Do you holiday in Ireland?

I’m on holidays in Ireland right now. Started in Wicklow, then Rosslare, then over to Cork. Back home tomorrow. 4 nights and about 300 spent on accommodation. It’s been a great little road trip. If I had more time I’d have made my way up the west coast a bit.

Blaizes

The odd weekend but not really Ireland is beautiful but cost plus the weather, also nice to go abroad explore new places and cultures. Must take the kids to Aran islands though and a few more landmark places. Ireland can be a rip off though especially eating out it is very off putting

Steve F

Gerry G wrote: »

Soup and a roll in the Crowne Plaza, Northwood. €6.20. Nuffsaid

Soup and a Roll?? €6:20??

2 Course meal for that abroad

gifted

J Mysterio wrote: »

How about no

Thought you'd say that.

marcos_94

I holiday abroad and do long weekends in Ireland and it is definitely cheaper to go abroad. Saturday to Tuesday stay in Schull a few months back cost just shy of €300 for two people. Did a night in Kinsale in March and it was €140 for two people. In comparison, booked flights to Morocco for two people for 4 nights in a 5 star hotel for €460.

I like doing road trips and long weekends in Ireland and the cost wont stop me but it is definitely more expensive.

Infernal Racket

Steve F wrote: »

Soup and a Roll?? €6:20??

2 Course meal for that abroad

I made a mistake. It was actually €6.90

Steve F

Gerry G wrote: »

I made a mistake. It was actually €6.90

:rolleyes:

Edgware

Gerry G wrote: »

I made a mistake. It was actually €6.90

Hope you left the balance of the tenner as a tip

Infernal Racket

Edgware wrote: »

Hope you left the balance of the tenner as a tip

Well obviously. I didn't complain either cos that's how we Paddys roll

Edgware

Gerry G wrote: »

Well obviously. I didn't complain either cos that's how we Paddys roll

Ha ha

Cold sausages, greasy egg. weak tea
" Is everything OK Sir?"

Lovely. Very tasty thank you

Andrewf20

Yes, great country for the odd trip out west if you get the weather. Just wishing this global warming thing would get a move on.

Ubbquittious

whisky_galore wrote: »

The brown signs more often than not, aren't there or turned the wrong way by local half wits.

You would follow them for a bit until a crucial one is missing or pointing the opposite way, have to rely on Google Maps. Have come across walking trails where the "You Are Here" isnt even in the right place on the display map!

The tourist info boards in some towns still advertise attractions, pubs and restaurants that have closed down with donkey's years. I noticed recently there's still county council signage to a nature park that closed its gates 6 or 7 years ago.

It's improved from what it was but there's still sloppy half arsed tourist signage out there.

Havnt seen a sign like that in ages. They still at it down your way?

fin12

Edgware wrote: »

When you used the make up word " staycation" the first thought that came to mind was Gob****e.

Just try and book a hotel in Killarney some weekend and you will see the rip off going on in "rural Ireland". Not that Dublin is any better

I suggest you go pigsback.com and see some of the brilliant deals on hotels there.

Stop using the excuse that Ireland is a rip off to not holiday here. It can be as expensive or as cheap as you want to be. It’s called shopping around.

fin12

gifted wrote: »

Tell you what, you find me a B&B in Killarney for next weekend for 2 adults and 2 kids ( I've 3 kids but I'll make it easy for you by asking for 2 kids) and come back with a price? Also factor in lunchs and dinners and snacks and weather and can't be in pubs after a certain time because of the kids.......

Do you book your holidays abroad with such short notice aswell???

Plumbthedepths

fin12 wrote: »

I suggest you go pigsback.com and see some of the brilliant deals on hotels there.

Stop using the excuse that Ireland is a rip off to not holiday here. It can be as expensive or as cheap as you want to be. It’s called shopping around.

The only thing you can really shop around for is accommodation everything else is a similar price no matter where you are in the country.
Ireland is an expensive destination to holiday in and I have never heard anyone deny that even the tourist board accepts the label.

gifted

fin12 wrote: »

Do you book your holidays abroad with such short notice aswell???

No, why?

fin12

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

The only thing you can really shop around for is accommodation everything else is a similar price no matter where you are in the country.
Ireland is an expensive destination to holiday in and I have never heard anyone deny that even the tourist board accepts the label.

Not true, drink in rural villages is way cheaper than in the city centers.

Sorry you can’t shop around in different restaurants? Really that’s news to me.

dave1982

Few years was looking at 4 nights away killarney came to 600 for 4 night hotel. Quick check for sun holiday 5 night albufeira 410.. So we went albufeira

gifted

fin12 wrote: »

Not true, drink in rural villages is way cheaper than in the city centers.

Sorry you can’t shop around in different restaurants? Really that’s news to me.

Have you really gone to different restaurants with your family and checked prices and then decided to go back to the cheapest one??....and none of your kids were complaining?

fin12

gifted wrote: »

No, why?

Ya so why are you asking someone to come back with prices for a hotel next weekend, when your going abroad do you leave booking your flights and accommodation to the last minute.

Obviously booking a hotel so near to when u want to stay is going to way more expensive.

fin12

gifted wrote: »

Have you really gone to different restaurants with your family and checked prices and then decided to go back to the cheapest one??....and none of your kids were complaining?

No don’t need to there’s this thing called the internet where you can look up menus online also read the reviews.

HBC08

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I do. Lovely country, great hotels, top class food, and plenty of pubs. I think this rip-off Ireland thing is exaggerated as well - Spain, France,
Portugal can be almost as expensive.

Comparing the prices of France and Portugal in the same sentence is disingenuous.

In go to Portugal every May and October,a week there works out cheaper than a bank holiday weekend or a few days away in Ireland (which we do often as well)
Meals out in Ireland are reasonable enough,pints,activities etc are ok too but hotels are a total rip off
I say this as someone whose business relies 100% on tourism.

Plumbthedepths

fin12 wrote: »

Not true, drink in rural villages is way cheaper than in the city centers.

Sorry you can’t shop around in different restaurants? Really that’s news to me.

I said the prices are similar did you miss that? Of course if you wish to eat in a take away versus a sit down ala carte restaurant there will be a huge variation. There is no huge difference in the cost of drink. Temple bar being an exception. Again though Ireland is not seen as a cheap holiday destination by anyone other than someone who wishes to pretend otherwise for their own reasons.

gifted

fin12 wrote: »

Ya so why are you asking someone to come back with prices for a hotel next weekend, when your going abroad do you leave booking your flights and accommodation to the last minute.

Obviously booking a hotel so near to when u want to stay is going to way more expensive.

Because if you had bothered to read up a bit further you would have seen that person say that he could find a weekend in Killarney for €150...hence I asked him to find one for 2 adults and 2 kids

And if you read even more you would see that a weekend away in June is €760 euro so makes no difference when you want to book it

fin12

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I said the prices are similar did you miss that? Of course if you wish to eat in a take away versus a sit down ala carte restaurant there will be a huge variation. There is no huge difference in the cost of drink. Temple bar being an exception. Again though Ireland is not seen as a cheap holiday destination by anyone other than someone who wishes to pretend otherwise for their own reasons.

Sorry maybe for you but where I’m from the drink is way cheaper than when I go into city center and I’m not in Dublin.

I never said it was cheap but it’s not a rip off.

gifted

fin12 wrote: »

No don’t need to there’s this thing called the internet where you can look up menus online also read the reviews.

Oh I'm well aware of it, it's why I know holidaying in ireland is too expensive


And when I go on holidays the last thing I do is be on the internet.

gifted

fin12 wrote: »

Sorry maybe for you but where I’m from the drink is way cheaper than when I go into city center and I’m not in Dublin.

I never said it was cheap but it’s not a rip off.

But you can't bring kids into the pub in the evening in ireland...unless you bring them in during the day and that's not much of a holiday is it?

ArnoldJRimmer

Living abroad, family is still at home, so Ireland is my most regular holiday destination. Aside from staying with family and friends, I sometimes book hotels for either a bit of peace and quiet to get over the jet lag, or if I'm heading to some event in a different part of the country. I have found that if booking a place well in advance, you can get really decent deals, even in Dublin. Closer to the time and it can be outrageously expensive. This is consistent with a lot of places I've visited around the world

As for eating/ drinking, this is something I do an awful lot whenever I'm home. Its a bit more expensive than it used to be, but I've found that the standard has gone way up in most of these places too. Again, shopping around, and doing a bit of research, and you can get great value for money

I can see the weather as being a big downside if planning a week or two in Ireland, particularly if you have kids to keep entertained, but I generally don't mind that too much either. Easy to say when I get good summers and horrific winters where I live

In some of the countries mentioned here as cheaper options such as Albania and Portugal, the standard of living for many is much lower than Ireland, so of course its going to be better value.

Plumbthedepths

fin12 wrote: »

Sorry maybe for you but where I’m from the drink is way cheaper than when I go into city center and I’m not in Dublin.

I never said it was cheap but it’s not a rip off.

I regularly go to Galway city centre the village I live near 59 miles from Galway there is a difference of 30 cent between the pint in the two places. Much of the tourism product in Ireland is a rip off. I and my family used to holiday in Ireland but the internet and particularly the available of inexpensive flights have made it that we don't need to pay the ridiculous prices here. I would never deny Ireland is a beautiful country it is and I have seen nearly every corner of it because of my hobby but I also shake my head at the excessive greed in the tourism sector.
I spent a 8 days in Italy last summer with my wife, we would not have been able to enjoy the same break away here for the same price not even mentioning the weather.

buried

You can do some great wintertime camping holidays in Ireland, just got to look out for a bit of dry weather and have all your gear prepared. Irish winters aren't that extreme. Two large tarps for outdoor shelter with seats by a open fire to go with a couple of tents for indoor shelter. Bring some good cooking equipment to use with the fire you got proper meals. It's not for everybody but it's an essential cheap holiday for me in the wintertime to escape the electronics and artificial light for a weekend or two. That constant usage of artificial light and electric craic brings people down in the winter, it's good to get away from it if you can. Good adventure. I find I appreciate the household electrics more when I get back instead of using them all winter. Some great spots on our island to do this sort of holiday.