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:
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| 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.
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| 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!
