I'm going to spend 5 nights in Ireland July 25-30 on the tail end of a business trip. I plan to rent a car and roam around the country. Question: Will I be able to find B&B availability without too much trouble IF I don't book in advance?

You can always find something. But perhaps not the quality you want or the exact area you want. The best places will be booked first. If there is a festival or wedding or something else going on in the town you want to stay in you might have to go farther out or to another town.

One exception is July 29 & 30. That is the beginning of August Bank Holiday. Most places you go will be full of people unless you go very much off the beaten path. If you are staying in Dublin you will want reservations.

If you run into problems finding a place go to any tourist office and they will book you an accommodation for a small fee.

another thing about the Bank Holiday -- many places will have a 2, or even 3, night minimum unless they had cancellations.

you can often do just fine w/o booking ahead - but over a Bank Holiday all bets are off.

All the people who provide and receive advice on this forum will thank you for NOT making reservations in advance - - you won't be competing with "us" for the accommodations with the best locations, the best features and the best rates that "we" snarf up by making reservations in advance. We appreciate your settling for the places in the less ideal locations, with the crummier features, at the higher rates.

Cynical of me to say it this way - - but I think you get what I'm trying to say....

Best wishes,

Rex

My last trip to Ireland was 3 years ago in July, we had 2 nights unbooked, one in Ennis the other in Doolin. In both cases it took several attempts to find a vacancy. The rooms ended up being a fair distance from town; and I would give the B&Bs less than 1 star all around. For me, the B&B stay and the hospitality of the hosts is a big part of being in Ireland. My research here helps to choose places that will live up to my expectations (and budget) and I know that I will have to do that at the expense of spontanaity.

My last trip to Ireland was 3 years ago in July, we had 2 nights unbooked, one in Ennis the other in Doolin. In both cases it took several attempts to find a vacancy. The rooms ended up being a fair distance from town; and I would give the B&Bs less than 1 star all around. For me, the B&B stay and the hospitality of the hosts is a big part of being in Ireland. My research here helps to choose places that will live up to my expectations (and budget) and I know that I will have to do that at the expense of spontanaity. I would not go to Ireland in July without reservations.