Seniors traveling independently

Everyone has their own opinions and no doubt you will get a range of answers. Here's mine. We spent 24 days on the ground in Ireland on our own. We know we will need to go back because we couldn't see everything we thought was valuable. If you know you are a bit slow and you will never go back, why wouldn't you spend the time now to see everything you want?

Even though I have decades of experience driving (on steep hills) with a clutch, I elected to pay extra for an automatic. I assumed that driving on the wrong side of the road would be distracting enough and besides we were on vacation. This is my one and only retirement, so I use that money I saved to make my life easier now. Consider what your personal trade-offs are. Whatever you do, no doubt you will have a grand time. Enjoy. And please tell us about it upon return.

I agree about getting a rental car with automatic transmission. Driving on the left is enough of a challenge without shifting gears with one's left hand too.

I have read that the UK has age restrictions for renting a car. Not sure if Ireland has similar restrictions, but you'll want to find out ahead of time.

If you want to see the whole of the "emerald isle" I'd say 3 weeks. See the RS guidebook recommended Ireland self-drive route.

The advantage of a B&B is they provide the breakfast along with washing up etc., and you get maid service in your room.

It may vary by car rental company, but everything I could find shows that 75 is the maximum age for car rental in Ireland, and even then you have to pay a stiff per/day premium if you're over 70. Before you plan to rent a car be sure to check the age limits and add'l costs for seniors your age, if applicable.

Oh dear, what are seniors to do, crawl into a hole and wait to die? Does anyone know a way to rent a car with a driver?

You might like to take a look at the national bus schedule and see if this might work for you. http://www.buseireann.ie. Senior Irish citizens who no longer drive as well as countless others, locals and tourists use this extensive system to traverse the country. It strikes me as a good alternative for a slower paced style of travel, getting up and going stress free when and wherever the far reaching bus network goes.

And PS, I'd definitely go for three slow paced weeks.

Oh, what the heck -- take a whole month! No reason to feel rushed with slow mornings and early evenings. Maybe find base-city apartments so you can make meals suited to your appetites and food preference (and at the times you like to eat.) We find the hardest part of a longer trip is scheduling around doctor visits ;-)

I would encourage you to take 3 weeks or more if you can. I stayed for just over 3 weeks, and there were plenty of places I would have liked to have visited, but didn’t get to.

The rental car issue is unfortunate; you might search the forum using the words “driver” and “Ireland.”

Here are a few links to sites that provide information about private drivers and hiring a cab for a day in some cases.

It may be possible to take public transportation or a tour bus to larger and more popular sites and use those as a base to hire a private driver or cab for a day or two to visit local sites. For example, from Galway, you can tour both to the south and north as well as take a day trip to the Aran Islands.

http://www.tourguides.ie/

https://www.authenticireland.com/tours/view/create-your-own-private-chauffeur-ireland-tour/

http://www.taxiwestport.ie/#_=_

http://www.irelandwesttaxis.com/

For example there is no upper age limit with car hire from Enterprise whether you rent from a Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland office. Age limits are uncommon in the UK but may be more common in the Republic.

You can check prices for rental cars at economycarrentals.com. They have you input your age and they you will receive several offers from which to choose. I checked age 83 and there was no problem getting offers. We're about 10 years younger than you and last year we spent four weeks in Ireland/No.Ireland. We rented through Budget.ie as they were the most economical and picked up and returned the car at the airport. I checked their site and there is no age restriction. We bought the full insurance package due to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road and we were afraid of getting scratches - we didn't but the peace of mind was worth the cost.

As to length of time, three to four weeks would be good. We spent 29 nights and drove around most of the island, starting and ending in Dublin. We returned our rental car at the airport and took the bus to Dublin to spend three days there without a car. If you want to enjoy what you see you can plan a leisurely drive to each of the towns you want to visit over the course of 3 - 4 weeks.

We mostly stayed in B&Bs which are often in private homes and enjoyed our trip very much. Good luck on your planning. Ireland and its people are beautiful. We hope you have a trip as wonderful as ours!

Oh dear, what are seniors to do, crawl into a hole and wait to die? Does anyone know a way to rent a car with a driver?

This was just what I was thinking. I know the answer is Yes, though I have not done so. I know a family group who did this (multiple generations) last summer. I can try to get the info for you. Alternatively, google private tour Ireland and you will probably see some results at TripAdvisor and other sites.

Thank you, Debby, for your pro-active suggestion. So far, all I've found are drivers and car with B&Bs for around $5000 a week. That triples the budget. But I do thank everyone who answered, even the woman who was making fun of us old folks. Wonder if she can hike the Sierra's to 11,000 feet?

If I were you, I would consider B&Bs over apartments. They are pretty reasonable in Ireland, and the hosts are almost always willing to make suggestions and provide a little extra assistance if needed. Plus, interacting with local people (your hosts) is one of my favorite things to do You didn't mention your route, but let me suggest 3 B&Bs we have stayed at and loved. In the Kilkenny area, Lawcus Farm Guest House near Thomaston. In Dingle, Pax Guest House, and in Kinsale, The Cloisters B&B. The people who own these three are absolutely delightful. Happy travels!
P.S. If you haven't already, check out the trip reports section of this forum for lots of recommendations and helpful advice.

For a reasonably priced driver who provides his own vehicle (a large, nice VW van) which can seat up to 8, contact:

Tony
(00353)(0)65-7074790
(00353)(0)87-2422950
[email protected]

Tony is currently vacationing himself in the US, so he will likely not be back to Doolin until April (and I do not know if he is checking email or if he has his cell phone with his Irish phone number with him. So, if you email him, it MIGHT be April before you hear back from him.

We hired Tony ourselves for our trip in Ireland (he was recommended by a B&B where we stayed in Doolin), and he was absolutely fabulous. We recommended him to friends of ours, who also hired him, and they were equally pleased. They enjoyed him so much, they invited him to stay in an extra condo they have here in Nashville, so we were all able to visit with him when he was in Nashville last year, and we plan to get together with him before he returns to Ireland this spring.

He was reliable, punctual, and he has a great sense of humor. He took care of all of his own overnights/meals, toll, fuel, parking, etc.

We could not have been more pleased, and it was nice having a local drive (for all the obvious reasons) and he acted a bit like a tour guide in that he told us a bit about what we were seeing and a bit about what life is like in Ireland. For days we did not need a driver (like when we stayed two days at Dromoland), he was free to take other fares, so there was no cost to us for those days.

I do not know if he drives to Dublin, but if not, he likely will know someone he can refer to you. Or, perhaps, he might drive throughout Ireland...you would have to ask him.