It's all been a bit mundane working out this trip. While I am pleased to be going to Europe, (I was so excited when my son gave as a mother's day present two Lonely Planet books, Great Britain and Discover Ireland, (he said I know you've always wanted to go there (meaning Ireland) and a hand drawn voucher with "Exchange for return trip to London" on it; I find the planning isn't the same as my previous trips. It's different, I really enjoyed working out all the places I wanted to go (my last trip was to Viet Nam, China, Hong Kong and Macau) and trying to fit in all the places I wanted to see, shopping and changing, adding a day here, dropping a day there so it fitted within the time frame - I knew had had a certain number of nights and it took a lot of work and effort to be able to see the things I wanted to see and stay in the places I wanted to stay in. It was exciting doing all that, and then comes the part where you have to check and re-check transport times so they link up, work out travel distance and time, checking fares, cost of accommodation, cost of tours etc.
I've done this before for all my other trips, but this time ...it wasn't the same. Something was missing. It was not exactly boring but rather like a glass of lemonade that had lost its fizz. It was flat. Yes, I'll be in London and yes, I'll get the Eurostar to Paris and yes, I'll fly to Dublin and go around Ireland but it was just frankly dull and boring. There's really very little planning involved - the only "planning" at all, was working out the Ireland bit, but even that wasn't really exciting. Perhaps because I've been to "exotic" places experienced cultures very different from my own, the sights, sounds and smells are far removed from suburban Melbourne.
On Remembrance Day this year, I started thinking about WWI and realised I'd be in a part of the world where those battles took place - I decided I'd like to see the WWI batlefields. It was quite pleasing researching that, tours, where to stay. I had to be in Paris on the 10th so had to work it all in with that. But ..... I found I was really only going through the motions. I thought right - go London to Lille, then Lille to Ypres for two nights, Amiens for two nights then on to Paris. But, it meant I had to leave London on the Sunday - I realised I didn't want to leave London on Sunday, I wanted to spend first full the weekend with family. I suddenly realised cutting down the number of nights in Paris wasn't such a big deal. When I was only going to be seeing Paris when in France, a week seemed like a good idea at the time, but if I'm going to be seeing other places, I don't need seven nights there.
And then I couldn't get the dates to gel, the two cheaper accommodation places in Ypres didn't have the dates I wanted. I went through different ways of doing it, like having three nights there and doing both the Ieper and Somme tours from Ypres and not staying in Amiens at all. I've wasted so much time on trying to get it to fit and found myself wasting so much time on it yet I wasn't really enjoying it. I toyed with the idea of going instead to Nice and the French Riviera and popping over to Monaco and Italy. That didn't last long I can tell you - after a day and a half, I knew I didn't rally want to do that. Not really interested in seeing the Riviera - it doesn't call to me or tug at the heart strings.
I think I've found something I really would enjoy and I'm currently working on it. I can do a train journey. I was looking at the Man in Seat 61 for something (forget what it was now), but found something I think would be great and I'm sure I'll enjoy it a heck of a lot more than seven nights in Paris or looking at battlefields. Don;t get me wrong, I would really enjoy seeing the battlefields, but when I weigh it up, I think I will enjoy the now, more so than the before. I could go to Italy by train from London via the Gotthard Pass through the Swiss Alps. Spend a night in Zurich and well I haven't worked the rest out yet. But I like trains and holidays and experiences aren't just about being in a place, it's all about the journey. I forgot one of the most important things - it is not the stars, or the moon, the towns or many roads you travel...the journey is the destination. This was what was missing - the journey.
Showing posts with label zItineraries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zItineraries. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
18. Ireland Itinerary
Well after many different scenarios and workings out, I've finally worked out the Ireland leg of my trip. I'll be flying from Paris to Dublin on the 17th (July) and getting the shuttle from the airport to Galway. I had initially planned on getting the shuttle bus to Dublin then going to Galway the next day for three nights and doing two day tours with the Galway Tour Company. I discovered the Dublin Tour Company which offers the same tours starting from Dublin and considered starting the tour from there (Dublin) because they make a stop on the way at Applegreen Athlone and thought it would be nice to see something of the area on the way, but when I looked it up I find it is just a petrol station - see photo below.
With this in mind plus the fact that it would be a very long day starting out at 7.00pm and I would need to be up earlier than that to get there by 6.45am, it really didn't seem worth it hence going straight to Galway from the airport.
Cork and Kilkenny?
I'd like to visit Cork to see Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone plus go to the Blarney Woollen Mills, but this would mean an overnight stop between Killarney and Dublin and I've been asking myself how important is it to stop there. Will I be disappointed if I don't and will I regret it? I'm not sure, from past experience, if you don't go to something you often have regrets and if you have gone to something you might think along the lines of, 'Had I known it was like that I wouldn't have wasted my time.'
Having seen a picture of Kilkenny, it is just the sort of place I'd love to stay but again, it means another overnight stop before Dublin. After leaving Killarney, I have the choice of one night Cork, one night Kilkenny, then three nights in Dublin. I will be doing a Glendalough day tour from Dublin, some companies include Avoca with Glendaglough, others include Kilkenny. I can also do a day tour from Dublin to Cork/Blarney/Rock of Cashel. This would be a very long day and it seems a bit silly in one way to go all the way to Cork when you have to change buses anyway at Cork on the way to Dublin. I really would like to see the Rock of Cashel and apart from the day trip from Dublin with Daytours IE, so far I haven't found any other tours that go there.
This is what I've settled on for my Dublin leg.
Thursday 17: Paris - Dublin - Galway
Friday 18 - Cliffs of Moher and the Burren tour
Saturday 19 - Connemara and Cong tour
Sunday 20 - Galway to Killarney
Monday 21 - Dingle Peninsula tour
Tuesday 22 - Gap of Dunloe tour
Wednesday 23 - Killarney to Dublin
Thursday 24 - walk around the city
Friday 25 - Glendalough and Kilkenny day tour
Saturday 26 - Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle day tour?
Sunday 27 Dublin to London
Undecided whether to go by ferry and train or fly. I'm leaning towards the ferry/train option as I think this would be a different experience and I'd get to see a lot of scenery in England.
If I decide not to do the Rock of Cashel/Cork tour, I will probably leave Dublin a day earlier, but this is something I will decided a little later.
Killarney tours
Another change I made is in the choice of day tours. At first I was going to do just the Ring of Kerry and stay two nights, then decided I'd like to see the Dingle Peninsula as well which meant another night. Someone mentioned the Gap of Dunloe. I had a look at that tour and felt this is a tour I really would like as it included a ride in one of the jaunting cars which is one of the things I badly want to do while in Killarney so I've scrapped the Ring of Kerry and settled on Dingle and the Gap. Of course, if time and budget allowed I would stay four nights and do all three tours, but this really isn't an option. The hardest decision was choosing which two tours. I hope I've made the "right" decision. From the many travel posts I've read, it seem Dingle Peninsula is rated better than the Ring of Kerry. But like everything in life, what one person likes, someone else will like something different. With Dingle, that is around the beach, with the Ring and the Gap, both are around mountains and greenery and the Gap tour has a boat trip across three lakes which will be very scenic. I just hope the boat doesn't capsize as I can't swim!
With this in mind plus the fact that it would be a very long day starting out at 7.00pm and I would need to be up earlier than that to get there by 6.45am, it really didn't seem worth it hence going straight to Galway from the airport.
Cork and Kilkenny?
I'd like to visit Cork to see Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone plus go to the Blarney Woollen Mills, but this would mean an overnight stop between Killarney and Dublin and I've been asking myself how important is it to stop there. Will I be disappointed if I don't and will I regret it? I'm not sure, from past experience, if you don't go to something you often have regrets and if you have gone to something you might think along the lines of, 'Had I known it was like that I wouldn't have wasted my time.'
Having seen a picture of Kilkenny, it is just the sort of place I'd love to stay but again, it means another overnight stop before Dublin. After leaving Killarney, I have the choice of one night Cork, one night Kilkenny, then three nights in Dublin. I will be doing a Glendalough day tour from Dublin, some companies include Avoca with Glendaglough, others include Kilkenny. I can also do a day tour from Dublin to Cork/Blarney/Rock of Cashel. This would be a very long day and it seems a bit silly in one way to go all the way to Cork when you have to change buses anyway at Cork on the way to Dublin. I really would like to see the Rock of Cashel and apart from the day trip from Dublin with Daytours IE, so far I haven't found any other tours that go there.
This is what I've settled on for my Dublin leg.
Thursday 17: Paris - Dublin - Galway
Friday 18 - Cliffs of Moher and the Burren tour
Saturday 19 - Connemara and Cong tour
Sunday 20 - Galway to Killarney
Monday 21 - Dingle Peninsula tour
Tuesday 22 - Gap of Dunloe tour
Wednesday 23 - Killarney to Dublin
Thursday 24 - walk around the city
Friday 25 - Glendalough and Kilkenny day tour
Saturday 26 - Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle day tour?
Sunday 27 Dublin to London
Undecided whether to go by ferry and train or fly. I'm leaning towards the ferry/train option as I think this would be a different experience and I'd get to see a lot of scenery in England.
If I decide not to do the Rock of Cashel/Cork tour, I will probably leave Dublin a day earlier, but this is something I will decided a little later.
Killarney tours
Another change I made is in the choice of day tours. At first I was going to do just the Ring of Kerry and stay two nights, then decided I'd like to see the Dingle Peninsula as well which meant another night. Someone mentioned the Gap of Dunloe. I had a look at that tour and felt this is a tour I really would like as it included a ride in one of the jaunting cars which is one of the things I badly want to do while in Killarney so I've scrapped the Ring of Kerry and settled on Dingle and the Gap. Of course, if time and budget allowed I would stay four nights and do all three tours, but this really isn't an option. The hardest decision was choosing which two tours. I hope I've made the "right" decision. From the many travel posts I've read, it seem Dingle Peninsula is rated better than the Ring of Kerry. But like everything in life, what one person likes, someone else will like something different. With Dingle, that is around the beach, with the Ring and the Gap, both are around mountains and greenery and the Gap tour has a boat trip across three lakes which will be very scenic. I just hope the boat doesn't capsize as I can't swim!
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
13. Itinerary 3rd draft
DAY TOURS
Galway
Cliffs of Moher and The Burren - €25
Connemara and Cong ........... - €25 (Both with Galway Tour Company)
Killarney
Ring of Kerry - €18.70
Dingle Peninsula - €20.00
Special offer both tours €37.75
Gap of Dunloe - €27.00 (Wild Kerry Tours)
Dublin
Glendalough/Kilkenny €30 (Daytours IE)
Cork/Blarney - €55 (Daytours IE)
Medieval Kilkenny and Wicklow €28 (€25) (LoveIreland.com)
Cork/Blarney - €55 (Senior €50) (LoveIreland.com)
HOSTELS
Galway
Cheaper to book through An Óige, then Hi.
3 nights 6 bed mixed dorm, €60 - $86
4 nights 80 - $115
Sleepzone from €19.99 - $30.23
Killarney
3 nights, 51.00 EUR - $73 (approx)$24.23 per night
4 nights 68.00 EUR - $98
Dublin
Tours
50.00 Galway 2
37.75 Killarney 2
30.00 Dublin 1
--------------
137.75 euro - $198.00
055.00 euro Dublin 2
-------------
182.75 euro - $263.00
Hostels
Galway 3 nights 60 euro - $86.00
Killarney 3 nts 51 euro - $76.00
Dublin 4 nights 72 euro - $104.00 8 bed female YHA
-------------------------------
$260.00
Hostels $260
Tours $263
===========
Total - $523
Buses - 090
Shuttle 22
-------------
Total - $655
125 euro - $180 includes 2 nights accommodation
90 euro - $130 without accommodation (8o euro - $115)
Thur 17 Arrive Dublin. Bus to Galway 15 euro
Fri 18 Connemara Tour 20 euro
Sat 19 Cliffs of Moher 20 euro
Three nights hostel 60 euro
Sub total - 115 euro
Sun 20 Bus to Killarney 26 euro
Mon 21 Ring of Kerry Tour 18.70 euro
Tue 22 Gap of Dunloe Tour 27.00 euro
Three nights hostel 51.00 euro
Sub total - 121.70 euro
Wed 23 Train to Dublin 24.99 euro
Killarney to Dublin Heuston
dep 09:36 arr 12:55 or dep 11:36 arr 14:55
Thur 24 Glendalough/Kilkenny Tour 30 euro
Fri 25 Dublin walking tour
Taylor's Irish Night 6.30pm 59 euro (Paddywagon tours)
Sat 26 Depart
Three nights hostel 75 euro? approx
Total: 425.69 euro - $610.94
Galway
Cliffs of Moher and The Burren - €25
Connemara and Cong ........... - €25 (Both with Galway Tour Company)
Killarney
Ring of Kerry - €18.70
Dingle Peninsula - €20.00
Special offer both tours €37.75
Gap of Dunloe - €27.00 (Wild Kerry Tours)
Dublin
Glendalough/Kilkenny €30 (Daytours IE)
Cork/Blarney - €55 (Daytours IE)
Medieval Kilkenny and Wicklow €28 (€25) (LoveIreland.com)
Cork/Blarney - €55 (Senior €50) (LoveIreland.com)
HOSTELS
Galway
Cheaper to book through An Óige, then Hi.
3 nights 6 bed mixed dorm, €60 - $86
4 nights 80 - $115
Sleepzone from €19.99 - $30.23
Killarney
3 nights, 51.00 EUR - $73 (approx)$24.23 per night
4 nights 68.00 EUR - $98
Dublin
Tours
50.00 Galway 2
37.75 Killarney 2
30.00 Dublin 1
--------------
137.75 euro - $198.00
055.00 euro Dublin 2
-------------
182.75 euro - $263.00
Hostels
Galway 3 nights 60 euro - $86.00
Killarney 3 nts 51 euro - $76.00
Dublin 4 nights 72 euro - $104.00 8 bed female YHA
-------------------------------
$260.00
Hostels $260
Tours $263
===========
Total - $523
Buses - 090
Shuttle 22
-------------
Total - $655
125 euro - $180 includes 2 nights accommodation
90 euro - $130 without accommodation (8o euro - $115)
Thur 17 Arrive Dublin. Bus to Galway 15 euro
Fri 18 Connemara Tour 20 euro
Sat 19 Cliffs of Moher 20 euro
Three nights hostel 60 euro
Sub total - 115 euro
Sun 20 Bus to Killarney 26 euro
Mon 21 Ring of Kerry Tour 18.70 euro
Tue 22 Gap of Dunloe Tour 27.00 euro
Three nights hostel 51.00 euro
Sub total - 121.70 euro
Wed 23 Train to Dublin 24.99 euro
Killarney to Dublin Heuston
dep 09:36 arr 12:55 or dep 11:36 arr 14:55
Thur 24 Glendalough/Kilkenny Tour 30 euro
Fri 25 Dublin walking tour
Taylor's Irish Night 6.30pm 59 euro (Paddywagon tours)
Sat 26 Depart
Three nights hostel 75 euro? approx
Total: 425.69 euro - $610.94
Saturday, 28 September 2013
10. Itinerary 2nd draft
Saturday 28 June: Depart Melbourne
Sunday 29 June: Arrive London
Monday 30:
Tuesday 1 July:
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3
Friday 4
Saturday 5
Sunday 6
Monday 7
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9
Thursday 10: London to Paris
Friday 11
Saturday 12
Sunday 13
Monday 14
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16
Thursday 17: Paris to Dublin
Friday 18: Dublin to Galway
Saturday 19:
Sunday 20:
Monday 21: Galway to Killarney
Tuesday 22: Ring of Kerry tour?
Wednesday 23: Killarney to Kilkenny
Early start from 8.00am, arrive at 14.10pm
Thursday 24: Kilkenny
Friday 25: Kilkenny to Dublin
Train departing 11.41am
Arrive Heuston Station 13.10pm
Catch a LUAS 13.26
Arrive Dublin City Centre 13.51pm. Fare €17.59
Saturday 26:
Sunday 27:
Monday 28
Tuesday 29
Wednesday 30: Dublin to London
Thursday 31:
Friday 1 August:
Saturday 2
Sunday 3
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6
Thursday 7
Friday 8: Depart?
Saturday 9: Depart?
Sunday 10
Sunday 29 June: Arrive London
Monday 30:
Tuesday 1 July:
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3
Friday 4
Saturday 5
Sunday 6
Monday 7
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9
Thursday 10: London to Paris
Friday 11
Saturday 12
Sunday 13
Monday 14
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16
Thursday 17: Paris to Dublin
Friday 18: Dublin to Galway
Saturday 19:
Sunday 20:
Monday 21: Galway to Killarney
Tuesday 22: Ring of Kerry tour?
Wednesday 23: Killarney to Kilkenny
Early start from 8.00am, arrive at 14.10pm
Thursday 24: Kilkenny
Friday 25: Kilkenny to Dublin
Train departing 11.41am
Arrive Heuston Station 13.10pm
Catch a LUAS 13.26
Arrive Dublin City Centre 13.51pm. Fare €17.59
Saturday 26:
Sunday 27:
Monday 28
Tuesday 29
Wednesday 30: Dublin to London
Thursday 31:
Friday 1 August:
Saturday 2
Sunday 3
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6
Thursday 7
Friday 8: Depart?
Saturday 9: Depart?
Sunday 10
Monday, 16 September 2013
3. Itinerary - First draft.
This is the first draft, so looks rather bare at this stage. The problem I am having with the Ireland part is the section after Killarney. Do I stop overnight at Cork and Kilkenny, or just KIlkenny or just bus it straight to Dublin? Ah, the joys of planning eh? Half the fun is planning your trip, working out now will I go there and will I stay here, how many nights, is two enough or do I need three?
Then of course comes the computing - a good word that, "computing" innit? (it's really only a fancy word for saying working out) buses and timetables for you can be sure of one thing - the buses don't always go directly from A to B - there's sometimes a change of bus needed.
Saturday 28 June: Depart Melbourne
Sunday 29 June: Arrive London
Monday 30:
Tuesday 1 July:
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3
Friday 4
Saturday 5
Sunday 6
Monday 7
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9
Thursday 10: London to Paris
Friday 11
Saturday 12
Sunday 13
Monday 14
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16
Thursday 17: Paris to Dublin
Friday 18: Dublin to Galway
Saturday 19:
Sunday 20:
Monday 21: Galway to Killarney
Tuesday 22: Ring of Kerry tour?
Wednesday 23: Killarney to Cork
Thursday 24: Cork to Dublin
Friday 25:
Saturday 26:
Sunday 27:
Monday 28
Tuesday 29
Wednesday 30
Thursday 31
Friday 1 August
Saturday 2
Sunday 3
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6
Thursday 7
Friday 8
Saturday 9
Sunday 10
Then of course comes the computing - a good word that, "computing" innit? (it's really only a fancy word for saying working out) buses and timetables for you can be sure of one thing - the buses don't always go directly from A to B - there's sometimes a change of bus needed.
Saturday 28 June: Depart Melbourne
Sunday 29 June: Arrive London
Monday 30:
Tuesday 1 July:
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3
Friday 4
Saturday 5
Sunday 6
Monday 7
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9
Thursday 10: London to Paris
Friday 11
Saturday 12
Sunday 13
Monday 14
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16
Thursday 17: Paris to Dublin
Friday 18: Dublin to Galway
Saturday 19:
Sunday 20:
Monday 21: Galway to Killarney
Tuesday 22: Ring of Kerry tour?
Wednesday 23: Killarney to Cork
Thursday 24: Cork to Dublin
Friday 25:
Saturday 26:
Sunday 27:
Monday 28
Tuesday 29
Wednesday 30
Thursday 31
Friday 1 August
Saturday 2
Sunday 3
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6
Thursday 7
Friday 8
Saturday 9
Sunday 10
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