We're (3 adults) just starting to think about a trip for 2010, to UK/Ireland, and would welcome any thoughts any of you may have on a potential itinerary.

I might mention that we're taking my 87-year-old mother, so of course we're looking at keeping things easy and handicapped-accessible. She doesn't mind riding, but doesn't like walking a lot (kind of like the rest of us). She does a lot better riding in a rental car than catching and climbing onto trains.

We want to start with a transatlantic voyage, perhaps on Queen Mary 2, which offers 7-night crossing from New York to Southampton in May and June. I'm not sure which month would offer better weather for seeing southern England and Ireland. My mom doesn't like to get cold, and the rest of us don't like to get hot!

We'd then rent a car in Southampton and head to some place in the Cotswolds, which looks like a 2-hour drive.

We'd like to spend a few days in the Cotswolds, in a village, taking daily drives to nice places.

My mom's a "Last of the Summer Wine" fan, and she wants to spend a night in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, where the show if set and filmed. Next, we want to get to Ireland. Not sure how. I see some ferries from Liverpool to Dublin but don't know if we can take a car from Southampton and leave it in Shannon, Ireland, at the end of the trip. Or we could take the ferry afoot then rent a car in Dublin and leave it at the airport in Shannon. I'm unsure about this part of the trip.

I'm not interested in visiting Dublin this trip. Been there. Too "busy". We're looking at southern Ireland. I've been to Kenmare before and loved the area, so we'll probably get the car in Dublin and just head west right away.

Then finally, fly home from Shannon.

I'd sure welcome ideas, recommendations, cautions, whatever pops into your mind. Thanks!

Patrick
Plenty of ground to cover, but there's a nice logical flow.

UK weather has been somewhat erratic in recent years and IIRC two years ago May was hotter (and drier) than June! It's been warm recently, but not really to the point it gets uncomfortable, so I'd plump for June personally - if for no other reason than the longer evenings (light up to ~ 9:30pm-10pm).

When in West Yorkshire, Harrogate would be well worth a day trip. Other interesting places as well.

regards

Ian

quote:

Originally posted by Ian Sutton:
Plenty of ground to cover...

Here in Arkansas we drive 5 hours one way just to see our state university play home football games, then drive back home the same day. So distances in Europe always seem short and easy to us. But yes, I'm leaving the length of this trip open for now so I can add days as needed so we don't get too rushed or tired from our travels.

I'd never ask anybody to predict UK weather. I have a small electric travel fan. We'll take that, sweaters, and raincoats and I'm sure we'll be fine

Having just returned from 3 sometimes-hot weeks in Italy, I can say that I'll accept Europe's lack of air conditioners, if I must, but I'll never understand why they won't investigate the ceiling fan! Just moving some air around can make a big difference in comfort.

We have friends in Sweden who love our ceiling fans when they visit us here, but say they would never have one at home for fear their friends would say it makes their house look like a bar.

We'll certainly take a look at Harrogate. Thanks for the tip!

We've just spent a wonderful 3 weeks in southern Ireland and visited many places on the coast between Rosslare and Limerick before visiting Clonmacnois and driving back across country through Kilkenny. Although the far end of the Dingle peninsula (near the Blasket Islands and Ballyferriter) was probably the most beautiful, we enjoyed many other less well-known spots even more, especially many beaches and coves in the south of County Cork and on the Sheep's Head Peninsula.

Apart from the scenery and the friendliness of the people, especially in County Cork, things that stand out in my memory mainly involve old stone:
- the ancient carvings on the west front of Ardmore "cathedral" (with ghosts of religious images emerging from the worn stone)
- Richard Boyle's tomb in the St Mary's Collegiate Church in Youghal
- Fota House, near Cobh, with its abundant plaster decoration and delightful guide
- in Cork City, the art gallery and the Church of Ireland cathedral (an exuberant pastiche of French Gothic by the Victorian architect William Burges ... he reputedly ran many times over budget!)
- stained glass windows everywhere, especially by the 20th century artist Harry Clarke in many churches but most wonderfully in Castletownshend, Co Cork and in Dingle
- a carved stone (Kilnaruane) in a field just outside Bantry (guarded by bullocks!)
- the little mountain roads and spectacular views in Macgillicuddy's Reeks
- the tumbling salmon river at Blackstones Bridge (Glencar, west of Killarney)
- remarkable dry-stone forts, especially Staigue Fort, on the Ring of Kerry
- the even more amazing Gallarus "Oratory" near Dingle (they had extraordinary skill in building walls without mortar that have apparently stood intact for many hundreds of years)
- many atmospheric ruined churches, not least the one at Kilmalkedar near Gallarus
- Ballycarbery Castle near Cahersiveen, where there are no fences and one can clamber unrestricted through the ruins
- Carrigafoyle Castle near the mouth of the Shannon, where sadly access is now controlled but where the setting is as beautiful as ever
- the extraordinary Romanesque portal of Clonfert Cathedral
- the exquisite gold-bronze shrine of St Manchan in an assuming church at a place called Boher near Tullamore several miles east of Clonmacnois; almost more extraordinary than the shrine is that its existence is almost completely unpublicised and the village name does not even appear on Ordnance Survey maps; this little-known church also has windows by the famous Harry Clarke
- beautiful Kilkenny Cathedral with its wealth of stained glass and tombs (also the carving of The Trinity in the Black Abbey in Kilkenny that has somehow survived all the religious conflict through the centuries)
- the wonderful carvings on the tombs and in the cloisters at Jerpoint Abbey near Kilkenny
- the great garden at Mount Congreve, west of Waterford (open only on Thursdays)
- sea birds everywhere along the coast, including nesting fulmars on the cliffs at one of our first coves in Co. Cork and spectacular gannets feeding at every opportunity
- the otter we saw, after many patient hours' waiting, at a pier on the Sheep's Head Peninsula
- the scores of dolphins that gambolled about our ferry on the way home across the Irish Sea.

Magnificent report, WSB! Thanks! I've taken notes.

We lived in the UK two years ago and my 88 year old mother in law came to visit us for two weeks--she had a wonderful stay and enjoyed everywhere we took her but the walking was too much. We borrowed a portable wheel chair from a local care home which was great until it developed a terrible squeak and was also a real challenge on cobblestones.

It might be worth bringing a rented US high end portable wheel chair and bringing it with you--unless your mother is in pretty good shape. My m-i-l is fairly fit but appreciated the spells of being chauffered by chair and always had a place to sit...

quote:

Originally posted by Meg1:
It might be worth bringing a rented US high end portable wheel chair and bringing it with you--unless your mother is in pretty good shape.

She's healthy but walks as slow as Christmas. We have a portable wheelchair we always take to push her in. It's much faster and easier than having her walk. But cobble stones...that's a consideration. Our portable wheel chair has four small wheels that won't work well on uneven surfaces. If that becomes a problem, she'll be happy to be "parked" some place nice to people watch while the rest of us go look around for a while.

yes--my M-I-l was quite obliging about that as well. Sounds as if they are in similar shape. The small wheels may actually work better on rough surfaces. I have a lovely photo of my M-I-L happily "parked" on a bench at Tantallon Castle. I am high on a rampart looking down with my camera at m-i-l who is by herself, gazing out to the Firth and Bass Rock through the "window" left by years. She told me later, that she found herself thinking how amazing it was to be 88 and-in that space, at that time.

I would think about maybe leaving the car in the UK and renting again in Ireland or you could incur some additional rental costs. It is an easy crossing from Liverpool as a foot passenger.

The Cotswolds are lovely, and a central place would be Blenheim area around Woodstock or Bourton on the Water, both are lovely villages, and have lots to do and see.

If you are planning on visiting Yorkshire you should see York, I can reccommend the Dean Court Hotel, very central and good value.

Thanks poet. Yes, it sounds like it's not a good idea to take a car between countries.

I'm looking now at leaving the car in Holyhead. Some of our ancestors were Welsh, so I think driving through a little of Wales would be a good idea for us. It seems most of the major car rental outfits have outlets in Holyhead. Then we can ferry to Dublin and pick up a car there.

I'll look into York, though I'm generally trying to avoid cities of that size on this trip. I'm planning to get away from Dublin as fast as the speed limit will allow!

York is actually a much more compact city than Dublin. The Shambles area, and the Minster are truly lovely,and can be seen in a day.

The Holyhead crossing is a good idea, and you may get to see some of Wales en route!

Wales is lovely!