styme123

I'm wanting to start planning a family trip to Ireland for next year. It will be for my family with mostly adult children and their wives/husbands, probably 8 or so people. I was thinking over the summer July or August. I have no idea where to start my planning. I've never travel out of the US. I don't know much about the country. Where should I start? Is there a better time to go over the summer? How much time should we plan on spending?I was thinking a week or 2. How much should it cost? I heard the plane fair was the most expensive thing. I'm interested in the culture of the country and some of the historical sites as well. Not a big fan of crowds or long lines. Thanks for your help.

Tony2phones

I generally give the best time to visit as May, early June or September. July and August are peak times and prices tend to be higher as do numbers.

If you do 2 weeks you have a number of options, Road trip round the island. pick 3 or 4 locations or I regularly suggest 1 week fixed self catering in a touring base and a week moving around.

Check out the forums there are a few this is just one, check Itineraries, Trip reports etc. Have a look at a couple of good guide books (ignore anything by Rick Steves) even check out bus tour itineraries if only to get ideas.

Once you have an idea then get a Michelin 712 map, pin it to a wall and pin places you are interested in visiting, look for clusters, look for a logical route considering arrival and departure airports.

Check the price of Flights and Car hire (remember to price insurance inclusive not just the base rate) then consider accommodation. That will help you start to budget.

nytraveler

For 8 people you will need either to rent a van or to rent 2 cars - probably a better idea since then everyone is not joined at the waist and no one has to deal with a larger vehicle on the very narrow local roads (in countryside there are often no shoulders and also a lot of livestock - esp sheep - can wander onto them).

In planning assume that you can travel at about 30 mph - faster than that is not realistic in country areas.

Agree you need to do a lot of reading of guide books and the destination section above - and make sure that all of the group have input on what they want to see or do.

I would definitely do 2 weeks if possible and start looking at costs now to have a basic idea of budget - assume about $1k per person air fare to start although you can look for deals - esp if you don;t go in July or August.

maxima

Start by looking at some guide books for Ireland. So you can decide what you want to see. With 8 people you are bound to have different interests, so get some input from the others.

You can find all sorts of places to stay, including less expensive hotels and bed and breakfast places, particularly out of the cities.

If the drivers in your group are not comfortable driving on the other side of the road, then look into a company where you can arrange for a mini bus and driver.

10 days to 2 weeks would be great if you can do it. The airfare will be the same whether its 1 week or 2. you should exclude from your planned time the day you arrive.. jet lag and getting orientated will take care of that day, and the day you leave as you will need to get to the airport and given flight times generally wont have time for sightseeing on the very day you depart.

jaja

Here's what I do when I am "hosting" a trip to Ireland. My family members don't always do it, but maybe they are just lazier than yours. We can hope.

Have each one (usually after looking at some guidebooks) write down: If you could only see/do one thing in Ireland, what would it be? Then, okay, if you could do 2 things in Ireland (now you get the idea.)

You certainly won't please everyone all the time, but it's a start.

flpab

We did a facebook private group page when eight of us went to Italy. It was a great way to communicate and vote on apartments, hotels, things we wanted to see etc.
Where do you all live? Can you fly from same airport? shoulder season is cheaper for flying.

styme123

Those are some really good ideas. Thanks for the feedback definitely food for thought.

bvlenci

The main advantage of getting people to vote or to help with the planning is that they can't put all the blame on you if they don't like the results. Be prepared to thicken your skin. In any group of eight, there's bound to be one who's absolutely impossible to please.

I'm thinking of taking my adult daughters and their families to Ireland next summer. I took my two daughters there when they were children, to see where my half of their family came from. I returned with my husband in 2006, and met some of my relatives. (On the earlier trip, I had met just one relative, as I focused on his father's birthplace and almost none of his family is still around.)

Now I know a lot more about the family history, and would like to visit some places I didn't know about before, and also to introduce my granddaughter to where my quarter of her heritage originated.

The first time we were in Ireland, it was September, and the weather was splendid. The second time was in June, and it was pretty good, though a little rainy. I think I would prefer June. The were wonderful wild flowers blooming, and the long daylight hours were great for sightseeing and driving.

The first time we didn't have a car, which is one reason we couldn't visit too many places. The second time we had a car, and while it wasn't all trouble-free, it's definitely the best way to get around rural Ireland.

If we can all go next year, we'll be seven people. I think we'll definitely get two cars.