Planning a trip to Ireland...Where should I go, what should I do, ...?

Question

I have wanted to go to Ireland for a while, I am saving for it... But I don't know anyone who has ever been to Ireland or even out of the US. What do I need to do? Do I need a passport? How and where do I go to get one? And as for my trip, To what part of Ireland should I go? Should I stay in a hotel or one of those Castle Hotels? how much will it cost to fly to Ireland from Kansas City? How many stops would we make during our Flight? Is Ireland cheaper or more expensive than US? What kind of currency do they use? Would I have to change over my money?
When I go, I want to go and have the time of my life and I want to have saved enough money to do whatever I want without worry.
But I know NOTHING about going overseas. I just know Ireland is a beautiful place and I would LOVE to go there before I get too old. Even 10years from now is fine. I'm only 24. Any information you can give me would be GREAT! Just anything to get me started! The main thing is which town should I go to? HELP!

Answer 1

There is absolutely loads to see and do in Ireland. Depending on the time of year you are coming, there are some great festivals (more than 1 a day). You will need a passport but they're easy to get at your post office. I'd stay in some b&b's and some hotels depending on where you want to be near that day. I'd register with all airlines that fly to ireland as they email you when deals are starting aer lingus do anyway and you could save a packet and get the flight for between 350 and 500 return. You will have 1 stop from kansas into a major us hub like new york and then direct to Ireland. It might be cheaper to go to london first but not by much and its alot of hassle so i'd stick with the 1 stop off.

Ireland is more expensive than the states for alot of things. The prices given in the answer above are fairly accurate although a meal at a restaurant is a bit more expensive than stated. It can be done cheaply though by knowing good places.

We use euro and the exchange rate is pretty similar but you can get the exact exchange rate at www.xe.com. Ireland is a small country so i'd see it all if i were you. Its only 600 miles x 300 miles at most. 2.5 hours to drive across whole country, 6 hours to drive lenght of contry.

Have a look at www.tripadvisor.com and it will give you a list of some attractions. If your coming over, send me a mail. Your welcome to stay with us in meath for a few nights and we can show you and whoever you come over with around.

Places to see
Dublin
Glendalough
Newbridge Kildare
Waterford
Cork
Kerry
Clare
Galway
Mayo
Sligo
Connemara
Donegal
Meath
And then up into Northern Ireland for a few days.

3 weeks would be good and you'd get to see alot and have a great time.

Answer 2

Yes, you will need a passport, you need a passport to get into pretty much any country. You will need to ask a larger post office on where to apply for a passport but if you are an american citizen and have all neccessary documents it shouldn't be too hard.

I lived in Ireland for 3 years and I come from Boston. Go to travelocity.com or another site like this. It explains how to book everything. It should cost about 700- 1000 dollars to fly round trip; it depends on the time of year.

You would fly into shannon or dublin but I suggest going down to Cork or other Southern areas. Dublin is too much of a tourist attraction, its not showing the real Ireland.

As you travel around Ireland you will not only see "Castle hotels" but many B&Bs these B&Bs are relativly cheap and run by the houseowner themselves for a tax relief. Irish people are the nicest people on the earth in my opinion so there is no need to worry about where to stay.

The currency in Ireland is the Euro. It is stronger than the dollar and you can look up exchange rates relativly easily. So yes, you'd have to change money.

Again, I suggest going to Cork. It is a lovely place not only near Blarney Castle but The Ring of Kerry (A scenic ring that takes you around Kerry by car, youd do this alone) and other Castles such as Bunratty Castle in Clare. Personally I would love for you to go for a few weeks and explore all of Ireland, after all its smaller than New York state in total land size.

Answer 3

well i think you should have no stops and come right over. we use euros and the exchange rate amounts to about say $1 is about 78 cents. $3000 = 2361 euros. the spring time and after is the best time to go because thats when people go out more and are generally more happier. the winters here are dreadful. so march onwards, go!
as for accomodation you can stay in a hotel or hostel even. the castles would be pretty pricey. the minimum wage here is around 7. 80 an hour i think so that should give you an idea on how expensive and what people are expected to live on here.
the list of places to go are huge , tto huge to write on here. but where i come from donegal is regarded as irelands best kept secret so make sure to check it out. i might even bump into ya for an oul pint. if ya ever make it here ill buy ya one!!! you can email me with any queries about places and anything else you need to know

Answer 4

Do I need a passport? -YES

How and where do I go to get one? ASK YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS

To what part of Ireland should I go? Go for about a month if you can (I'VE SUGGESTED NUMBER OF DAYS YOU COULD STAY IN EACH COUNTY), make your way from Dublin (4 days) to Wicklow (2 days), Wexford (2 days) and Cork (4 days). From here you could travel up the west coast to Galway (3 days) and Sligo (1-2 days). From Sligo travel to Donegal (2-3 days) and then onto Northern Ireland from Derry (1 day) to Belfast (3 days). From Belfast you can go back to the South of Ireland into Dundalk, Drogheda (1 day) and finally back to Dublin.

Should I stay in a hotel or one of those Castle Hotels?- YOU CAN STAY IN EITHER HOSTELS, B&B'S OR HOTELS. CASTLES ARE V.V. EXPENSIVE AND THERE AREN'T AS MANY AS SOME PEOPLE THINK. :) TRY TRIPADVISOR.

how much will it cost to fly to Ireland from Kansas City?
? SORRY DON'T KNOW.

How many stops would we make during our Flight? SORRY NOT SURE - TRY AER LINGUS.

Is Ireland cheaper or more expensive than US? MORE EXPENSIVE I'M AFRAID.
A ROUGH IDEA OF PRICES: BEER 3.60 EUROS
BREAD 1.20 EUROS
DINNER OUT (MAIN COURSE) 9-12 EUROS
BOTTLE OF WATER 1.40 EUROS

What kind of currency do they use? EUROS

Would I have to change over my money? YES (ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE BUREAS DE CHANGE)

HOPE THIS IS A START ANYWAY.

Answer 5

I did a trip with the motorbike
I went to kilarney, which I liked very much, but cork is also very nice. You definately have to do the ring of kerry when you re around there.
To travel in Ireland is very easy and you can decide from day to day, what to do and where to go.
There are some phantastic cliffs on the west coast.

If I were you I would also go up to northern Ireland (belongs to england but no boarder) On the top of the Island you find "giant's cause way" . There you will see the most amazing natural stones ever!!!

Whilst driving up there you will have a beautiful scenery

have fun, check it out

Answer 6

First of all try and go in t he summer months , its more expensive, but trust me having nice weather will make your stay far more enjoyable.I am an Irish woman living in the US and miss my country like crazyThe Irish people are so welcoming and their sense of humour is fantastic and you will probably meet friends youll keep for life.Try doing the scenic route along the west coast anywhere from Cork to Galway , the scenery is breath taking and the night life is great too.Do me a favour if you get there before me , kiss the ground and tell them all ill be home soon.Slan........ps Your local travel agent should be able to put together a package for you,dont do the bus tour

Answer 7

Wow, what a bunch of helpful people above.
I know of people who make a living providing that kind of information.
I lived in Ireland for 6 years and miss it greatly.
You can't help but have a great time there--rain or shine.
Enjoy Ireland, everybody does.