Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing church towers), $15 for guided walks, $45 for day-trip bus tours, and up to $75 for
splurge experiences (such as the Dunguaire Castle medieval banquet or a flight to the Aran
Islands).
An overall average of $30 a day works for most people. Don't skimp here. After all,
this category is the driving force behind yourtrip—you came to sightsee, enjoy,and exper-
ienceIreland.Twosightseeingpasses—theHeritageCardandtheHeritageIslandExplorer
Touring Guide—can help you economize and simplify your sightseeing (see “Sightseeing
Shopping and Miscellany:
Figure roughly $2 per postcard, tea, or ice cream cone,
and $5 per pint of beer. Shopping can vary in cost from nearly nothing to a small fortune,
though good budget travelers find that this has little to do with assembling a trip full of
lifelong and wonderful memories.
Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here
are my recommended priorities:
3 days: Dublin
5 days, add: Dingle Peninsula
7 days, add: Galway, County Clare/Burren
9 days, add: Aran Islands, Kilkenny/Cashel
11 days, add: Belfast, Antrim Coast
15 days, add: Kinsale, Kenmare/Ring of Kerry
19 days, add: Derry, Connemara, Wicklow Mountains/Valley of the Boyne
21 days, add: Waterford, Donegal
(Thisincludes almost everything onthe“Ireland'sBestThree-WeekTripbyCar”mapand
July and August are my favorite times—with long days, the best weather, and the busiest
schedule of tourist fun. Summer crowds aren't nearly as dramatic in Ireland as they are in
much of Europe. Still, travel during “shoulder season” (May, early June, Sept, and early
Oct) is easier and a bit less expensive. Shoulder-season travelers get minimal crowds, de-
cent weather, the full range of sights and tourist fun spots, and the ability to grab a room
almost whenever and wherever they like—often at a flexible price. Winter travelers find
absolutely no crowds and soft room prices, but shorter sightseeing hours. Some attractions
