Hi all,
Just wanting to ask your opinion. Is it better to do a Paddywagon tour or to hire a car and drive around Ireland ourselves.
Was looking at 6 day luxury Paddywagon tour, but not sure if it will be restrictive on time etc, not sure if sitting on a bus most the time is what we are after.
If we hire a car, is there issues with parking if we stay at a hostel, B&B?
If anyone can help!

I probably shouldn't answer this question b/c I'm not really qualified to, but when I was in Ireland a couple girls I knew, American, rented a car and drove all over the place and didn't have a problem until back in Dublin and they parked it somewhere they shouldn't have and it got towed. Depending on your personality, I would vote for renting the car though-just be careful where you park esp. in big cities like Dublin. I'm not too sure what a Paddywagon is, but I guess it's a bus, and with any bus tour you are not going to have much freedom in terms of where you are going and how much time you have there. Plus you are lumped together with other tourists, which is not necessarily bad per se, but not ideal if you really want to meet locals and experience the culture more. I think if you were renting a car you would end up having to talk to people more and doing the whole thing yourself which besides being empowering you would really meet people more and feel less of a tourist. Just my .02 :thumbup:

I was in a van on what the Irish consider a "highway" (i.e. 1.5 lanes winding through the mountains with an inch of snow on the ground) and I thought it was really cool - but then, I have a deathwish when it comes to driving, so unless you're like me and enjoy precarious roads all while getting used to being on the wrong side, the Paddywagon tour might be the way to go.

I've heard a few people knock Paddywagon and say that Shamrocker tours are cooler, so you might want to look into them, too.

As for what U2 said - I saw cars getting booted & towed in Dublin constantly. And my boss has tons of tow-away stories from Cork, so yeah, be careful :)

Just be careful who you hire a car with. Make sure you can stand them as your locked in together until you give the car back. On my recent trip I was involved in hiring a car twice. The first time was in Morocco and things were bad enough that we left one guy in the desert. The second was in France and some of the big cities were a real bitch to navigate and things were real tense.

Im not sure what area the tour covers but to do Ireland in 6 days seems crazy. Having a car gives you freedom to go at your own pace and see stuff off the beaten track. Weigh up the stress of reading maps and navigating unknown places.

ev

Thanks all for your help.
Yep, well we have decided to do the hire a car option. So does any one know a good company or website that has great deals on car hire? Accomodation?
Any suggestions on an intinerary for ireland?

Check out http://www.carbookers.com

Just be careful who you hire a car with. Make sure you can stand them as your locked in together until you give the car back. Having a car gives you freedom to go at your own pace and see stuff off the beaten track. Weigh up the stress of reading maps and navigating unknown places.

Spending your holiday in Ireland will make you experience more than you imagine. A renting a car can be perfect, if you are a first time trip. You will experience a great vacation, you will come to love again and again!

I would prefer hiring a car in Ireland as parking is not a problem unless you parked in no parking area. You can easily park them in hostels and B&B's on countryside. And hiring a car will lead you travel in your own way. there are many beautiful sites on the way and you can enjoy them all if you have your own vehicle and you are not in hurry. It is the best way to enjoy Ireland. So hire a car and enjoy this beautiful island in your own way.