Ireland weather & packing & motor coach tips/advice?

Jessica, I googled "weather in Dublin" and "average temps in Dublin in June." Temps are in the 50s and 60s. It's wetter on the western side than the eastern side. It can rain any day. We had quite a bit of rain when we were there in early July last year. We even had a thunderstorm and hail!

I would bring a rain jacket. We travel with rain pants too because we like to hike. If we don't use our rain pants, we consider ourselves lucky! I like an unbrella too, for rain when it's not windy. If you don't have a folding umbrella, buy one there. I wore a combination of long sleeve t-shirts and short.

I never needed more than a long sleeve t-shirt, a light fleece and my rain jacket. If you're cold, Ireland is a great place to buy a sweater.

Hope you have a nice trip!

Jessica,

Irish weather can be described as "schizophrenic" - but in a nice, quirky way! That is, count on on-and-off rain nearly every day. It starts, it stops. Unpredictably, especially in the western counties. Very rarely, however, is it more than a drizzle. I've bicycled with friends many times all over Ireland and have been rained on along a particular stretch of road, while a few hundred feet ahead, the road - and my friend - were dry. Then wet.

So, pack that raincoat and plan to use it regularly. The climate in the East is a bit warmer, sunnier and drier than in the West. A "hot" summer day in Dublin, for example, might be 70-75 F. In counties Clare, Kerry, Galway, Sligo and all over the West, "hot" in July means about 55-60 F. Think Washington, DC in mid-March.

Slainte!

I do have the North Face rain jacket that's wind/waterproof, so that's good. I did google the average Ireland temps but got varying results so I wanted to get first-hand experience from people who have been there. Goodness, I did not realize the temps could vary so much in a small country!

I had good luck on my tour (August) and hardly any rain. But even on warm, sunny days, the winds along the coast made it downright chilly and I was glad to have a fleece jacket. Waterproof shoes (and/or a spare pair so one can dry out while you wear the other) and lots of socks.

Chances are you can leave a suitcase on the bus overnight. So take a small overnight bag to save some packing time on the trip. Put enough for 2 nights in it, and only take the big bag to your room every 3rd night.

Most people on tours are friendly and will include you, even if they are couples.

I hadn't thought of waterproof shoes, but I planned to take 2 extra pair of walking shoes in case it's rainy and my shoes need time to dry. If I was staying in one central location and able to leave wet items out to dry instead, I'd think one extra pair would be enough... but I'm hesitant to just have 1 backup pair due to having to re-pack them while they'll probably still be wet or damp.

A friend had suggested taking a pair of sandals.... but based on the info from you guys, sounds like I can leave those at home and take the extra pair of walking shoes!

Two pairs of shoes are fine. A third pair just adds unneeded weight. Travel light is the key. One bag..

Base layer can also act as your sleeping attire.

SmartWool socks worth the cost as you can wear 3-4 times without odor developing. Take 2 pair.

Here's what I'd pack for June excursion.

Lightweight base layer, top and bottom.
2 pairs of slacks with one pair able to convert to shorts.
3 pair underwear, 1 bra.
2 pair of socks
2 pair do shoes
I like light weight fleece. The Lands End Polartec is so light and warming its unbelievable.
I turtleneck
2 blouses
1 Long sleeve tee shirt
PJ's
Pair of gloves

You can get a hat and scarf there if needed. Relish the rain. Its why its the Emerald Isle!

I don't think you will need sandals. I also think 2 pairs of shoes will be enough. if your shoes are only damp, a dry pair of smart wool socks will feel dry on your feet.

Don't pack the wet shoes. Take them on the bus with you and leave out them to dry - maybe on the overhead shelf or in the luggage hold.

I had Achilles tendonitis when I was there and had to wear sandals most of the time. As I said, I was lucky and encountered almost no rain. My feet didn't get very cold, but others on the tour kept "nagging" me so I finally started wearing socks with the sandals to shut them up.

I've ruled out sandals due to the temperature, the likelihood of rain and general sogginess of the ground, and because they don't seem very practical to pack with so few opportunities to use them (I don't anticipate getting lucky and having very little rain while I'm there, since most of my trip will be spent near the western coast).

I've also purchased some suede/nubuck waterproofing spray to treat my walking shoes with. Hopefully by using that my shoes won't get too wet to begin with, and can dry overnight in the hotel without issue. I also purchased some wool socks. Sounds like if I'm wearing wool socks and the shoes are damp, I shouldn't feel the dampness at all and shouldn't have problems with blisters.

All the answers have been so helpful. Thanks so much!! The one piece of advice I'm definitely not going to take is only taking 3 pr of underwear for an 8 day trip. I appreciate where you're coming from and that I'm trying to pack light, but I just don't see how that's practical in my situation. I think a guy could get by on 3 pr, or someone that was staying in places long enough to do laundry and let the items dry. But as a female, and as I noted in the original post that I won't be staying in any one place long enough to do laundry and have it dry fully before needing to re-pack it, I just don't think it's doable. I'll re-wear everything else, but I draw the line at wearing a pair of underwear for 2-3 days :)

Jessica

Well taking 3 pair underwear means you wash them in the sink and dry them over night

My packing list is defined by 40 years of travel to Europe. Trips lasting a week or a month.

One bag.

Each to their own.

Claudia,

No offense was intended and I do appreciate the input. Perhaps on this trip I can try out your method of washing them at night and hanging them to dry to see if they are fully dry by morning. I just wouldn't want to go into it planning on that, then finding they're not dry enough... and then I don't have enough to get me through the trip.

Do you have one of those special clothes lines that doesn't require pins? The one Rick recommends?

Jessica

I also wash out underwear at night. If your hotel room has a heated towel bar, hang your wash there. It will be dry in the morning. Otherwise I spread my underwear out over my suitcase. If I'm drying something that retains moisture, I'll spread out a towel and put wash on the towel. If you stay in a place 2 nights, wash your things the first night and it should be dry by the time you leave.

I doubt my hotels would have heated towel bars, but I will look when I arrive at each hotel. Thanks for the ideas!

I wasn't suggesting that you take sandals - only that it probably won't be terribly cold. I'm with you on the underwear. It takes up so little room/weight.

But if you do end up needing to wash something, roll it up in a towel and then twist and wring. That takes most of the moisture out and then it should dry overnight.

Most rooms have hair dryers. You can use those on damp shoes and clothes too.

Chani,
No, I know you weren't, but I had mentioned in a previous comment that a friend who was in Ireland in May (when it was even colder) suggested taking them and I've since struck that idea down based on reading these boards :)

Your idea of wringing dry with a towel and then blasting with a hair dryer if there's any dampness left in the morning is a great one! Thanks so much!

Jessica

I'm currently traveling in northern Spain, where the weather is pretty similar to what you may experience--i.e., overcast, cool aND intermittently rainy. Three things I am glad I packed:

A hat with a brim that cinches under the chin. Yes, I look like a dork, but the hat stays on my head when the wind is gusty without having to be held there.

A plastic shopping bag, just a bit stronger than the ones our supermarkets use. Many European shops package small items in paper, and you don't want to be caught in the rain with paper-wrapped postcards or bakery goodies. I fold the bag up and keep it stuffed in my purse until it's needed.

Clear plastic bag (Zip Lock will do) to keep maps, and brochures you need to consult, dry on rainy days so they don't disintegrate.

My walking shoes got totally soaked yesterday and dried overnight. I know it helped that they are not leather. I pulled out the non-custom orthotics that I use in lieu of the standard inner soles and let them dry separately. It is said that it's helpful to stuff wet shoes with newspaper, but I've never needed to test that out.

I think you're smart not to count on your underwear drying overnight. That was an issue for me on more than one summer trip to London. But definitely try rolling socks and underwear in a towel and wringing. That makes a big difference. I hang blouses and pants in the shower (I take long trips) and squeeze the bottom edge as often as I remember to do so the first evening, until no more water comes out. Everything is always dry by the second morning, but I definitely have things that don't dry overnight in most European climates.

someone already suggested that spare shoes could dry out somewhere on the bus, the other advantage to bus travel is that your outer layers could stay over your head.....if supper is at the hotel with no excursions out in the evening, you can just leave your rain coat drying on the seat and fleece tucked away.... the 2 bus company I have toured Ireland with catered to older, less able travelers, and the bus was usually brought to the hotel door....you'll figure that out soon, or ask the driver or guide.

I don't think anyone mentioned it, but if they did, excuse the repetition. During the day in Ireland we carry a pair of fresh dry socks in our day bags. Only had to switch during the day on two occasions, but were very glad we had them handy when we did.

Thanks everyone for all of the awesome ideas and tips!! Getting very excited for the trip!