Greetings all: We are beginning our planning for a 3-4 week trip to Ireland this year. We will likely follow RS's recommended three-week trip by car with some variations. Our research thus far suggests that school starts around the first of September 2016. We are trying to figure out if there are any considerations we should be aware of, if we start our trip in the last week of August instead of the first week of September. Will there be a considerable difference in numbers of visitors, hotel/B&B costs, operating hours, etc.?
Also, we are considering "winging it" in terms of reservations for B&Bs and hotels--with the exception for our first 3 nights in Dublin upon arrival and the last few nights before departure. How difficult will it be to make reservations a day ahead of time or that same afternoon?