Croissant Craic Travel Tip #7 - Getting Around Once You Get Here.

Last week I started working on a blog post regarding the best ways to get around Ireland if you come for a holiday (vacation) as part of my on going travel tip series. Then with one wrong key stroke my post was sucked out into an internet blackhole! Of course I had saved my work, but it was hopeless, the post was gone. So, feeling frustrated by that, I decided rather than trying to rewrite the post I would just hit the highlights!

So here is my Pros & Cons list:

Irish rail map

Even though it seems the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to renting a car, referred to as car hire here, I maintain that it is the best way to go when visiting the Emerald Isle. Once you get over the initial confusion of driving on the "wrong side"of the road it's not too bad. Yes, Ireland is one of the few countries in the world where they drive on the left hand side of the road.

 Make sure when hiring a car to ask for a sat nav, short for satellite navigation, or what Americans would call GPS. Additionally, know that most rental cars in Ireland are manual transmission and renting an automatic typically cost 20-30% more and may not be available last minute!

So much of the charm and beauty of Ireland is hidden down narrow unmarked lanes and within small villages that most trains and buses don't go. In a car you can take these things in at your own pace! For example, during our recent visit with my aunt and uncle, we pulled over on the side of the road several times, got out of the car and explored many ring forts dotted along the countryside of the Dingle Peninsula.

On a bus you might just fly right by something like this, and if you go by train you may never see it at all! Of course I'm not anti-train or bus, they have their merits (see pros list above) but if you really want to get the most of your holiday hire a car!

On a final note, you can also arrange for a chauffeured car to take you on a tour. This is what my parents did when they came to visit and it was wonderful. We hired Falconer and Sons, a small family owned and operated chauffeur business. Riding around in a spacious luxury vehicle and chatting away with a knowledgeable and entertaining driver while taking in the sites is the way to go if you can afford it.

My mom posing with our hired car and the beautiful scenery.

 Hiring a chauffeured car will run you between $400-$600 a day, but it is well worth it if you want the personal feeling and freedom that renting a car brings without the hassle of driving in an unfamiliar country and worrying about getting lost. The chauffeured car option is also brilliant for a group of golfers on a golf holiday. Falconer and Sons specializes in setting up golfing tours in addition to their many other tour options.

So there you have it; you can go by  bus, train, car hire, or maybe some combination of the three. It really does not matter how you travel as long as you travel! 

Kickin' it in Killarney!

This past weekend Adam and I decided it might be nice to spend some time together catching up after three weeks apart. So instead of sleeping in on Saturday and being lazy we hopped in our little Toyota Corolla hatchback and drove one county to the West (aka Kerry) to check out Killarney National Park.

The park is 26,000 acres of lakes, lush green fields, woodlands, waterfalls, and mountains. In fact it includes the highest mountain range in Ireland. 

In addition to all the lush nature the park has to offer, it is also home to the Muckross House and Gardens. This amazing 19th century mansion is available for touring, but Adam and I opted to simply check out the exterior and grounds. There is a lovely greenhouse and walled garden where the last of the spring flowers were still hanging on.

 When we arrived the Kerry Greyhound Rescue group happened to be congregating on the lawn preparing for a charity walk that day. I was able to enjoy a few moments meeting two very sweet rescue dogs before moving on with our hike. Gotta get my doggy lovin' wherever I can!

Muckross House

On the road leading up to the Muckross House

Greyhounds Everywhere!

I could not resist snapping a picture of this poppy, it was just so vibrant!

We stuck to the trails just South of Muckross lake, wound our way up past the Torc waterfall, through the woods, back past the Muckross house, and over to the Muckross Abbey, to Grandmothers house we go!

The Abbey was founded in 1448 as a Franciscan Friary. The building remains well preserved and the land around it is host to a small but beautiful cemetery covered in wildflowers. Just outside of the abbey was a field with huge black cows laying in the green grass enjoying the beautiful spring day.  I've been thinking Ireland should steal the "Happy Cow's Come from California" campaign, because there is no way California cows are as happy as these guys!

Happy Cows Come from Ireland!

We packed PB&J's and enjoyed them on the trail. Adam was sporting his sweet Kerrygold backpack claiming to do a little marketing for the Irish Dairy Board. We chatted, laughed, and acted silly; and at one point we had a question we did not know the answer to, so Adam pulled out his phone to look it up! Nature and technology coexisting, what a crazy world we live in! Overall we lucked out with a lovely day and enjoyed our time together exploring another little piece of Ireland.

Enjoying my PB&J on the go!

Adam, technology, and nature in perfect harmony!

To give you some idea of the ground we covered below is a map of the park. We hiked in the areas marked in pink. We still have lots of park to see, so hopefully we'll make it back sometime soon!

Pimp my Ride

Adam and I have been meaning to post pictures of our sweet new ride for a while now. I am sure you are tired of hearing me say this, but I feel I must. Please be aware that our time here is limited and there is no sense in investing large sums of money on luxury items. A car falls into that category. Because I am a bit of a princess I can tell you I probably would not want this car parked in my driveway back home let alone be seen riding in it. Here however, I don't know anyone, and it gets us from point A to point B, but best of all it was cheap!

Our friend, Ciaran, put us in touch with a guy he knows here in Cork who runs a garage. We were able to arrange the purchase of the car quickly and easily. The guy even offered to buy the car back from us when we return to the states!

Without further ado...here it is! Our cool, maroon, 1997 Toyota Corola hatchback.  Check out the sweet neon confetti-like upholstery and the zip ties holding on the hubcaps!  It needs a good name, any suggestions?

Beep Beep, Bye Bye Jeep

Even though I should be moving forward I feel compelled to take a quick look back at a part of the moving process that was very emotional for me.  Remember when I posted that you can’t take it all with you?  Well, part of what I had to leave behind was my car.  No big deal right?  When we return to the states you can get a new one. 

WRONG!  The car I left behind wasn’t just a car, it was more like a little piece big blue piece of me.   The Blue Jeep, also called Parker’s Jeep, had been in my life since 1999!  It was purchased new then during the second semester of my freshman year of college.  Roger and Lynn were not digging driving four hours back and forth from home to The University of Illinois to pick me up for holiday breaks.  I did try and take the Greyhound bus once believe it or not.  Somehow I managed to survive, but just barely!  So it was with great relief to both parties involved that I should have my very own vehicle.  I remember driving her off the lot shining and blue with that new car  jeep smell swirling around me!

From that moment on The Blue Jeep was a part of me.  We’ve been through a lot together.  Around campus I felt like a taxi service.  I can recall piling in 6 to 8 of my friends just to go three blocks to the bars because it was simply too cold to walk!  There were road trips to Florida, The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and many more; camping trips, pow wows, make out sessions, a beloved dog head hanging out the window, and even an unfortunate throw up incident (Don’t worry, you know who you are and you have been forgiven).   But best of all not a single accident or speeding ticket was had!  So you can see how nothing but fond memories abound. 




One of the many road trips during the college years





The first time she hauled a Uhaul, moving to NC

All of these good memories are what made it so sad when it came time to leave her behind.  Don’t get me wrong, there were times when I begged and pleaded for a new car.  Most of my friends had long since abandoned their first car, and here I was 10 plus years later still driving mine!   At times I felt it was a bit of an embarrassment.  However, now more and more I’m starting to realize that there was nothing to be embarrassed about.  It was still a fine vehicle in the end, and I’m proud I drove the same car for as long as I did. 

So on February 7th; the day before we left our life in Raleigh behind, I also left a big blue piece of me.  I took her to CarMax where she was evaluated, and an excellent offer was made.  With no choice but to let her go, I feel good knowing she has a second chance to keep on movin’ down the road. 
To whoever may have the pleasure of being the next to own my Blue Jeep may I just say thank you and good luck.  Treat her well and she’ll do the same for you with a smile on her face grill and a spring in her step roll.  Enjoy!

Saying good bye in the Car Max lot.  I'll miss you!