Ireland in Winter

lol, this person has been posting on Fodors and got rather peeved that everyone is down on their plan which is to 'vagabond' around Europe for 8 months with a total budget of $1500, no return ticket, a refusal to apply for any visas, eating out of restaurant trash cans and charity soup kitchens (seriously!), and earning money by picking fruit in the middle of winter and busking.

Won't accept our saying this sort of thing won't work in Europe on $3 a day and our suggestions to look at cheaper areas of the world.

Any further advice here?

Nona, thanks for posting that information. I won't bother adding any more to this thread.

OP, you need to change your name to DreamAndStayPut. I'm sorry to prick your bubble but you haven't got a snowflake in hell's chance of realising your dream.

OP
Go ahead with your plans and you will learn a hard lesson !!!
Experience is the best teacher for sure !!
ONE LOVE !!
Mike

Busses are fine, but not cheap, and take ages to get anywhere.
Hostels will usually be closed in winter.
Camping is out of the question unless you are truely insane (and determined to get pneumonia).
If you think you'll enjoy eating junk food or making your own sandwiches, freezing your ass off, and spending way over your budget, then go to Ireland in December - I love the place, but not with your limitations. Take some good advice, and go south! Come to Ireland in the summer time when you have a little more cash.

hey, dont listen to all them negative comments! Go for it and good luck! The bus companies you will want to check out are buseireann in the south and ulsterbus in the north. you can get to Scotland very cheaply with ulsterbus which gives you a combo ferry/bus ticket from belfast to glasgow. Though be warned that thats a very quiet time in Ireland as most people are off work so the country slows down a bit and am sure the buses do the same! Good luck!

As much as I see the impossible side of this venture, in my comfort zone in the here and now, the more I'm intrigued about the possibilities of your adventure.

I don't know anything about your personality and your motives, but I feel reminded of my very early travels as a teenager with just the pocket money earned with crappy holiday jobs and the few bucks I could charm off my dad. Hitchhiking all over Europe during the summer holidays, meeting people on the way who offered me accommodation, being happy with some bread and tomatoes for dinner, sleeping on beaches, if there was no other decent offer, scratching mussels from rocks near the beach, washing myself at some public well ...

But that was in the summer, in the southern European countries - and, well, a long time ago. And still I've had even then a lot of illusions. Like hitchhiking at the age of 17 to Sweden and imagining to live off the fruit of the forest and hunting elks (seriously - but at 17...). Turned out differently, ended up in Amsterdam and eventually in the South of France with a bunch of even then strange hippies. Long story.
But I had the time of my life which still keeps me smiling and remembering all the good/weird stuff.
Letting life offer it's surprises is the best you can achieve.

Would be interesting to try this kind of travel in modern northern Europe and in the winter.
Let us know.

well travelling by any route in ireland is expensive especially if your planning on spending next to nothing, bus from dublin to galway last i checked was about 25 euro one way, train about 45 euro one way. a lot of hostels in dublin will be open for winter, if your arriving on the 30th i suggest you find somewhere to sleep stay there for a day then head out for new years eve celebrations. stay away from temple bar. hit some of the smaller pubs, all the major super pubs and clubs will be charging rediculous prices for entry and drink.a week is nothin.
may i suggest galway, pleasant relaxed, and if its culture you want, you&ll find it without to much difficulty sure its everywhere

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Hi Guys,Hi Guys,
I am starting a vagabonding/traveling trip through Europe (cheaply, but maybe unfortunately) in Dublin, Ireland on Dec. 30th.
I don't have much money to spend and I don't plan on renting cars or staying hotels (mostly hitchhiking and couch-surfing/camping).
What I would like to know is if there are any practical suggestions on how to get by, see things, experience the culture, and travel through Ireland in that season? I'll probably only be there for a week (maybe) and then off to Scotland and down south.
If you want to learn more about my plans (and insights) check out my blog at http://thinkandtravel.blogspot.com/<BR>Thanks!<BR>Alex
<hr></blockquote>

Hi Alex,

I admire your idealism and sense of adventure, but I worry that you have not put enough thought into your plans. You've chosen to travel to one of the more expensive regions of Europe, and a budget of only $1500 will not get you very far. Keep in mind that the US dollar is very weak against the Euro and the British Pound; therefore $1500 will not get you as far as you might think. I strongly suggest that you make as many local connections as possible (whether through couchsurfing or the hospitality club or sites like this). You should also prepare yourself for a lot of hassles and harrassment at customs due to your one-way ticket. (BTW, where and how did you find a one-way ticket from Chicago to Dublin for only $177?). There's even the possibility that you may not be let into the country (maybe others here could add more info on problems getting through customs with one-way or open-ended tickets)? Have you thought about what you will do if/when you run out of resources? Do you have friends in Europe? Do you plan to work during some of that time (even though you do not have the proper documentation?)

I read portions of your blog about the spirit and philosophy of "vagabonding," and you make a good point about travelers missing out on "real-life experiences." Later in the blog you define "vagabonging" as the idea of "spending time rather than money" on the journey, and you use the example of the Roma people. However, I think you should be careful not to romanticize poverty, transcience, and economic uncertainty. As an American student you have the choice to embrace a "vagabond" lifestyle, but for many disenfranchised people it is not really a choice. They are forced into those circumstances. And when it's all said and done, you have a home and country to return to, whereas they may not. For you "vagabonding" is an abstraction, but for many thousands of people it is indeed a (harsh) reality of everyday life. So I think it is dangerous to treat poverty and homelessness as an abstraction and an ideal. There is nothing ideal or romantic or adventurous about not knowing where you will sleep, not having enough food to feed yourself and your family, not having anywhere to turn when you are sick, not having the same rights as others in the society.

'All Best,

G.