Programme

Update: Flight information and prices added.

Chelmsford YHA Proposed Ireland Trip: 24 May - 1 June 03

Jim & Dave J. 29 Nov. 02

Updated by Jim. 2 Jan. 03

Possible itinerary:

Flights:

The flight information is now available.

Out: EasyJet (was Go). 24 May. Depart Stansted 12:55, arrive Belfast International 14:10

Back: 1 June. EasyJet. Depart Belfast International 16:30 or 20:10, arrive Stansted 17:45 or 21:25

The return fare, including taxes is currently £80.

We will need names as we book.

Ferries.

We priced Stena-Line catamaran from Stranraer to Belfast, with a breakfast time sailing on Sunday 25^th May, and a return sailing early evening for a car and four passengers at £280. The crossing on the catarmaran lasts 1 hr 50.

P & O from Cairnryan to Larne wouldn't let us put in dates that far in advance. It is a shorter crossing, 1 hr 50 by ferry or 1 hr 05 by cat. The cat would be a similar price to Stena.

Car hire

Holiday autos quoted £250 for a web booking of a Mondeo, and £202 for a Focus, from Belfast International from 24 May to 1 June. Non web booking quotes were £333 and £269 respectively, but when I booked for California, I got the web price on the phone too by asking for it.

I.e. car hire is similar to the ferry fare, and we win a day in each direction. Fuel to drive to Stranraer docks and back is about £100 per car.

For either ferry, or car hire, it would be good to have multiples of four booking, nine people is £250-ish dearer than 8, about £30 per head extra.

I've spoken to the top hostels (Greenes and Sheep Island) this evening, and checked availability of a group of 12-16 mixed.

Donegal:

150 mile drive approx. from Belfast International. We've looked at the area around the Derry Veagh mountains, which is in the north-west of Donegal, and has coast, and mountains.

Dave and I chose these hostels in order of preference:

1. Greenes Holiday Hostel, Dungloe, actually in Dungloe town, so should be good for pubs. 30 bed independent hostel. (see www.hostels-ireland.com). Booked for 16, wants confirmation(and presumably money) a few weeks before arrival. €10 per bed night.
2. Corcreggan Mill, Dunfanaghy (www.corcreggan.com). Inland, A mill and a railway carriage, looks interesting. 28 bed independent hostel. This hostel is currently for sale as a going concern, so we'd need to check as we booked.
3. Errigal Hostel. Official An-Oige hostel; in the middle of nowhere but spectacular location on the side of a lake, with views of Errigal Mountain. (2500 ft). 10 mile drive to pub? 46 beds. (www.homepage.tinet.ie/~errigalhostel)

All of these are approx £10 per night.

Wednesday 28 May, drive to:

Antrim Coast.

Approx. 125 miles from the Derry Veagh area. We've chosen the Antrim Coast between Giant's Causeway and Ballycastle. This has the coast, and the Glens of Antrim inland.

There are four hostels in this area, two new-looking purpose-built official HINI (was YHANI) hostels, and two independents. In preference we rated them as:

1. Sheep Island View, purpose built independent near Balintoy, views to Rathlin Island. 38 beds (www.sheepislandview.com) - availability currently OK (2 Jan. 03). Provisionally pencilled in but we need a deposit to hold the booking. £8 per bed night.
2. Bushmills HINI. Purpose built in Bushmills village (presumably that Bushmills). 68 beds. (www.hini.org.uk/millrest.html).
3. Castle Hostel, in Ballycastle town. Independent, 30 beds. (www.castlehostel.com)
4. Whitepark Bay. Official HINI. On the coast, 4 miles E. of Bushmills, 54 beds, all rooms en-suite. Off main road, quite isolated. (www.hini.org.uk/whitepark.html)

Costings (per person)

Both costings assume 4 people in each car, and 4 people per car parked at Stansted in Long stay.

I.e £70 buys two more days in Ireland!