March 10th my husband and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage and we would like to take a trip to Ireland. Any suggestions on the best cost effective way to do that? We have 5 kids (2 still at home and 1 in college) and not alot of money.
2006-10-18 18:39:42 · 16 answers · asked by LadyRedAdept 2 in Travel ➔ Ireland ➔ Cork
We would not be taking the kids of course! We would be traveling from Seattle.
2006-10-18 18:42:59 · update #1
leave the kids at home with a babysitter and check out flight deals on hotwire.com
2006-10-18 18:41:20 · answer #1 · answered by gallow 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
One thing that the flight search answers didn't mention is that it is usually cheaper to schedule your flights through a gateway such as London rather than fly direct to Ireland--especially from the west coast of the USA.
We lived in Ireland for 6 years and visited Portland about once a year, usually flying through Seattle or San Francisco. Once Air Canada had a good flight out of Vancouver, B.C.
Once in Ireland you can save money by renting a cottage in one of the west coast counties and take day trips or an occasional over-niter to the best the country has to offer.
It is worth it--go!
2006-10-22 04:58:36 · answer #2 · answered by Paroshep 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've been to Ireland from San Francisco 3 times with my husband. We've found the most cost effective way to travel there is during off-season, meaning in the winter. It really isn't much colder then and actually there wasn't as much rain as when we traveled there once in Spring. I'd also suggest flying into a smaller city rather than Dublin. Major cities tend to be more expensive to fly into. Cork and Shannon are 2 airports that tend to be cheaper than Dublin. Also, if you choose to go to Northern Ireland, there are 2 airports in Belfast. The Belfast City airport is smaller and cheaper to fly into than Belfast International.
2006-10-22 13:03:40 · answer #3 · answered by johnsredgloves 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ordinarily I'd say check web sites like Orbitz or Expedia -- but in the case of Ireland, usually the cheapest flights US-IRE are via Aer Lingus, which for some reason is not included in the data banks for Orbitz or Expedia.
Try http://www.aerlingus.com . For cheapest flights, keep in mind they do not fly every day, so if you have a bit of flexibility as to dates, you'll do better.
Also it will usually cost exactly the same to fly to Ireland's east coast (Dublin) as it does to it's west coast (Shannon.) Best tip I can provide is if you're going to rent a car, rent it in advance from the US (via a web site.) FAR cheaper than waiting til you get there.
Good luck, have fun, drink some Guinness and don't miss the Cliffs of Moher!
2006-10-20 01:13:57 · answer #4 · answered by funbrigade 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to celebrate, then celebrate your love for each other and for your wonderful family. And you can do that at home. No need to go to Ireland. Problem solved.
PS: If you must travel there, well ok, but wait until the kids are out of school and making money. Then have them foot the bill. It's the least they can do for you. And you'll enjoy it more then.
2006-10-19 01:50:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
A wonderful site for flights is www.sidestep.com which incorporates all major airlines and small ones too and compares prices more thoroughly than expedia, orbitz, etc which tend to miss cheaper smaller companies. Another good place is www.statravel.com. Since you aren't a student you can't book flights on the site but they have tons of information of getting the most out of you're money.
2006-10-20 10:14:43 · answer #6 · answered by AutumnIris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, march actually isn't a good time to visit Ireland if you don't have a lot of money, because of st. Patrick's day. There are lots of tourists and the prices sky-rocket. Anyways, the cheapest thing to do is to stay in hostels, take low-budget flights, etc... but I don't know if that's something you'd consider.
sorry I couldn't be of more help to you.
2006-10-19 14:16:06 · answer #7 · answered by pookie 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there are many cheap ways to get to Ireland but once you are there it costs you a fortune...you need a mortgage to have a decent meal in a nice restaurant...check the costs of living over here and the exchange rate...you might choose a different location to celebrate..
2006-10-21 05:42:17 · answer #8 · answered by Tanja S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stay at the bed and breakfasts, not hotels. Also with the b and b, you get a taste of good culture.
I would recommend the bus trip around the Ring of Kerry. It is amazing.
2006-10-19 21:25:13 · answer #9 · answered by mcbrian2000 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Book way ahead of time. Get on craig's list and look for people who have free or cheap rooms... people are really, really nice there. I was there years ago and it was great. Bono and the Edge are geniuses who will be in cultural history books for centuries, so hopefully you'll get to see them.
2006-10-19 01:43:22 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You don't say where you are. People log onto this site from all over the world. I'm in Australia for instance. Your cost would depend on where you are travelling from.
2006-10-19 01:41:56 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋