Travel by Car or Train!!

We are an elderly couple (73/67) from NZ, so DO drive on the same side of road.
Would anyone recommend hiring a car or train travel (love trains) for an approx. 8 day stay.
Interested in country life as we are farmers ourselves (not cities). Planning to come around September, but are flexible.
Is the weather ok then, as we could come earlier. Should we try B&Bs, as this is a great way to meet locals.
Would love to chill out in a village and experience pub life, food and history. Any thoughts out there please.

Hi Diane
Welcome to the Ireland.com community!  We used to live in New Zealand (Arrowtown) and always love to welcome Kiwis to our home near Portrush on the North Coast of Ireland (www.sholabandb.com).
We would recommend hiring a car as it will give you more flexibility to get you to more country areas than the train network, which is better for connecting you to to cities.
September can be a lovely month for travelling in Ireland, still plenty of long days, and less crowds.
B&Bs are a great way to meet and stay with locals.  If your trip is going to take you to the stunning North Coast then please get in touch and we recommend booking sooner rather than later as availability is changing daily.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sharon & David
Shola Coach House B&B Portrush
sholabandb@gmail.com

I agree with Sharon and David, our public transport in rural areas is very restricted and you would have a much better experience self-driving. I did a self-drive around NZ a few years ago and you'll find Ireland is very similar in terms of driving and infrastructure! B&Bs are the best way to meet people and enjoy farm-stays - check out www.bandbireland.com for ideas. I'd highly recommend a stay on Dieskirt Farm in Co Antrim - James and Ann will give you such a great welcome on their sheep farm and provide wonderful hospitality! 
Have a wonderful holiday! 
Áine 

Hi Diane, 

Have you thought about a small group tour? Our tours our flexible as we only have a maximum of 16 people on a tour! You will have a personal tour guide to take you to explore Ireland’s hidden gems in our comfortable mini-coaches. Escape busy roads and big crowds on an off the beaten track journey of discovery as well as touristy places.

The weather is usually good in September so it's a great time to visit! Our tours will have you staying in a number of off the beaten track boutique hotels and guest houses. 

If you want to check out our website https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/ and if you have any questions I would be happy to help you!

We hope you have a fantastic time here in Ireland!

The Vagabond Team. 

Hi Diane
Welcome to the forum :) I visited New Zealand myself many years ago - such a beautiful country, quite similar to Ireland but with even more extreme road conditions!  Based on my experience you would be well able to manage our roads, so I would agree with Aine and Sharon, and advise you get a car, as it gives you so much more flexibility with your itinerary.

I also agree that the B&B option would suit you, you sound like you want to meet the local community and this is a great way to do that. There is one B&B that stands out to me you should contact - Mary & Pat Sweeney's B&B Mary runs their farmhouse B&B and Pat operates the farm which has been farmed by his family for five generations. The farm is literally right beside the Cliffs of Moher, 120 acres in size and is used for rearing suckler cows, so I am sure you would have some interesting conversations! 

Pat is the main driving force behind the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk, working with 37 of his neighbouring farmers to allow public access across their lands.  This is a spectacular walk along the unseen parts of this beautiful coastline.  Pat also runs a guided walk, pointing out his farmland, his grandfather's farmland and all the history only a local farmer would know.



We developed a tour with Pat, to showcase the Cliffs of Moher in all their glory, and from all angles, the 360 Cliffs of Moher tour.  This combines Pat's guided walk along the edge, the view from the top and then (of course :) ) a cruise with us from below.  


I hope you have a fantastic holiday to Ireland. Wishing you safe travels,

Joan and all at Garrihys Doolin2Aran Ferries

Hello Diane, 

It's very exciting that you and your partner are thinking of visiting us in September! It is a lovely time of year to explore the island, as the days are still quite long, and the weather is warm and mild. :)



There are some wonderful train routes with amazing views around the island, and you can either go on a tour, or just take day trips to different locations. 

Renting a car is also a good idea, as this will give you lots of freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want. Take a look at this thread for more helpful information.

Have you thought about combining train trips with a road trip? While trains usually travel between the larger cities and towns, it will be easier to get to the smaller places by car. You can read more about the possibilities in this useful thread.

Besides, if you rent a car, you may follow a food trail to taste the flavours of the irish cuisine: in this page, you'll find several itineraries and foodie destinations across the island, recommended places where to eat, and many recipes if you'd like to repeat the tasty experience at home. To choose places to eat, there's also a handy searching tool on our website: you can narrow the search by location and select a different category in the section below.

If you would like to meet the locals, staying at an Irish B&B is a great idea! On the official B&B Ireland page, you can use the super handy B&B Locator to find the perfect place to stay. They also have a Farmstay option which I think you will like. :) 

Are there any places in particular that you would like to visit, or anything you wouldn't want to miss while you're here? I'd love to provide you with some suggestions for small and picturesque villages to stay in.

Warm regards,

Melin

When you want to discover only the surroundings of a country, you can also take the train, but if you're going to stop interacting with the people there, with their traditions and culture, it is better to rent a car. When we visited Ireland two years ago, we did it, and we were happy with our choice. But this year we chose to take a train tour of Europe. My wife and I love this means of transportation because we are both engineers by profession. And the train journey reminds us of our beautiful youth. The most impressive was Austria, which has some fast and clean trains that took us through all scenic regions. I bought all the tickets on oebbfahrplan.com very quickly and accessible online.