Staycation Ireland.. Anyone doing it

JoZeb

Just back from a nice short trip to Strangford Lough, a bit of a hidden gem in (NI), and it was - as always - lovely. Went off the beaten track to the top of the peninsula, largely untouched, and very relaxing

krissovo

Back from 7 days of cruising the Shannon and lough Derg. Without a doubt it has been the best family holiday to date and better than villas in Spain or holiday parks. My 10 and 6 year old had amazing craic with a back to basics approach to holidays and cried when we handed the boat back earlier today.

Stay-cation this year has been highly successful and we will absolutely do it again next year.

Jim Root

Minier81 wrote: »

I am getting worried my holiday to Kerry won't happen now if we move back towards tighter restrictions. Anyone else? Please tell me I am being paranoid and they won't go there with the 20km rule again.

I’m due in Kenmare next week & rang the property for a quick chat yesterday, no issues or concerns on their side.

Minier81

Jim Root wrote: »

I’m due in Kenmare next week & rang the property for a quick chat yesterday, no issues or concerns on their side.

Ah brilliant, its kenmare we are off to in 2 weeks also. Enjoy!

Sheep Shagger

krissovo wrote: »

Back from 7 days of cruising the Shannon and lough Derg. Without a doubt it has been the best family holiday to date and better than villas in Spain or holiday parks. My 10 and 6 year old had amazing craic with a back to basics approach to holidays and cried when we handed the boat back earlier today.

Stay-cation this year has been highly successful and we will absolutely do it again next year.

As a matter of interest with two kids how did you find the food costs compared to Spain etc?

I know you can do it cheap enough by buying groceries and doing it yourself but part of the holiday (or us anyway) is being able to try different foods (as well as lazy old favourites) and not worry about the cooking and cleaning up etc.

Today is the first day of our holidays (planning day trips only etc) and it's raining....hopefully not a sign of things to come for the next fortnight!

drunkmonkey

Love Irish food know I haven't even scratched the surface with it, after some dodgy portagese swordfish put me in a&e last year, I'd much prefer to be eating Irish food on holidays.
If anyone is heading west clare direction I'd highly recommend checking out Julia's lobster truck you'd need to check her Facebook to see where she's going to be https://m.facebook.com/juliaslobstertruck/

Maybe put off today's day trip until tomorrow weather should be a lot better.

fits

Minier81 wrote: »

I am getting worried my holiday to Kerry won't happen now if we move back towards tighter restrictions. Anyone else? Please tell me I am being paranoid and they won't go there with the 20km rule again.

My anxiety levels are rising also. Cillian de Gascun said going back to phase 2 is a possibility. Imhoping it will be targeted.

Boat on the Shannon sounds amazing. Definitely one to consider when the lads are a bit older.

km79

fits wrote: »

My anxiety levels are rising also. Cillian de Gascun said going back to phase 2 is a possibility. Imhoping it will be targeted.

Boat on the Shannon sounds amazing. Definitely one to consider when the lads are a bit older.

This also piqued my interest so I did a quick search
7 nights emerald star for 3 people
3200 euro
That’s a no then

drunkmonkey

I think he said it will be targeted, if it's going to happen I'd say mid to late August if cases rise after they start coming back from whatever green list appears Monday. Staying in Clare for the first 2 weeks of August, was down there during the week and it seemed to be business as normal as most pubs serve food, going to book myself in for a daily surf lesson, get me out of minding the kids for a few hours.

fits

km79 wrote: »

This also piqued my interest so I did a quick search
7 nights emerald star for 3 people
3200 euro
That’s a no then

I just looked for first week in September and it was 2300 for a luxury 8 berth.

km79

fits wrote: »

I just looked for first week in September and it was 2300 for a luxury 8 berth.

I can only holiday at peak times unfortunately
It’s still very expensive no matter what way you look at it
It’s not like you can split the cost and holiday with another family either .......

combat14

according to Irish indo govt launching subsidy for staycations at home.. when is this coming into affect as summer nearly over now!!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/staycation-subsidy-cash-back-for-holidays-at-home-39377788.html

odyssey06

combat14 wrote: »

according to Irish indo govt launching subsidy for staycations at home.. when is this coming into affect as summer nearly over now!!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/staycation-subsidy-cash-back-for-holidays-at-home-39377788.html

Only applies to hotels and restaurants so holiday homes wouldnt count?

If I live in Dublin and eat out in Howth csn I claim back?

* article is paywalled

drunkmonkey

ffs I'm subscribed to the times, what's the jist of it...can it be used in a restraunt without staying in a hotel, when's it due to kick in..

Addle

Doesn’t reflect well on us as a nation that we need tax breaks to be encouraged to visit our own attractions.

odyssey06

Addle wrote: »

Doesn’t reflect well on us as a nation that we need tax breaks to be encouraged to visit our own attractions.

I don't think our EU partners would be too happy about it either, espcially any on the green list... it could be argued it's a distortion of the EU market although probably no one would challenge it in the current climate.
Is any other EU country planning such a scheme I wonder?

bladespin

Addle wrote: »

Doesn’t reflect well on us as a nation that we need tax breaks to be encouraged to visit our own attractions.

We need tax breaks to be able to afford to, hotels north of €150 per night now, not even thinking about the cost of eating out etc.

fits

km79 wrote: »

I can only holiday at peak times unfortunately
It’s still very expensive no matter what way you look at it
It’s not like you can split the cost and holiday with another family either .......

I’m not sure you could hire a boat anywhere for much cheaper though. Especially with flights on top.

Addle

bladespin wrote: »

We need tax breaks to be able to afford to, hotels north of €150 per night now, not even thinking about the cost of eating out etc.

We’re thinking of going away for the bank holiday weekend and this morning we can get hotels for <= €100 a night in locations where before covid they wouldn’t even be that price mid week.
Have booked a week in August in the same county where I usually work! Just 2 of us, but again < €100 a night.

drunkmonkey

Looking to book somewhere for next Saturday managed to get a babysitter for the night not east coast or border counties. Anyone been to a nice hotel that's not OTT with covid precautions, maybe a nice outdoor food/beer garden, even an outdoor pool, the only hotel I've stayed in with an outdoor pool was Derrynane Hotel in Caherdaniel but it's a 3.5hr drive too far for just the night amazing location though and close to irelands only beach bar I know of.

thebourke

i am going to achill island and donegal for 8 days in august.....i have travelled quite a lot of ireland in the past...all we need is decent weather...we have amazing spots in this country to see.get out there and visit them

bladespin

Addle wrote: »

We’re thinking of going away for the bank holiday weekend and this morning we can get hotels for <= €100 a night in locations where before covid they wouldn’t even be that price mid week.
Have booked a week in August in the same county where I usually work! Just 2 of us, but again < €100 a night.

You’re definitely looking in the right places, I sure can’t find them, have a couple of specific hotels I’d like to go to, 2 adults and 2 kids working out well over €200 b&b per night even hotels I use for business are over €100 including discount.

spurious

bladespin wrote: »

You’re definitely looking in the right places, I sure can’t find them, have a couple of specific hotels I’d like to go to, 2 adults and 2 kids working out well over €200 b&b per night even hotels I use for business are over €100 including discount.

Ring them and talk to them. Mention you use them for business and would hope to in the future. Once they get you there they know you will spend in the bar/restaurant etc. so they can often whack a few bob (including any fee they pay to booking portals) off.

krissovo

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

As a matter of interest with two kids how did you find the food costs compared to Spain etc?

I know you can do it cheap enough by buying groceries and doing it yourself but part of the holiday (or us anyway) is being able to try different foods (as well as lazy old favourites) and not worry about the cooking and cleaning up etc.

Today is the first day of our holidays (planning day trips only etc) and it's raining....hopefully not a sign of things to come for the next fortnight!

Clearly food costs do not compare with Spain, however the quality of the food we ate this week has been exceptional. In Spain the kids would not be into Spanish tasting food so normally its a crap kids menu and mostly chips and pizza. The Irish restaurants this week have been amazing and so accommodating by making up kids sized portions of the main menu and they have loved it. The average meal price was 15 for adults and 8 for the kids and with a bottle of wine or 2 and few cokes for the small ones no bill went over 80eur.

For 36euro we ate as a family in Roma in Portumna the most amazing pizza with soft drinks.

bladespin

spurious wrote: »

Ring them and talk to them. Mention you use them for business and would hope to in the future. Once they get you there they know you will spend in the bar/restaurant etc. so they can often whack a few bob (including any fee they pay to booking portals) off.

Yes, that’s how I book in general, Cork, for example, midweek for work (on my own) can get a good one for €90 per night, published price us €139, I can’t use our business rate if I bring the family though I do get a preferential rate compared to published prices but it’s not cheap by any means, obviously decent hotels and they are nice, all have raised their prices considerably, bearing in mind a dinner and drinks for four is usually €100 on top of this it’s incredibly expensive if you’d like a proper break : 7-10 days.

fits

bladespin wrote: »

Yes, that’s how I book in general, Cork, for example, midweek for work (on my own) can get a good one for €90 per night, published price us €139, I can’t use our business rate if I bring the family though I do get a preferential rate compared to published prices but it’s not cheap by any means, obviously decent hotels and they are nice, all have raised their prices considerably, bearing in mind a dinner and drinks for four is usually €100 on top of this it’s incredibly expensive if you’d like a proper break : 7-10 days.

Self catering is the only way to go with a family unless you’re rolling in it. Even abroad I find this. Meal costs add up very quickly.

bladespin

fits wrote: »

Self catering is the only way to go with a family unless you’re rolling in it. Even abroad I find this. Meal costs add up very quickly.

Ah no, not for us that’s not really a hol to us, defo not rolling in it but can easily eat out each evening abroad etc within a budget, not pizza and chips (though they are nice too), hard to do here, find it difficult to justify €16 for a burger, even if they’re nice burgers.

Irish Gunner

Just back from week long holiday in Dungloe. Booked a holiday home early in the lockdown.

It rained every day sometimes intermittently and one day it was monsoon. There was 2 of us and our young child and elderly parents. Didn't let it ruin the holiday. Wasn't expecting sun all the time but a little would have helped.

If weather was better would have walked a few beaches but drove from north to south donegal and good to see our own country. Lots of places to see. Not sure what older kids would think of going for drives?

Needed to book restaurants and ate in twice with takeaway. Didn't find eating out overly expensive in comparison to Dublin. Most tourist attractions open but best to ring ahead to check.

Came home via Antrim coastal road

Italy is our country of choice but did the staycation due to circumstances so made the most of it

Might try and do somewhere else in Ireland later in the year

Naked Lepper

JustAThought wrote: »

There is a Northern Ireland counterpart to our own wonderful Irish Landmark Trust.They have some really unique and beautifully restored historic properties throughout the island. Either or both might be well worth a google.

OP mentioned that they were holding out on traveling to the UK so N.I is prob out of the question

bladespin

Naked Lepper wrote: »

OP mentioned that they were holding out on traveling to the UK so N.I is prob out of the question

Didn’t OP specifically mention NI as a place they’d like to visit? Titanic museum etc.