#86 Staycation Ireland

This will be the first in a series about some Irish destinations and what they have to offer! Since I am Irish myself I would like to be considered an expert and therefore any advice and information I provide will be infallible.

I'm going to suggest that some people take a 'stay-cation' here in Ireland, or if you're from another country perhaps you could just plain old vacation here. I don't want to brag, but we are pretty great. I mean, sure. We're kind of expensive, and the weather isn't great. But we have a lot of other great things going on, I can assure you, and you will find out throughout this dynamic and exciting series of articles!

If it rains, you can always buy some fancy raincoats and umbrellas and wellington boots.  Really make the bad weather work for you and your style! Okay I'll admit I'm clutching at straws here. . .but when you're visiting it mightn't even rain, last year we had some very hot weather and blue skies! Realistically it most likely will rain at some point, but there's always a chance it won't! You should hold out on that hope while packing your raincoat and umbrella. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst!


Quick note: The word 'stay-cation' actually annoys me, because it's a bastardization of the word 'vacation', which is a word we don't use here in Ireland. We're familiar with the meaning from American movies and TV shows, but we use the word 'holiday' instead. So really the word 'staycation' don't make much sense here.


At the end of every article I'm going to put in the following links to some Irish tourism websites, so if you're seriously interested you can get some information from the professionals.
DiscoverIreland.ie
VisitDublin.com
Ireland.com
CulturalTourismIreland.ie

This video is a little cringey because it only shows 'old and natural' Ireland. That is a large part of Ireland, but don't worry we have cities and shops and nightclubs too.

#82 Spring!

So here we are in March, the days are getting longer, blue skies are creeping in, daffodils are blooming. . .and it's time to get booking those summer holidays!

The key is to book early and book in advance, which means you need to get your family/friends together and fight out where you want to go this summer (or alternatively, if you have no money you can start planning a nice trip in the autumn instead, when prices are likely to go down.)

While deciding where to go, there are a few places you could look, for example if you're booking independently then the low cost or sale prices for some airlines, while websites like TripAdvisor are also great for telling you what kinds of things are there to do.

You also need to be realistic, while you might be imagining a paradise in your head, the reality is likely to be very different. Sun holidays attract all kinds of people, however you are more likely to find big families and unruly children running wild.

Left; island paradise Bora Bora, and Right; a packed beach in Salou, Spain

I would also say not to be afraid to go somewhere different, and just because it is summer doesn't mean you need to go on a sun holiday, and sit by the pool all day. The weather in Europe is gorgeous during the summer, and a city break could be the answer for someone looking for something a little more exciting, while still getting a good tan out sightseeing.

While it is blatantly obvious for most people to book everything separately online, there are still Travel Agents in business and they could be something to consider. Although they are likely to be more expensive this isn't always the case (especially in group bookings of 10+), and most [all?] of these companies are bonded so you will be refunded if there are any issues.