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Planning Your Trip to Ireland Part 12
HINTS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP TO IRELAND
Know before you go:
Get as much information as you can online, then once you arrive, stop in at the Bord Failte (pronounced Fall-cha), the tourist board. There is one in every city and large town that will give you details on all the local attractions and special events. You can even do a book a bed ahead on the spur of the moment if you have no fixed plans and just want to drive and see where you end up.
The Bord Failte also has a guide to every county, with more detailed maps, planned out as driving routes, so you will not miss a thing. Know how many days you have, and give yourself a realistic timetable to make the most of it.
Weather-YES, it rains a lot in Ireland. Bring along appropriate rain fear and footwear. You will want to do a lot of walking and sightseeing. But there is always a pub or restaurant nearby if you get tired of both.
Weather all year round-rare snow, rarely so cold it gets below 32 degrees, which for them is zero celsius. Most of the time it is better than April in Paris! Brr. There is NOTHING romantic about April in Paris unless you are wearing thermals. Definitely bring your thermals if you have them.
Summer is great; it is so far north, especially the northern counties, that you are almost in the land of the midnight sun.
The western counties are the most rainy due to quick, sudden squalls from the Atlantic. But it is rare to have a day without sun except in the dead of winter.
Money-The Euro-About a $1.50 of our money at the moment. When I lived there, it was 75 cents! Argh! So you will find Ireland price-y, including gas. Remember, they add value added tax to all your purchases, so you might want to keep the receipts and claim back the money at the airport when you depart the country.
For a handy world currency calculator, visit www.xe.com
Accommodation-everything imaginable, every price range.
Clothing-see note above re weather. Dress in layers! Remember also that there is not much central heating! But there are a lot of lovely open fireplaces.
Food, awesome, especially on the sea coasts, but keep the taxes in mind and save all your receipts.
Beer/alcohol-ditto.
Shopping; great. Woolen and linen aren’t the great bargains they once were in the city center stores, but you can often find collectively run craft centers with hand made or unique gifts. Keep all your receipts so you can claim back the VAT.
Driving: right hand drive, left side of the road. Roads are generally well paved, not greatly signposted. Gas-expensive.
Sports: golf, fishing, leisure centers for swimming and a variety of sporting activities, bicycling, walking, hiking, and boating are available in and around all major cities in Ireland. Birdwatching, photography, art holidays=paradise.
Tracing your family tree?
A lot of people ask about this, but unfortunately, at the end of the Irish civil war in 1922, the rebels burned the public record office because it was a symbol to the of colonial opression. So it is not impossible (unless you are an O’Brien or Murphy, there are so many branches of the family), but the records there are have mainly been derived from parish records.
Romance: 10 out of 10-for a relaxing place to get away from it all, from city to country, Ireland is ideal. Fine dining, great hotels and B and Bs, breathtaking scenery and a wealth of shared activities, go at your own pace and do as little or as much as you like.
A country of both overwhelming natural beauty and fascinating towns and cities Ireland is a stunning travel destination, suited to all budgets and interests, and one trip you will never forget. Every picture will be like a Kodak moment. Here’s wishing you plenty of rainbows when you are there, and a pot of gold at the end of every one of them!
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