Ireland - Week in a camper van with a Toddler

LE3

Fota Wildlife Park near Cork - amazing place & perfect for Little Miss

In fact you could do a lot worse than spend time around the Cork area

mustmakealist

Why don't you try an overnight/weekend away in the campervan before you go. That will give you the chance to find out what you absolutely can't manage without.

melanzana

As a native, the one piece of advice I can give, is don't try to do too much. By trying to see everything, you might end up seeing nothing!

Ireland might be a small country by other benchmarks, and it is, but by going off the beaten track now and then it can take AGES to see it all. I haven't seen the half of it myself!

The babe will be fine, can look at the moo cows and the sheep and the mad Irish Mammies! Kids love everything, once Mam and dad look out for them. And I love kids!

Make sure YOU get a nice holiday too.

Anyway, I would suggest the following relaxing itinerary...

Go to Rosslare first night and relax. Lovely beach, and Kelly's Hotel on the Strand is renowned for being kid friendly. Go in for a coffee or a snack. Lovely spot.

Then take the coast northwards. Some of the best beaches in the country are on the Wexford Coast. After so much sand....move west into the Wicklow Mountains and see Glendalough, and Blessington. The scenery up there is stunning. Then you're nearly in the city.

Dublin is worth seeing for a day. Plenty for kids to do, just google kids Dublin....

And you will enjoy it aswell.

If you have any questions please ask. I might not have all the answers, but I can try!

Oh and BTW prices are good for food now. The VAT was reduced last year, and even in the centre of Dublin, you can get a two course Early
Bird meal for less than 20 euro. That's not bad is it?

And I'm not talking McDs either.

Tourism is a big thing here, and Dublin is heaving at the moment. Something must be bringing them in!

[Deleted User]

melanzana wrote: »

Oh and BTW prices are good for food now. The VAT was reduced last year, and even in the centre of Dublin, you can get a two course Early
Bird meal for less than 20 euro. That's not bad is it?

And I'm not talking McDs either.

You were doing great till you got to this part.
Whichever way you cut it eating out in Ireland is still way more expensive than in the UK.
I run a holiday let that is used by tourists from all over the world and the one thing they all comment on is the price of eating out.
And drink.
€4.50 a pint - and more in Dublin.
Fortunately the OP is travelling in a camper van and can stock up in advance.

lazer

Deleted_User wrote: »

You were doing great till you got to this part.
Whichever way you cut it eating out in Ireland is still way more expensive than in the UK.
I run a holiday let that is used by tourists from all over the world and the one thing they all comment on is the price of eating out.
And drink.
€4.50 a pint - and more in Dublin.
Fortunately the OP is travelling in a camper van and can stock up in advance.

I never find it too bad to be honest, especially with the exhanmge rate now of about 1.25 - so the €4.50 pint is only £3.60 - so its maybe a bit dearer but not extortionate.

Food, I have also found it quite reasonable - plenty of cheap cafes - even in dublin - is the Kylemore still open?
The more top end places are expensive but there are plenty of cheap places too.

[Deleted User]

lazer wrote: »

I never find it too bad to be honest, especially with the exhanmge rate now of about 1.25 - so the €4.50 pint is only £3.60 - so its maybe a bit dearer but not extortionate.

Food, I have also found it quite reasonable - plenty of cheap cafes - even in dublin - is the Kylemore still open?
The more top end places are expensive but there are plenty of cheap places too.

It's not just the price of a pint - if you have a short then you have to buy a bottle as a mixer rather than a splash.
A pint bottle of cider is well over €5 so a couple of drinks each for mum and dad and coke and crisps for the young one doesn't leave you with much change out of €25 so a night out becomes expensive.
Plus few pubs actually provide pub grub or indeed any grub and there are no chains such as Harvester etc - all pubs are independently owned and there isn't really a tradition of eating out in pubs.
Restaurants are finally catching on to early bird specials but few places will offer you steak and chips for less than €20.
However, the OP will find lots of cheap options to cook for themselves - Tescos,Lidls and Aldis are everywhere.

MMCG_2

Check out free walking tour of dublin. It's really not that long and shows you main buildings in centre. Took my friends on this and they loved it. Also,St Stephens green on a good day, for picnic lunch, bought nearby is another relaxing option. Dublin has many sights. You just have to know where to look.

melanzana

Deleted_User wrote: »

You were doing great till you got to this part.
Whichever way you cut it eating out in Ireland is still way more expensive than in the UK.
I run a holiday let that is used by tourists from all over the world and the one thing they all comment on is the price of eating out.
And drink.
€4.50 a pint - and more in Dublin.
Fortunately the OP is travelling in a camper van and can stock up in advance.

Alcohol is expensive. I will grant you that.

But eating out is great value now. Would a person be able to get a lovely two course meal in a nice restaurant for £16 or so in a big city in UK? You could spend nearly the same on hungry teens in KFC or mcD.

Anyway, the country is heaving with visitors at the moment. We love you all!

Come on over....

melanzana

Deleted_User wrote: »

It's not just the price of a pint - if you have a short then you have to buy a bottle as a mixer rather than a splash.
A pint bottle of cider is well over €5 so a couple of drinks each for mum and dad and coke and crisps for the young one doesn't leave you with much change out of €25 so a night out becomes expensive.
Plus few pubs actually provide pub grub or indeed any grub and there are no chains such as Harvester etc - all pubs are independently owned and there isn't really a tradition of eating out in pubs.
Restaurants are finally catching on to early bird specials but few places will offer you steak and chips for less than €20.
However, the OP will find lots of cheap options to cook for themselves - Tescos,Lidls and Aldis are everywhere.

I think you are very wrong about no food in pubs in Ireland. EVERY pub serves food. It's the way to go now, since prices for drink are high, and the drink driving laws.

Food in pubs is really high quality aswell. They have to meet all the food safety rules and regs and so on.

I really don't know where you are getting the idea that there is no tradition of eating out in pubs in Ireland.

When did you visit last? I think you might be surprised now!

[Deleted User]

melanzana wrote: »

I think you are very wrong about no food in pubs in Ireland. EVERY pub serves food. It's the way to go now, since prices for drink are high, and the drink driving laws.

Food in pubs is really high quality aswell. They have to meet all the food safety rules and regs and so on.

I really don't know where you are getting the idea that there is no tradition of eating out in pubs in Ireland.

When did you visit last? I think you might be surprised now!

I live in Ireland.
There are 17 licensed premises in the town where I live and only two provide food.
In one of them soup and sandwiches for a party of four Italian tourists visiting last week cost just under €60.
Steak and chips in the other costs €18.50.
The picture is different in cities and certainly in Dublin but anyone touring Ireland and intending eating out as they might in pubs in the UK will notice a marked difference in prices.