Pam, Age 74
Hi all,
I’m 74 and not finished. I would like to accomplish one more item on my to do list, which is to travel back to Ireland alone. Spend a few weeks/months just doing my stuff. Many years ago I visited Ireland with my spouse (at the time), but didn’t feel free to do some of the things that I wanted to do. I plan to rent a car and travel, but not sure about driving on the wrong side of the road. I don’t want to take a bus tour. I would also like to rent a cottage to do my writing and just do as I like. Any feed back would be welcome.
Pam, you are an adventurous soul. Wish I had your gumption. I went back to Ireland fifteen years ago. I was fifty five years old then. I found the roundabouts a challenge. And my sister was very good at reminding me frequently that I was on the wrong side of the road. I think the driving could be an issue at times. Just a head’s up. If you do manage your trip, hope you post about it. I don’t know many people around here who are my age. It’s hard to make ‘old friends’ at this stage in life. I just found this site tonight, and am looking forward to reading other perspectives on life from my own age group. Have a great adventure.
I’m 68 and last year drove almost entirely around Ireland – on the left – TWICE! It’s not that hard, but I would recommend a few things:
-rent an automatic car, not a standard “stick shift”, which you would have to shift with your left hand (maybe if you’re left handed that wouldn’t be a problem, but it is for me. I’ve done it, but MUCH prefer automatic)
-do not start out driving from DUB airport, if you fly to Shannon it is much, much easier driving and located more in the country than DUB which immediately throws you into highways and major traffic.
-buy a Garmin and buy/install their European maps that includes Ireland. This makes all the difference in the world! You’ll never be lost. I’ve done this for years and it changed my driving-life in Ireland. And it even has back roads and dirt roads in its system.
Go – enjoy – it’s heaven on earth! All the best and let us know all your adventures!
Chris ~ I love your post. I agree that Shannon is a beautiful way to arrive in Ireland and drive around.
DO IT. When I retired I spent seven months in England living in different places, using rented car (don’t worry about driving. everyone’s on the left) and doing exactly what I wanted and getting the most out of everything. When you travel alone you talk to people you wouldn’t as part of a couple or group. You will find friends and many interesting people who will suggest things and places only natives can know, and you will get to know Ireland (in your case) better than you would have thought possible.
Enjoy.
Emily
Hi Pam, As a 78 year old woman who loves to travel alone, I want to encourage you to make this trip to Ireland. Right now I am in Florence by myself, writing, visiting museums and churches, enjoying a cappuccino and ‘walking around with God.” That what I like to do, but you’ll figure out what you need to do to follow your bliss. You might consider renting an apartment in Dublin for a a week or to figure out your best way to be in the countryside. The time is NOW. Seize the moment, Bobbi
I would recommend taking a bus from the airport to the Dingle Peninsula….all the little towns around there are wonderful but you need a car and driving on the wrong side with the kind of roads you would be dealing with would be terrifying so my advice is to go online and rent a place in the main town of Dingle where you can get along without a car and use it as a base to go on boat and bus adventures to islands and medieval ruins, making friends in the pubs and become an irishwoman for a time….it will be great…if you sing or play an instrument you will make friends very quickly…Jod Lourie
Ireland has one of the lowest homicide rates in the world — certainly much safer than The US (which I am gathering you are living now?). Still, you’re 74 (I’m not much younger), and altho’ your plans sound wonderful and romantic, living in a foreign country for a few months can be ‘daunting’ — and that’s not including the difference in driving. Try a couple of weeks first — staying in a hotel — and if that works out, go back for a few months, like you want. I do rather admire you — I lived in Europe for a few years — many years ago — but I refused to drive (I didn’t need to drive — the public transportation systems were so very good). Anyway, the way the world is now — you couldn’t get me to go back to Europe now. I can hardly stand to live in The US. 🙂 I do drive to and from CA, my former home. 🙂 But I’m 70, and I’m becoming more and more aware that my driving skills are not what they used to be. Just be careful, and use common sense.
Hi, Pam,
Your idea of going back to Ireland alone sounds fantastic! I hope you can spend a few months there. I’m 72, have five second cousins in Ireland and have made two trips there, one for four weeks and the second for only a few days. My husband and I plan to visit Ireland again in the summer of 2018 for two weeks. My dream would be to live there for a few months. I think your idea of renting a cottage to write and just spend your days as you like sounds so terrific. I agree that you don’t want to take a bus tour. Ireland is best by car, I think, although the driving can be a real challenge. My husband did the driving in 2011 when we spent four weeks there. We drove the entire perimeter of the island, starting in Dublin and heading south, all the way around to the west and the north and then south to Dublin again. We found ourselves on the wrong side of the road a couple of times. i’m not sure I would have the courage to drive in Ireland myself but I think you should do it! What kind of writing do you do?
Hi Pam ….
I can recommend a wonderful place to stay in Kenmare. I wrote a review on TripAdviser in 2014. The Old Dressmakers Cottage is definitely one of the places I’d stay if I get to return to Ireland: https://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g211860-d2016770-The_Old_Dressmaker_s_Cottage-Kenmare_County_Kerry.html
There’s also a wonderful Facebook Page that will inspire you and I’m sure you could message them for more information. It’s “Ireland and Peg’s Cottage”.
Good luck with following your dream!
Mary Lou
http://www.meinthemiddlewrites.com