advice on hiking areas and accommodation....
Hello,
I will be in Ireland for a study abroad in July/August. After the program is over I plan on doing some independent travel. I am really interested in finding some cool hiking areas with some awesome views. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was also wondering if anyone had any advice as to cheap accommodations & dining recommendations throughout the country since i am a broke college student on a tight budget! thanx 😊
Reply to this Hello Lindsay 😊
What about the Wicklow way for hiking. There is probably a map and information about it on the internet. I walked along there one time. The views are lovely and there are hostels at various points along the way.
Also there is a place in Howth, Dublin where you can walk along a cliff edge path for several KMs. There are fantastic views if you are not scared of heights. I cant remember the name of that place. Maybe somebody else here can provide it.
Bring a tent. You could possibly camp along some some of the hiking trails, if you do it discretely enough. Also, you could try asking farmers if you can pitch your tent in their fields. Hopefully some are open minded enough to allow it. And of course there are numerous hostels around the coast of Ireland and some inland places in which you can stay for aound 15 Euros per night.
Since you are on a budget, I should warn you that Ireland can be expensive. In general things in places like Germany and the Netherlands cost around 70% of what they cost in Ireland.
Mel
Reply to this I'd recommend
- Wicklow Mountains (9 marked routes starting at Glendalough, one of the most impressive monastry sites in Ireland)
- Croagh Patrick, County Mayo - Relatively easy walk, impressive view of Connemara, and Clew Bay on west coast of Ireland.
- Achil Island, County Mayo - A few walks here, impressive walk along cliff edge to see highest sea cliffs in Europe.
You should check out
- book called "30 Irish Adventures" www.30irishadventures.com written by Padraic Woods. It lists 30 different adventure activities in Ireland including the three walks I recommend. (as well as the Howth head walk mell mentions above)
- mountainviews.ie : A website listing almost any walk you can think of in Ireland, created by users of the website.
- Walkireland.ie: Lists main waymarked walking routes in Ireland.
kk
Reply to this Hi Lindsay! Have a look at
this if you want to find some interesting and cheap accommodations!
Reply to this hi, i was once told by my friend that he stayed in ireland, and he had to pay 50% percent of the total amount on the day of booking and is refunded in most of the hotels after checkout. so if your budget is tight make enquiries before checking in. you may refer http://www.extendedstaybooker.com/ireland for more info on booking and pricing.
Reply to this Hi
If you are coming to mayo its hard to get around here without your own car/transport as its pretty remote. Achill is near where i live and beautiful but not much else around there and it can be quite dear. Don't know where you are going to be based when you are here so to travel to mayo best to take the bus http://www.buseireann.ie/
Also there are a lot of fishing festivals during the first two weeks of july in mayo so be prepared for the cost of accommodation sky rocketing though there are lovely campsites in Achill Island and a really gorgeous beach which is lovely to walk round.
A final wee note is that a lot of mayo is a gaeltacht area so although english is spoken if you are making your own way round places might be a plan to either buy an irish map or note the irish for the places you are getting too as some of the road signs etc aren't in english.
check out
http://www.discoverireland.ie/
http://www.failteireland.ie/
not trying to put you off cos it is gorgeous here 😊
Reply to this I'm also gearing up to travel through Ireland and this has been great info! I have done quite a bit of research and I'm planning on heading to Boyne Valley, about a 50km from Dublin. Boyne Valley is home to the Norman Castles (one of which Mel Gibson conquered in Braveheart). Wicklow Way is on my itinerary as well.
Other than that I am just going to see where the road takes me.
Reply to this Just posting so I can get updates about this thread...Great help everyone!
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