Costs in Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Hi

I will be traveling around Ireland (North and South), Scotland and Wales during 37 days in February and March 2012 with Mom. We will stay in budget hotels (double room), will eat in budget restaurants (3 meals/day) and will travel to see the scenery, landscape, do some not so hard trekking and will not spend much time in cities, all by public transport.

How much it will cost per day for we both, for accomodation, food, transport and sightseeing/activities ?

I read this Forum and I did not see posts about daily costs in this area. I know it's very expensive, so we need to plan this trip well in advance.

Thank you

You would probably need to aim for GBP/EUR50 per room per night for budget hotels although you can get them for as low as GBP19 but realistically you would be looking at higher than that (the cheap rooms go quickly). It is worth noting that the Republic of Ireland is not so big on the budget hotel chains (IMO) as the UK. You are more likely to be looking at BnBs which are more likely to be the EUR70 level in Ireland and since they are not chains, many of the BnBs are closed at this time of the year so it would be necessary to book ahead.

I think, for two people, you should maybe aim at GBP50/EUR60 for foos for costs for the two of you combined but that will go higher or lower depending on your tastes or budget. Most scenery, landscapes and trrekking costs are minimal or zero but do come prepared - in February last year Ireland had notable snowfall.

In terms of travel costs that will depend on how you plan to travel and to where but I would have thought GBP20/EUR30 per day or less for the two of you combined depending on whether you want to get passes. To be honest, scenery and trekkkng etc is best dealt with by car and if that is possible in terms of driving skill and budget you should go for that.

Some of the better scenery in the UK and the Republic of Ireland is less accessible by bus and is certainly more conveniently accessibly by car.

Travel costs there seem optimistic £20 would get you from Cumbria to Manchester by train only with a rail card. You really really need to look at the travel options stuff like rail passes and bus travel to get some hard figures. A lot of the best bits are easier by car but not cheaper. If you want to do it by public transport be prepared for slow rural travel and erratic service (one or two buses a day can be common in rural areas).

I would tend to get your own lunch ingredients from a shop or market and eat that way. I know a gloriously good cheap cafe where I eat for about £5 once a week, otherwise budget tends to be nearer £10 a meal per person these days, by the time you get something to drink and may be a pudding.
Siteseeing admission charges vary too much to be abe to make any call. Search on line it is really useful. I found a set of bits of dead tree in a place called a library that also contained information and suggestions. Adjust for changing valuations of money though.

Unless you want to share one big bed, you might want to consider getting twin rooms instead of a double. :-)

Hi

Thanks all for your help, I will try to mix budget hotels with hostels and self-catering with restaurants, so I can save some money. But now I have a better idea of how much to save for this trip.