Ireland honeymoon?

parker624 · February 2010

FI and I are very interested in going to Ireland for our honeymoon. Has anyone on the boards gone here? We want to know: (1) are there any good (young couple type) tours out there, or should we do it on our own? (2) places that are must-see, and destinations we can skip? (3) best places to stay (hotels, b&bs, castles), and (4) how much did you spend?

LaFemmeRousse · February 2010

Ireland is gorgeous! FI and I have been there a couple times between the two of us.

1. Ireland is so easy to get around that I can't imagine taking a tour there- plus, won't you guys want a lot of alone time on your honeymoon? As long as one of you is comfortable driving on the left side of the road, you would be fine. If you decide to go on your own and rent a car, be sure to reserve well in advance if you need an automatic transmission. I can reccomend some agents/resources for booking golf tee times, if you're interested.

2. Must-see: Dublin, Galway, Cliffs of Moher. Shannon and Athenry are nice too. Belfast is an interesting, educational experience if you want to go to Northern Ireland, and if you're there you must visit Giant's Causeway. FI has also golfed in Enniscrone, County Sligo, Carne, Connemara, Westport, Adare, Lahinch (by Cliffs of Moher), Tralee and Killarney.

3. Ashford Castle is one of the most amazing hotels in the world. It's definitely a luxury hotel but so worth it. It's in Cong, about 20 minutes north of Galway.

4. We have done some trips very economically (visiting friends in Dublin while students) and some extravagantly (Ashford Castle and lots of top golf courses).

sunshine_day_dreams · February 2010

We will be in Dublin for 4 days as part of our HM in September. We are booked for the Hampton Hotel (much different from Hampton Inn!) just outside of downtown Dublin http://www.hamptonhotel.ie/ It looks like a nice, upscale hotel, and pretty affordable.

If you're up for pubs and some "culture", visit the temple bar area in Dublin. There are also the Guinness brewery and Jameson distillery. Other than that, we plan to wing it once we get there - seeing whatever looks good to us at the time.

I wouldn't consider a tour if I were you. It's your honeymoon - do you really want to spend it with a bunch of other strangers on someone else's schedule? Ireland should be a pretty easy place to get around on your own. They speak English and there are buses to get you most places if you're uncomfortable with driving on the left side.

parker624 · February 2010

Thanks for the advice! FI was interested in doing a tour so that we wouldn't have to feel stressed trying to plan out our own itinerary. Can you all post your itineraries and/or places you wished you visited? What were the names of the hotels you stayed at and what is the best castle to stay in? (that sounds like a dream to me!)

If we wanted to spend no more than $4000 including airfare, do you think that is feasible on a 7 day vacation in Ireland, without staying in budget accomodations?

Do you think it would be too hard for us to eat in Ireland since we are vegetarians?

phillychica85 · February 2010

My FI and I went to Ireland this past summer and had a fantastic time on our own. We had booked everything through Expedia.

Although many people seem to give Dublin a bad rap as in spend a day and move on, we both thought it was an awesome city. The Irish culture wouldn't be anything without Dublin. We really took our time to explore the many areas. Of course make sure you do Guinness and Jameson (I'm not really a beer drinker at all but the Guinness "experience" is phenomenal with how they have it designed). Jameson is a big deal in Ireland but Guinness is like KING. If you guys are into museums, there are also some really good ones-natural history, history, and a superb art museum. Most are located in the city center area, a few are further out. If you guys like the Tudor series on Showtime, it films a lot in Dublin and I was so excited after finding that out.

I would highly recommend going on the DART (The Dublin Area Rapid Transit I think is the acronym) to the village of Kiliney. It was about an hour or so outside of Dublin and is located on the Irish Bay. The main draw is hiking to the top of the hill (felt more like a mountain lol). The vistas are incredible. You can see the Wicklow Mountains, other villages along the sea. I'm not sure if you have ever seen the Irish movie "Once" but there is a scene in it in which they go there.

We also spent time in the Wicklow Mountains (they're gorgeous) and at Glendalough which is an ancient monastic site with ruins. There is a lake there and it's one of the most peaceful and serene places I have visited. When down in the more southern area of the country we spent time in the city of Kilkenny too. It was cute, smaller than Dublin and more of a medieval feel to it.

Ireland is great and I agree with other people that you would have no problem going about on your own. Everyone is so friendly!

LaFemmeRousse · February 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_ireland-honeymoon-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:bee89816-6c50-4c69-a443-d636b9bee104Post:3c28e53b-d4fc-4567-bd29-e8f9e1110c70">Re: Ireland honeymoon?</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the advice! FI was interested in doing a tour so that we wouldn't have to feel stressed trying to plan out our own itinerary. Can you all post your itineraries and/or places you wished you visited? What were the names of the hotels you stayed at and what is the best castle to stay in? (that sounds like a dream to me!) If we wanted to spend no more than $4000 including airfare, do you think that is feasible on a 7 day vacation in Ireland, without staying in budget accomodations? Do you think it would be too hard for us to eat in Ireland since we are vegetarians?
Posted by parker624[/QUOTE]

I pretty much already posted my itinerary in my first post, and my favorite castle was recommended there as well. Truthfully, I think your budget might be a little tight if you want fancy accomodations. Have you priced out airfare yet?

I am a vegetarian, and Ireland was pretty middle-of-the road as far as food goes. In nice restaurants there will always be vegetarian options, but in little pubs you might have to make do with a sandwich and french fries (chips, as they say!).

phillychica85 · February 2010

In re. I think most Irish people would probably disagree with you on that part (and possibly even a little offended lol). The majority of the Irish live in smaller towns which obviously is vastly different than Dublin. We felt that the smaller towns were much more "authentic" and gave a better picture of what everyday life is actually like for most people in Ireland.

I do agree with you that when most people think of Ireland (and also their primary reasons for visiting) images of thatched cottages and rolling green hillsides come to mind, and yet Dublin became home to some of the country's most well-known and beloved authors and poets and has just as much importance as the beautiful countryside

They wrote about the capital city in such said works after having moved there from other parts of the country. However, I also felt that the authentic Ireland often depicted in movies and literature was a bit off as for instance I have very red hair but encountered few red heads which was funny since you always equate red hair to Irish people lol. The ones I did find were tourists like myself. Since we stayed longer than simply a few days in Dublin, we were able to have a more authentic experience by seeking out pubs and restaurants frequented by locals in lesser traveled areas. I mean New York City is by no means representative of the USA, and yet it still has a culture within it, far away from the mobs of Times Square and the shopping frenzy of Fifth Ave. The same can be said of Dublin I feel.

"When I die Dublin will be written in my heart"- James Joyce

Marketing · February 2010

parker624, a honeymoon to Ireland sounds like a great idea! It’s up to you whether or not you wish to tour or do it on your own. The only good thing about a tour is that everything is included and planned for you. They are usually available for a very reasonable price and also a great way to avoid long tourist lines. As for must see places, I would focus on the cities of Dublin, Galway and Kilarney. It is in these cities that you will get a true feel for Ireland. When it comes to places to stay, I swear by Trip Advisor. It has some great hotel reviews from recent guests. Congratulations!

amagwire · February 2010

We're going to Ireland, also! We are doing a drive yourself tour. From what I hear, it's so easy to get around by yourself, so I wouldn't bother hooking up with a tour group. At least in my opninion, I wouldn't find a group or tour guides very much fun for a honeymoon!

dalm0m · February 2010

We spent part of our HM in Ireland.

We did 4 days in Dublin on our own when we 1st arrived. That was my favorite part of the trip. There's so much culture. The Guiness Factory tour is a hoot. The restuarants range from world class to having some stew in a bar.

Then we did a tour through CIE. I can't say a bad word about CIE but it wasn't a good honeymoon. We had to get up too early. We spent too much time on a bus. It wasn't very relaxing or romantic but we did get to see alot. We kissed the Blarney Stone. The Cliffs of Mohr were spectacular. I agree with whoever said that the small towns were more authentic.

A tour was still probably a good idea for us b/c we didn't know what to expect. I didn't want to be involved with driving on the wrong side of the road but DN + Guiness seemed like it would = accident so we chose a tour.

I would have skipped all the contrived castle stops. They were so fake. Some of them were about as real at the Pirates of the Carribbean ride at Disney. Also unless you are really into horses you can skip the National Stud horse farm. On top of being boring, it screws up your re-entry into the US.

cembc99 · February 2010

I have been to Ireland several times on research (doing my PhD in Irish history) and vacation, most recently in June. My suggestions would be to do a mix of city and country. While I preferred the countryside and it was more of my preconceived ideas of Ireland, Dublin is a great city and there are some must-see sights for any Irish lover (Guiness Brewery, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the General Post Office, kilmainham gaol, Book of Kells at Trinity College, etc). That said, Dublin is very cosmpolitan and very expensive since it is on the euro. I personally think the smaller cities and countryside is more romantic. Outside the city I preferred Galway on the west coast and then the drive down the east coast from Dublin to Cork via Kilkenny and Waterford. Stunning scenery. Also, if you are interested don't rule out the north. People are very friendly there and the scenery is just as nice. Plus, it is cheaper since they are on the pound.

You could easily do Dublin and Galway even though they are on opposite ends of the country, because the country is not that big. The train between the two is only three hours. But, driving takes longer because the streets are windy and there are sheep. If you needed to you could fly into Dublin and out Shannon.

Personally, I would take the train rather than drive. The trains are not expensive, super convenient, and both of you can enjoy the scenery. On our first trip, we drove around, and aside from getting used to driving on the "wrong side", the streets are narrow with cliffs and it can be a little scary. With the train both of you will enjoy the scenery. My husband refused to drive when we were there the last time, so we relied entirely on trains, ferries etc.

In terms of food, I try to eat local food when I travel. No McDonalds or pizza for me in Ireland. But, it shouldn't pose too much of a problem, because vegetarianism isn't so uncommon there. I don't eat a lot of meat, and I always found options. If you go to Dublin, there is a good/cheap cafe chain, cafe insomnia that we liked a lot.

I am sure you will have a fabulous trip. Ireland is wonderful.

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