Ireland in September

Yes to both questions. I never rent cars and get around just fine.

Thank you for the reply.
Also, is 12 to 14 days enough to see Dublin, and down South?

Thanks for the reply on driving. We have been to England 3 times, and I have driven all 3. We have had no problems with driving on the left. The only things that have drawn my attention is it seems everyone talks about the extreme need for the super CDW, and makes it sound like everyone that drives there is involved in an accident. I have been checking and the rates for cars is high, but so would be train, and bus if you traveled that way for 2 weeks. Thanks again

The answer to the query about using public transport (bus and train) to see Dublin and the "south" is yes. Travel by car is not really a problem. For whatever reason too many folks seem to be freaked out about driving on the other side of the road. Personally it wasn't a challenge but then I fight LA traffic madness daily and have more than 40 years behind the wheel. Took the stick shift, easy peasy and found it a joy to have the freedom to go where I wanted when I wanted. It is all about how much time you wish to spend on planning which bus to take, which train station to get off at, how to get from the station to the "site," etc., as opposed to having a good map of Ireland, GPS and hitting the road. A September trip is still peak season with the end of the month bordering on Eire's "shoulder season." Daylight will last till 9pm. Even though guides says days are mild pack layers of clothing just in case. Lovely country. Enjoy.

Terry, I think part of the reason that we stress the super CDW is that many times we are talking to people unfamiliar with driving on the left. Credit card insurances don't cover Ireland (which a lot of people haven't heard), and yes, it is relatively easy to get into a scrape, all things considered. Super CDW just makes it easier to walk away with no deductible. In most areas, the roads are not impossibly narrow, but there are a significant number of areas where they are.

If you've driven in England Terry driving in Ireland will be a piece of cake, far less traffic on the roads here. Getting full insurance makes sense, gives you peace of mind, but just to reassure you we aren't all involved in scrapes on a daily basis, they are quite rare. September would be just off-peak for us, the kids are back in school since the beginning of September, the weather though should be quite pleasant. Enjoy your visit!

We visited Ireland in September 2009 and had a great time. The weather ranged from cold and rainy to absolutely gorgeous. I had a couple of anxious days when I started driving, but I got used to it. The roads are very narrow, and those tour buses seem so wide! On the other hand, the roundabout is a wonderful invention.

I spent 12 days in Ireland in September 2010, and found the timing to be quite good. Crowds were non-existent, and all the places we stayed were awash in vacancies. (Was that condition the result of the time of year or the economy? I strongly believe the latter, as all of our hosts lamented the huge in tourists from the States.) Weather was also decent. Temperatures ranged from the 70s at the start, declining to the low 60s over the course of the trip, which we enjoyed. Unfortunately, the cloudy days increased over time, making a lot of the days very gray. The Ring of Kerry was disappointing, for example, since we had no sun at all. Not much you can do about that: Ireland gets lots of rain. You hope for the best, and if you're not lucky, you look for a pub, museum, or a castle/manor house to tour. The color of the countryside was somewhat less than optimal. Not as green or as colorful as on visits in the Spring. Some flowers, but not the top of the season. Still an acceptable trade-off for the lesser crowds. As for travelling, we have always rented cars and self-toured. Never tried the trains or busses, or any guided tours.

I'm not sure if this will affect Dublin hotel availability, but the University of Notre Dame football team is playing Navy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland on September 1, 2012. The stadium seats 50,000, and they are certainly expecting many American visitors ... so be certain of your hotel reservations around that time.

Excellent point Kathleen, the Navy Notre Dame game is expected to bring 25,000 US visitors to the city for the game so accomodation will be at a premium. I'd be surprised if many visitors didn't spend some time touring the country as well, so it might put a bit of pressure on accomodation outside the city as well.

Thank you for the information regarding the football game.
But, we would be planning to come around September 15th, so that shouldn't be a factor.

Hi Terry,
I've driven in England, Scotland, and Ireland. Ireland is not difficult. There was quite a bit of traffic leaving the Dublin airport, but it was easy. A GPS was essential as the roads are poorly marked. Ireland is very rural. The roads are narrow in places but no different to country roads in Texas or Oklahoma. In the little town, people park really randomly, so you have to watch. I really enjoyed driving because there are so many little places to stop that you would never see otherwise. It is also to me part of the adventure. If you enjoyed driving in England, I would get the super CDW insurance and drive. By the way, we really enjoyed Northern Ireland too. The Antrim north coast is spectacular.