We are spending 2 weeks in Ireland this summer. We will spend 2 days in Galway. Should we stay in Galway city or Salthill ( the beach town 8 minutes away)? I'm not much on cities. We like to explore and visit the pubs. Any ideas or suggestions? Is there much to do in Salthill at night? Thanks for your help!
Posted by
New York, NY
319 posts
Barbara, It's really up to you. If you don't like cities, then you may prefer Salthill (although Galway isn't that big a city by American standards). But it won't be quite as easy to go pub-hopping as it is in the center of town.
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
As a rough guess I would say that the population of Galway is less than Beaumont's. If you want to frequent pubs then Galway would be the place to stay.
Posted by
OP
Beaumont, Texas
10 posts
Thanks for the advice! We probably will stay in Galway since we'll be pub hopping. Have you stayed anywhere in particular that you really enjoyed? I have Steve's recommendations but sometimes there are other great places as well.
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
There are a few pubs facing the main promenade in Salthill, but the majority of the nightlife is in Galway City. As you noted yourself, it's only about 8 minutes to Salthill. If you prefer to stay outside of the city, it's not difficult to get back and forth. Buses run along the main road that can take you into Galway during the day, and cabs are often hanging about Eyre Square late at night and it's a short taxi ride back to Salthill. If you truly dislike cities (and Galway is a very small city) perhaps consider making a village like Kinvara your base. It's about 40 minutes from Galway City on the other side of Galway Bay. Although the center of town is only about 5-6 blocks long, they have 12 pubs in the village (often 1 or 2 with live music) and a great waterfront restaurant for fine dining if you tire of pub food. Kinvara makes a great base if you want to tour The Burren, see Ailwee Caves, Poulnabrohne, and you can also daytrip to the Cliffs of Moher, Cong/Ashford Castle, Connemara, etc.
Posted by
Pearland, Texas, USA
441 posts
Barbara, we stayed at the Salthill Hotel and saw the Trad on the Prom. We even took a turn on the Salthill Prom but we didn't go to any pubs. My advice is to find the area with the kinds of things you want to do and stay there. Driving on the wrong side of the road and roundabouts made getting around hard for me. Have a great trip.
Posted by
Finkle
190 posts
HI Barbara let me also recommend Kinvara as a great solution for you. A charming small town, lots of pubs in walking distance and a good base for touring the area. We did stay in Salthill and if are you intent on being in Galway, it is an easy and inexpensive cab ride. Enjoy Mike DC