Staycation Ireland.. Anyone doing it

screamer

Planning to do some day trips but not a hope of staying in any hotel/ b&b or holiday home with covid19 still circulating. We always stay in Ireland for holidays as find sun holidays utterly boring. Will make use of the summer to see things a bit closer to us this year and bring picnics for the kids.

bladespin

Just checked a couple of hotels we use with work, both have already upped their prices, nice.

Kalimah

I saw Mount Falcon featured on the news on Sunday and had a look at prices. €2100 for one week for a three bedroom lodge, and €2400 for a four bedroom one. This was early September. Not a hope in hell I'd pay that. The same week in Bella Italia in Lake Garda ranges from €476 to €690 depending on accommodation. €740 for flights for 5 so even if you went for the most expensive accommodation it would only total €1430. At that stage I'd nearly take my chances with the covid, obviously doing the whole mask and hand sanitising throughout.
The weather would be gorgeous, it's just too unpredictable here.

We haven't holidayed in Ireland for many years, it's a total rip off.
I remember in 2008 being quoted €1300 to rent a house in rural Donegal with zero around to interest kids except the ubiquitous " fishing and horse riding". To add insult to injury electricity was added to that. Eating out is crazy money for a family too and attractions are too expensive too. Ireland is a gorgeous place but not really suitable for family holidays.

Kanlurk

Kalimah wrote: »

I saw Mount Falcon featured on the news on Sunday and had a look at prices. €2100 for one week for a three bedroom lodge, and €2400 for a four bedroom one. This was early September. Not a hope in hell I'd pay that. The same week in Bella Italia in Lake Garda ranges from €476 to €690 depending on accommodation. €740 for flights for 5 so even if you went for the most expensive accommodation it would only total €1430”

But in all fairness, you aren’t comparing like for like here. Mount Falcon would be highly priced compared to a lot of accommodation choices here in Ireland.

SusanC10

We were meant to be on an Italian Campsite at the moment. Obviously cancelled.
We had decided to stay put and just visit my Mum instead.
But last week had a quick look on Airbnb for places in Ireland. So expensive. Found 1 place of interest but still looking for €1,200 for the week and we would need to have our teen son on a pull-out in the sitting room at that.
So, right now have decided on a longer trip next Summer.

bladespin

Kanlurk wrote: »

But in all fairness, you aren’t comparing like for like here. Mount Falcon would be highly priced compared to a lot of accommodation choices here in Ireland.

Ever been to Bella Italia? I'd say it's a fair comparison.

To be fair, most if not all the Irish hotels I've checked today have either kept their prices the same as last year or jacked them up, not really the actions of a business struggling for survival? They're gouging now.

SusanC10

SusanC10 wrote: »

We were meant to be on an Italian Campsite at the moment. Obviously cancelled.
We had decided to stay put and just visit my Mum instead.
But last week had a quick look on Airbnb for places in Ireland. So expensive. Found 1 place of interest but still looking for €1,200 for the week and we would need to have our teen son on a pull-out in the sitting room at that.
So, right now have decided on a longer trip next Summer.

Should add, also looked at self-catering on hotel grounds. All booked up or extremely expensive. We have done the likes of Fota Resort and Castle Leslie before.

For Airbnb we were looking at places with a Flexible or Moderate Cancellation Policy.

krissovo

bladespin wrote: »

Ever been to Bella Italia? I'd say it's a fair comparison.

I have, 220 a day is the rate in late August where I would normally stay that would loosely compare to Mount Falcon.

murpho999

Just wondering, if people take trip in Ireland, drive for hours somewhere and stay overnight in accommodation. Isn't that a holiday?

A staycation to me is using your own home as a base and taking day trips in your locality?

Kalimah

bladespin wrote: »

Ever been to Bella Italia? I'd say it's a fair comparison.

To be fair, most if not all the Irish hotels I've checked today have either kept their prices the same as last year or jacked them up, not really the actions of a business struggling for survival? They're gouging now.

I've been to Bella Italia twice and also Camping Del Garda,which is usually a bit cheaper. Never mind the price, it's the weather that trumps everything!

grayzer75

We managed to get two nights midweek in Kilkenny at the end of July for €200 for 2 adults and 1 child staying in the Springhill Court, breakfast included and free cancellation up to the day before (just in case).

bladespin

murpho999 wrote: »

Just wondering, if people take trip in Ireland, drive for hours somewhere and stay overnight in accommodation. Isn't that a holiday?

A staycation to me is using your own home as a base and taking day trips in your locality?

I doubt that would appeal to many at the moment, a lot of people have literally spent the last 3 months staying in their home.

Pdbtsi

I live in Italy and my mum is due to be visiting from Dublin towards the end of July. She's undecided as to whether she should cancel as she's pretty nervous about airports and the flight. Can't speak for the north of the country but Rome has almost returned to normal these days - everything is open but masks are compulsory in shops etc and on public transport. Spacing is in place in restaurants and bars but actually not as weird as I thought it would be. Not completely relaxed, but certainly looking brighter than a couple of months ago. Then again, Rome was never that badly hit. We are heading to the countryside for a week to get out of the city and prices are amazing at the moment.

ozbackineire

We have booked two long weekends, one in August and another in September. Got a greal deal for a beautiful hotel the August Bank holiday in Clare and bought an Escapes.ie voucher for September in Wexford, if you are willing to do some searching, there are deals to be had. Anything that is outside my house is a holiday to me right now-whether its raining or not!

murpho999

bladespin wrote: »

I doubt that would appeal to many at the moment, a lot of people have literally spent the last 3 months staying in their home.

Well it's looking like an option for many due to accommodation costs and now travel restrictions are lifted.

But that wasn't my point.

I'm talking about the term "staycation".

If I drive six hours to Dingle and stay there two weeks how is that not just a holiday?

weldoninhio

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

Hotels down the country seem pricey enough but there are private houses/cottages available for €400 - €600 a week with leas than a mile from a beach.

Biggest worry about doing this is as the weather isn't guaranteed, if it pisses rain we'd be better off at home with the comforts given we have 2 kids

Before COVID we had a trip to Thailand planned, then we downgraded it to Spain and now looks like we'll stick to the back garde in Dublin with day trips around the place.

I'm hoping to get to Thailand in October/November.

bladespin

murpho999 wrote: »

If I drive six hours to Dingle and stay there two weeks how is that not just a holiday?

For me, that's a staycation, holiday at home - not going abroad.

Actually, for me, that's a normal working day lol.

Cape Clear

There is not a lot of family orientated complexes in the country as pre-covid the demand was probably niche. The likes of Centre Parcs and Trabolgan are not everyone's cup of tea and the likes of luxury estates offering self catering with kids etc. are way out of reach for a lot of families. Even if things were more affordable the demand this summer would out strip the supply.

TheAnalyst_

bladespin wrote: »

For me, that's a staycation, holiday at home - not going abroad.

Actually, for me, that's a normal working day lol.

Is Dingle home?

So if a yank goes from LA to New York its a staycation?

bladespin

TheAnalyst_ wrote: »

Is Dingle home?

So if a yank goes from LA to New York its a staycation?

If it's in Ireland, then it's home to me.

There are some really nice self-catering lodges by the lakes in Co Fermanagh, a very under-rated holiday area. You can hire your own day boat for exploration of the lakes and islands, take walks in the lakeside amenity parks, the scenery is attractive and lots of places to visit including Marble Arch Caves, hill walking, equestrian centres, canoeing, lake swimming (water is very warm there in summer) and Enniskillen is a very good and attractive town to visit and stock up. They tend to be on the expensive side, but it’s a great place to bring older children and teenagers to learn new activities and responsibilities. It’s also a great base for exploring South Donegal, Sligo, Tyrone, Cavan, Leitrim.

https://www.manormarine.com/self-catering-cottages/

https://tullybay.com/

https://www.killyhevlin.com/

https://www.lustybegisland.com/en/

http://www.littlecromcottages.com/

There are many more such places on the lakeside. You can find them by zooming in broadly around Enniskillen on Google Maps, and typing in “self catering” on the search box.

krissovo

bladespin wrote: »

For me, that's a staycation, holiday at home - not going abroad.

Growing up in the 70's & 80's my "holiday's" usually was being farmed out by my parents to various family homes around the country in summer break. An aunt in Waterville, Kerry who had a farm near the lough was my favorite. Another aunt in Dublin was more like a catholic boot camp, kind of like grinds for religion, not a pleasant holiday at all but looking back I got to enjoy the big city when religion was not being rammed down my throat and my first McDonalds will always be remembered.

I am actually looking forward to an Irish holiday this year, as a family we are all rigged up in our new outdoor wet weather gear, wetsuits for the beach and a chance to see our beautiful country again as a tourist.

Technocentral

People complaining about the weather here, you need to make the destination the holiday not the sun. We are heading to a lighthouse, packing rain gear etc looking forward to walks around the area, cooking nice meals etc. Don't care about lying on beaches in the sun, that bores me to tears at the best of times.

odyssey06

Technocentral wrote: »

People complaining about the weather here, you need to make the destination the holiday not the sun. We are heading to a lighthouse, packing rain gear etc looking forward to walks around the area, cooking nice meals etc. Don't care about lying on beaches in the sun, that bores me to tears at the best of times.

I'd be of the same mind as you. But we're all wired differently, some people love the sun and a chance to eat out in the local restaurants.

Those of us who, eg, grew up in the 1960s rarely if ever got out of Ireland for holidays as a child, unless our parents were very well-heeled. My parents considered bringing a car on the ferry to England or a France, but it was just not financially feasible for our typical middle class Dublin home. After a modest inheritance from my mother’s aunt we were able to go to hotels in Kerry for one week one summer, that was the height of it. Occasionally my Dad, who was the sales manager for his engineering company, was able to tag us along for short trips during his bit of business in Cork, Sligo, Limerick etc when he got special discounts at the hotels for having previously brought German, Dutch, English engineers etc over for business. There was never any question of being able to afford flights, which were way beyond the scope of most families, my Dad being the only one in our household, flying on business trips.

Growing up as such I developed a deep appreciation for when I did actually get to venture abroad. It was so exciting after seeing maps of the world pinned up
in my Dad’s home office marked with all the places he had been but could never afford to take us, and all the geography books my aunt used to give me as presents.

However I still very much regard going on holiday in Ireland as a true holiday adventure, there are so many places I have yet to explore, and indeed where I make nostalgic revisits. I’m looking forward to a week self-catering in Clifden next month, with some stops in the Hidden Heartlands on the way over and back. The beaches, from what I recall, are some of the whitest on earth, and the water temperature in the south and west, at its warmest, is similar to the Med in shoulder season.

Technocentral

Technocentral wrote: »

People complaining about the weather here, you need to make the destination the holiday not the sun. We are heading to a lighthouse, packing rain gear etc looking forward to walks around the area, cooking nice meals etc. Don't care about lying on beaches in the sun, that bores me to tears at the best of times.

How exciting, would LOVE to stay in a Lighthouse some time!! My mother used to tell me about her grandfather having been the head lighting engineer for Irish Lights many moons ago, in the days of horse & cart & breeches buoy.

gourcuff

potentially will go down to dublin for a few days and stay somewhere coastal, i know the beaches are pretty poor but at least its some sea air..

usually go to the national gallery for part of the day,

good option for a staycation this year, and get to see some of the new developments in the city too..

ednwireland

hotels booked in irelands soggy middle in august, accomodation cost is probably slightly less than the greek islands for a similiar time last year minus the costof flights and travel between the islands apart from diesel to drive in ireland

but then i live on the NW coast so dont want anywhere too rural when im on holiday - i can look out at sea mountains and wet grass anytime i want

biko

We will stay in Ireland this year and have mainly planned long weekends in other towns.
Shop local and help build the economy back up again.

josip

Deleted User wrote: »

Those of us who, eg, grew up in the 1960s rarely if ever got out of Ireland for holidays as a child, unless our parents were very well-heeled. My parents considered bringing a car on the ferry to England or a France, but it was just not financially feasible for our typical middle class Dublin home. After a modest inheritance from my mother’s aunt we were able to go to hotels in Kerry for one week one summer, that was the height of it. Occasionally my Dad, who was the sales manager for his engineering company, was able to tag us along for short trips during his bit of business in Cork, Sligo, Limerick etc when he got special discounts at the hotels for having previously brought German, Dutch, English engineers etc over for business. There was never any question of being able to afford flights, which were way beyond the scope of most families, my Dad being the only one in our household, flying on business trips.

Growing up as such I developed a deep appreciation for when I did actually get to venture abroad. It was so exciting after seeing maps of the world pinned up
in my Dad’s home office marked with all the places he had been but could never afford to take us, and all the geography books my aunt used to give me as presents.

However I still very much regard going on holiday in Ireland as a true holiday adventure, there are so many places I have yet to explore, and indeed where I make nostalgic revisits. I’m looking forward to a week self-catering in Clifden next month, with some stops in the Hidden Heartlands on the way over and back. The beaches, from what I recall, are some of the whitest on earth, and the water temperature in the south and west, at its warmest, is similar to the Med in shoulder season.

I can relate to and agree with all of the above. I always looked forward to our 2 day summer holiday in a B&B in Ireland when I was growing up, even if it usually was to Knock

We were lucky enough to be on Dogs Beach during the cracking summer 5 years ago. Although the water was warm, the downside was that the sea was more of a jellyfish soup than sea.

And your point about the water temp is only valid for Aug/Sep Irish temps with the south of France Med in the May/Jun shoulder, not the other shoulder, nor any other part of the Med.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaKfnN_51qA

And even then it'll be a bonus to have the sun shining in Ireland.