Hi, all! Long time follower, first time poster! I am traveling from Washington, D.C. and headed to Ireland and Scotland and then headed to London for a few days - I have booked my flight to Dublin to start, but that's as far as I've gone - headed there end of July so looking for recs, things to do, places and areas to stay (Plan on AirBNB/VRBO/B&B's to get the local experience!) So any areas to seek out (or stay far away from, please let me know)
The only things I definitely know for sure that I want to do that are on my list are: Dublin (Which I'm going to start out in, Edinburgh, Belfast/Titanic Museum, Cliffs of Moher, and to hopefully go horseback riding at some point. Not sure if one country is better than the other...but, I am good to park for somewhere for a couple days (or end up back there @ night) and train/bus somewhere for a day, too. It will just be me (Female, mid-30s) so, Looking at any and all options!! I like being out amongst people, perfectly fine with large crowds. I love bars/pubs with fun good music (or live!) or really good hole in the wall dives, too. I'd rather have people I can talk to than empty. I just want to experience the culture as much as possible. The food, the drinks, the people, the scenery, I will be traveling end of July through first week of August. Thanks in advance!!
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
933 posts
How much time to you plan to allot to each country?
Posted by
OP
Washington, DC
5 posts
There is no exact timetable of how long to spend for each - I'd like to make sure I have enough time to explore and not run myself too crazy - if it's better to spend x days in one city vs. another, I'm open to it. I am all for touristy stuff, but would rather spend more time exploring beautiful streets and cafe's and scenery than waiting x hours to see one thing that everyone else thinks is just "OK" - if that makes sense!
Posted by
3123 posts
Pam, I'll just share a bit of my experience as a solo female traveler when I was in my 30s. The vast majority of people you'll meet are perfectly trustworthy and honest, but there are always a few who "see you coming" as a young woman alone.
Best to keep your plans somewhat vague when striking up conversations with strangers. If asked "where are you going today?" just say "Oh, I've got a lot of places in mind!" If you need to ask directions, try to ask a woman or an adult with kids in tow. When you go out to pubs, keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum. Keep your belongings under your control at all times. If a situation feels dicey, leave or team up with another woman to wait it out.
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
933 posts
I’ve done three weeks in both Ireland and Scotland on my own and had no problems. My Ireland trip was with a backpack, a bus/train pass, and a hostel pass. It was lots of fun, and I always met other solo travellers. I started in Dublin for four days then went south to Killarney for four days. I then made stops in Kinsale and Kilkenny on my way to Galway where I also spent four nights. I finished in Belfast for Four nights. Because I didn’t have a car I made use of the many guided day trips available in the larger towns, and I always met other people to talk to, and travel with.
For my three weeks in Scotland I rented a car and stayed in B and Bs everywhere. I started with six days in Edinburgh, wandered the city and did a couple of day trips. With the car for ten days I went first to St. Andrews, then up through the middle of the country making a stop in Ballater where my ancestors are from, then on towards Inverness, across to the Isle of Skye, back down to Oban and eventually ending in Glasgow for four nights where I again wandered the city and did a guided day trip.
Ireland was easy by train and bus, but after researching getting around the Scottish highlands the same way it looked like it was going to be a lot more time consuming so I went with the car.
This is the Coles notes version of both trips just to give you an idea of how much time you might need to spend in each place in order to see the sights. Feel free to PM me if you want more information. London is a place where you could spend a couple of weeks and only scratch the surface.
Posted by
Apache Junction, Arizona, USA
138 posts
You sound like a great traveler! I loved every bit of our trip to Ireland, and the rugged scenery stirred my soul, but what stands out most in my mind were the music sessions which took place in pubs in the evening. Often the pub pays one musician to keep things moving along, but most of the musicians just drop by and play for fun, and a lot of rousing tuneful fun it is! The cheerful pub ambiance helps too. I especially liked "The Reel Inn" in Donegal. To find these music jams, you could just ask people where the music "sessions" are, whatever town you are in. We only saw the Cliffs of Moher for a brief, ghostly glimpse because the fog was so thick the day we were there. I liked all of the small local museums I saw, really well done. The . Guinness museum in Dublin was also fascinating and very well designed. I did travel with my husband, but did a lot of walking around by myself and I found the Irish people some of the most friendly I've met anywhere.
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3561 posts
You are going at the end of July?? Yikes! I would get busy planning my overnight accomodations! Thats high season and the best value places will be gone.
Also, buy tickets in advance where possible, like Book of Kells.
Posted by
New York City
62 posts
In Ireland, make sure you see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. This is located in the heart of town (near Grafton Street where all the local shops are) and try to get tickets to the Abbey Theater, also near there. See if you can find a day tour that will take you to see either the Blarney Stone (a bit of history) or the White Cliffs of Dover - both are fantastic sights.
For Scotland, Grey lines will provide you with a tour to Loch Ness (beautiful country side) and if you stay near Princes Street, you will be in the heart of Edinburgh.
Good luck and enjoy!