We scheduled a 2-week trip to Ireland to celebrate our 30th anniversary in January. Our proposed itinerary includes stays in Dublin, Kinsale, Dingle, Galway, Inishmore, and Trim. We are finding lodging is challenging, as all B&Bs and guesthouses contacted so far (except Dingle) are closed for the month. Any recommendations or experience with travelling in Ireland in January?
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
Try using www.booking.com as your search engine. Am seeing plenty of availability for all of your places in January, including B&B's and guest houses.
Posted by
Waterville, Ireland
409 posts
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To totally disagree, don't use Booking.com unless it's just a guide! The B&B's pay, in general, 15 euros to them for commission and they are better off getting that money themselves! Most B&B's are small businesses and that is a substantial sum! Also I have found the pricing on TripAdvisor and Booking isn't always accurate. It's often cheaper if you call the B&B directly. As a matter of fact, it's almost ALWAYS cheaper to call direct!
I don't know about all the places you suggest, but I do know Waterville, where I live, has many B&B's that close. But that MANY really is less than half.....so certainly there are places to stay..... Even our biggest hotel closes in the winter, sadly!
Another choice is Air BnB, which is just coming into it's own here in Ireland. And of course, the bigger VRBO.com and HomeAway.com (based in Austin Texas) are great ways to find places open.
Many schools in England are closed the beginning of January, so it's actually a VERY busy time in the SouthWest.... so I'm sure there are lots of places to choose from, that may be booked.
And a shout-out for Dingle - Milltown House (a guesthouse). They may be open and it's a great location.
If you continue to have trouble let me know and i'll see if i can track down some small local chambers of commerce to help. I can call from here that's cheaper than you calling from the usa!!
Susan - and ExPat living in Waterville.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
Susan makes a good point: ie use one of the search engines (like booking.com) to locate and identify accommodations, then google them separately to see if you can book directly and avoid the fees.
Same thing goes for air fares, BTW. Always better to book directly with the airlines after narrowing down your search via the various search engines.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you for all the good advice! Booking.com got me started, and I booked direct whenever possible. I went from being completely discouraged to once again anticipating a wonderful holiday. Only a few places left to book.
Posted by
Waterville, Ireland
409 posts
AND......
Don't forget you CAN "wing it" a night or two. If you leave a night or two open you may find a suggestion on the road for a place or experience you've not previously known.... That's how I found Fethard Horse Country Experience - a woman in Kilkenny told me about it. We went the next day and it was awesome!
We didn't have accommodation booked yet for that night..... So it worked!
Susan
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Posted by
OP
3 posts
Everything booked - yay! Thanks for the advice, and Susan, thank you for your kind offer. I feel welcomed before even setting foot on Irish soil:)
Posted by
Waterville, Ireland
409 posts
cp01 - don't forget to share with the locals that it's your anniversary!
We love that sort of celebration over here. |t's not unusual to have a party for 20 -40 to celebrate a "big one!"
Susan
ExPat in Waterville