We will being travelling throughout Ireland this summer and plan to spend a day at Inishmore and then in the north (specifically Derry) the next day. To make this a less lengthy trip we plan to begin our journey on the evening of the day we go to the Aran Islands going north on N17 and stopping halfway to Derry, which would be around Sligo if I'm not mistaken, to sleep and continuing on to Derry the next morning. We will simply need economy lodging that we can check into late in that area. Are there equivalents to American motels where you wouldn't need a reservation? Or should we book something in advance? Thanks.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
The chain hotels in Ireland are more often located in larger cities, and none stood out along your driving route. For other hotel options, you probably could find something online a few days ahead, or when you feel confident of the plan. One way that I tend to look for hotels is on Google Maps, since I'm so often already there, but note that some cheap prices you see now may be date-dependent and not the same in summer. Other sites like booking.com can help you sort by price. Westport is another town a bit further south where our tour groups stay on their way north.
Posted by
OP
31 posts
While I hear Westport is lovely it's out of the way and the only reason I'm looking for a hotel in this area is to break the 4 hour drive from Galway to Derry in half. All I want is something affordable that I can check into late and not too far off of hwy N17/N15; I don't need any special amenities or tourist attractions where I stop; just a bed and place to park. Unfortunately looking on booking and kayak I haven't had much luck as it seems that most listings are very tourism oriented and somewhat pricier than the other places we already have booked in Ireland. Would we be likely to just stumble upon a place on the road without booking in advance?
Posted by
Missoula, Montana
512 posts
If you want a real Irish experience - more personal, pleasant and cheaper than hotels - then B&Bs are the way to go. There are over 2,000 in that small country, which puts them in virtually every village and town. In some 150 nights in Irish B&Bs over the years, I've had nothing but warm, friendly hosts, immaculately clean accommodations, filling breakfasts and a grand experience.
Irish B&Bs are approved by the Irish Tourist Board, whose link is below. While traveling, just look for the sign with a shamrock out front. Call ahead a day or two if you'd like, or just show up. Even in the high season, I've had difficulty finding a place only once (we eventually did). And it happened to be in Westport on a Saturday night. Westport is an attractive, lively commercial town and home to a pub owned by a member of the Chieftains with grand traditional music sessions most summer evenings.
www.ireland.com/en-us?WT.srch=1&WT.mcid=usga0409ssirishtourist_board
For a shorter driving day heading north from the Aran Islands, head to Leenane, a small village tucked between three mountain ranges in County Galway (on the border with County Mayo) and at the end of the country's only fjord. There are several B&Bs in the village and surrounding area, plus a fabulous eatery - The Blackbrerry Restaurant - right in town. Its link is: www.blackberryrestaurant.ie/. From Leenane, it's probably an hour's drive to Westport.
Posted by
OP
31 posts
Hey Dave, thanks for your help. While we still will not be visiting Westport (simply don't have the time), that website was super helpful! I'm all for B&Bs but was having trouble finding them in the Sligo area as I guess a lot of guide books like RS don't cover it. I was really asking about the possibility of roadside motels in the area as a last resort but thanks to Ireland.com I found a super user friendly listing of several B&Bs just north of Sligo in Drumcliff and Grange and am in the process of booking one there now :)