First, can anyone tell me what we need to do to make our Iphones functional on our family trip? Do we even need need to do anything? I’ve downloaded some apps for some airport transfers, but other than that, Im not sure I need anything other than to be able to communicate with my family members that will be with me. Two daughters may want to communicate with boyfriends in the US.
I’m taking a folder of hard copies of all our trip documents for backup.
We went to Bali in ‘20 and I can’t remember having any problems, but my girls are asking if we need SIM cards for this trip.
Secondly, I have our trip planned out pretty well with trips to the countryside in both locations. But we’ll have one day in both Dublin and Edinburgh to see the sites in the city. Is there anything in those cities we must see or do? There are so many things to see and we only have one day in each!
Check with your carrier. We have ATT and their international plan was $10 for one phone ($5 for second phone) for each day you actually use the phone. It has a cap of about $100 total. We used it for 2 weeks in France. Just use your phone as you normally do including wifi and cell usage. No muss, no fuss, no sim cards. We just signed up several days before trip over the phone. No charge until you actually use it in a foreign country.
My son and I were in Ireland a few weeks ago. Honestly, Dublin for me was a bit disappointing. I’d recommend skipping both Book of Kells and the Guinness storehouse. But if you must, book tickets online. The old library is pretty cool though at the college.
There are some day trips by bus from Dublin to Cliffs of Mohr and Connemara. Both are wonderful. Aran Islands are great too!
Or, you may want to just hang out in Dublin and visit the many bars and restaurants.
Needless to say, pack a rain jacket!
I was in London at the end of June/beginning of July. I pretty much relied on WiFi and turned off Cellular Data and Roaming. H can’t be without his phone (personal, not professional) and we have AT&T so we paid the $10 a day so he could survive. My D lives in London so I use WhatsApp to communicate with her.
In Edinburgh, if you haven’t been before, make the trek up to the Castle. You may want to check for ticket availability - their website says they often sell out far in advance.
Also in Edinburgh, at the other end of the Royal Mile, visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Something I did on my last visit there (I was there for work but had free time in the evenings and weekend) was take a tour of Mary King’s Close - a bit cheesy, but I found it fun!
If you’ve done all the usual tourist things in Edinburgh, something I really enjoyed was visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia, which is retired and permanently berthed now. I had something to eat at the Royal Deck Tea Room.
Yes, we’re going to the Cliffs of Mohr and Galway. Also to some areas to the sw of Dublin that includes a sheepdog demonstration! We have had border collies in our lives for over 30 years, so that trip was a must!
It’s actually forecasted to be warm and sunny in Ireland, but not for Scotland. We’re packing layers and rain jackets.
Galway is wonderful! If you like good food then try to get a booking at Loam. Worth every euro and you will spend a few hundred. Right near the railway station. The little free museum does a great job retelling the history of Irish independence.
If you can, try to do a cruise around the Cliffs of Mohr. If you visit the Aran Islands then the ferry/boat station provides that option.
We use ATT international plans discussed above $10/day. For longer trips a Sim card. Watch out for using text and thinking it won’t “count” We once used texts only in Italy and got a staggering bill.
You can also buy a disposable local phone if you just need a phone for in country and don’t plan to use your phone. I often do email in the hotel and just use a local phone. My spouse usually switches to international plan and uses it every other day.
Yes, that’s great. But if you spend a couple of weeks that a lot more than the local Sim card. We use ATT and it’s also $10. Some people only need it for emergencies/local. I’m cheap so $10 is too much for me for a single call or two.
Fringe in Edinburgh!!! Absolutely the best arts festival I have ever attended… go online and see what you can get tickets to… and the street performers (no tickets- just musicians, dancers, poets, improv on every corner) are incredible!!!
We also get local SIM cards - as then can pull up maps etc. Make sure your phone is unlocked - as some I-phones are locked and you can’t get to the card. 6 weeks in Europe and SIM card out of Copenhagen was approx $50. Plus used What’s app.
We were in Dublin 10 days ago. The crowds for the Book of Kells were insane, and while it is amazing, it was very touristy and crowded and I would have skipped it had I known this.
Guinness tour is good if you a. like Guinnesss b. don’t know how beer is made and c. will enjoy the spectacular views from the Gravity Bar. This tour was also insanely crowded and worth skipping if you’re not dying to go there.
Malahaide Castle is great, so is ChristChurch Cathedral. If you like baked goods, don’t miss Bread 41. The best best baked goods in town. We went twice
Galway is a great fun pub town. Aran Islands are also great, and the ferry has the best views of the Cliffs of Moher. The top of the Cliffs tour is very crowded and touristy; my husband was bored by it and liked the Cliffs of Kerry better.
We really loved Kilkenny. Saw Butler’s Castle and climbed the tower at St. Canice’s Cathedral. Excellent bakeshop at La Rivista in town (you can see what I like lol). Wicklow and the mountains were beautiful. On a previous trip we saw the sheep herding dogs and it was fun.
Blarney castle was a beautiful ruin with lovely gardens. A pleasant surprise.
If you go to Belfast, Giant’s Causeway is amazing. Titanic museum was a dud. Not many artifacts and more a tribute to the city’s ship-building history. Also insanely crowded.
Have fun and enjoy the sunshine! Not a bad idea to bring raincoats…the rain seems to swing in and out, plus they make nice windbreakers.
Note: we got by on Wifi and my husband did the $10/day Verizon plan. (there is a data cap and once you hit it, the data is seriously throttled, so be aware). You can get SIM cards for ~E25 at phone shops, but we didn’t want to deal with the hassle.
I adore Edinburgh! If you only have a day, I agree to get tickets to the castle and then after visiting, walk the Royal Mile to Holyrood. There are some wonderfully cobblestone alleys off the mile that are worth exploring as well. Wish you had more time as I’d have more recommendations.
I think Dublin is worth a day. I enjoyed just walking around Trinity College and down along the river. Go to a pub with music if you can.
My daughter got it first when they were 10 and 12 and heading to Scotland with their dance teachers, less than a week and I knew they’d want to keep in touch.
For Verizon we’ve done the $10/day deal (not sure if we needed any setup), only turning it on a few times/days. Can’t recall which timezone determines “day” boundaries. Mostly wi-fi was adequate for our needs, but a few times we really did need phone access.
International roaming and cost of such depends on your cellular carrier. A local SIM may be less expensive, but your phone needs to be unlocked (most phones bought through carriers in the US are locked; unlocking policies vary).
Some US carriers do have lower cost international roaming (e.g. Google Fi), so some people use them temporarily for international travel even if they do not use them as their primary carrier. But the phone needs to be unlocked.
I also add the international plan when traveling and use WhatsApp.
Festival Fringe! What a great time to be in Edinburgh! Art, street performers, comedians, musicians, etc. Edinburgh is known for great festivals but this one is my favorite.
Edinburgh Castle
Holyrood Palace
Explore Old Town and the Grassmarket area
Walk the Royal Mile
For the Harry Potter fans: The Elephant House cafe and Greyfriars Kirkyard next door. Note: there was a fire in the cafe last year so check to see if it’s reopened. Victoria Street in the Grassmarket area.
My D liked the ghost tours in Mary Kings Close
ETA: I just noticed you only have a day. If that’s the case, maybe tour the castle then walk the Royal Mile, etc stopping where you want along the way. Personally with only one day I’d save Holyrood for another visit and take advantage of Fringe festival and soaking up Edinburgh. Maybe pop in The World’s End pub on the Royal Mile. Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities.
I second getting tickets to the castle days in advance. We were in Edinburgh last month and could not get in as tickets were sold out even for the next days.
Enjoy, Edinburgh is absolutely stunning!
One other thing for those visiting busy places. Getting ticket in advance is best. But so is getting the first tickets of the morning or last tickets of the day. We like to do things early then relax in the afternoons.
