I have searched on the web and have found that even the two star hotels around Ireland are still pretty pricey. Does anybody have suggestions of a website or travel agent that specializes in budget hotels? I'd like to try to stay under US $100 per night for the 3 of us, but it doesn't seem possible from what I'm seeing. Ideas, recommendations, secret travel agents with connections? Is there a European version of Expedia (or something like it) that has better rates than the US? I've tried the Expedia.uk version and it's exactly the same as US. We are traveling at the end of August.
1
djpkemp
Two things.
1) August, it is busy.
2) Are you ttrying to get three people accommodated for a total of USD100 which is EUR72, which is EUR24 per person per night? You might get BnB accom for that but it also depends on where you are looking at staying and where you want to stay. For example, a three person room with Travelodge, a bit out of Dublin (okay 6-7km, other side of Phoenix Park but very bus-able) is GBP69 for late August and this may not appear on Expedia. But Holiday Inn in central Dub is EUR124 for a room for three but same distance as Traveldoge is EUR64.
Hope this helps.
4
seait
Depends on what type of accommodation you are looking for. There are some very nice hostels in Ireland and some inexpensive B&Bs, in which case your budget it perfectly reasonable. However, you will not be finding any of those places on a search engine... it is a look-by-hand sort of search, but well worth it.
Some hostels are in old castles, on farms, and other nice places... and don't have the industrialized feel that is prevalent in hostels elsewhere in Europe.
Once again though, depends a bit on where you are going.... staying in the middle of cities is going to be more pricey than in some more rural, albeit scenic, locations.
5
frida1
You can find B&Bs, especially a little away from tourist centers, for 30-35 Euro/person, but not much less than that. It should be fairly easy, outside major tourist centers, to find these. Try www.townandcountry.ie for a list of B&Bs.
6
n_rb
I've found a lot of bargains this year in Ireland (and I'm looking at August), especially midweek in towns and cities, as business traffic seems to have dropped right off.
€59/room/night on weekdays for this place for example
7
seait
If you don't mind sharing, look for 'triple' rooms - it can be cheaper to be in a triple or family room than have a double and single.
8
djpkemp
#7 is right, the Travelodge and etc prices I quoted were to accommodate three people but that could just be two twins rather than doubles so if that ain't what you want you might wnna check.
9
frida1
Some B&Bs offer triple rooms. I had no trouble finding them when I planned a trip for 5 women (including myself) a couple years ago. But if you're travelling on the fly, without reservations, it would be more difficult.
If you have something like the Town and Country B&B book, available at tourist office, you can call ahead 1 day or in the morning and find a triple without having to search on arrival.
All B&Bs, in my experience, charge by the person, not the room, but many don't have single rooms, and will charge double for a single person needing a room they could have rented to 2 people.
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