Question About Traveling Around Ireland
 

Does visiting towns in Ireland require a lot of travel time in a car? I've read many posts throughout the years, and a car seems to be the preferred mode of transportation in Ireland.

We are considering a trip to Ireland in 2009, but our grandson gets car sick more often than not.

There is a limited train service ie the Dart service around the suburbs and villages of Dublin which might help. Then buses or cars. Note that the roads are wiggly and freeways don't really exist.

Even the guy who went round Ireland with a fridge used cars a lot.
The North of the Island has more trains but not a lot

I did a 2 week tour around Ireland and Scotland, and we rented a car. I definitely recommend it, there is minimal public transportation available outside major cities. What we did to avoid hours and hours in the car is to plan a circular route so that every 2- 3 hours we got out to see a town, site, walk in the mountains, etc. Really, the country is so small that you can drive across it in less than a day if you wanted to. Also, you could pick a few cities and then take day trips. I highly recommend doing some outdoor activities as well to stretch your legs if you feel you're driving a lot, the scenery is beautiful. Note: the roads are poorly marked so you'll need phone numbers for where you're staying in case you need directions. We actually got lost very little, though, so don't worry.

The railways link Dublin with Waterford, Cork, Galway, Sligo, Belfast and some other cities. There are also express buses between the cities, and local buses serve smaller places.
See www.irishrail.ie for trains and www.buseireann.ie for buses.

Traveling around Ireland doesn't seem compatible with a person that gets motion sickness. I'm not that great traveling in a car more than two hours - even the train ride from Amsterdam to Brugge made me sick.

In addition to the sickness issue, my husband drives about 60,000 miles a year...so driving is the last thing he wants to do on vacation.

We need to have a family discussion.

Thank you.

I traveled with a few folks that had motion sickness issues and it was noticable for them when in the back seat of the car. The roads are indeed wiggly.

If traveling on a train gives you motion sickness, I'm not sure how you would get around the country. There is lots to though from and in the villages and towns so once you get there, not much driving would be required. I tend to get out of the car frequently also.

If you try, I would look at doing something compact instead of trying to hit everyone's favorite spots. In my mind, that's a better vacation anyway.

Bill

Thanks, Bill. Wiggly roads and sensitive stomachs don't do well together.

This grandson got car sick on the Amalfi Coast from Amalfi to Sorrento - not a pretty sight, nor a pleasant experience for him, and I do want him to have a wonderful trip.

Even on the Amalfi Coast, I was slightly nauceous as well as my adult son. The driver had to stop the minivan and we couldn't proceed until everyone was feeling better.

My best friend and I went to Ireland last summer; I don't get motion sickness, but she takes Dramamine before getting on a plane or a boat. Most of the time she was fine (or at least didn't say anything if she wasn't), but at one point in the Burren she was wishing she'd taken some before we started driving. That was the curviest part of our driving, for sure.

Other posters are right on - even when the roads are curvy, there are almost always lots of places to stop, either towns or scenic spots. For instance, we spent a good part of one day doing the Slea Head drive on Dingle, but stopped probably every 15 minutes or so till the last chunk. We always parked the car when we got to a town; the ones we stayed in were very walkable. If your grandson's (or your) motion sickness is mild and usually controlled with medications, there might be a few times I'd advise that, but most of the time I think you'd be fine. However, if this is going to be such a major cause of worry that you don't enjoy your trip, I might find another country. :)

I get car sick on occassion, although not too much anymore, and indeed ended up nauseous after a drive through Killarney National Forest last year. The twists and turns, not to mention the steep drops, was not very good for my weak stomach. I love Ireland but agree that if motion sickness is a problem you way want to pick area and stay within the general vicinity.

Best wishes,
Tracy

I appreciate all the candid responses.