Ireland~ Day 6

A few weeks before out trip I found a great day trip with Viator to see The Cliffs of Moher and a few other must see places in the area. We had another long day full of train rides and bus trips but I knew it would all be worth it! We woke up super early and took a taxi to the Dublin Heuston Station, where we caught a train to Limerick. Next, we boarded a bus that took us North to Bunratty Castle and Folk Village. After some free time to walk around the grounds we headed to the Atlantic coast for lunch at the Doolin Pub. The soup was amazing and so was the salmon and fish and chips! If you have time, walk a couple stores down to the Doolin Chocolate shop. The chocolates and fudge are absolutely divine! 

Our next stop was the majestic Cliffs of Moher. It was absolutely breathtaking and was such a sight to see! The weather was insanely bad so Rand and I went straight to the gift shop and museum while Rob hiked on the cliffs and took some pictures. Thankfully, Rob came back and watched Rand so I could venture out to the cliffs before we had to get back on the bus. 

The drive back to the train station in Galway through Burren, Black Head and along the shores of Galway Bay were really stunning. Our bus stopped a few times to let us out and snap some pictures. We got back on a train and got back to Dublin before 10pm. Right outside the station is a tram that takes you right into town and was a lot cheaper than a taxi (wish I knew about that earlier) but oh well.

Bunratty Castle

 the Cliffs of Moher

the Burren

 

Ireland~ Day 5

For our first full day in Ireland we decided to use the Hop on, Hop off bus around Dublin. We were only on for a few minutes, when we jumped off to see the Trinity College Library. We got there early enough that the line was not very long but I was surprised it was 9euro to go in. The Library was breathtaking and the museum about the Book of Kells was very interesting, along with the Book of Kells. We got back onto the bus and finished seeing the sites around Dublin. 

London/ Ireland ~ Day 4

When we decided to visit Ireland after England I wanted to try a different route than flying. I got the idea of taking a train across England to Holyhead and jumping on a ferry there to Ireland on a Facebook travel page that I follow. Our tickets were 38 GBP each (around $64 each). It was another long day but the train ride through the countryside of England was really breathtaking. We saw beautiful castles, fields of horses, cows and sheep and the beach! I recommend to sit on the right side of the train and when you book ask to have a table. We had a whole table to ourselves and the train (and ferry) had wifi and plugs so we could charge our electronics. 

Here is a great site with more info on the train/ferry tide from London to Dublin.

We arrived in Holyhead after our 3 1/2 hour train ride and walked over to board the ferry to Dublin. The ferry was huge and had so many awesome things! They have rooms you can rent out but we decided to just hang around on the main floor. They have a cafe, a cafeteria, a bar, a movie theatre, a kids playing area and numerous lounge areas. It was like a mini cruise ship. The ride was around 3 hours long and we flew through customs when we arrived in Ireland. Right outside the port are buses that take you into Dublin for a few euros. We took the bus into the city and walked to our hotel, The Charles Stewart Guesthouse. 

Our hotel was in a great location (right down the street from O'connell street) and breakfast was included. The owners were super friendly and very helpful... they also loved Rand. 

train ride through England

 on the ferry

England ~ Day 3

The day I have been waiting for for weeks... Harry Potter Studio Tour! lol, I am a huge dork and love HP! I booked us tickets to do a WB Studio Harry Potter around 10am. After our tour I was grateful I booked with one in the morning because when we left a couple hours later, it was packed and hard to walk through. We took the Tube to Watford Junction and jumped on a shuttle bus for a few GBP to the WB Studio. The shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes and takes you right to the front door. 

The tour was awesome and I think my husband even had a good time... but he won't admit it ;) 

 After the tour we headed back into London to walk around Hyde Park and see a few more sites. Apparently, Hyde Park is known for its "friendly" wildlife. Everywhere we looked, we saw people feeding squirrels from the palms of their hands. I had to try it! 

England ~ Day 1-2

It was our first flight with Ryanair and it was at 6am. We decided to drive out near Frankfurt Hahn and spend the night in a hotel that had free parking and shuttle service to the airport. We stayed at Zur Morschbach and it had a delicious restuarant attached where we had dinner. The hotel also had breakfast (8euro extra) which we enjoyed before heading on the shuttle at 4:30am. The shuttle took us to Frankfurt Hahn in about 10-15 minutes. We had more than enough time to check our bag and get to our gate. Rand did great on the flight! He slept the whole time :)

We arrived in London Stansted around 7am and walked down to the train station. I bought our tickets a few weeks ahead of time online and got a few GBP off. The train into London was really nice and had free wifi on the way there. We arrived in Euston station about 45 minutes later and took the tube to our hotel, Ibis London City at Aldgate East. It was too early to check in but we were able to drop our luggage off and hit the streets of London. We took the tube to Trafalgar Square and went to the "Original London" tourist office and went on the Hop on, Hop off bus for the day. It was great to get the lay of the land and see all the famous sites! 

Here are some of my favorite shots from day 1 in London:

The next day we got up really early and jumped on a bus to go with a tour group to see Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath. It was a VERY long day but was also a very awesome day! I was so proud of Rand because he did so well! 

Here are some of my favorite pics from that day:

Windsor Castle

The interior of Windsor Castle was absolutely breathtaking! Unfortunately, the Queen wasn't there but it was still an awesome experience. We even got to see the changing of the Guards! 

 The City of Bath and the Roman Bath

Stonehenge