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Post by merry27 on Apr 13, 2024 15:55:35 GMT
You guys have always been so helpful with trip planning and suggestions. We are planning a last minute trip for next month. Trying to decide between Ireland or Germany. We haven’t been to either one. We plan to be gone for 8 days. Which would you choose and why? Any tips or pros/cons?
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,895 
Location: Northern Virginia
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on Apr 13, 2024 16:15:12 GMT
Personally, I would choose Ireland because I love it there and would go back anytime! You could spend a few days in Dublin then drive down/across to the Atlantic coast and see those areas (Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, etc. - lots to choose from!!).
That said, if you choose Germany, maybe choose one area/city with a lot to see in the surrounding areas, so you could take day trips out to see them while staying in the chosen city/area. I personally was bored with Munich after 2 days and was ready to move on after that...Hamburg was nice too, but smaller. DS liked Berlin but I've never been there so I have no suggestions beyond the usual tourist stops.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,008
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Apr 13, 2024 17:25:54 GMT
I live in Germany and love Ireland, so I'm split.
Germany has so many interesting, smaller cities, as well as the major one like Berlin and Munich. Nuremburg is good for a day or two, as are Leipzig and Dresden (both not far from Berlin), Cologne and Heidelberg. From Munich, you could also easily do a day trip t Salzburg.
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Post by melanieg on Apr 13, 2024 17:29:33 GMT
I love Ireland, I love the people, I love the beer. I would stop at all the ruins for photos.
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Post by mom on Apr 13, 2024 20:18:31 GMT
Ireland, hands down (but I have already been to Germany so that did factor into my decision).
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Post by merry27 on Apr 13, 2024 22:02:57 GMT
Thank you! I think we are leaning towards Ireland. My only drawback was that I didn’t want to have to change locations every few days but it seems like that’s the way to go. I prefer having a home base. Any recommendations on places to stay?
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peabay
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Posts: 9,595
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on Apr 13, 2024 23:06:11 GMT
If money is no object, spend a few nights at Ashford Castle in Cong. It's amazing.
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Post by zippythebird on Apr 13, 2024 23:32:09 GMT
Another vote for Ireland I have family in & around Mayo so am over there often .
It is absolutly stunning over there The Connemara region in Galway is breathtaking
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Post by ~summer~ on Apr 14, 2024 19:39:27 GMT
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Post by Basket1lady on Apr 14, 2024 19:49:29 GMT
We’ve done both and both are great. You can’t make a wrong decision.
Know that Ireland doesn’t have much of a train service, so you either need to use busses or rent a car. We rented a car and found it surprisingly easy to drive on the left. Be sure to get your insurance through the rental agency. When we dropped off our car, it took all of 5 minutes. The people in front of us used their car insurance from home and were still there when we got on the bus to the airport! Ireland isn’t as big as Germany, but the roads are often small and it’s slow going once you are off the main motorways.
Germany had a good interstate road system, so you can get from city to city faster. We found even the roads to small villages were were and quick to use. Trains are also very available and easy to use. Many Germans also speak English, so it’s fairly easy to get by with my bad German!
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Post by Karene on Apr 14, 2024 22:26:43 GMT
I love Ireland (part of my heritage) and we spent 17 days travelling in a circle. Would go back in a heartbeat and so would my husband.
After 4 weeks in Italy we took the train to Fussen to see Neuschwanstein Castle and then the train to Munich. We also went on a bus ride to Zugspitze peak. We plan a trip to just see Germany in a year or 2 (my husband's heritage). I enjoyed what we did see and am interested in seeing more of Germany.
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Posts: 2,796
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Post by TXMary on Apr 15, 2024 1:55:49 GMT
I loved Ireland. We would go back in a heartbeat. I haven’t been to Germany yet. Well, technically I have been because I was born there on a US Air Force base but I don’t remember it. We’re going in August so I might change my answer but right now I would vote Ireland.
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Post by workingclassdog on Apr 15, 2024 14:48:25 GMT
I'm not going to look at the responses, but first gut tells me Ireland. That is one on my bucket list. You really can't go wrong with either choice though. I haven't been to Ireland but to Germany a couple of times. Germany is beautiful and lots to do, but Ireland just seems sooooo relaxing and beautiful.
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Post by mmmom on Apr 17, 2024 1:13:34 GMT
I agree with working class dog that you will enjoy either trip. I love Ireland and am going back for a second visit next month after having first visited 10 years ago. I am of Irish descent and had always wanted to visit. I definitely felt as if I was amongst my people. LOL I have since been bitten by travel bug so we went o Germany right before Covid hit. I didn’t have high expectations but thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We went to Berlin, Munich and Dresden and Dachau. Food was delicious,language barrier not a problem, traveling from city to city was easy to navigate. I would go again!
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Post by ecvnj58 on Apr 17, 2024 16:27:00 GMT
I go to Germany for work. My office is in Freiburg. Last year I went and did biking in the Alsace wine region, hiking in ribeuville to castles and we did a chocolate tour in Zurich. I love this little area of France, Switzerland and Germany and have been having so much fun exploring it.
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Post by kluski on Apr 18, 2024 3:38:42 GMT
We’re going to Ireland in 2 weeks.
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Post by smasonnc on Apr 18, 2024 9:56:20 GMT
I'm going against the grain here, but I'm going to say Germany. My family is from Northern Ireland so I've been several times. We just did a tour of the south and it was fine, but I found the south very touristy. We go to Oktoberfest in Munich every other year. Getting around is very easy and visiting the small towns is wonderful.
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Apr 18, 2024 15:40:54 GMT
I haven't been to Germany. I am sure I would love it, but I have been to Ireland and I KNOW I loved it.
We flew from London to the Ring of Kerry. We rented a car there and drove down along the coast and then up through Co Wicklow and Dublin and then did another day trip from Dublin to Newgrange and flew back to London from Dublin. We did that in 6 days. With a couple more days I would either stay longer in an area or add on the Dingle Peninsula or go to Cork (which we drove around).
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huskergal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,981
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Post by huskergal on Apr 18, 2024 15:56:03 GMT
I would love to go to Ireland! Enjoy your trip.
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Post by melanell on Apr 18, 2024 19:33:42 GMT
I would personally choose Ireland, but my answer is very specific to me. DH & I both have ancestry from both of those places, but we only currently have specific location knowledge for those who came from Ireland. So I would choose to take that trip first, hoping that if we were to later go to Germany, perhaps we'd have more info by then.
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