Planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland for family of 4

My girlfriend and i did that trip this summer and split our time between Scotland and Ireland. I was more biased to Scotland (family history) but both countries were absolutely amazing. we stayed at the Priestville Guest House and the MW Townhouse Guesthouse in Edinburgh. Both were great places and I highly recommend them (and paying cash--you will get a better deal than advertised) as they were convenient to the bus line and breakfast was outstanding. Staying at two accommodations was a result of not booking ahead of time and just arriving in the city to see what was available. We only booked a hotel (Ft. William) the first night we arrived in country, and the adventurous spirit worked out for us for the most part except in Aviemore where we had to scramble to find something affordable. We rented a car and it allowed us the freedom to see most of the country. I would not recommend using a car in Edinburgh though, its a busy city and the buses are easy enough to use. We did a hop-on, hop-off tour and saw all the great sites we wanted to in the city center. As far as 'must-see' sites elsewhere, we loved Dunnattar castle in Stonehaven (google the pictures, the scenery is awesome) and everything about the Highlands. Also, we enjoyed our brief trip across the border in England to Berwick-Upon-Tweed--it's a great little city with a lot history. Dunbar was also a nice little town to visit.

You'll have a great trip, no matter how you split your time. Rick Steves' guidebooks are an excellent resource for planning. On our one trip to Ireland, we traveled by bicycle, and only saw part of the western part of the country. Two trips to Scotland involved a visit for a few days just to Edinburgh the first time, before heading down to England, and the second time was all Scotland - 3 weeks. With limited time and unlimited things to do and see, you'll have to prioritize somehow.

It's a rough estimate, and weather can always vary, but IN GENERAL, it seems to rain about half the time in either place. We rented bikes in Ireland and did our own tour (Galway to Dingle to Shannon), and had rain gear. We didn't sign on with any bike tour companies, but if you're keen on cycling, the ring ride out of Dingle (described in Rick's guidebook) is fabulous - but be prepared for one BIG hill and an exhilarating descent. Inishmore off of the west coast of Ireland, the famous Cliffs of Moher, and The Burren in County Clare are among the must-sees in Western Ireland. We still have the north, east, south, and more of the West to see on another trip(s).

We were there in 2011 a couple of weeks after you'll be there, and we'd made some B&B reservations (just 2 of us), but sometimes phoned ahead, or stopped at a local Tourist Information office and they booked us a room at a place down the road, several towns ahead. I understand it gets much busier after July 1, and reservations could be more critical.

Even if you're not planning on nightlife or pub crawling, a Pub is a great place to hear fabulous traditional music, and you don't have to be drinking whisky, whiskey, or beer. You should be able to find opportunities during the daytime for trad music, as well, sometimes in venues other than a bar.

With Scotland, we've just scratched the surface, but Edinburgh is wonderful, as are the Orkney Islands up north (fantastic Neolithic sights), and the Isle of Skye to the west. Flip a coin, split your trip 50-50, or make a list and determine your priorities and how much time you want to devote between Scotland and Ireland. Happy travels!

Having a car in the city is more of a hassle than it's worth.
Renting one large enough to accommodate 4 adults plus luggage will likely cost an arm and a leg. Probably better to use public transport for the most part, maybe renting a car for the odd day trip into the countryside if available tours don't match up with your interests.

We are also a family of 4 with 2 teens. I think renting a car is the way to go. We do not get a big car. We get a Ford Fiesta or equivalent. Each of us has a small duffle which fit in the back. Having a car gives you so much flexibility and is economical compared to 4 fares on public trasportation.

You won't need (or want) a car for Dublin or Edinburgh. If you do more than these cities in each country, I would rent a car.

How you spilt your time really depends on what you decide to do. Don't try to see everything. You can't. Pick what you like.

As far as rooms go, I usually get a room with a double and 2 twins (or a bunk). We like to share a room. It takes some work to find rooms for 4. They are not as common as in the US. If you are looking for cheaper rooms, we stayed at several Travelodges for about £39/night. Premier Inn does not allow families with older teens to use their family room so we did not stay there this past summer, but did 2 summers ago. Since we like family rooms. I always book in advance.

My husband and I toured Ireland, N. Ireland, Scotland, and a bit of Northern England this past August. We did everything by car. It is the way to go! Make sure you book an automatic if you are at all nervous about driving on the left side of the road (your shifter will be left-handed), up and down steep hills, or on the very windy and a narrow old roads. And, it is cheapest to fly between Ireland and Scotland instead of ferry. Moreover, you'll pay a huge fee if you take your car from Ireland to the UK (there is even a fee if you pick up your car in Ireland and drop it off in N. Ireland).

My favorite parts of Ireland were along the west coast. I really enjoyed the Ring of Kerry and Slieve League. But I might add that Northern Ireland holds the greatest beauty with Giant's Causeway. It is truly remarkable. Derry (Londonderry) and Belfast are great cities full of rich history and two of my favorite stops on our entire 19-day trip. I also recommend taking a ferry to the Aran Islands (day trip or overnight from Galway). There, you can rent a bike and cycle around the island. It's really fun.

We had less time in Scotland, but we really enjoyed Glasgow, Oban, & Edinburgh. If you have Harry Potter fans, then the steam train from the films is in Fort William. It wasn't running the day we drove through, but the hike to see the track featured in the film was full of beautiful vistas.

We stayed in Air BnBs our entire trip, which was great for saving money—especially when the GBP is involved. I booked these in advance, so we had something to plug into our GPS, but you could easily book on the fly.

Even though you're not interested in nightlife, the pub culture of both countries—Ireland in particular—is worth experiencing at least one night. For that, I recommend you avoid Temple Bar in Dublin, and enjoy a nice pub meal with live music in one of the smaller Irish towns.

We went in August 2015—which was extraordinarily rainy and cold—but we still cycled and walked outside as much as we could. Make sure to pack layers and rain gear.

We have finally nailed down our plans and have booked accommodations in Scotland and are now planning for Ireland. Some things we found out along the way and would like to pass along:

RyanAir, while inexpensive at first glance, is more expensive once you read the fine print and know that they are sticklers on the details. We have exclusively carried on in the past, but in this case, we paid extra to check 2 of our bags that have wheels and likely would not have passed their requirements. Our other bags are soft sided backpack style. I figure we will stuff all we can into those checked bags and lighten up our 2 other soft sided ones to ensure they meet the carry on criteria.

For car rental, we have a MasterCard World card, and they provide international CDW coverage, but you need to check their specific conditions in certain countries. They said that Ireland may have more conditions of which to be aware, but couldn't provide any details yet, as it is the weekend. **Note that you must request a statement of coverage to take along when you arrive, but it must be requested no earlier than 60 days.

Also good to note: I booked the rental car in my name, but my husband is going to drive. This may be a problem, as the name on the card must match the driver. I'm hoping this is not an issue, as we have the same card number, but do not take any chances with this and use the driver's name for the credit card purchase.

VRBO is a great option for families, as they are less expensive than BnBs and have more space for a family. I am getting so excited and looking forward to planning for Ireland now!!

Thanks everyone for all your help!

I'd be surprised that there would be any problem picking up your rental car - you'll be together, have the same card number, and they're more concerned about having the actual driver identified than which spouse paid for the car. Hopefully you won't need to make any insurance claims, and that won't interfere with your trip!