Need help with booking Ireland trip
 

I have been reading all of the posts about Ireland, and I am now so confused. I have been quoted a price, which I think is good, for air, car rental, and vouchers for b & b's that include a private bath. The sheet also charges more for using Town and Country, which I think that i read on here was good. However, I do not know if this is good, as some of the posters said that they had issues when they tried to use their vouchers. Please help! Thank you

What time of year are you going to Ireland? What areas are you thinking of staying? That might determine if you want to use vouchers or not.

If they are charging more for T&C, it sounds like the original selection might be limited. As Irish Eyes says, it would help to know when you are traveling. Also, it would help to know the price. Things to keep in mind that when you are quoted prices, that is a per person charge which means you are being charged per person for the car also.

I'm not a big fan of vouchers because I have never found them to be a great deal unless you are traveling low season and you happen to live near an Aer Lingus port which helps reduce the price of the package. By themselves, they are always more expensive and they cost the owners a lot of money.

Just my 2 cents.

Bill

We are planning on arriving in Shannon around June 2. The cost for the air, car and vouchers is less than $1000.00 per person. Thanks!

kraines, I am not a big fan of vouchers, either, but your deal doesn't sound bad. We went in October, and I am trying to remember how much we paid. We were there for 9 nights in B&Bs and rented a car, so with our airfare, I think we were right around $2000. (We flew out of Boston.) If you plan to stay in Dublin at all, you may find it difficult to find a place that takes vouchers. In June the tourist trade is starting to pick up a bit, so you may have less luck with the vouchers than if you were going more off-season. The average B&B will run you about 35euros per person per night, some will be less and some more, depending on location and amenities. Can you get a price for just the air and car and see what the difference is? We do everything on line now, it's pretty easy!

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

That time of year sounds like a pretty good price, though you may need to find out if additional costs may be involved in the rental car situation like CDW, Super CDW, VAT, airport drop off and such. What company is offering the deal?

Bill

I think I have pretty much decided to book the air and car on my own. I feel pretty dumb, as I have been to Europe on numerous occassions, but never to Ireland, so now I am trying to read up like crazy! It sounds like we can cover a lot in 7 days, but I am hoping that we can keep our b & b costs to less than $100.00 per night with a private bath. I also read that food was not that expensive, so we will be ok. My husband has always wanted to go to Ireland, so here we come. Any suggestions on a b & B near Shannon? We are flying in and out of there. Thanks!!!!

You will get many suggestions for B&Bs in Bunratty, which is about 10 to 15 minutes from Shannon. We have stayed at Ashgrove House with Frank & Sheila Tiernan, and more recently, Park House with Mairead Bateman. Very different styled homes, both very welcoming. Bunratty Lodge gets great reviews.

Okay, all! I bit the bullet this morning and purchased our airline tickets. They had come down over $40.00 from yesterday, so I have them purchased. One question, is an International Driver's permit required in Ireland? The next step is to book a car..I called the Ireland Tourist Board this morning and they are sending me lots of info. Thank you all for your help! Kathy

No, you don't need an International Drivers License. The only time those are helpful (sometimes) are in those countries where English isn't widely spoken.

As for the car, remember that automatic cars are much less popular over there, and are therefore twice as expensive as a manual transmission. Do check with your credit card regarding insurance, as many won't insure in Ireland...

I've gone to Ireland and rented a car there and had a blast! (oh, yea, and once I used the vouchers and they were fine... in August... in Dublin :) )

We will be arriving Shannon on 4 June, six of us. Two will leave Shannon on 12 June, while the remaining four are not departing until the 15th. This will be our third June visit (out of seven).We were there last June, as well.
B&Bs should run you 70 euro per night, typically, for two people. Some may be a bit more and some even a bit less, but 30-35 per person sharing (PPS) is about the average. You will want to have a place booked by 4 or 5 PM, to keep the stress level down and the easiest way to do that is through the Tourist Office in most bigger towns. We carry an Irish cell phone and usually just call ahead. I have found that when I inquire about vacancies, the response is usually in the form of a question as to whether or not I am using vouchers. I never have, so my answer has always been, "NO", but it leads me to believe that vouchers aren't terribly popular with B&B owners.
You will have a LOT of daylight available to explore with in June. Last year, we drove to the top of Connor Pass at 7:30 and it looked/felt like 2 in the afternoon!
Get a MasterCard for the CDW waiver, rent the smallest car you feel comfortable in and figure out what you HAVE TO see. Leave your stress and impatience in the US, dust off your sense of wonder (and humor), and you will have the time of your lives.
Enjoy.

Bob