Staycation Ireland.. Anyone doing it

HeidiHeidi · 03-08-2020 09:33PM

I've been up in NW Donegal for most of the last two weeks, and my God I've never seen anything like the amount of camper vans and cars from all over, right to the other end of the country! (LK, WX, C etc).

Normally this time of year it's mostly NI reg's to be seen.

People are definitely spreading their wings within the confines of Ireland this summer.

I continue to be absolutely blown away with the beauty of the landscape and beaches up there, even on the ****ty days (of which there were only one or two, to be fair).

Collie D · 03-08-2020 09:49PM

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Just to give you all a gasp and a laugh maybe, I got a pop up message from somewhere about Private Irish Railtours.

Hmmm. Got on the website and sure enough the train trip is private, i.e. no one else getting on or off. They have reduced the numbers for social distancing and so on. Snacks and drinks on board complimentary. So far so good.

7 nights staying in hotels in Waterford, Cork, Killarney, Galway, Belfast and wherever BnB only costs how much do you reckon? Tours included but no meals.

Well it is €1,899 per person. They obviously think we are Americans or something. That is outrageous pricing IMV. Am I wrong to thing that?

That’s not a new thing. I’ve come across that before at similar price points and well above and it’s not just an Irish thing. There is a market out there for expensive multi day train journeys.

Most surprising thing is that it works in a small country like Ireland but there you go.

03-08-2020 09:56PM

Just spent 5 days in Sligo on the North West coast.
Miserable. The rain & wind was horrendous.
There was literally nothing to do when the weather was bad.

Going to Westport next week for 2 nights, 200euro a night in a Mon &Tues night .
Outrageous prices, 200 euro for one room per night on a Mon/Tues night!!

And it will probably rain......

Get me on an aeroplane asap!

Brock Turnpike · 03-08-2020 10:00PM

Charged €5.50 for a Guinness in Newport, Co.Mayo at the weekend. Not the kind of price I would expect to be paying outside of Dublin. Is that normal or have they whacked up their prices?

twin_beacon · 04-08-2020 07:46AM

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

7 nights staying in hotels in Waterford, Cork, Killarney, Galway, Belfast and wherever BnB only costs how much do you reckon? Tours included but no meals.

Well it is €1,899 per person. They obviously think we are Americans or something. That is outrageous pricing IMV. Am I wrong to thing that?

Only Americans get those tours

HBC08 · 04-08-2020 08:44AM

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Charged €5.50 for a Guinness in Newport, Co.Mayo at the weekend. Not the kind of price I would expect to be paying outside of Dublin. Is that normal or have they whacked up their prices?

Was it in a hotel?

beggars_bush · 04-08-2020 08:44AM

Irish people go to Canada, American, Europe and Australia on rail tours.
My parents even did it
So there must be a market for it

screamer · 04-08-2020 09:04AM

We decided against a holiday in Ireland this year for the first time. Prices are definitely 2 to 3 times what they usually are, and with covid in circulation happier to staycation at home. We’ve been taking day trips every weekend, bringing picnics as we’ve small kids and pre booking to eat out is not very practical. Mostly we have noticed the places we’ve been are busy, so it seems a lot of people are holidaying here, including those with yellow reg cars and campers.

run_Forrest_run · 04-08-2020 09:21AM

Currently staying in the Wyatt Hotel in Westport with the family, was woken up by a feckin squawking crow at 5:30 this morning. Why didn't I have my window closed you ask, well because the room was like a furnace. Why can't Irish hotels fit AC ffs!

Apart from that, there was a nice vibe around the Octagon as people were outside having a few pints. Stout was decent, food was OK, nothing major.

The covid arrangements in the hotel are a bit odd, staff can't service your room during your stay but none of the staff are wearing face coverings, bar/restaurant/reception, no coverings used at all.

Tenzor07 · 04-08-2020 11:12AM

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Charged €5.50 for a Guinness in Newport, Co.Mayo at the weekend. Not the kind of price I would expect to be paying outside of Dublin. Is that normal or have they whacked up their prices?

I'd say this is worth a call to the "Joe Duffy Show".....

sabinaspb · 04-08-2020 11:14AM

Just back from a weekend in Northern Ireland. Stayed in Premier Inn (titanic) for £45 a night for a family room, which I thought was great value for a weekend. Went up to Giant's causeway/dunluce castle/dark Hedges which you can do without having to pay to enter. We booked our time slots for museums (some are free entry) in advance of the trip and went to Belfast Zoo on our last day. Hotel served breakfast, we ordered dinner delivered to hotel through app, did not want to bother with looking for a sit in place. All in all great trip, and definitely felt I wasn't getting ripped off. Used uber to get around Belfast museums to save time and hassle to find parking spaces. Wish we stayed longer, have to say everyone we dealt with was very welcoming.

Tenzor07 · 04-08-2020 11:14AM

run_Forrest_run wrote: »

The covid arrangements in the hotel are a bit odd, staff can't service your room during your stay but none of the staff are wearing face coverings, bar/restaurant/reception, no coverings used at all.

Hotels i've stayed at recently say you have to request that your room be cleaned, staff won't come knocking at your door as pre-covid...

04-08-2020 11:22AM

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I'd say this is worth a call to the "Joe Duffy Show".....

The stock boards scoffing bull**** answer to everything. Parody at this stage.

It’s a disgraceful price for a pint. More gouging, Irish business don’t deserve our help.

Brock Turnpike · 04-08-2020 11:43AM

HBC08 wrote: »

Was it in a hotel?

No

Tenzor07 · 04-08-2020 01:08PM

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

The stock boards scoffing bull**** answer to everything. Parody at this stage.
It’s a disgraceful price for a pint. More gouging, Irish business don’t deserve our help.

I'm sure you would be the first one on here to complain that the staff at a pub/restaurant didn't have masks/hand sanitizer/gloves and perspex screens up... so if a business has to charge an extra 50c for a beer then suck it up!

If you don't like it then the local off-licence will sell you 8 cans of Guinness for €12.

CrankyHaus · 04-08-2020 01:12PM

sabinaspb wrote: »

Just back from a weekend in Northern Ireland. Stayed in Premier Inn (titanic) for £45 a night for a family room, which I thought was great value for a weekend. Went up to Giant's causeway/dunluce castle/dark Hedges which you can do without having to pay to enter. We booked our time slots for museums (some are free entry) in advance of the trip and went to Belfast Zoo on our last day. Hotel served breakfast, we ordered dinner delivered to hotel through app, did not want to bother with looking for a sit in place. All in all great trip, and definitely felt I wasn't getting ripped off. Used uber to get around Belfast museums to save time and hassle to find parking spaces. Wish we stayed longer, have to say everyone we dealt with was very welcoming.

NI gets a bad rap from some eejits still living in the '80s.
Avoid obvious problem areas and it's very pleasant. Not badly priced either.

04-08-2020 01:14PM

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I'm sure you would be the first one on here to complain that the staff at a pub/restaurant didn't have masks/hand sanitizer/gloves and perspex screens up... so if a business has to charge an extra 50c for a beer then suck it up!

If you don't like it then the local off-licence will sell you 8 cans of Guinness for €12.

Some of that might be valid if businesses here didn’t have form for it for years. Everything is just an excuse to bleed the public dry and this is like all their Christmases come at once.

Hoboo · 04-08-2020 01:28PM

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Some of that might be valid if businesses here didn’t have form for it for years. Everything is just an excuse to bleed the public dry and this is like all their Christmases come at once.

Businesses have form for maximising profits? I'm shocked.

No one is bleeding anyone dry, as suggested, you have a choice.

Hoboo · 04-08-2020 01:36PM

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

The stock boards scoffing bull**** answer to everything. Parody at this stage.

It’s a disgraceful price for a pint. More gouging, Irish business don’t deserve our help.

They've limited space, they've set the price at a point to dissuade some, but ensure demand remains high. Don't like the price, you don't buy.

Its unfortunately necessary when space is limited . Why'd you think an airplane sandwich is 5/6 quid. It's not about gouging.

Gardner · 04-08-2020 03:04PM

Have Doolin booked for 2 nights ( Aran View Country House)

then, Inis Mor booked for 2 nights ( Pier House bed and breakfast)

then Clifden booked for 2 nights (Station House Hotel)

then Westport booked for 2 nights (Hotel Westpost)

anyone stay here or would recommend alternative. Basically we will be walking, cycling and going to main tourist attractions etc.

drunkmonkey · 04-08-2020 04:07PM

Your covering a lot of ground there in a short time, weather would want to play ball with you, have you kids in tow?

Gardner · 04-08-2020 04:40PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Your covering a lot of ground there in a short time, weather would want to play ball with you, have you kids in tow?

nope and dont mind driving a few hours a day if needs be to see things.

CackHand · 04-08-2020 04:40PM

Does anyone have any recommendations for a self catering stay for 4 adults and two infants in Kerry or Donegal. Ideally we would like courtyard / lodge style accommodation with an adjoining hotel to make use of the leisure facilities. Parknasilla for example but unfortunately its booked out.

On a seperate note, it is proving very difficult to get any sort of vacancy for 11/12 September. I would have hoped things had calmed down by then.

krissovo · 04-08-2020 04:51PM

CackHand wrote: »

Does anyone have any recommendations for a self catering stay for 4 adults and two infants in Kerry or Donegal. Ideally we would like courtyard / lodge style accommodation with an adjoining hotel to make use of the leisure facilities. Parknasilla for example but unfortunately its booked out.

On a separate note, it is proving very difficult to get any sort of vacancy for 11/12 September. I would have hoped things had calmed down by then.

I have stayed in these for self catering, I added the Kinsale hotel in Cork as well as that was great break for us. Some of the prices maybe cheeky though.

Kinsale Hotel & Spa
Park Hotel Kenmare (The Townhouse)
Sheen falls
Muckross park
Gleneagle apartments

oldfella · 04-08-2020 06:15PM

hi ..im looking for somewhere to stay in the tramore/dunmore east region in mid august .prefer hotel ..touring around during day,,no kids .any recommendations from anyone ....thanks

tom1ie · 04-08-2020 09:13PM

Hi guys, we are heading to Sligo and looking for a few recommendations for restaurants.
Also can anyone recommend somewhere in either longford or Mullingar to break up the trip and get a nice lunch (rather not go to a service station).
Thanks all.

HBC08 · 04-08-2020 11:24PM

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

No

Name and shame then.
Are you sure that was for a Guinness?

headtheball14 · 05-08-2020 12:01AM

tom1ie wrote: »

Hi guys, we are heading to Sligo and looking for a few recommendations for restaurants.
Also can anyone recommend somewhere in either longford or Mullingar to break up the trip and get a nice lunch (rather not go to a service station).
Thanks all.

Red earth in Mullingar is nice for food and a wander, there’s a gift shop and outdoor seating area plenty of parking

twin_beacon · 05-08-2020 07:42AM

tom1ie wrote: »

Hi guys, we are heading to Sligo and looking for a few recommendations for restaurants.
Also can anyone recommend somewhere in either longford or Mullingar to break up the trip and get a nice lunch (rather not go to a service station).
Thanks all.

Bloomfield house hotel just outside mullingar has lovely food.

kippy · 05-08-2020 07:53AM

CrankyHaus wrote: »

NI gets a bad rap from some eejits still living in the '80s.
Avoid obvious problem areas and it's very pleasant. Not badly priced either.

NI is great. A lot to offer..generally decent value..there's a fifty percent off food Mondays Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August that makes eating out very appealing at the moment also.

Staycation Ireland.. Anyone doing it

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