Despite the oft gloomy weather, Ireland is always inviting with its verdant, sheep-dotted hills, incredibly friendly (and talkative!) people, an overwhelming number of ancient and medieval sites all over the country and its unending supply of Guinness. And off-season in the fall and winter make it even better simply for the savings you can wrangle.
One of our ongoing favorite suppliers of affordable travel to Erin, Sceptre Tours, is currently serving up an eight-day/six-night self-guided tour starting from only $399 out of New York, Boston, Baltimore or Washington, D.C. The package includes your flight, one night in a hotel with the other five in any of 450 participating B&B's across the island, an Irish breakfast each morning (which is pretty much guaranteed to carry you well through lunch if you can finish the whole thing), a rental car for the whole trip, sales and Value Added taxes and the helpful staff at Sceptre to offer you any assistance you need. These prices are based on double occupancy and are good for travel from November 8 through December 16, 2002 and then again January 1 through February 9. For more info, go online to www.sceptreireland.com or call 800/221.0924.
CIE Tours International is offering quick getaways to Dublin out of the east coast for $499 per person from November 1 through December 15 and then again from January 15 through April 30, 2003. The $499 gets you airfare via Air Lingus and three nights in Dublin in a minimum three-star hotel, transfers between the airport and hotel, daily breakfasts, tickets to a Dublin theater for a show and a complimentary tour via tour bus. For more information, go online to www.cietours.com or call 800/CIE-TOUR.
You can also add on to your savings by buying the recently introduced Join Ireland card, which brings the bearer a minimum of a 10% savings on hotels, restaurants, shopping purchases, transportation including buses, trains, ferries and rental cars, golf fees, museum entrances and more. The card cost $59 for a one-year membership. The nice thing about this discount membership is that you can shop ahead on the Join Ireland Web site to see if it's going to be worth your $59 investment. Some savings worth mentioning are 25% off ferry rides from Galway Bay to the Aran Islands--a must see for any traveler on the west coast; 10% discount from Irish Car Rentals; 10% off green fees for over 50 golf courses for you duffers out there; and two-for-one admissions to attractions and museums all over the country. To do a little research yourself, go to www.joinireland.com. You can purchase through the Web site, through your travel agent or by calling 866/J IRELAND.
