128 Travel to Ireland and Northern Ireland

Kim and Tamara are back from 10 days in Ireland and giving listeners the 411 on their trip. Tune in to hear about their adventures in Dublin, County Wicklow, Waterford, Kilkenny, Belfast, Derry, and the Coastal Causeway. Plus, Game of Thrones fans will love to hear about some of the filming destinations and experiences in Northern Ireland. ON THE PODCAST 00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about adjusting from jet lag 03:07 - Driving in Ireland 07:10 - Guinness Storehouse tour in Dublin 11:36 - Dublin attractions 19:38 - County Wicklown in Ireland's Ancient East 25:50 - Wexford 28:04 - Waterford 34:50 - Kilkenny 40:40 - Waterford Greenway 47:00 - Game Of Thrones boat trip 58:20 - Belfast 1:10:10 - Causeway Coast 1:16:28 - Giants Causeway 1:19:50 - Derry 1:27:30 - Final Tips TIPS FOR VISITING IRELAND Ideally when visiting Ireland you would self-drive or hire a driver so that you can stop where you want and take your time exploring areas. The roads can be a little challenging and narrow, especially if you aren't used to driving on the left. You could definitely rent a car and drive around to explore more than the area you fly into. But when renting a car for your family you must keep in mind that the bigger the car the harder it will be in some areas to get around. Touring the Guinness Storehouse is a lot more than just seeing the beer being made. There are four restaurants and two bars. They will teach you the correct way to pour a Guinness and there is also a spot where you can get a picture of you on the head of your beer. Dublin is a young city in terms of population and a very walkable city to explore. The Ancient East area of Ireland is not far from Dublin and there is a lot of history in the area. Glendalough is an area with monastic ruins and two lakes that is very popular with visitors. There is a famine ship in Wexford and in Dublin. You really learn a lot by visiting just one of these ships but if you have a chance to tour both, you can see the differences and compare the stories and conditions. Waterford is Ireland's oldest city dating back to the vikings. There is much more to Waterford than the crystal. Though if you visit the Waterford Crystal there is a style that is only made for Ireland, so if you are going to buy a piece of crystal you should get that as it will be unique. Jerpoint park in Kilkenny has some great places to explore. There is an apple orchard that makes different products out of their apples. There is also a glass blowing studio that you can visit. Waterford Greenway is a really pretty biking trail, and if you continue you can explore Mount Congreve Gardens which is a very beautiful garden that has a lot of different walking paths. North of Dublin in the Boyne Valley, you can take a Game of Thrones boat tour with Boyne Boats. Game of Thrones fans should also visit Castle Ward for the Winterfell Experiences. You get to visit the area that is the backdrop for Winterfell in the beginning seasons of the show. You can dress up in the costumes and try out archery and axe throwing and maybe even meet a dire wolf. Downtown Belfast is very safe and walkable, with restaurants and bars. You wouldn't know about the Troubles that tore the city apart unless you visit the Peace Wall or the Catholic or Protestant neighborhoods. In the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, you can visit the Titanic Museum and the Titanic Hotel. Until September 2019, there is also a Game of Thrones touring exhibition in Belfast where you can see costumes and props used in the show. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is in a gorgeous area. Keep in mind that they will close the bridge depending on the weather. You also need to stop at the first little booth to get you ticket for the bridge. They will not sell them at the entrance to the bridge. Giant’s Causeway is another beautiful site. Give yourself plenty of time to walk along the coast and there is even a path to walk up towards the cliffs and see another view of the coast. Derry is a walled city that has two sides that has a bridge that crosses to both sides called the Peace Bridge. There is some really great food all throughout the city. Make sure you leave extra time for the security in the airport when traveling through Dublin. There will be two seperate security areas that you will have to go through to get back to the US. Make sure to pack and wear layers throughout your trip. With the temperatures changing through the day you will want to shed or put layers back on. MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Episode 19 - Ireland Family Travel Tips Guinness Tour in Dublin The Davenport Hotel The Morgan Hotel EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum Killruddery House Glendalough Brooklodge Dunbrody Famine Ship Granville Hotel Jerpoint Glass Pembroke Hotel Mount Congreve Gardens Mount Juliet Estate Grand Central Hotel - Belfast Titanic Museum Belfast Ulster Museum Belfast Titanic Hotel Bushmills Inn Trim Castle FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, orGoogle Playand leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcaseand We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebookor Twitter. Thanks for listening!