I have a strange dilemma. Older DD goes to Ireland for 2 months in the summer. I with the younger DD want to come in the middle of July for a week to Ireland and then go for another week somewhere in Europe with both DDs.
The optimization problem:
Need a relatively cheap flight from Dublin to another European destination.
During 2 months prior to the trip older DD will travel a bit from Ireland. We have no idea in advance where she will go. I suspect that she probably will go to England due to the proximity and very cheap tickets.
We just visited France during winter.
Older DD has already been to Amsterdam twice. She also had been in Portugal.
With proximity looking at the map that leaves us only Belgium that I love (both DD had not been there). Any other practical ideas?
I was also thinking about Florence or Barcelona as possible great places to show them. Youngest also was dreaming about Venice.
Any suggestions on well-connected places (airlines) to Dublin? I want to avoid changing planes as much as possible and pushing around older DD luggage (1 months of cloth, laptop etc.)
Thanks.
I have no idea what flights are like, but Munich has lots to see, great food (and no it’s not all beer and wurst), and it’s a short drive from Munich to hiking in the Alps and other day trips.
I’m dying to go to Spain, Barcelona, the Alhambra etc. Learning Spanish now.
What about Stockholm? My favorite European city. July is a great time to visit. Should be about a 2.5-3 hr flight away. Plenty of airlines fly into Stockholm… check Kayak.
ETA: looks like SAS has direct flights from Dublin to Stockholm.
Might be a little out of the box but I highly recommend Iceland. It’s a more of an outdoor adventure which is nice change of pace. The landscapes are remarkable. We went at the end of June for 4 days between visits to the UK and Italy. Lots to see and do….snowmobiling on a glacier, walked the black sand beaches, went to the blue lagoon among other things. Easy direct flight. Very unique place to visit.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus (at least formerly) treated Dublin as a hub/focus city. Fares have been historically low from Dublin to all EU/European points, with a huge number of flights. AFAIK. Please verify, though.
Barcelona and Costa Dorada etc are fab. Also try the Greek isles. Malta is fab too (although the beaches are pebbles rather than sand).
You simply can’t go wrong with EU beach vacations, except it will be crowded. If you can rent a car, that will give you a bit more flex.
Another thought: fly to Rome and head to the wonderful Amalfi coast.
Rome + beach vacation, Barcelona + beach vacation, etc. Plus all the great ideas from other posters, you and family will have a great time. What could be better than history plus fun!
Ryanair flies all over Europe from Dublin. Check which direct flights they have and see which of those destinations you like best
Personally I would prefer Northern Europe, as the South will be very hot and crowded in July.
Oh! Love Amalfi. Sorento + Amalfi (was there 20 years ago), only Antibes can compare. But I would prefer to go with DH there. DDs are not beach people.
Scotland usually has better weather in May or September. July is very buggy, especially in the Highlands, except when it’s either pouring with rain or blowing a gale. And most of the best places in the Highlands require driving.
Ah, my bad. If beaches aren’t of interest, that changes things. I still think Italy is great. Depending on how much time you have, you can use the trains if you don’t want to drive.
A few years back, we flew to Venice and then headed to Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi coast. We did it via rental car, but I think you can do it via train too.
I went to Scotland for a week and loved it. I thought it was going to be low, rolling hills and sheep. It turned out to have genuine mountains, forests and lakes. And sheep. And maybe a monster. The best Chinese food I ever had was in Inverness, Scotland.
Ok. Consider Ryanair as your carrier from Dublin to elsewhere (Aer Lingus was bought out by the parent company of British Airways and Iberia, so I am not sure if they are still low-cost).
But all of the EU is available to you from Dublin. If you do fly Ryanair, make SURE you comply will all its requirements as to boarding passes, carry on luggage, checked bags etc. If you do, you won’t have a problem. We have never had an issue with them, but we were always quite meticulous with adhering to all their rules and pricing as a low-cost carrier.
July and August still get plenty of visitors to Scotland. We went for 17 days years ago in late August/early September but had a car. There would be things like guided day trips from Edinburgh , train travel for visitors without a car.
So many possibilities from Dublin(which is a cool city). Good luck with the decision!
+1 to low cost carriers- and I suggest you look farther east, to places you might not have thought of: Berlin. Budapest. Stockholm. Maybe throw in a second destination. For example, Fly from Dublin to Berlin in mid-July for $100 on Ryanair (including upgrade for checked bag, reserved seat, etc). Then take a train to Prague or Salzburg or someplace, the train ride is part of the adventure! and then fly back to your gateway city.
Re: Iceland- the dead cheapest way to get between Ireland and the US is via a stopover in Iceland. Many, many, many of us have seen Iceland b/c of those fares! Icelandic air also does great packages for while you are there.
Considering last summer, I would stay away from traditionally warm countries (unless you’re okay with 100° temps).
I would recommend Stockholm: lots to see, walkable, good weather (if you want to take a swim there’s an urban “beach” with wood decks, no sand or pebbles), quick trip to historical island possible. You can even take the ferry for a quick day trip to Finland&Helsinki.
Otherwise: Berlin, Prague
Edimburgh is great but check dates for festivals bringing throngs of people
