Budget Savers For a Vacation in IrelandPosted by Suzy Guese on 20th, July 2012Budget Savers For a Vacation in Ireland

Rolling green hills, pints of Guinness and maybe even a leprechaun or two tend to come to mind when dreaming of a trip to Ireland. Those visions are often what pull travelers to the Emerald Isle. And like most places, the dream can sometimes be scattered by the budget. Ireland can be an economical choice for a vacation if you know how to keep that budget in tact. Here are a few budget savers that won’t burst your dream bubble of a vacation to Ireland.

Vacation in Ireland | Discover Ireland

Activities In Glasgow

Buy a Heritage Card

If you are planning on sightseeing all around Ireland, you should purchase a Heritage Card for your trip in order to give your budget a little breathing room. Most attractions and historic sites around the country charge several euros to enter. These entrance fees and admissions can quickly add up. On a month long tour of the country, I easily forked over €100 in admission fees.

I could have saved a great deal by purchasing a Heritage Card. For a flat price, you can gain admission into most of the heritage sites in the country for up to one year. The cards can be purchase at some of the larger Heritage sites. It grants admission into a laundry list of sites including Donegal Castle, Connemara National Park, the Rock of Cashel and the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Center. The card also includes admission into loads of Dublin’s main attractions. An adult Heritage Card costs €21. Senior

Heritage Cards cost €16 and student/child rates run at €8. The Heritage Card also has a family package for €55.

Travel to Ireland | Take advantage of local events and programs

If you are looking to be entertained in Ireland but you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can find nightly entertainment for the price of a pint at the local pub. Most pubs across the country feature nightly traditional music sessions. The entertainment features local musicians coming down to jam between 9PM and 12AM. This is the cheapest form of entertainment in Ireland for some great music. Ireland also features other special programs that come at no cost to visitors. For example, Dublin offers the City of a Thousand Welcomes program where you can meet up with a Dubliner over a pint, free of charge. The exchange is a nice way to get to know a real local without forking over a euro.

Cheap Ireland Vacation | Seek Out Early Bird Specials Ireland

is not like the rest of Europe when it comes to dinner. While Spaniards and Italians might start dinner at 10PM, the Irish tend to dine out early. Some friends recently came back from Ireland, commenting on how many restaurants were closed by 8PM in smaller towns. If you have to eat earlier in Ireland, you might as well save some euros in the process. Many restaurants around the country feature early bird specials. If you eat in a certain time frame, usually 5PM to 7PM, you can score a cheaper meal. Most entrees are half what they would be past 7PM. You can spot these deals by taking a simple stroll through town to see if any restaurants or pubs are advertising specials for early eaters.

Cheap Ireland Vacation | Discover Ireland

Book Rental Properties and Bed and Breakfasts Instead of Hotels

Hotel room rates in Ireland are notoriously expensive. From Dublin to Galway, travelers could fork over their entire budget if they just stay in hotels. Vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts are much more affordable options for Ireland.

As the country is littered in small towns with very few hotel options, the rates can escalate, as there aren’t many options. However if you do some digging for bed and breakfasts where you are headed or vacation rental properties you can snag in an area for the week, you can save a great deal of cash.