7 days in Ireland

I always just book first and last night (if any - the last time I was there I didn't book anything at all). August is a busy time, but B&Bs are so numerous that you are bound to find one anyplace you want to stop. I have stayed at one or two "less good" ones over the years, but no really bad ones. And if you don't like it you can always move on.

Nancy, Thank you for your quick response. Is there a book available that list all or most B&B's I have Rick's Ireland book and he does list some in there. Again, thank you for all of your help!
Mary

If you have a loose itinerary of where you think you will be heading, you should look into whether there are any festivals or large events happening. August is a busy month for festivals, etc., and if you are planning to travel somewhere where one of these events is taking place, it can make it much harder for you to find the lodging you need. Especially given that you are traveling in a group of 5, as I am assuming you are looking at getting at least a double room for you and your husband and a triple for your adult children. Triples and "family rooms" (quads) can book up fast as the average B&B only has one or two - so in some instances you might even need to book 2 double rooms and a single room under the same roof to fit your family. I would suggest at least bringing a list of B&Bs along your route that might fit your needs and that you try to call a day in advance to check their availability if it is very important that you all stay in the same B&B. If you aren't having any luck, you can always try to contact the local Tourist Information office for assistance booking some rooms for your family.

You can get a B&B directory from the Tourist Information desk at the airport when you arrive. Haven't done it in awhile, but I used to get one from the Irish Tourist Board. I ordered it online and they mailed it to me in advance of my trip.

We just got back from Ireland with our son and his wife. I would suggest booking rooms in advance, especially if you all want to stay at the same B&B. If you zoom in on a Google map, you will see B&B's in that area. Dublin on a Friday or Saturday night was really fun. We stayed at Harding Hotel. We loved Doolin....spent way too much time at O'Conner's Pub. :-)Cliffs of Moher were amazing. Wilma
Bellingham, Washington

Good website for research B&B's is www.bandbireland.com. I also use TripAdvisor to see how they are rated by travelers. Yes - Gus O'Connors in Doolin is quite the pub for traditional music. Loved Loved Loved Dingle - absolutely gorgeous! Slea Head Drive is a must. The Lighthouse B&B is our favorite in Dingle but there are other good ones. Rick's guidebook was/is most helpful. We are plannin our 2nd Ireland trip for this fall. Can't wait!

Thank you all for your responses! I think I am going to book a few more B&B's just to be on the safe side! Thanks again!

We also loved the Lighthouse in Dingle, I think they have a family room but not sure. It does have a private car park and is a short walk down to a great pub with trad music, think it is called small bridges but not sure. It is a dark walk back at night but we had a mini flashlight so no problems. We have only twice booked B&B in advance, our other five trips just winged it and never had a problem but we never traveled in July and August. Enjoy.