heritage card will cover some sites but I'd like to get to Aran and Skellig Michael (weather allowing).
With the cash I have saved I calculated that I should have about 65 euros per day to spend. I'll be taking 2 credit cards, so I can always charge things. I don't mind using the plastic, but I'm wondering if anyone can give me an idea of how much I can expect to be paying off once I get back!
Having said that, I'm starting to wonder if my daily budget for Ireland will be enough. Excluding airfare, car rental, B&B costs, Heritage Card---will 65 euro per day be enough? The main expenses I see will be food, gas and souvenirs.
I figure I'll need 2 meals per day (breakfasts being covered at the B&Bs) but since I'm a single traveler I don't plan on having any 'fancy' meals. Mostly pub food, supermarket trips, etc-I can eat pretty cheap. I'll also need gas money. I fly into Shannon and drive along the southern coast to Dublin over 15 days. The Heritage card will cover some sites but I'd like to get to Aran and Skellig Michael (weather allowing).
With the cash I have saved I calculated that I should have about 65 euros per day to spend. I'll be taking 2 credit cards, so I can always charge things. I don't mind using the plastic, but I'm wondering if anyone can give me an idea of how much I can expect to be paying off once I get back!
Aug 8th, 2006, 08:33 AM
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Offhand, I think that should be sufficient for one person. At least for food and gas. As you mentioned, you will have credit cards. So if you see some relatively expensive souvenir type thing that you feel you just have to have, you can always charge that!
For our family of four, we generally spent around €35 for lunch. We spent somewhat more for dinner 'cause my husband and I always had Guinnes with our dinners!
And, as I mentioned in another thread somewhere, we really didn't spend all that much for gas. We were there this past March. I don't know how much gas has gone up since then. We spent 5 days doing a fair bit of driving in the west in a Ford Focus. We filled the tank once along the way. And then again before turning in the car, but only needed to add about half a tank that time. I think our total expenditure on gas was only about €60.
Hope this helps.
For our family of four, we generally spent around €35 for lunch. We spent somewhat more for dinner 'cause my husband and I always had Guinnes with our dinners!
And, as I mentioned in another thread somewhere, we really didn't spend all that much for gas. We were there this past March. I don't know how much gas has gone up since then. We spent 5 days doing a fair bit of driving in the west in a Ford Focus. We filled the tank once along the way. And then again before turning in the car, but only needed to add about half a tank that time. I think our total expenditure on gas was only about €60.
Hope this helps.
Aug 8th, 2006, 08:57 AM
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Don't forget you might want 4 euros for a Guiness in the evening if you stop by a pub to hear some trad music. If you really love the music and you stop longer you might have 2 beers and spend 8 euros total. (Or you can have a soft drink which costs a bit less.)
Aug 8th, 2006, 08:59 AM
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I have not been yet, going in October but I would think that is enough. If it were me travelling alone, I would probably eat dinner out and buy snacks at grocery store for lunch. Perhaps where you are staying at the B&B they might be willing to pack you a box lunch for a reasonable fee to take along.
Aug 8th, 2006, 08:59 AM
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LOL, Melissa! I realized after I posted that I should have mentioned the Guinness. Well, besides what I mentioned with dinner! Our evenings in the pubs were probably the most expensive part of our trip. And the most fun! 
Aug 8th, 2006, 10:06 AM
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chemgirl -
I do think you'll be fine on that amount. Gas is expensive but you'll get good gas mileage in your little car. You'll have a big breakfast and there's great snacks or inexpensive lunches everywhere. Dinner is maybe 15 euros per person plus Guinness.
You definitely want to spend the money for Aran and Skellig! I think Skellig was 35 euros per person, but that's a dim memory and I may be wrong.
I do think you'll be fine on that amount. Gas is expensive but you'll get good gas mileage in your little car. You'll have a big breakfast and there's great snacks or inexpensive lunches everywhere. Dinner is maybe 15 euros per person plus Guinness.
You definitely want to spend the money for Aran and Skellig! I think Skellig was 35 euros per person, but that's a dim memory and I may be wrong.
Aug 8th, 2006, 10:22 AM
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Wow-thanks for the swift replies! Ok, good to know I'm not totally kidding myself with 65 euros per day. I'm sure I'll still be using the credit card (Capital One-no foreign fees, of course); especially on that darn Irish crystal and pottery and wool and, oh well, you only live once, right! Thanks for all the replies!
Aug 9th, 2006, 08:25 AM
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If you are traveling alone, it seems likely that you may not need to buy many pints. Crazymina had a fine trip report as a woman traveling alone in Ireland and it seems she was offered quite a few free pints.
Bill
Bill
Aug 10th, 2006, 01:37 AM
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I do agree, as above, in looking through my notes, I think it's doable. You may spend less one day seeing heritage sites with your card and having a lunch on the road and use the "extra" the next to take the boat to Innishmore. Then use the plastic should you see an irresistable reminder of Ireland to take home.
If you enjoy coffee- drink your fill at your B&B as coffee(oz. for oz.) costs alot more than a pint! I coulda spent 8euros a day for 20oz. of cofee!
A few of the best lunches we had in Ireland were roadside! One day, we had fresh cut ham and cheese on homemade bread at a gas station on the way to the Cliffs of Moher that was really tasty...3euro for the both of us. Of course, the 4oz. coffee was 1.65euro..go figure!
Have a great trip!
Dawn
If you enjoy coffee- drink your fill at your B&B as coffee(oz. for oz.) costs alot more than a pint! I coulda spent 8euros a day for 20oz. of cofee!
A few of the best lunches we had in Ireland were roadside! One day, we had fresh cut ham and cheese on homemade bread at a gas station on the way to the Cliffs of Moher that was really tasty...3euro for the both of us. Of course, the 4oz. coffee was 1.65euro..go figure!
Have a great trip!
Dawn
