Traveling to Ireland/Scotland

[ms.yt]

I will be taking my first trip to Ireland and Scotland at the end of the month. I'm looking for any tips from seasoned travelers or locals. Specifically, tips on clothes to pack for the trip. I'm assuming it will be a bit chilly for shorts, but I'm wondering about capri/crop pants.

Also, is this the type of power adapter I need?

We're visiting Edinburgh, Belfast, Galway and Dublin. Any must visit restaurants/food experiences I don't want to miss?

 

[amberpi]

OMG - Ireland is the BEST! They some amazing food if you're a foodie, the first is one of the best restaurants (I go back every year) I've ever been to, including Le Cirque, French Laundry, etc. It'll be too chilly for shorts, mostly, but you might have a warm day. I do the layering thing and always wear boots - easy on the challenging roads/sidewalks. I do a dress, tights, then a jacket. If you don't already have your room booked - the Westin in Dublin in my favorite for location/dining, etc. Have a wonderful time!

http://restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie/

http://lecrivain.com/

http://www.chapteronerestaurant.com/

 

[BadPinkTink]

waves hi, I live in Dublin and I have previously lived in Galway and Edinburgh and visited Belfast.

Temperature wise, it is usually between 65 F to 75 F, with 75 F being a heatwave and usually only last 2 or 3 days. I always have sunscreen, sunglasses and an umbrella in my handbag at all times. For example yesterday Saturday 3 June, I left my house at 11am and had sunscreen on my face and wore sunglasses, but the temperatures had dropped by 3pm and it rained heavy showers on and off for the rest of the evening.

My summer clothes are usually jeans and a tshirt with a hoodie. You will see all sorts of attire though, for example if its 70 F you might find it chilly and wear a sweater and jeans, while locals are wearing clothes you think are more suited to 90 F temperatures.

You will do ALOT of walking so make sure you have proper footwear, think like going to a Disney park.

For your electrical appliances you will need a US to UK plug adaptor. In UK and Ireland we have a 3 prong plug. Also you may find your USA hairdryer for example does not work as well as it does in USA.

You should also be aware that in UK and Ireland we use chip and pin as standard on our debit and credit cards. This includes everything from ATMS, to department stores, small grocery and drugstores, to restaurants, theatres, cinemas, train and bus stations and even some taxi cabs, and all self service ticket machines. Some Dis posters have said that they can no issues using their swipe and signature USA cards, but just to be aware that in areas where they may not get alot of American visiters you MAY have issues with your signature only cards.

While PP recommended The Westin, as a local there are other more reasonably priced hotels I would recommend. I know Disney use this hotel for ABD but honestly, in my opinion its over priced for that location. Also the restaurants PP recommended, they are on the upper end of the fine dining and honestly you can find just as good food in many other restaurants, without the paying such exorbitant prices. Now of course if fine dining is your thing and you have no problem dropping hundreds of Euros for your evening meal every day of your time in Dublin, and want to be part of Dublin high society and be seen and possible feature in the society pages of the Irish media, then of course book at table in Patrick Guilbaids or LeCrevain for every night of your time in Dublin.

 

[Christine]

My daughter just got back from Ireland last week. I don't know all her details but I can speak to how she dressed: yoga-type pants, comfy sneakers, lightweight shirt, hoodie, and DEFINITELY a rain jacket of sorts with a built in hood. According to her it went from chilly to rainy to sunny and hot back to cold maybe all in one day.

She stayed in an AirBnB and that worked out really well. Food was great according to her!

 

[knewton64]

I will be taking my first trip to Ireland and Scotland at the end of the month. I'm looking for any tips from seasoned travelers or locals. Specifically, tips on clothes to pack for the trip. I'm assuming it will be a bit chilly for shorts, but I'm wondering about capri/crop pants.

Also, is this the type of power adapter I need?

We're visiting Edinburgh, Belfast, Galway and Dublin. Any must visit restaurants/food experiences I don't want to miss?

Nothing more relaxing than sitting by the stream /river area at Galway bay.......
Its around 6pm.......

and -
you are sitting down with your legs dangling over the edge.....

and your'e listening to "Galway Bay" by Celtic Woman.

2) IMO, around the Military Tattoo area (Scotland), the Cobblestone streets will be hard on your feet. PLease be aware.

3) City of Dublin = FUN!!



Some of my past vacation blogs -
(MY "ADVENTURES N IRELAND" TRIP REPORT ... - DISboards.com)



and of course, the power adapter I bought at my local Walmart.


Enjoy -
take plenty of pics
& have fun





T.T.F.N.
&
CHEERS Y'ALL

 

[BadPinkTink]

@Christine Yoga type pants / leggings with either over big tshirts / sweaters or light dresses are what alot of locals wear in the summer. People also wear hoodies. We layer ALOT.

Also a tip for @ms.yt if you want to blend in more and not stand out as the typical American tourist, dont have a fanny bag, dont wear tshirts or sweaters or hoodies which you buy in the tourist shops, ie things with "comical" Irish sayings, or are green or have "comical" Irish photos or pictures. Also have an umbrella, not a plastic poncho.

 

[punkin]

Funny. I'm flying to Dublin tonight, with Edinburgh scheduled later next week.

 

[laughinplace199]

We're going to Ireland and England soon. Doing Killarney, Dingle, Galway area (staying with relatives there), Dublin, and London.

In Dublin, we're eating at Il Vicoletto and Darwin's. Both came highly recommended. Staying at the Westbury, which I'm told is in a great location.

I bought one adapter, but there are 5 of us with phones, ipods, etc, so I think I'll need to get a couple more.

I"m planning on packing leggings and jeans that can be worn with T's and hoodies or a blouse to look more dressy. Just realized that my boys don't have rain jackets, so I'll need to get them something. A travel umbrella is a great idea too.

 

[mjkacmom]

I think you will need pounds and euros, my daughters travel over there at least once a year, and I dig through my foreign currency jar. Stock up on Cadbury dairy milk chocolate, sadly, I'm out.

 

[Lyricallie]

Edinburgh is lovely and very touristy. However it is a city at the end of the day. If you're looking for "Scotland" with the lochs and rolling hills you might be worth going out of the city a little bit. Are you renting a car? If not our train service goes lots of place (although reliability is up for debate).

One of the things I love love in Edinburgh is the history tours. Edinburgh was built on top of itself so there is lots of old tunnels and catacombs. Also the graveyards have amazing history. Mary Kings close is a good one. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link https://www.realmarykingsclose.com/ (mods take it down if not allowed).

I'm personally from Glasgow so if you end up taking a day trip through to Glasgow if you have time let me know and I'll be able to recommend lots of restaurants.

I will be taking my first trip to Ireland and Scotland at the end of the month. I'm looking for any tips from seasoned travelers or locals. Specifically, tips on clothes to pack for the trip. I'm assuming it will be a bit chilly for shorts, but I'm wondering about capri/crop pants.

Also, is this the type of power adapter I need?

We're visiting Edinburgh, Belfast, Galway and Dublin. Any must visit restaurants/food experiences I don't want to miss?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I wore shorts almost every day of our June '98 trip to Scotland. Everyone said I was crazy for packing them, but we hit really nice weather nearly every day. I would pack a mix of long & short pants "just in case".

 

[blana]

Huge caveat, I last went to Scotland in 2004, so I can't help with particulArs like restaurants.

One thing we loved was the Explorer Pass. We had mentioned to our travel agent that we wanted to see castles & ruins, and she never mentioned the pass. The first place we went, they showed us the list of castles included, and we realised it included lots of the places we wanted to see, plus lots of others we hadn't thought about. There are several properties in and around Edinburgh included, including Edinburgh Castle. Check to see if it will help you: https://www.historicenvironment.sco...cationId=b1c4db46-d398-4d77-a033-a58500c97539

 

[jdb in AZ]

Our favorite thing we did in Edinburgh was to visit the castle there. It's ancient and fascinating.

 

[iluvmick]

Badpinktink.....what reasonably priced hotels would you recommend in Dublin. We are coming in Sept. and are planning now. Thanks..

 

[ms.yt]

Thanks everyone! I'm going as part of a group, so the hotels will be out of my control. We have several afternoons and evenings free, though, so I want to explore more local restaurants that aren't typical tourist stops. The clothing recommendations were very helpful. I was thinking about leggings and knit tunics but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate. Sounds like it will be fine.

 

[QueenIsabella]

My DH and DS20 went on a tour of Scotland and Ireland last year, and they had a blast! One of the things they really enjoyed was visiting local pubs--you really get a feel for the area, and they found people very generous and welcoming. They went specifically to see the Bagpipe tattoo--my son's a bagpiper--and it was a "bucket list" experience for them. One of the guys on their tour was a huge golfer, and he got DH and DS a spot to golf 9 holes at one of St. Andrew's ancillary courses (not the main one--they aren't good enough). They both golfed terribly, but again, this was a bucket list type experience. Beyond that, they did the typical tourist stuff--saw the Book of Kells, kissed the Blarney Stone, etc. On their tour, several dinners were included, which were fancy, but then when they were on their own, they ate more casual/pub type food.

They wore shorts with t-shirts, sometimes with sweatshirts, but DS tends to run warm (he won't wear long pants since we moved to North Carolina--even though it gets below freezing). I'd recommend layers, with the outer one being a rain-proof jacket.

If you have specific questions, I'd be glad to ask DH/DS. They went through CIE tours, and were very pleased with the experience.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Badpinktink.....what reasonably priced hotels would you recommend in Dublin. We are coming in Sept. and are planning now. Thanks..

This is where my friends stay when they come to Dublin http://www.arlington.ie/ Its about half a block from Dublins main Street O'Connell Street and about 2 blocks from one of the main shopping districts Henry St. Its about 10 minutes walk across the bridge from the south side of the city centre and places like Temple Bar, Trinity College, Dublin Castle Grafton Street etc etc

This is another similar hotel http://www.parliamenthotel.ie/ it says its in Temple Bar, but its at the very edge of Temple Bar, in a less grotty part and is across the street from Christ Church.

This is the Irish hotel chain https://www.jurysinns.com/hotels/dublin/christchurch it is across the street from Christ Church.

This hotel is about 3 blocks from Christ Church and St Patricks but again a very central location https://www.radissonblu.com/en/royalhotel-dublin

This hotel is a UK chain, again a central location near St Stephens Green park and Grafton St shopping district https://www.travelodge.ie/hotels/560/Dublin-Stephens-Green-hotel

One of my friends stayed here a few years ago, its a really nice hotel and again very central http://www.trinitycityhotel.com/

I would advise you to go to Google Maps and map out each one. Then create a spreadsheet and do dummy bookings for each one for your dates and number of people and then find which one fits your party best

 

[ms.yt]

For your electrical appliances you will need a US to UK plug adaptor. In UK and Ireland we have a 3 prong plug. Also you may find your USA hairdryer for example does not work as well as it does in USA.

Is this what I'll need for both places? The guy that's organizing the tour sent out an email today and said we'd need two different adapters. One for Scotland and one for Ireland. Is that right?

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

This is where my friends stay when they come to Dublin http://www.arlington.ie/ Its about half a block from Dublins main Street O'Connell Street and about 2 blocks from one of the main shopping districts Henry St. Its about 10 minutes walk across the bridge from the south side of the city centre and places like Temple Bar, Trinity College, Dublin Castle Grafton Street etc etc

This is another similar hotel http://www.parliamenthotel.ie/ it says its in Temple Bar, but its at the very edge of Temple Bar, in a less grotty part and is across the street from Christ Church.

This is the Irish hotel chain https://www.jurysinns.com/hotels/dublin/christchurch it is across the street from Christ Church.

This hotel is about 3 blocks from Christ Church and St Patricks but again a very central location https://www.radissonblu.com/en/royalhotel-dublin

This hotel is a UK chain, again a central location near St Stephens Green park and Grafton St shopping district https://www.travelodge.ie/hotels/560/Dublin-Stephens-Green-hotel

One of my friends stayed here a few years ago, its a really nice hotel and again very central http://www.trinitycityhotel.com/

I would advise you to go to Google Maps and map out each one. Then create a spreadsheet and do dummy bookings for each one for your dates and number of people and then find which one fits your party best

Thank you for all of the info you're giving. My girlfriends and I are thinking about visiting London and Ireland (need to figure where in Ireland), and these links will be helpful.

 

[Micca]

If you're looking for "Scotland" with the lochs and rolling hills you might be worth going out of the city a little bit.

This was might thought too. I actually love every bit of Scotland & Ireland that I've seen so the touristy stuff is fine. But get out the cities if you get a chance.