So here we are 24 days away from departure and we've already made 2 sets of changes to our "set" itinerary. I have to say that is the beauty of getting started early enough on all this. Yes, unfortunately, I've had to email some of the B&B's and see about changing dates, or canceling reservations, but this far out there are no extra charges or fees.
The first came when we were able to adjust our plane flight so we didn't have to stay overnight in Chicago on the way to Ireland. That gave us an extra day. We planned to stay around Clontarf, Howth and Malahide that day, and then head out on the road. As we looked at our itinerary more, we realized that we needed an extra day in the Cork area. So all days up to Cork were moved up a day and we changed a 2 day stay to 1 day at the end of the trip to plug in our Clontarf, Howth, and Malahide day.
As of yesterday we have decided to change an overnight in Kinsale, to an overnight in Wexford so we are able to meet up and have drinks with a friend. Totally an unexpected change, but being flexible is what it's all about. And when we looked at the itinerary for the day, this actually makes a little more sense to our travels. We'll still be spending some time in Kinsale, but not an overnight, and we will still have two nights in Cork.
Another friend just returned from Ireland and messaged me that he had some recommendations for me. I hope it's just great pubs, as I'm not sure I can handle too much more in the way of changes. I feel so very bad emailing the B&B owners and canceling reservations. I'm anxious to see what he has to recommend.
Still considering one more change, but it's more of a convenience one, than a travel one. Still thinking on that one. I like the idea of staying at one place for a couple of days now and then, and this was one of those places. Still time for that decision as it's near the end of our trip.
I'm finding that at times this trip is designing itself and we are just working around it. And actually it's working itself out just fine.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Under 30 days to Go!!
My traveling partner and I met this weekend to talk about last minute things. We are now just under 30 days until departure and this was the last time we would have a chance to get together face to face and check to make we had things covered. At least as much as possible covered. No vacation ever goes without a little catch here and there, but that's what makes it all an adventure.
Since this is my 4th trip to Ireland and her first, she had some questions about details that I take for granted. So I thought for anyone following this, I might take a minutes to write about these things so that anyone reading this might find it helpful.
Money....Yes, it's always good to have some. LOL But what everyone needs t think about is exchanging money from dollars to Euros. Where, when, how much? You can purchase Euros from AAA, or your bank. They make it sound great with only a $5 service charge per $1000. What they don't tell you is that the exchange rate they quote you is higher than the standard exchange rate. That's where they make their money. And unless you are at the main branch of a bank in a big city, you need to give them a couple of days notice to get the Euros in.
You can take dollars to Ireland and to to an exchange window at the airport and get Euros there. Again, you will pay a little more for this service also. If you can hold off and use your credit card until you get to an ATM, this is where you will get the best exchange. You are not paying for someone to give you the money, you're just taking it from your account. If you can't find an ATM at the airport, and need cash right away, just exchange a small amount at the airport and stop at the first ATM in the city when you arrive.
Electrical - basically make sure you have adapters with you. If you take a hairdryer, it must have a little place to change the voltage, or even with an adapter, it will burn up! I've only been to one B&B where they had adapters available. As you travel and repack so often, make sure when you pack that the adapters are the first thing to be put in your suitcase. I found a great deal on the ones for Ireland and Britain here:
http://bit.ly/hHeYZ5
The shipping was more than the adapters, but the total price was perfect.
Before you go-- Before you leave contact your credit card company and bank that you will be using your ATM and credit card(s) in Ireland. Some banks have rules about how much you can withdraw per day, or may question the use of the card outside of the norm. Make sure you know their withdrawal rules. They may also charge you to convert your Euro purchases on your credit card back to dollars. Nice to know if you are watching how much you spend.
Speaking of money - So how much money do you take? This is a difficult one. Almost all hotels and B&Bs take credit cards nowadays, but there are a few out there that want cash. If a B&B runs 40 Eruo, and you still need to pay for admissions, and meals and or drinks at pubs, or small restaurants, you might want to have around 100 Euros on hand. That's around $140. That may sound like a lot, but it goes very quickly. And that is only one day! Don't forget the cost of gas for your rental car, or bus and train fares.
If you need to transfer money from your savings to your checking and are using a computer that you don't usually use (or different URL) you may have to go though a verification process that will take a few minutes. This can happen even if you notify your bank. They are watching for hackers.
Internet cafes - If you don't have your own computer with you, you might need or want to get in touch with family using an Internet Cafe. They are not as predominate as they used to be, but you can still find them. If you use a site where you log on, make sure to log off and don't just close the window when you are done. Most Internet Cafes do wipe all info once a person is finished, but some don't. Just to make sure no one can get into your account, make sure and log out.
Make sure someone at home has a copy of your itinerary and a number where to reach you. And carry an itinerary with your that has the phone numbers of all the B&B/hotels where you are staying in case you get lost, or need directions. Make sure your traveling partner has an emergency phone number back home if they need you to call for them.
Oh, and don't forget. Take an small travel umbrella! If you don't have one, it's sure to be raining! :)
Since this is my 4th trip to Ireland and her first, she had some questions about details that I take for granted. So I thought for anyone following this, I might take a minutes to write about these things so that anyone reading this might find it helpful.
Money....Yes, it's always good to have some. LOL But what everyone needs t think about is exchanging money from dollars to Euros. Where, when, how much? You can purchase Euros from AAA, or your bank. They make it sound great with only a $5 service charge per $1000. What they don't tell you is that the exchange rate they quote you is higher than the standard exchange rate. That's where they make their money. And unless you are at the main branch of a bank in a big city, you need to give them a couple of days notice to get the Euros in.
You can take dollars to Ireland and to to an exchange window at the airport and get Euros there. Again, you will pay a little more for this service also. If you can hold off and use your credit card until you get to an ATM, this is where you will get the best exchange. You are not paying for someone to give you the money, you're just taking it from your account. If you can't find an ATM at the airport, and need cash right away, just exchange a small amount at the airport and stop at the first ATM in the city when you arrive.
Electrical - basically make sure you have adapters with you. If you take a hairdryer, it must have a little place to change the voltage, or even with an adapter, it will burn up! I've only been to one B&B where they had adapters available. As you travel and repack so often, make sure when you pack that the adapters are the first thing to be put in your suitcase. I found a great deal on the ones for Ireland and Britain here:
http://bit.ly/hHeYZ5
The shipping was more than the adapters, but the total price was perfect.
Before you go-- Before you leave contact your credit card company and bank that you will be using your ATM and credit card(s) in Ireland. Some banks have rules about how much you can withdraw per day, or may question the use of the card outside of the norm. Make sure you know their withdrawal rules. They may also charge you to convert your Euro purchases on your credit card back to dollars. Nice to know if you are watching how much you spend.
Speaking of money - So how much money do you take? This is a difficult one. Almost all hotels and B&Bs take credit cards nowadays, but there are a few out there that want cash. If a B&B runs 40 Eruo, and you still need to pay for admissions, and meals and or drinks at pubs, or small restaurants, you might want to have around 100 Euros on hand. That's around $140. That may sound like a lot, but it goes very quickly. And that is only one day! Don't forget the cost of gas for your rental car, or bus and train fares.
If you need to transfer money from your savings to your checking and are using a computer that you don't usually use (or different URL) you may have to go though a verification process that will take a few minutes. This can happen even if you notify your bank. They are watching for hackers.
Internet cafes - If you don't have your own computer with you, you might need or want to get in touch with family using an Internet Cafe. They are not as predominate as they used to be, but you can still find them. If you use a site where you log on, make sure to log off and don't just close the window when you are done. Most Internet Cafes do wipe all info once a person is finished, but some don't. Just to make sure no one can get into your account, make sure and log out.
Make sure someone at home has a copy of your itinerary and a number where to reach you. And carry an itinerary with your that has the phone numbers of all the B&B/hotels where you are staying in case you get lost, or need directions. Make sure your traveling partner has an emergency phone number back home if they need you to call for them.
Oh, and don't forget. Take an small travel umbrella! If you don't have one, it's sure to be raining! :)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Holy Days Batman!!!!
When I began this blog there were over 100 days until our trip. Now there are just 51 left until we depart. Not much has needed to be done in terms of reservations, rentals, or anything but there is still a lot of planning.
As I research areas, I still continue to come across places I want to add to the itinerary. Even with the length of the trip as it is, there will not be enough time to see it all. And many of the places are very different than what I would have visited before. For example, the Cork English Market is such an amazing place. I guess you could compare it to Pike's Place in Seattle. Can't wait to be taking some pictures there and try some of the local cheeses and chocolates.
http://www.corkenglishmarket.ie/
Two very different locations have a very similar product - smoked salmon. One is just to the north of Dublin in Howth Harbour called Wright's of Howth, and the other is in Lisdoonvarna called The Burren Smokehouse. Obviously, we'll have to sample both and compare!
http://www.wrightsofhowth.com/
http://www.burrensmokehouse.ie/
I'm going to need an instruction guide as to how to bet at the races in Ireland. We've planned a day at Dundalk Stadium to see some horse races. I've bet at horse races in the US for a win, place or show, but I'm not seeing place or show when I research betting in Ireland. I may just have to bet to win! Not that there would be any sense in a place or show bet. Now there's a real course of study before we get there. I hear if I set up an account beforehand I can phone in my bets! I'm sure they take credit cards! LOL
We would have loved to catch a High Kings show while we were in Ireland as their tours have not come to the west coast of the US, but unfortunately we'll be in the North when they play in Killarney. If they do add some more shows we'll try to get there. We've already booked a concert in Derry. Missed it last time I was in Ireland.
As I finish planning docs I decided to load them onto the "cloud" so I have access to them while we travel. Trying not to have to print everything and I'm not taking a big laptop with me. I've finished the document with the list of 28 days of B&Bs, hotels, and inns. Need to work on that as the pictures with maps did not transfer. Always something with technology!
As the days tick down, it gets more exciting. Until next post! Slan :)
As I research areas, I still continue to come across places I want to add to the itinerary. Even with the length of the trip as it is, there will not be enough time to see it all. And many of the places are very different than what I would have visited before. For example, the Cork English Market is such an amazing place. I guess you could compare it to Pike's Place in Seattle. Can't wait to be taking some pictures there and try some of the local cheeses and chocolates.
http://www.corkenglishmarket.ie/
Two very different locations have a very similar product - smoked salmon. One is just to the north of Dublin in Howth Harbour called Wright's of Howth, and the other is in Lisdoonvarna called The Burren Smokehouse. Obviously, we'll have to sample both and compare!
http://www.wrightsofhowth.com/
http://www.burrensmokehouse.ie/
I'm going to need an instruction guide as to how to bet at the races in Ireland. We've planned a day at Dundalk Stadium to see some horse races. I've bet at horse races in the US for a win, place or show, but I'm not seeing place or show when I research betting in Ireland. I may just have to bet to win! Not that there would be any sense in a place or show bet. Now there's a real course of study before we get there. I hear if I set up an account beforehand I can phone in my bets! I'm sure they take credit cards! LOL
We would have loved to catch a High Kings show while we were in Ireland as their tours have not come to the west coast of the US, but unfortunately we'll be in the North when they play in Killarney. If they do add some more shows we'll try to get there. We've already booked a concert in Derry. Missed it last time I was in Ireland.
As I finish planning docs I decided to load them onto the "cloud" so I have access to them while we travel. Trying not to have to print everything and I'm not taking a big laptop with me. I've finished the document with the list of 28 days of B&Bs, hotels, and inns. Need to work on that as the pictures with maps did not transfer. Always something with technology!
As the days tick down, it gets more exciting. Until next post! Slan :)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
So many places, so few days
Now that flights, car, and B&B have all been confirmed and we have set our itinerary - not in stone - but a general plan is in place, I've been searching out roadways and directions since I'll be doing the driving. I did all the driving on my last trip, so I don't mind. I do realize that the driver sees the roadside sights much differently than the passengers. The only way to help with that is to constantly pull off to the side of the road so the driver can take a gander at the wonderful sites being viewed by the passenger. And that is what sightseeing is all about.
As I've checked out roads and directions I've come across more sites to check out. And when I came across this site, things got even more complicated.
http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/index.html
I was so glad to discover that I had previously seen some of these "hidden gems" and that we have already scheduled to see many more. But in amongst the ones I've seen and the ones we plan to see were a few extra suggestions that I wanted to try and fit in.
I do have to say that after 3 previous trips most people would think I've seen pretty much all there is to see, but while Ireland might be small in size, it packs a punch when it comes to sightseeing. It was not until my third trip that I saw Kilmainham Goal in Dublin, or the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. With this trip lasting just under 4 weeks, there is that extra time, so we will adjust as needed, where we can, and I hope we have the time.
I want to pass on another website that is a great reference. Wish I had found it earlier for some additional references for B&Bs, but will mostly be using it for restaurant and pub references.
http://www.goodfoodireland.ie/
I love that Ireland is working on becoming a foodie destination. My last time in Dublin I was pleasantly pleased to find some very delicious tapas, and a surprisingly scrumptious vegan place for lunch. There will always still be the lamb and potato places with traditional Irish food, but they are now taking the traditions and turning them into a delicious and unique dining experiences. I'm looking to visit some of those places and see for myself. But don't forget, I am taking a cooking class in traditional Irish cooking! :)
So the list of places to see keeps growing. I'm sure we will have to weed through and eliminate a few, but we'll see. We've tried to leave enough time in each day so we are not too rushed. Hopefully that will help.
More to come now that we are under 60 days to departure.
As I've checked out roads and directions I've come across more sites to check out. And when I came across this site, things got even more complicated.
http://www.irelands-hidden-gems.com/index.html
I was so glad to discover that I had previously seen some of these "hidden gems" and that we have already scheduled to see many more. But in amongst the ones I've seen and the ones we plan to see were a few extra suggestions that I wanted to try and fit in.
I do have to say that after 3 previous trips most people would think I've seen pretty much all there is to see, but while Ireland might be small in size, it packs a punch when it comes to sightseeing. It was not until my third trip that I saw Kilmainham Goal in Dublin, or the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. With this trip lasting just under 4 weeks, there is that extra time, so we will adjust as needed, where we can, and I hope we have the time.
I want to pass on another website that is a great reference. Wish I had found it earlier for some additional references for B&Bs, but will mostly be using it for restaurant and pub references.
http://www.goodfoodireland.ie/
I love that Ireland is working on becoming a foodie destination. My last time in Dublin I was pleasantly pleased to find some very delicious tapas, and a surprisingly scrumptious vegan place for lunch. There will always still be the lamb and potato places with traditional Irish food, but they are now taking the traditions and turning them into a delicious and unique dining experiences. I'm looking to visit some of those places and see for myself. But don't forget, I am taking a cooking class in traditional Irish cooking! :)
So the list of places to see keeps growing. I'm sure we will have to weed through and eliminate a few, but we'll see. We've tried to leave enough time in each day so we are not too rushed. Hopefully that will help.
More to come now that we are under 60 days to departure.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Moving Along With the Agenda
As we move along with plans we've made our reservations at B&Bs along the way. It took an entire weekend just to get the majority of emails and enquiries sent off to approximately 17 locations for our 4 week trip.
This week I finally heard back from the last of the B&Bs with confirmations. I did find out that often the responses came back to me in my junk mail, so was checking there daily. And those online enquiries that are part of the B&B network don't always work. After not hearing from a few B&Bs, I searched for direct emails and received responses within 24 hours.
So at this point we have plane reservations and reservations at B&Bs, and a car reservation. I'd say we're pretty much ready. We did end up changing the tour plan for our last 4 days on the road to include a visit to the horse races. Something new for me during a vacation to Ireland. Now we are down to finding some additional unique places to make sure we have a chance to visit.
I'm very excited that when we are in Dublin a friend and her husband from London are flying over to spend our last weekend with us touring this wonderful city. They have never been to Ireland before, even though they have lived in London for a year. Have to admit, with everything there is to see in England, I might be in the same boat if I was there.
As a reference, I'll be listing the B&Bs in the various locations as we travel, so that if anyone is looking for a B&B in a town they might want to use the same one we stay in, or not, depending on our experience. For the most part, after having stayed at B&Bs my last trip, I really haven't found one that was unacceptable. It's really important to understand that some are newer and "purpose built" - built as a B&B, and some are older and converted to B&Bs. Most are ensuite, meaning each room has it's own bathroom and shower, but on occasion, they are not. For the most part a "double" room means a room for 2 with a double bed, no queen-sized, or king-sized. They are not really what you would consider luxury accommodations, but very comfortable and homey.
Outside of a hotel or a self-catering cottage, a B&B gives you a better chance to meet people. Both the people from Ireland and others traveling to visit Ireland. Some B&B proprietors are very business like and only tend to the business at hand, others are much friendlier and spend some time getting to know their guests and chatting with them. Back in 2009, at a B&B in Dublin, Mary our hostess sat down in the evening and had a nip of whiskey with us while she shared about her life. It was great.
In all these plans we did make reservations at hotels in and around Dublin when we first arrive and the last 4 days before we leave. It was important to be closer to the center of things where walking would be our means of transportation. If you are staying in Dublin City Center you are within walking distance of most locations. It's not really a city I'd want to do much driving in.
As we approach our departure time in close to 80 days, we'll make a few more online reservations where we can save a little with online reservations, like the ferry to the Aran Islands, or a hop-on-hop-off tour of Dublin.
I wanted to post this little picture of one of those "out of the ordinary" sites. I hope we get a chance to go and see this little church.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Always read the fine print!
Here it is almost the middle of March and other than inquiries and airline reservations we have not moved ahead much. Part of this is our schedules being so hectic, and part it the need to look over the itinerary now that we have added one day at the front of the trip and 4 additional days at the end of the trip. Want to make sure we have planned for the time we want to have a rental car and not be stuck somewhere needing to travel across country at the last minute.
This post is about rental cars. I've been doing a lot of searching for the best prices and thought I had found a deal. Yesterday when I went to check the reservation again I realized that the car I was looking at was a manual. I can drive a stick shift, I'd just prefer not to. As I dug deeper in the "more info" on the site, I realized that the reason this rental cost was so good was also because the CDW was not included. That can run anywhere from 14 to 19 euros a day. For a 24 day rental like ours, that's a pretty penny.
So back to Thrifty.ie and I think we'll be getting something very small to save some money. So at this point we're looking at a Nissan Micra, or something similar. Sounds really, really small. We could upgrade to a VW Golf for about another 75 euros. We'll see.
I've used Thrifty before and it was just fine. In fact, compared to the other major car rental places their prices are better than the rest. Just when I thought I had a deal. Make sure you read the fine print! :)
I also get the feeling it's going to be totally packed with our luggage.
This post is about rental cars. I've been doing a lot of searching for the best prices and thought I had found a deal. Yesterday when I went to check the reservation again I realized that the car I was looking at was a manual. I can drive a stick shift, I'd just prefer not to. As I dug deeper in the "more info" on the site, I realized that the reason this rental cost was so good was also because the CDW was not included. That can run anywhere from 14 to 19 euros a day. For a 24 day rental like ours, that's a pretty penny.
So back to Thrifty.ie and I think we'll be getting something very small to save some money. So at this point we're looking at a Nissan Micra, or something similar. Sounds really, really small. We could upgrade to a VW Golf for about another 75 euros. We'll see.
I've used Thrifty before and it was just fine. In fact, compared to the other major car rental places their prices are better than the rest. Just when I thought I had a deal. Make sure you read the fine print! :)
I also get the feeling it's going to be totally packed with our luggage.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Only good news
I know the title here sounds like something momentous might be happening, but we are moving closer to all that we had hoped for in this trip, short of moving to Ireland :)
Since we are using airline points and credits we are at the mercy of the availability of seats on the airlines and trying to coordinate 2 different airlines on the same days can be pretty tough. We're flying to Chicago first and then on to Dublin. As it was yesterday morning the only way we could even be close with the two flights was to fly into Chicago on June 21st and fly out to Dublin on June 22nd arriving on the 23rd.
By just a fluke, American Airlines opened up some seats for airline points yesterday evening on the 21st! So now we will just transfer from Midway to O'Hare without an overnight stay. I was excited that I might get to see some Chicago friends, but not sure that will happen now. By making the flight all in one day, we get an extra day at the front end of our trip. Always a good thing.
We did have to work a little and purchase a few points to get the return flight we wanted. Considering that 90% of the flights were free, that was nothing to worry about. So now we'll be in Ireland for 4 weeks. And our flights back are all in one day, with just the airport transfer in Chicago. This next weekend will be the start of reservations for some of the specific locations that we know where we want to stay. Now that we have the extra day at the front and have added 4 extra days at the end, we need to make some adjustments to the itinerary.
Imagine, we have to think of more places to visit in Ireland! As if that will be difficult. We have already decided to spend a few days on the Antrim coast. That way we won't be rushed and can enjoy all the beautiful Antrim coastline and find those little hidden gems that most people don't know about.
So all in all only good news for this weekend and trip planning. :)
Since we are using airline points and credits we are at the mercy of the availability of seats on the airlines and trying to coordinate 2 different airlines on the same days can be pretty tough. We're flying to Chicago first and then on to Dublin. As it was yesterday morning the only way we could even be close with the two flights was to fly into Chicago on June 21st and fly out to Dublin on June 22nd arriving on the 23rd.
By just a fluke, American Airlines opened up some seats for airline points yesterday evening on the 21st! So now we will just transfer from Midway to O'Hare without an overnight stay. I was excited that I might get to see some Chicago friends, but not sure that will happen now. By making the flight all in one day, we get an extra day at the front end of our trip. Always a good thing.
We did have to work a little and purchase a few points to get the return flight we wanted. Considering that 90% of the flights were free, that was nothing to worry about. So now we'll be in Ireland for 4 weeks. And our flights back are all in one day, with just the airport transfer in Chicago. This next weekend will be the start of reservations for some of the specific locations that we know where we want to stay. Now that we have the extra day at the front and have added 4 extra days at the end, we need to make some adjustments to the itinerary.
Imagine, we have to think of more places to visit in Ireland! As if that will be difficult. We have already decided to spend a few days on the Antrim coast. That way we won't be rushed and can enjoy all the beautiful Antrim coastline and find those little hidden gems that most people don't know about.
So all in all only good news for this weekend and trip planning. :)
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