There will be three mature ladies driving in around Ireland in April. We will be going to Northern Ireland for one week and the rest of the time we will be in Ireland. I am thinking it might be a good idea to rent a cottage/house/apt in three areas for a week at a time. Can anyone recommend three areas and any recommendations for lodging. We travel a great deal and need places with 2 bedrooms and 2 bath would be a real plus. Thank you for any suggestions.
Posted by
1172 posts
What do you ladies like to do?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
From Trim what would the drive be to Castlerock?
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2822 posts
The Irish Landmark trust has a number of unique accommodations that might be of interest, particularly a few up along the Causeway Coast in NI.
https://www.irishlandmark.com/
We also had good luck with this site during our last trip: http://www.shamrockcottages.co.uk/
For driving times take a look at Google Maps https://maps.google.com/... then add about 25% to their estimates, which always seem to be overly optimistic.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2822 posts
While in the North I suggest a stop at the Ulster-American Folk Park near Armagh, especially if anyone in your group has ancestry that traces to Ulster. We thought it was fascinating. Can google it to see if it might be of interest.
Likewise the walled city of Derry (and its museum). Both places are worth at least half a day.
Posted by
Waterville, Ireland
409 posts
Be sure to let the rental car company know that you're passing between the countries. Each seems to have different rules. Europcar charges a flat 35 euro fee; last I checked another company charged a daily fee. I asked why and it's because they have different insurance companies for the different countries.... You don't want to pay for insurance, only to find out that the coverage wasn't where you were during a fender bender!
Do you want to stay in the northern areas? I can give you lots of recommendations for weekly cottage rentals in Kerry, but you may not be planning on this area....?
Achill Island in County Mayo could be a fantastic place for the week. I go there every August and more. It's the largest island off the coast; there are many beautiful villages; beaches; ruins; walks..... it's wild in a very West Coast of Ireland sort of way. I stay in the Achill Sound area - it's close to the mainland so you can explore there; it's a good jumping off point for the spectacular Atlantic Drive section of the Wild Atlantic Way.
A good source for renting a home for a week is DoneDeal.ie. It's sort of the equivalent to CraigsList in America. Every neighbor in my neighborhood that rents by the week advertises there. Do be aware that many places - AirBnB, Irish Cottage sites; etc - charge extra for electricity. It's VERY expensive here, and many rentals have electric heaters. They charge for electricity to prevent the Americans from turning the heat on all day long while they're out of the building! (we ourselves don't use hot water in the sinks in the summer to keep the costs down!).
In my village, prices for a house you describe can range from 250 a week to 1,250 a week, depending on if it's a business or just an extra holiday home they have for friends/relatives. It's all over the map! If you like the idea of Bed and Breakfast, many villages/rentals will know of a local person who will come over and whip up your morning breakfasts as if you were staying in a B&B....
Susan
Expat living in Waterville, Ring of Kerry
Posted by
Waterville, Ireland
409 posts
Be sure to let the rental car company know that you're passing between the countries. Each seems to have different rules. Europcar charges a flat 35 euro fee; last I checked another company charged a daily fee. I asked why and it's because they have different insurance companies for the different countries.... You don't want to pay for insurance, only to find out that the coverage wasn't where you were during a fender bender!
Do you want to stay in the northern areas? I can give you lots of recommendations for weekly cottage rentals in Kerry, but you may not be planning on this area....?
Achill Island in County Mayo could be a fantastic place for the week. I go there every August and more. It's the largest island off the coast; there are many beautiful villages; beaches; ruins; walks..... it's wild in a very West Coast of Ireland sort of way. I stay in the Achill Sound area - it's close to the mainland so you can explore there; it's a good jumping off point for the spectacular Atlantic Drive section of the Wild Atlantic Way.
A good source for renting a home for a week is DoneDeal.ie. It's sort of the equivalent to CraigsList in America. Every neighbor in my neighborhood that rents by the week advertises there. Do be aware that many places - AirBnB, Irish Cottage sites; etc - charge extra for electricity. It's VERY expensive here, and many rentals have electric heaters. They charge for electricity to prevent the Americans from turning the heat on all day long while they're out of the building! (we ourselves don't use hot water in the sinks in the summer to keep the costs down!).
In my village, prices for a house you describe can range from 250 a week to 1,250 a week, depending on if it's a business or just an extra holiday home they have for friends/relatives. It's all over the map! If you like the idea of Bed and Breakfast, many villages/rentals will know of a local person who will come over and whip up your morning breakfasts as if you were staying in a B&B....
Susan
Expat living in Waterville, Ring of Kerry