Advice for Traveling to Ireland with Newbie Travelers

Sounds like you've already done a lot of work to accommodate them. I think the ball's in their court now. They may (hopefully) or may not enjoy the trip, but I don't think you can control that at this point. I do think you should focus on your enjoyment of the trip! Good luck.

When I travel with inexperienced travelers I try to do my homework (WAY more) than when I'm alone or with my travel savvy wife..
Early on, do something easy, that you know you can do without issue. Research the h3ll out of it. This will give them a sense of security. Then when things don't go as planned, as they're bound to do, they're see you really do know what you're doing and trust you. Good luck. Tis a brave thing being "it".

I won’t offer “how to”’s but I love evensong and you have 2 choices. Basically you just have to know how to get there, what time it starts, and walk in and sit down. Very easy but maybe not their taste.

My advice is to not make it your personal responsibility to ensure they're having a good time the whole trip. Some people are just determined not to have fun. You do what's good for you and invite them to participate, but don't force it.

As someone who's primary travel buddy is my Mom (I'm also 30) I have a couple tips!

I am also the sole planner, although she seems more flexible and comfortable than your travel companions.

When we first started traveling she was very inexperienced as well and I'm sure culture shock was a factor too. The biggest thing I can suggest is to prepare them both for what the plans are, what differences they can expect as well as what things will be similar to home.

Remind yourself and them that there was a reason you all decided to take this trip together, and think of the memories that will be made. Reassure them that although there may be bumps along the way, that you know what you're doing and that there is always a solution.

I've found with my Mom, if I let her know ahead of time (this spot will be very busy, we need to move quickly, we're on this bus for 4 stops,the food here will look different but is delicious etc) then when she's in the situation she's able to handle it just fine. Over time she has become more adventurous and self-assured while traveling which has only improved our experiences together.

I look forward to hearing how it all went! You never know..this might be the trip that changes it all ☺.

Enjoy!

PQ

I also meant to add that we also just returned from Ireland and agree that it is one of the best spots for a new traveler.

If possible, maybe plan a couple meals that would be familiar food, and something that incorporates something they love to do at home. If that's music, find a trad session. If it's hiking, find a great trail.

These sorts of things will remind them that although this is new and they are far away from home, it's really not all that different when you break it down into the simple things.

For your enjoyment make sure there's things that excite you! Let them know why it's important to you and what is involved and hopefully they will love it just as much as you do.

This sounds like a trip proposed by you, and maybe a bit forced onto recalcitrant people. You have good expectations, they seem to have a reluctant view.
At some point it will become apparent which direction the trip will take. Maybe even just on the travel over. Sometimes you can’t even lead a horse to the water.
Travelers seem to be overly optimistic about including non travelers in their plans. Non travelers are that way because of their attitude. Either they are fearful or can’t be bothered.
These forums are full of people trying to drag their non traveler friends and family into travel.
I assume you know your mom and sister well enough. But their attitude is paramount in this trip. Otherwise it is an ongoing battle to find all things that are acceptable to them. That includes the act or travel, lodging, eating, sightseeing. Any one of those things could derail the day and you end up with a person who sulks and has no enjoyment.
I would seriously talk to them and get their honest take on new food, moving around, etc. What exactly do they expect? What do you expect? Not only expectations of the daily travel, but what do they expect you to do for them on this trip.
I realize you are excited for this trip. What is their level of excitement? Really? Have they engaged with you on it? Or are they completely passive and have an attitude of, OK, take me and show me. Maybe I will like it, maybe not. Do they even know where Ireland is on a map?

Thanks for all the insight and advice so far! I think they are both excited (particularly my mom who has asked my opinions about clothing and seemed excited with my suggestion of a cooking class). Luckily they both know where Ireland is on a map but I had a frank discussion about the fact Ireland is not part of Britian/the UK...I also set expectations that the hotel rooms will be small and the weather will likely be not amazing. We are from Maine so they both know how to deal with bad weather (though have a lower tolerance to it than I do).

Any other basic things on that front I am missing? I loved the suggestion about continuing to do this on the trip (i.e. its going to be crowded here, the food here is x) and I hope to execute that.

At the end of the day, I am thrilled to be back in one of my favorite places and can find a lovely pub to hide out in if I need to.

Other things I would prepare them for are lots of walking/stairs, long days, any especially early mornings coming up etc.

It has always helped when I remember that I am the one who knows the ins and outs of the plan and that she cannot read my mind! If there is something I would want to know about the day ahead, I tell her, sometimes a couple times. It enhances her enjoyment of the trip too since she knows what cool things we're going to see that day and gives her things to look forward to when something we're doing is more in my wheelhouse.

If they like live music from a band, we thoroughly enjoyed our nights at Murray's in Dublin. It's not a trad session by any means, but it was a super enjoyable night and something my Mom was looking forward to for weeks.

I hope you get to enjoy the magic of watching someone you love experience a new city. It's really special!

Pack light. Well worn comfortable shoes. Rain coat. Gloves. Scarf. Two Tap Credit Cards. Money belt. Coin purse.

You can visit N Ireland if they wanted. Easy peasy bus or train ride from Dublin to Belfast. 2.5 hours.
Would be a long day but doable.

That way you can say you’ve been to the UK.

I agree with Tap credit cards! We were just in Ireland on 14 day tour and noticed that most places prefer you to tap and one of the buses we attempted to take in Belfast required it. The driver also would not let me tap my card for my husband, or give it to him to tap. We each had to have our own. That was intriguing to us.

I find that I (a fairly experienced traveler at this point) still gain a fair amount of value from watching you tube videos about transportation in an area before I visit there. Seeing someone demonstrate buying a ticket, validating it and boarding prior to doing this myself can be a big help. Perhaps some videos will increase their confidence.

Here is a basic video about public transport in Dublin, but there are many of these available.
https://youtu.be/iriQNIFD4Q0