Anyone know anything about vouchers in Ireland? My travel agent says to stay at bed and breakfasts I'll need to get them. has anyone used them? Thanks.

Dear Madam, <BR>My name is Nicoleta and I am a travel agent from Romania. <BR>Vouchers, as we use the term in travel business, are documents from your travel agent that attest the services you ordered and paid for(accommodation, meals, transfers, etc). The client present these documents to the hotel, restaurant, etc.

Missy, <BR>Your travel agent is wrong. There is a national voucher system in place in Ireland to pay B&B's, but it is much easier (and sometimes cheaper) to just pay cash. There are so many B&B's in Ireland that you will "never" have a problem finding one that has a room available.

Sjoerd...would I "never" have a problem finding a b&b...even in June?

I have had people close to tears at my B&B because they had been persuaded into vouchers and none of the places they really wanted to stay took vouchers

We were in Ireland first two weeks of August, which is one of the busiest times of the year, and we never had a problem finding a B&B. Sometimes our first choice was full, but there was always something available within 100 meters.

Missy, <BR>As the previous posters said you do not HAVE to use the voucher route to stay at B&Bs. <BR> <BR>The cost of using the vouchers is usually slightly higher than paying straight cash and by opting for the voucher package you are restricting the selction of B&Bs you may stay at - not all B&BS accept them - most do but there is always the one that you want to stay at that doesn't. Most posters on this site recommend against restricting yourself to the voucher. <BR>The only time the voucher option might be a good choice is when you buy a complete package from your travel agent which includes Flight, Car Rental and B&B vouchers and the price is right ie better than compiling the package yourself. <BR> <BR>Car rental is very expensive in Ireland as is the cost of insurance in general. I personally would prefer to leave myself free to travel around without restricting myself to B&Bs that accept the vouchers ie sometimes I might want to stay at a non-ITB (Irish Tourist Board) B&B or a Hidden Ireland house or a Farmhouse. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps you sort things out <BR> <BR>Cathy

Wow! What a lot of great answers. Thank you everyone...But especially Cathy. Cathy, you made sense out of confusion. Thank you! Thank you! Do you have suggestions on where I should look for more information on good B&Bs?

A good reason to but vouchers is that a lot of B&B's don't take credit cards. You need to visit an ATM each day for your expense money to pay for your B&B's if you don't. I would not carry large sums of money with me each day. <BR> <BR>The vouchers usally come with lists of inspected establishments. The only place I had a problem was in Dublin. <BR> <BR> <BR>

I am a travel agent, and the people on this page seem to be right on. I have had many clints travel with vouchers, the benefits being that your vacation is paid for up front (a huge benefit for a lot of travelers) and that you often save hundreds of dollars per person by booking a package (especially with high season air rates). The drawback is the fact that sometimes the voucher was more expensive than the B&B that you chose. This RARELY happens if you are traveling in the summer months. I would check with your travel agent about paying for the air/b&b/car rental separately. <BR>Good luck

Missy, <BR>Check any or all of the following web sites for info'on places to stay www.ireland.travel.ie <BR>www.townandcountry.ie <BR>www.irishfarmholidays.com <BR>www.hidden-ireland.com, <BR>www.jurys.com <BR>www.templehouse.ie (Sligo - NorthWest) <BR>www.beourguest.ie <BR>www.family-homes.ie <BR>www.dublinn.com (Kilronan House) <BR>www.castlesireland.com/ <BR>www.gsh.ie <BR>www.irelands-blue-book.ie/ <BR>www.ballymaloe.com (In Cork - the southern region - it has an excellent restaurant) <BR>www.irishcountryhousesandcastles.com <BR> <BR> <BR>The above sites vary from hotels and B&Bs, farmhouses and self-catering to Castle and Manor Houses. All guidebooks etc offer their own favourites. If you do a search on this forum you will find some of the favourites of people who have visited Ireland. <BR> <BR>B&Bs fall into 2 categories in Ireland - those "approved" by the Irish Tourist Board - Bord Failte and the "unapporved/independent" ones. The ITB approved ones are regulated and inspected by the ITB (they must pay a fee for this), they are listed in all ITB publications and if you have a problem then you can complain to the ITB whereas the non-approved ones - often just as good and even better - have opted not to be listed by the ITB. But you don't have an agency to complain to if you have a problem with a non-ITB one. I don't even bother checking to see if the B&B is apporved or not by the ITB. Just to confuse you more !!! <BR> <BR>An increasing number of B&Bs are accepting major credit cards eg Visa and Mastercard and in some cases American Express. In summertime vouchers or no vouchers it is advisable to pre-book for popular locations, the only thing that would make me opt for the non-voucher route is the freedom not to be confined to places that accpet them, however if it was a package with the right price then I would consider that option. Hope this helps you and post if you have any more queries, <BR> <BR>Cathy

Cathy and everyone else...I am blowing kisses to you all. thank you for all the wonderful info that you have provided. I am going to have to do my research but am looking forward to it. with your help I think that my trip is going to be so great! I can't wait to see all those lovely B&Bs and the green hills of Ireland.

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