Fly-drive in Ireland

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.

--
Jerry Bank
Trenton, New Jersey
Music is the language of the gods.

Jerry Bank wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.

No opinion. Living in Ireland, I don't rent a car here.

2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?

Why use vouchers? Not all B&Bs accept them, so you would limit your
options. I use what I term universal vouchers: banknotes. You won't
get many good B&Bs for less than 33 euros.

3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

It depends on your interests, and how much travelling you want to do.
Tell us what you want out of a trip to Ireland.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

"Jerry Bank" wrote in message
. ..
I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?


We did a land-only drive with vouchers in 2003. Before we bought, I priced
various combinations and the agent couldn't touch the air fare I got off
CheapTickets.com. So we just bought the land-only tour.

First, I don't know about which car rental is cheapest but I have a couple
bits of advice. Your Visa Gold does not cover the CDW in Ireland. I knew
this and made sure that the CDW was included, but when I picked up the car,
I found out that there was an ~750 Euro deductible and that they wanted even
more to cover 100%. I didn't pay it, but maybe I should have. There were a
couple of close calls that might have cost me a lot. Just a word to the
wise. Also, the "upgraded" us to a larger car. In western Ireland you want a
small car with good fuel economy. You want good fuel economy everywhere, but
in many areas the roads are very narrow. If the driver is sitting on the
centerline, the passenger will be picking the roadside fascia out of his/her
teeth.

We used B&B vouchers but would not again. Euros are the best vouchers. Just
get several guide books and pick out good places a couple of days in
advance. The Autoclub rated ones are usually very good. Get a prepaid SIM
for and Irish mobile carrier to have phone service while you move and not
have to rely on pay phones to make the calls.

As for where to go, my wife has relatives in the North, so that pretty much
controlled our route There's a lot to do. Since you plan to fly into
Shannon, Bunraddy (sp?) Castle is probably in your plans. We really liked
the castle and village but could have done without the banquet (kitsch).

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

In article ,
says...
Jerry Bank wrote:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.

No opinion. Living in Ireland, I don't rent a car here.

2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?

Why use vouchers? Not all B&Bs accept them, so you would limit your
options. I use what I term universal vouchers: banknotes. You won't
get many good B&Bs for less than 33 euros.
I thought about using the vouchers to simplify things. Agreed that not
all B&Bs take them, but I have heard that enough do to make them useful.

3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

It depends on your interests, and how much travelling you want to do.
Tell us what you want out of a trip to Ireland.
As in a trip to any country, I just want to see what goes on there.
Usually I visit large cities, so this would be a different way of doing
things for me. We will have only seven days, and to keep driving to a
reasonable amount, we would prefer to stay at least two nights in each
place. Any suggestions are most welcome.

I thank you in advance.

--
Jerry Bank
Trenton, New Jersey
Music is the language of the gods.

Jerry Bank wrote:

3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

It depends on your interests, and how much travelling you want to do.
Tell us what you want out of a trip to Ireland.
As in a trip to any country, I just want to see what goes on there.
Usually I visit large cities, so this would be a different way of doing
things for me. We will have only seven days, and to keep driving to a
reasonable amount, we would prefer to stay at least two nights in each
place. Any suggestions are most welcome.

Use Google to add flesh to the bones I describe. I presume that you
have, or can find, a map.

1: Don't plan on driving long distances. Many Irish roads are narrow,
and you are likely to be in places choked by tourist traffic, even in
September. In any event, on holidays, what's the hurry?

2: I suggest that you find your first night's accommodation near
Shannon airport, as you don't know how jetlagged you might be. Shannon
town itself is not interesting. Do some local tourism. Donald's
suggestion about Bunratty is good (and I agree with him about the
banquet, but tastes differ). The pub in the folk park is better than
Durty Nelly's, the big pub beside the castle. If you like the folk
culture thing, you might also visit Craggaunowen nearby, which depicts
life a bit further back in time.

3: With only a week, I suggest that you choose between moving north or
south, and not be overambitious. Either direction is good.
- The northerly option starts westward -- work around the Clare coast,
getting in the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Doolin if you like music,
Ailwee Cave and a variety of Atlantic views. Galway is a lively small
city with plenty of accommodation and dining options. From Galway you
can venture into Connemara. We had some discussion of Connemara in the
group recently, and you can google it. You could get as far as
Westport in Co. Mayo before heading back towards Shannon (you could
get further, but at the cost of passing by places where it is worth
stopping).
- If you go south, you can work through west Cork and Kerry.
Personally, I would not stay in either Killarney or Tralee. Some of
the scenery around Killarney is wonderful, and worth your while. The
road from Killarney to Kenmare is magic. Kenmare is a nice place -- a
bit touristy, but not as crassly so as Killarney. It might be a good
base from which to visit places like the Beara Peninsula, Bantry,
Skibbereen. In my view the Ring of Kerry, although scenic, is
overrated; the Dingle Peninsula is better, especially the Slea Head
drive. Dining in Ireland is expensive, and particularly so in Dingle,
so I'm not sure it would be a good choice for accommodation.

--
PB
The return address has been MUNGED

"Jerry Bank" wrote in message
. ..
I thought about using the vouchers to simplify things. Agreed that not
all B&Bs take them, but I have heard that enough do to make them useful.

They do make it simple, but simple is often more expensive. I don't think
there was any discount with the vouchers. If the B&B charges more than what
the voucher is worth, they just don't take them. If they charge less, then
they accept them with a smile. With cash you are in a better position to
negotiate or shop around, particualarly if you are a bit off the season. I
used vouchers the first trip to Ireland but would not do so again.

--
Donald Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net

Jerry Bank wrote in
:

I am planning a visit to Ireland in September. We would like to rent a
car and use vouchers for bed and breakfast places.

1. Any ideas of the cheapest (or best) car rental.
2. I have seen the vouchers for 33 euros pp, with ensuite facilities.
Are there any cheaper prices out there?
3. We would be arriving and departing from Shannon. We would either
have seven or twelve days in Ireland. Any suggested itineraries?

Thanks.


I am getting ready to go to Ireland next month (in & out of Shannon also)
and finally booked my car rental yesterday. I had sweated over the high
adders for the CDW coverage (Budget wanted 19 euro a day!), but finally
found one that would accept the coverage Master Card offers. Irish Car
Rentals ( http://www.irishcarrentals.com/ ) will accept Master Card's
coverage as long as you have a gold or platinum card. I called Master
Card, their insurance arm, and the rental company, and am satisfied that
I will be covered. Plus, Irish Car Rentals' price was close to as good as
anywhere else I checked. I am taking a set of golf clubs, so I opted for
a compact car rather than a subcompact, but I would suggest you get the
smallest car you can, both for fuel economy and for ease of driving on
the many narrow roads.

We had thought of going the voucher route, but decided not to. Actually,
since we are going at the height of tourist season, we have already
booked all of our accommodations. Most are B&B's in the 30-40 euro range,
plus we threw in a couple of manor houses for a bit more. For the last
night before flying home we will stay at Jurys Inn Limerick (
http://www.jurysdoyle.com/index.php?hotel_pid=25831 ), which has an
internet special of 49 euro per room if booked 30 days in advance. A
friend has stayed there and said it is nice for the price.

As for an itinerary, we will be there two weeks, but probably won't cover
as much as we could. We want to be able to relax some, and also be able
to fully explore where we will be going. For ideas, below is what we will
be doing. From what I have read and heard from others, it should be a
very rewarding trip no matter where we go in Ireland.

Homer

Ireland Itinerary

Day 1: Fly into Shannon, arriving early in the morning. If we are lucky
enough to get some sleep on the plane we will explore Limerick and
environs. We will stay in Adare for two nights, at the Berkley Lodge
(Station Road, Adare, Ph 353(0)61396857, http://www.adare.org/page2.html
).

Day 2: Play golf in the morning at Adare Manor Golf Club (Tel: (353) 61
396204, http://www.adaremanorgolfclub.com/ ), the less expensive of the
two courses in Adare. In the afternoon we will explore the area some
more. Places to check out in this area may include Bunratty Castle &
nearby folk park, Ballybunnion beach area, Lough Derg, Loop Head, and
Limerick.

Day 3: Head north up the coast, checking out Spanish point, the Cliffs of
Moher, and the Burren if time permits. Make our way to Galway, where we
will stay for three nights, at Kilcullen House (38 Father Griffin Road -
Galway City - Co Galway - Tel: +353 91 586736, http://www.kilcullen-
bnb.com/ ).

Day 4: Day trip to Inishmore in the Aran Islands.

Day 5: Golf and sightseeing. Perhaps we will go back down to the Burren
area if we didn't catch it coming up the coast.

Day 6: Continue up the coast into Connemara. It looks like there are many
scenic routes here, so we may loop around a bit, making sure to catch the
coastline as well as the scenic inland areas and Connemara National Park.
We will stay near the The Killary fjord at Portfinn Lodge, Leenane, Co.
Galway, Ireland (+353 95 42265, http://www.anu.ie/portfinn/ ). While
there we will try to check out the fjord on Killary Cruises(+353 91
566736, http://www.killarycruises.com/home.html ).

Day 7: We have a tee time at Connemara Golf Links (Ballyconneely,
Clifden, County Galway, +353-(0)95 23502/23602,
http://www.connemaragolflinks.com/ ). After that we will head up to
Westport & maybe the Achill Islands before heading back to the Portfinn
Lodge.

Day 8: Next we will head into the interior of Ireland before heading
south. We may check out the gardens, science centre and National Birds of
Prey Centre around Birr Castle Demesne on our way to Ashley Park House
(Ardcroney, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, +(353) 067 38223,
http://www.ashleypark.com/ )

Day 9: Keep heading south toward Cork, with the Rock of Cashel being the
main attraction along the way. We will stay two nights in Cork at Shandon
Bells Guest House (Western Road, Cork, Ireland, +353 (0)21 4276242,
http://www.shandonbells.com/ )

Day 10: I would really like to get a taste of the Gaelic sports, so I
thought this would be a good day to go to a hurling match. Day 10 is a
Sunday, so I think they will be playing then. We can skip the Blarney
Stone thing in this area.

Day 11: From Cork head either along the coast or through the pass of
Keimaneigh, check out the Beara peninsula, and on to the Ring of Kerry.
Stay at Glanleam (+353) 66 9476176, http://www.hidden-
ireland.com/glanleam.html ) on Valentia island one night.

Day 12: Head to the Dingle peninsula and stay two nights in Dingle at The
Lighthouse (Ballinaboula,Dingle Co.Kerry, Phone (066) 915 18 29,
http://www.lighthousedingle.com/ )

Day 13: Explore Dingle.

Day 14: Finish Dingle, Brandon Mountain, Connor Pass (if I feel good
after driving on the wrong side of the road for two weeks!) and head back
toward Limerick. Stay in Limerick our last night at Jurys Inn Limerick
(Lower Mallow Street, Limerick, Tel: (+353 61) 207000,
http://www.jurysdoyle.com/index.php?hotel_pid=25831 ).

Day 15: Fly out of Shannon.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I will save it and check out your
suggestions.

In article ,
says...


I am getting ready to go to Ireland next month (in & out of Shannon also)
and finally booked my car rental yesterday. I had sweated over the high
adders for the CDW coverage (Budget wanted 19 euro a day!), but finally
found one that would accept the coverage Master Card offers. Irish Car
Rentals ( http://www.irishcarrentals.com/ ) will accept Master Card's
coverage as long as you have a gold or platinum card. I called Master
Card, their insurance arm, and the rental company, and am satisfied that
I will be covered. Plus, Irish Car Rentals' price was close to as good as
anywhere else I checked. I am taking a set of golf clubs, so I opted for
a compact car rather than a subcompact, but I would suggest you get the
smallest car you can, both for fuel economy and for ease of driving on
the many narrow roads.

I checked Bedget, and with the AAA discount, they seem quite a bit
cheaper than Irish. I also did all the checking about the CDW and my
MasterCard, and it all seems to work.

We had thought of going the voucher route, but decided not to. Actually,
since we are going at the height of tourist season, we have already
booked all of our accommodations. Most are B&B's in the 30-40 euro range,
plus we threw in a couple of manor houses for a bit more. For the last
night before flying home we will stay at Jurys Inn Limerick (
http://www.jurysdoyle.com/index.php?hotel_pid=25831 ), which has an
internet special of 49 euro per room if booked 30 days in advance. A
friend has stayed there and said it is nice for the price.

What did you do to find the 49 euro rate. All I could come up with was
69 euros.

As for an itinerary, we will be there two weeks, but probably won't cover
as much as we could. We want to be able to relax some, and also be able
to fully explore where we will be going. For ideas, below is what we will
be doing. From what I have read and heard from others, it should be a
very rewarding trip no matter where we go in Ireland.

Homer

Ireland Itinerary

Day 1: Fly into Shannon, arriving early in the morning. If we are lucky
enough to get some sleep on the plane we will explore Limerick and
environs. We will stay in Adare for two nights, at the Berkley Lodge

--
Jerry Bank
Trenton, New Jersey
Music is the language of the gods.

Jerry Bank wrote in
:

For the last night before flying home we will stay at Jurys Inn
Limerick ( http://www.jurysdoyle.com/index.php?hotel_pid=25831 ),
which has an internet special of 49 euro per room if booked 30 days
in advance. A friend has stayed there and said it is nice for the
price.

What did you do to find the 49 euro rate. All I could come up with
was 69 euros.

Good question! I just checked the site again and did not see the "internet
special" they had a couple of weeks ago. Actually, the first time I checked
they had a 43 euro rate if you paid 30 days in advance, but it was up to 49
euro when I went back to book the room.
After checking the site some more I see the 49 euro deal is available for
August 25th, but not a week later on Sept 1. Maybe if you check later they
will open up the special rate for September.
Homer

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 10:54:40 GMT, Homer Simpson
wrote:
snip detailed trip plan

Thanks for that; as I'm planning to spend a similar week
next year that could be very useful to me. I'll be picking
up a car in Dublin and returning it in Shannon, so I'll have
to check one-way rental costs. A post-trip report would be
very much appreciated too.

What was your main source to find the B&B's? I notice many
of them charge per person, some per room - has that caused
any confusion in assessing?


Cheers, Alan, Australia