Mrs. DX and I are looking for vacation ideas in January. I found a great deal on a package to Dublin Ireland for six days in January. I know its not the warmest of times over there but its a great deal. Am I crazy for thinking about this vacation. Also, are there enough things to fill this time frame being just in Dublin?
Will be interested on what comes back for this as well-- wife and her relatives have us booked on a trip to Dublin and western Ireland in March next year. I don't expect the weather to be great, but likey good weather would require late July to August.
Was a little intimidated that we're going to be in Dublin for St. Patricks Day-- found out it's not quite such a big deal there though. Turns out the folks in Ireland are Irish every day, not just once a year.
From what i've read, weather in January can be a mixed bag.
Ireland's beautiful. Dublin isn't actually my favorite part (not like I'm a giant Ireland expert, but I've been there twice).
The downside is that with the dodgy weather and being centered in Dublin without plans/time to travel further, you won't see a lot of the prettiest parts.
On the upside, there's enough history and Guinness in Dublin to keep a person pretty busy, if you like those sorts of things.
What's the opportunity cost? If the choices are Dublin in January vs Nothing, I'll take Dublin in January!
Caveat: I've only been in Sept/Oct... I don't know firsthand how miserable the weather can be, or how hard it is to get around if it's too nasty to string bits together on foot. Certainly it would take all the fun out of the open upper deck of the hop-on/hop-off bus tours (which are remarkably worthwhile). I don't know whether they run at all in the "off" season...
We did a trip to Paris in February. Hell of a lot nicer weather than Chicago in February. No tourists so the yurapeans were kinda glad to have us around and treated us very nice. I'd do Ireland in January without a second thought.
My short answer is no, not worth it, unless its unimaginably cheap. Our Irish experience is described below.
In early February 2010 my wife and I spent 7 days in Ireland for our "babymoon" (ie, last vacation before our son was born), mostly because it was super cheap, like $1200 for two people, airfare and hotels included, all arranged through AerLingus travel. (the "Castles of Ireland" tour.) It would have been $1150, but I INSISTED that we upgrade the rental to get a GPS. If I hadn't, we'd still probably be lost on backroads. Here's the thing: There's a reason Ireland was so cheap at that time of year.
The 3 days we were in Dublin it rained mercilessly, and it rained all or much of the other 5 days. Temps in the 50s but I mean GALES of rain. If SWMBO hadn't been almost 7 months pregnant, passing the time drinking in pubs might have been worth it...Dublin had some interesting museums and sites, but its a walking city, and walking around in e36m3ty weather isn't so much fun unless its to see things that you REALLY want to see, and not just because they happen to be there.
We also drove all the way to the West coast of Ireland, which was cool enough, Dingle peninsula and the cliffs of Moher were beautiful, but that was by far the best 3 hours of the whole week. Driving about 900 miles on bumpy, narrow country roads (ie, like 4/5ths of a car width) with a pregnant wife who at the time had a thimble-sized bladder...just not our best collective decision.
We saw some interesting things, but we've both travelled a lot and just weren't all that into Ireland, frankly. One of the strange things about Ireland is that it is extraordinarily tourist oriented, but not necessarily in a good way. One of the most overused words on advertising signs and such was "Authentic" (as in "authentic irish pub, restaurant, dancing, music etc.). We went to a couple, and were unsurprised to conclude that no genuine authentic Irish person would have been caught dead within 100yards of those places unless they worked there.
Now, if you're interested in the UK generally, I couldn't be more enthusiastic about Scotland. I've been twice, and it was awesome. Wife also did a two week walking tour there with her mom & sister and absolutely loved it.
Wow airlines through Iceland?
Something else to consider; http://www.timeanddate.com/sun/ireland/dublin?month=1&year=2015
Not a lot of real daylight that time of year. Not impossible to deal with but you might want to know about this if you aren't already from somewhere that far north.
Personally I'd go somewhere else unless you have a real reason to go there like visiting people you know. January is kind of cheap airfare to anywhere because it's after the holidays and people aren't traveling as much.
NY535iManual wrote: Now, if you're interested in the UK generally, I couldn't be more enthusiastic about Scotland. I've been twice, and it was awesome. Wife also did a two week walking tour there with her mom & sister and absolutely loved it.
Errr, you know that Dublin isn't in the part of Ireland that's part of the UK, right?
Scotland in January isn't much better unless you like horizontal sleet and abhor daylight.
The best times to visit Ireland, Scotland and England are usually in Spring (May/June) and Autumn (September or early October). There's a reason that Ireland is so green, you get rain all the time but Winter is usually worst. Doom, gloom and all that jazz.
If you want to go to Europe during that time of the year, I'd stick to Southern France, Italy, Spain or Portugal. Possibly Greece if you don't mind lugging a lot of cash around.
I'd think any time in Ireland would be good. It's on my bucket list. Do it!
Well, fair enough. I should have more properly referred to the British Isles.
BoxheadTim wrote:NY535iManual wrote: Now, if you're interested in the UK generally, I couldn't be more enthusiastic about Scotland. I've been twice, and it was awesome. Wife also did a two week walking tour there with her mom & sister and absolutely loved it.Errr, you know that Dublin isn't in the part of Ireland that's part of the UK, right?
Scotland in January isn't much better unless you like horizontal sleet and abhor daylight.
The best times to visit Ireland, Scotland and England are usually in Spring (May/June) and Autumn (September or early October). There's a reason that Ireland is so green, you get rain all the time but Winter is usually worst. Doom, gloom and all that jazz.
If you want to go to Europe during that time of the year, I'd stick to Southern France, Italy, Spain or Portugal. Possibly Greece if you don't mind lugging a lot of cash around.
I was born and raised in Saskatchewan. I have spent almost my whole life here. I spent two weeks in Edinburgh in February, and I have never been so cold in all my life.
I have nothing to add except I will be there next weekend. $100 roundtrip ticket and three day weekend, why not
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