The adults are: husband Marty, me, our two sons and our daughter. It seems if we get a hotel, we'd need to book two rooms, which seems costly. If we settle in the north area, should we rent a cottage and venture out from there each day? Are B&B's the way to go? We have Marriott points, but only enough for one or two nights stay somewhere. We plan on staying 8 nights, and although I don't have an itinerary yet, we will probably be visiting the north with a definite stop in County Donegal.

Diane

We didn't visit the north but the south this past May. However, I think my advice will still apply. Lodging isn't going to be your only expense; we also found eating out to be quite expensive. Thus, if at all possible, I'd try to find an apartment or a cottage so, in addition to more flexible and affordable lodging, you can also have some meals in. On our 2 week trip we spent aabout 3/4 of our nights in cottages.

With that many folks, self-catering is a great option. Most places prefer a full week, but many are open for 'short stays', especially if you are out of high season. You have to cook your own meals (or go out) but you have the run of whatever house or cottage you're renting, and it's quite liberating. We rented a place for 3 days near Killarney, and also when we were in Edinburgh.

Thanks for the responses. I have a lot of homework to do. I'm kind of liking the self-catering idea, although I'm not too keen on the cooking part. What is the best resource to finding a good cottage?

"<i>I'm not too keen on the cooking part.</i>"

Not to worry - 'self catering' doesn't mean cooking -- unless you want to. That is just the term in the UK/Ireland for a vacation rental. You can cook up a storm - or just fix light breakfasts and eat out most other meals just as if you were staying in a B&B.

Having a kitchen (AND especially a washer/dryer) is a big help - but doesn't mean you have to "cater".

As for sources -- there are lots -- agencies and individual owners. One way to find one-off, privately owned cottages is to pick a village in an area that interests you and google '[village name] self catering' or '[village name] Holiday cottage'

Or here is a good agency:

http://www.shamrockcottages.co.uk/?g...FQ8mbAodtVO2nA

And of course there is always vrbo

I have been on an Irish discussion board for many hears and the locals often recommended Jury's Inns as an economical family accommodation.

However, in your shoes I'd try for a "self-catering" cottage or apt.