Questions for those who've visited Ireland part one

1. You're going to have to do your own homework on rental cars. Go with whichever company gives you the best deal, take the super CDW, and probably take your own booster seats (I have no idea about those). Each company will advise you as to the costs for renting seats, sizes and features of cars, etc. Make sure you allow enough room for bags. 2. You are right that you won't be allowed to take your kids into pubs in Doolin after a certain hour (which is when the music is). Ballyvaughan is in the Burren, which is a fascinating place. It would be better if you could see the Cliffs in the afternoon, since the light is on them from the west, then. Still, it's worth seeing anytime. 3. No idea about the Birds of Prey or Hawk Walk, but we have lots of hawks where I live, so I'm not particularly interested in seeing them on vacation. I'm not sure what all is involved in the Birds of Prey thing, but my kids would have been highly upset to see a bird actually catch anything live.

FYI, You must be carefully how much luggage you plan to take in relation to the size car you have. We had a small 2 door car and were ok, but a family of 4 in that car would be cozy without any luggage or souvenirs to trek home with.

If renting a car at the Dublin Airport, avoid Hertz. I used them last year and had a terrible time. I reserved a specific size car and was told there were none available. They kept trying to switch cars on me. It took me over an hour and a half to finally get all the paper work and a car sorted out. Terrible customer service. Prices will vary so I recommend you check several websites or with your travel agent if you have a regular one. I got CDW insurance through my travel insurance which was much cheaper than paying the daily rate the car rental companies charge. You will need to have some sort of insurance for the car and most credit cards do not cover car rental insurance in Ireland. Be clear with what ever rental company you choose as to what their policy is to the toll roads coming out of and into Dublin. Are the tolls automatically covered or do you need to stop at the toll booth? Also be aware there have been a lot of road changes in Ireland and my GPS/Sat Nav was not up to date so directions at times did not match the roads that were there at all. When I did the Cliffs, etc. I stayed in Galway which offers lots of things to do and a large variety of lodgings.

My family did the Ailwee Hawk Walk this past December. It is one of the most fondly remembered parts of our trip, as my kids told me that I had finally come up with a good idea. This surprised me, since my 'kids' are ages 15, 20 & 25. We scheduled the Hawk Walk for my husband and asked if the rest of the family could go along. I believe the fee for 'accompanying' is much less – and includes the cave visit (which we didn't do). Because it was December, we had to schedule a private tour and the guide was most gracious, allowing any of us to participate. I am a big wimp and I even enjoyed learning about falconry and calling the hawk to my side. I think your children would enjoy the experience! I found that emailing Ailwee directly gave me more information than the website - such as the opportunity to "accompany" at a lower cost.

An option that my wife I did 2 years ago was to book so many nights with B&B Ireland I think it was. We had open vouchers that could be used with a book we received. We literally would show up in a town, look in the book and call to see if they had room. This might be the best for a family, but for my wife and I it gave us more freedom. Another Option is to book a night at a castle when setting up your plans, the kids would probably love this. I worked with a website that setup the rental car, bed and breakfast open vouchers and the castle for a night.

Thank you for all your helpful replies. Changes based on your advice: We'll go to the birds of prey at Aillwee in the morning (and will contact them to see about accompanying one hawk walker in our group) and see the flying demonstration at noon, and then see the cliffs in the afternoon light. We're definitely renting a 4-door car, because I have a great fear of someone being trapped in the backseat in an accident. Also checked out the prices, and it's 6 euros a day per booster seat, so it's worth it to pack our own - which cost far less than 84 euros. Just means I actually have to check a bag! It is really surprising to read all the listings for cars and see that most of them only accommodate ONE suitcase. Luckily, we can squish all of ours but one, and there's usually some room in the footwells in the back, thanks to short-legged individuals in their booster seats. Everything is booked now except a place near Aillwee/Cliffs of Moher. Will look in Ballyvaughan so we can won't have to have such an early start in the morning. Thanks again!