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LONDON & IRELAND

MY HUSBAND, MYSELF AND ANOTHER COUPLE ARE FLYING INTO LONDON ON SEPT 1ST, WILL BE THERE JUST FOR PART OF THE DAY, WILL FLY OUT MIDDLE AFTERNOON ON TO DUBLIN, STAY 1 NIGHT, TOUR DUBLIN FOR THE DAY, THEN ON TO EAST CLARE GOLF RESORT. HAVE A BLACK TAXI TOUR SET UP IN LONDON, NEED WHAT TO DO IN DUBLIN AND THEN AROUND GALWAY. WILL PICK UP RENTAL CAR IN DUBLIN. STAYING UNTIL SEPT 10. ALL SUGGESTIONS WILL BE MOST HELPFUL!! THANKS

Posted by
105 posts

Not sure if you will be in Dublin on Sunday 4th September Vila, but if you are you might like to go to the All-Ireland Hurling Final, to witness one of the greatest and fastest sports in the world, played in front of 82,000 spectators in Croke Park. The finalists this year are from counties Kilkenny & Tipperary (for the third year in a row, with one win each), all players are amateur and all are natives of their county, this will be a titanic game played by giants of men. There are 2 halves, each of 35 minutes with a 15 minute break in between. There will be the minor (Under 18) final beforehand between Dublin and Galway. Even if you can't get to the game (tickets may be difficult to get), be sure to watch some of it on the television. I would also recommend Number 29, a Georgian House museum, the whole house has been furnished with original artefacts as they would have been in the period 1790 to 1820 when it was occupied by the Beatty family, well worth a visit. One to two kilometres from the city centre and Trinity College, at the corner of Merrion Square. Other stuff like Trinity College, the National Museum, Kilmainham Jail, Christchurch & St Patricks Cathedrals, most of these places are pretty close to the city centre. From the East Clare Golf resort, you can visit a couple of impressive sights in West Clare, the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and the Burren, or maybe a bit of surfing in Lahinch or Spanish Point, or a game of golf at the world famous Doonbeg or Lahinch courses, before heading up to Galway, loads to do and see around Galway, some incredible countryside. Whatever you do in Ireland, enjoy it, a Céad Míle Fáilte awaits you!

Posted by
409 posts

With such a short time in Dublin, I would take the Hop-on / Hop-Off bus for a glimpse of the city, then pick up the rental car only when you are about to depart Dublin. You don't want to saddled with the car while in Dublin (driving, parking). The Ho/Ho bus is good for 24 hours, so you could use it for parts of both days.

Posted by
2341 posts

Agree for no car needed in Dublin, use bus system or the Hop On Hop Off bus. Parking is not easy in Dublin and is not necessary. Very walkable city.

Posted by
7 posts

WILL FLY INTO LONDON SAT AT 7AM, STAY FOR THE DAY, DO THE TAXI TOUR, THEN GATWICK AT 2:30PM, ON TO DUBLIN, JUST STAYING THE DAY IN DUBLIN, DRIVING ON TO GALWAY THAT AFTERNOON. CHECK IN AT THE GOLF RESORT IS AROUND 3PM, SO ANYTIME AFTER THAT. THANKS FOR GREAT IDEAS. KEEP THEM COMING ABOUT ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF. ALL IDEAS ARE FOR CONSIDERATION. OPEN TO ALL THINGS FUN!!!

Posted by
9363 posts

Your timing for London is going to be very tight, just so you know. If your flight arrives on time, and you get through passport control in reasonable time, you could be out by 8:30 or so. Then it's an hour into London, roughly. You also have to allow travel time to Gatwick and a couple of hours for security, etc., once you get there. And if you are taking a budget flight from there, be advised that they sometimes have very strict rules about check-in times. If your flight leaves from Gatwick at 2:30, you need to be headed for Gatwick by about 11:30. When you say you are "staying that day in Dublin", do you mean the day after your flight, so you have basically the morning and part of the afternoon?

Posted by
166 posts

Have to agree with Nancy. Gatwick is a very long way from central London, especially by black cab (the don't go very fast) and you will have to fight the traffic in from Heathrow to get to central London in the morning.

Posted by
7 posts

WE WERE TOLD BY THE TAXI CO THAT WE WOULD BE OUT OF CUSTOMS AROUND 8AM, MAYBE A LITTLE LATER, 1 HR INTO LONDON, DOING THE TAXI TOUR OF LONDON, THEY SAY THAT TAKES ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS, THEN ON TO GATWICK ABOUT 12:30PM
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT????

Posted by
9110 posts

The London taxi company has no dog in the fight to get you on the departure plane. I wouldn't take the deal on a bet.

Posted by
9363 posts

No, Vila, that doesn't sound right. What if your flight is at all late, the line is longer, rush hour traffic is bad getting into the city, etc? At best, you have two hours in London, not 2 1/2. You need to be headed for Gatwick by 11:30, as I said before, to allow time for travel to the airport, check-in and security before your 2:30 flight. If it were me, I wouldn't try it. You would be better off to visit Windsor, which is just a 20 minute taxi away from Heathrow. There, you would have time to see Windsor castle and the town, and have some lunch, then catch the bus to Gatwick. Trying to get into London and back in a five hour window will be nothing but stress, and too many things could go wrong that could cause you to miss your flight. As Ed said, the taxi company has nothing to lose if you don't get back on time.

Posted by
7 posts

Thanks John a lot - I was also told the main attractions in london are in a 5-6 block radius, so we could do that and save lots of time and money. Will check this out asap. thank you again

Posted by
7 posts

OK John, what advice for the one day we are in Dublin?
We will arrive around 4-5pm and are staying the night in town, the next day we want to see as much as possible, then drive to east clare golf resort that afternoon. was told the drive is about 3-4 hours. So we will want to see the guiness storehouse for sure. What advice for me for that???

Posted by
635 posts

I think you're crazy to try to see anything in London. It's too late now but you should have flown directly into Dublin. I'm assuming you should be in Gatwick by 2:30 for your Dublin flight. That means your Dublin flight leaves about 5 to 6 pm. Three hours to get through airport security is not too long when the cost is missing your flight. Getting out of Heathrow optimistically between 8 and 8:30 am you could take a taxi to Windsor Castle. It opens at 9 or 9:30 but you could walk around the town until it opens. A reasonable short tour will take 3 hours so you could theoretically catch a bus or taxi to Gatwick which would let you arrive before 3 pm. Your London tour would be through a busy Friday morning. Riding a taxi would be expensive from the airport but probably cheaper than train tickets for four people. You could easily get caught in heavy traffic and see next to nothing. Update: I was just informed that your flight leaves at 2:30. I don't think you should try any sightseeing. Take a taxi or bus directly to Gatwick. As John pointed out, you could do the train to London and take another one to Gatwick. You can price the options.

Posted by
105 posts

If you get the Heathrow Express it will take an absolute max of 30 minutes to get to Paddington, trains run every 15 minutes, and journey time to Paddington is 15 minutes. The Gatwick Express runs every 15 minutes from Victoria Station, and takes 30 minutes to get there. Both railway stations in Central London

Posted by
7 posts

I am not a world traveler. So some of the suggestions are foreign to me. Do not know what the heathrow express is and do not anything about paddington. PLEASE explain. This is my first time going abroad. So any suggestions to Help would be great. We have already booked the taxi in london for the tour and pick up from heathrow and transport to gatwick. Was trying to get the times right so we would be safe arriving on time for gatwick. We only have carry on bags, so no checked bags.

Posted by
105 posts

The Heathrow Express is a train that runs non-stop from Heathrow Airport to Paddington Station in Central London, it runs every 15 minutes from Heathrow Airport and takes 15 minutes to get to Paddington Station in Central London, it costs £16.50 (booked online) one way per person. It is an excellent and very easy way of getting quickly from Heathrow to Central London. However, you appear to have a taxi booked from Heathrow Airport, and your transport booked to Gatwick as well so it is of no help to you, next time maybe. Anyway, enjoy your day out in London, and in particular your visit to Ireland.

Posted by
635 posts

A taxi is probably cheaper but not as fast as the Heathrow Express for four people. If traffic is heavy you will be doomed not to connect for a 2:30 flight. I'm not sure how long the train ride is to Gatwick. The last time I was in Gatwick was a decade ago. I did take the train but I think it was closer to 45 minutes. You need to check. If you are going to safely connect for a 2:30 flight, you all need to be there by noon. Check the drive times from Heathrow to London, London to Gatwick and Heathrow to Gatwick on Google Maps or Michelin. Maybe a bus is a better way directly to Gatwick. Someone may pop in with the details. You won't be the first person to cancel a taxi.

Posted by
7 posts

omg will gladly cancel the taxi if you can tell me the specifics of getting the heathrow express, (Website?) this taxi costs us $450 american dollars, thought it would be the best way to see london in the time we had. what about getting from london to gatwick?? any suggestions??

Posted by
105 posts

The Gatwick Express is a train that runs every 15 minutes from Victoria Station (Central London) to Gatwick airport, it takes 30 minutes, the cost is £15.95 (booked online) per person. This is unquestionably the quickest and most reliable service to Gatwick from central London. Having said that, it appears that Vila has already booked (and presumably paid for) her London travel, so it's probably irrelevant at this stage.

Posted by
105 posts

OK Vila, so you will be arriving in Dublin on Friday September 2nd, spending the night in the City Centre (where in the city centre without giving away your exact location as this may determine whats best to do), and spending the night and most of the following day in Dublin and heading for the East Clare Golf resort on Saturday evening (126 miles, mostly motorway, 2 hours 45 minutes). A lot depends on what you would like to do on the Friday night, for example you could go to see Dreamcoats and Petticoats in the Gaiety Theatre (www.gaietytheatre.ie), or Curse of the Starving Class at the Abbey Theatre (www.abbeytheatre.ie), or go for a few pints in one of the excellent pubs along Merrion Row & Lr Baggot Street (O'Donoghues (www.odonoghues.ie), Foleys (www.foleysbar.com) Doheny & Nesbitt (http://dohenyandnesbitts.com/), Toners (www.tonerspub.ie), you would be unlucky not to find a bit of traditional Irish music in O'Donoghues. You could head for Temple Bar as well, not really my favourite area but a mecca for tourists I guess, The Palace in Fleet St is a pub I like. If you have something in particular that you'd like to do I'll try to come up with something. So a couple of places to see on the Saturday, you want to do the Guinness Storehouse, Kilmainham Gaol (http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin/kilmainhamgaol/) is reasonably close to the Storehouse (both in the west of the city but not far from the centre), Dublin Castle (http://www.dublincastle.ie/), Trinity College (www.tcd.ie) where you can see the book of Kells, House Number 29 (http://www.esb.ie/main/about-esb/numbertwentynine/default.htm). If you have anything more specific that you would like to know I will attempt to help.

Posted by
149 posts

Please note that if you take the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, you will have to take the tube or a taxi to Victoria Station to catch the Gatwick Express. Paddington and Victoria stations are not within walking distance of each other. As far as the sights being in a 5-6 block area, that's not exactly true. IMO the area around Trafalgar Square is very central, and is walking distance to the River Thames, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, National Gallery, and Covent Garden. However, no one neighborhood is central to all of the many sights in London, and this area is not walking distance to Paddington or Victoria Station. However, as others have noted, I don't think you have time to sightsee in London. I have been to London many times over the past 20 years and know my way around very well, and I wouldn't chance it. To try to sightsee in such a limited amount of time when you don't know the area at all is not a good idea. As you said, you are not an experienced traveler, and I think you are underestimating your timeframes, not allowing enough time for contingencies, and overestimating the ease with which you will be able to get around London. Please consider Nancy's suggestion to go to Gatwick from Windsor---much less hassle and much less running around. Good luck to you, whichever you choose.

Posted by
8700 posts

I agree with the others who say it isn't a good idea to try to see a bit of London in the very limited time you have. However, if you are determined to take a look, then this is how I would do it. At Heathrow buy a single ticket (£5.00 which includes transfers) for travel on the Tube to central London. Take the Tube (Piccadilly Line) from Heathrow to Hammersmith, walk a few feet to the other side of the platform, and take the District Line to Victoria. Your rides, including transfer time, will take a total of just under one hour. Store your bags at the left luggage facilities at the Victoria train station. Buy a single Tube ticket (£4.00) for travel in zone 1. Take either the District Line or the Circle Line two stops to Westminster. When you get to street level you'll be just across the Thames from Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Walk over there on the Westminster Bridge or stay on your side of the river and walk toward Trafalgar Square. Walk back to Victoria, retrieve your bags, and take either the Gatwick Express or a Southern train to Gatwick. Both run every 15 minutes. The Gatwick Express takes 30 minutes. Southern trains are only a few minutes slower and the fare is much cheaper. For a zoomable Tube map, go here. If you want to spend even less money, buy Oyster cards at Heathrow and load each one with 10 Pay-As-You-Go pounds plus a deposit for the card. Your fare will be £4.50 for Heathrow-Victoria and £1.90 for Victoria-Westminster. When you return to Victoria you can get a refund on any unspent pounds plus your deposit.