Planning a Trip to Ireland: Where to Stay and How to Get There

This is the last of my 4 part series of planning a trip to Ireland.  Now that you have your flight, you know what you want to see, and how to get around: its time to find out where you want to stay.

Usually, when we visit a city, we like to use HomeAway and rent an apartment for a week or so.  We did this in London last summer and a few years ago in Paris. On both occasions staying in an apartment in the heart of the city is the ultimate travel experience.

Since this is such a whirlwind trip of only 8 days, spending 2 days in each location, we decided to just stay in hotels for our trip.  The next best thing to having your own apartment is staying in a boutique hotel.  I smaller place with character and personalized service.  The key to getting the best rate is to book directly at the hotel WEB site.

Planning a Trip to Ireland the How to Series

Planning a Trip to Ireland: The Airline Tickets

Planning a Trip to Ireland: What to See

Planning a Trip to Ireland:  How to get Around

When we get off the plane in Dublin at 5-AM in the morning, we know that there is a bus that goes straight downtown.  We picked a Hotel in the downtown close to public transportation and the sites we want to see.   So our 2 days on Dublin will be at the Cassidys Hotel.  I actually got a recommendation for this place from an Army buddy.  A small Boutique Hotel with a short walk to Trinity College and other locations.  We will take our bags to the hotel in the early morning then go see some of the city until check-in. 

After 2 Days in Dublin, we grab the tram to the Heuston Train Station.  Our trip west to Galway is where we will spend the next 2-days on the Irish Atlantic coast.  We visit the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher while there. We decided to stay at the Residence Hotel in Galway, which is another boutique hotel.  This hotel only has 20 rooms and in in the heart of the city of Galway, on a famous pedestrian boulevard called Quay Street in the Latin Quarter.

Once we're done in Galway, we head off by bus south to Cork where we will tour the Ring of Kerry which is in the far southwest corner of Ireland.  In Cork, we decided to stay a the Jury Inn which is a major European Chain.  This hotel reservation was made as a matter of convenience, located close to downtown and to where our tour will be departing from.

After Cork, it's back to Dublin by train east and our flight back to the states the next day.  We wanted something close to the Train Station where we will grab a taxi back to the airport the next morning. So out of the blue after reading the reviews, we decide on the Charleville Lodge.  It seems like a crazy place to stay with a strange sort of vibe.  In a quiet part of west Dublin, it will suit our needs before our flight the next day.

So here it is; a planned trip to Ireland, 8 days on the emerald island. I hope you follow the Wandering Soldier and come along for the ride.  Looking forward to this great trip; we're going to have fun and grow in the process.  Its the whole point of travel.