Hey,
I've been hunting through other threads for info but I decided it was time to get my own thread going...
I'm going to Ireland in December. I'm flying into Dublin and I have 1 week to get to Cork. I don't want to do a tour, I'd rather travel around by myself. But I would like to have things booked in advance (or at least planned out). So what I need is:
-advice on the best hostels
-advice on where to go - cities, country towns, national parks, WHATEVER
-advice on how long to stay in each place
My budget isn't extravagant but not super-tight either. I'd be able to rent a car but would prefer buses and trains (driving on the left is scary!!)
Whatever you can offer, I'm all ears.
Thanks!!
-Dafne
Reply to this If you can get up to belfast for a day there is a brilliant continental market on over december its not big but has a lovely atmosphere - you could always get a day return from dublin its around 14 if you use the aircoach
Reply to this Hello Dafne 😊
I am from Ireland.
Avoid any unnecessary shopping in Ireland in December. People swarm on the shops for Christmas and the shop assistants are often grumpy.
Spend plenty of time in cafes and restaruants. People are generally out celebrating and the athmosphere in those is cosy and festive. Try Bewleys on Grafton Street. It is the traditional place for Irish people to meet up with each other and every tourist who visits Dublin also goes there. Another good cafe is the one in the Dome of the Stephen Green Shopping Centre because of its views of Stephens Green.
When I am in Dublin these days I stay at Ashfield House hostel on D'Olier St because it is in such a central location. Google it for more details about prices etc. It closes for Christmas so check if it will be open on the dates your are in Dublin if you want to stay there.
Probably best not to rent a car unless you are very confident with driving because driving conditions in Winter may not be so good. Also car rental in Ireland is expensive. If you do rent a car, then I recommend driving around the Wicklow mountains. You could do it in one or a number of day trips.
Mel
Reply to this Thanks for your help! I wasn't planning on going up to Northern Ireland as I figured there was enough to do in the Republic. I'll save your advice for another trip!
Thanks Mell for accomodation advice. Do you know of anywhere nice to go that I could get to on a train/bus? (for example I was looking at Killarney National Park)
I really want to see some old castles in the countryside while I'm there, does anyone have anywhere to recommend?
Thanks again!
-Dafne
Reply to this You could go to Howth or Dalkey on the DART. DART is the public transport train which runs along the coast. A less fancy area but still nice for a visit would be Bray which you can also get to on the DART. These are all in Dublin so make good day trips.
Old Castles. Well there are plenty of those. You could even stay in some that have been converted into hostels. My friend hired one(at the time one could hire any entire youth hostel in Ireland for around 250 per day. It is probably still possible) to have her birthday party in and drat I cant remember where it is.
The An Oige hostel in Killarney is also a pretty impressive place to stay. Not quite a castle but it is an 18th century mansion.
Here is a picture of it.
An Oige hostel, Killarney Reply to this I looked up the Ashfield House hostel and unfortunately they close December 21st - and I arrive the 20th! Do you have any other hostel recommendations for Dublin?
Howth and Dalkey - you say they're in Dublin. Does that mean I should stay in Dublin and just go to these places for the day? Or do you recommend spending the night?
Also, how long would you recommend staying in Killarney? I've also been looking at the 'Christmas in Killarney' festival - does anyone know anything about this? ie is it good, and is it only for families?
Thanks for the link to that castle!! That looks amazing, I'm definitely going to plan to stay there!
~Dafne~
Reply to this I stayed in the following last December when Ashfield house was closed. It was good too.
Jacobs Inn
But any hostel within 5 minutes walking distance of O'Connell Street or Grafton Street is in a good location because the center of Dublin is easy to get around by walking. Dont bother with any of those expensive bus tours. You can easily walk or take public transport if you can get to know some of the bus routes.
I dont know if Howth and Dalkey actually have hostels to stay in. But you can reach either easily on the DART in just around 30 minutes so no need to stay over night. They are by the sea so it is not like an overnight in them wouldnt be lovely but I suspect that there are only expensive places to stay. They are fancy areas of Dublin where only fairly well to do people live.
I dont know what to say about length of stay in Killarney. I am from Ireland so dont really view those places as a tourist would since because I had lots of opportunities to go back there if I missed out on anything. Wherever you stay for Christmas it may be an idea to spend a week because things slow down completely for Christmas in Ireland and getting around may not be so convenient between Christmas and 2nd January. Christmas is a very big deal in Ireland which you will either love or hate. A disadvantage for you is that you might be viewed with a little more sympathy than you want if you are alone at Christmas. Try to hook up with other travellers in the hostel and have some kind of Christmas celebration because celebrating is what people do in Ireland at Christmas. It starts at the beginning of December and doesnt end until around the 5th January. Bars are crowded during this time and people do the minimal amount of work.
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