London, Ireland and laundry?
 

We are traveling with two boys 8 & 10, and my husband and myself. We want to pack light, but how do I pack for two weeks worth of clothes each? Is there an easy way to do laundry in London? We will be in a B&B with no such facilities in London. We will be at a hotel in Ireland that offers laundry services, has anyone done this is it expensive?

Laundry services in hotels are always very expensive. Luckily there are plenty of laundrettes around where you can do your own laundry, or in some cases have it done for you at a fraction of the hotel price.

Leslie,<BR><BR>Our family usually maxes out on laundry at 12 days. That is, we find that we can pack 12 days worth of clothes and, with a little "creative laundry recycling" and a few hand wash items, we can get by. <BR><BR>The problem with a self-service laundrette is that you have to waste part of a valuable vacation day doing laundry. If you can find a full-service laundrette in Ireland, that might work.<BR><BR>Other valuable laundry and packing tips: <BR><BR>--pack layers of clothes since the weather will change frequently and make sure everyone has a lightweight, waterproof jacket.<BR><BR>--dark colors, especially for kids clothes, show less dirt (dark colored shoes too)<BR><BR>--buy some premoistened spot cleaner towelettes--Shout brand is one--so you can deal with some stains and spills as you go. <BR><BR>--consider packing clothes in plastic packing bags (available from LL Bean and others) or in 2 gallon zip lock bags. Helps during baggage security searches, keeps kids clothes organized, and separates dirty clothese from clean ones.<BR><BR>Heloise would be proud!<BR><BR>enjoy your trip<BR><BR>David White<BR>http://www.KidsToLondon.com

It is fairly easy to find laundrette in London and in Ireland. Yes, it seems more expensive than doing it yourself - but when you factor in the cost in time it is far cheaper to pay someone. <BR><BR>I for one do not skimp when it comes to having clean clothes. I travel on a budget but this is one place where I will spend a few dollars.

Hi Leslie,<BR>We spent 11 days in Ireland and planned to hit a Laundry when in the Beara Penn. area on about the 8th day. It was a Sat. and the only laundry in town - (not self serve) was too busy to take ours -So off we went shopping for more underwear and socks and we tried doing some and hanging in our room but it didn't dry very quickly - I think we just recycled something that wasn't too soiled. I would talk to the B&B owner - they will have a solution for you -either know where to send you, or arrange it to be picked up or maybe even doing it for you for a fee. <BR><BR>I was with a group touring by bike in Nova Scotia one year staying at different B&B's and one of the guys kept getting the B&B wifes to do his laudry - usually no charge! I never would have thought to ask. <BR><BR>I think you asked in another post about what to do in the Galway area and I think your boys would like the trip to the Aran Islands. You can rent bikes to tour the island or take a tour in a pony cart. There is a fort there that they would find quite interesting with a museum that tells about it. I liked the stones all in a jumble that were placed in front of the walls to prevent riders on horseback and by foot from storming the walls. There's a french phrase for that type of defense that I can't recall right now. But anyway - you'll just love Ireland.<BR>

For a family I especially recommend renting a flat instead fo staying in a B&B in London. They are usually about the same price and you have the luxury of a washer/dryer in your apartment. <BR><BR>But if you have already booked a good B&B, outside laundry is your only option. Most laundromats (launderette in the UK) offer wash/dry/folding service for a small fee. This is really worth the extra money - the attendant will take care of your laundry and leave you time for sightseeing, etc.