Though super-dark mornings are a bit of a bummer, I am definitely loving the extended hours of sunlight thanks to the time change!
Last night we had time to go for a two-mile walk and eat dinner all before the sun went down which was fantastic.
During our walk, Ryan and I had a lot to talk about! Ryan learned that he will be traveling to the UK again next week for work and we’ve been saving money for a last-minute European vacation with the intent to quickly plan a vacation around his next work trip. We wanted to piggyback on Ryan’s work travel since his airfare will be covered by his company and that will save us a pretty penny. (Plus, we’d like to do some travel before we start seriously thinking about babies!)
As we walked, we discussed planning a trip to Europe in a week (!!!) and got more and more excited about the possibility. When we previously discussed our ideal European vacation, Ireland always topped our list, so we knew that would have to be part of our trip.
When we arrived home, we immediately sat down at the computer and did a ton of research. We searched for flights to and from a bunch of different airports and tried to loosely outline a schedule. In the end, we decided that I will fly out at the end of the week and meet up with Ryan. We plan to spend a week in Ireland and three days in London and fly home together from London, but we don’t have the timeline finalized by any means. We still have a ton of research and planning to do but I could hardly sleep last night because I am so excited.
For those of you who have traveled to Ireland and London in the past – or live(d) there – I would love to hear any recommendations you may have!
Dinner
As we played around on the computer and researched away, we ate a delicious dinner of pork, roasted broccoli, lentils and rice.
The lentils and rice were absolutely delicious, but I don’t deserve any of the credit.
My father-in-law sent us a Creamy Coconut Lentils and Rice kit from the Jaali Bean to try and I simply followed the package directions. It was fantastic and so flavorful! One package makes a ton, so I’m excited for leftovers!
Question of the Morning
- I’d love any and all recommendations you may have surrounding a trip to Ireland and London! What should we see? Where should we stay? What food do we have to try?
I’ve followed your travel recommendations in the past and you guys always have the best tips!
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I’ve been to both London and Ireland and you’ll have a wonderful time at both. For London one of our highlights was the Tower of London. If you haven’t seen any of the Tudor’s (HBO series) I’d suggest watching a few episodes before you go. The hop on hop off is a great suggestion as it gives you a great overview of the city.
In Ireland do not get a car in Dublin. The city is actually pretty small and you can get around very easily. Make sure to visit Temple Bar and hear some traditional Irish music. Someone mentioned the Guinness tour. We found it interesting, but if you’ve been on beer tours before it’s pretty much the same as others. I’d recommend getting out of Dublin, renting a car and driving. The Slea Head drive (by Dingle) has stunning views. There are castles everywhere and they are all fun to go through.
Both areas have great fish and chips, but I’d skip the full Irish/English breakfast (egg, bacon-more like side-pork, sausage, beans and whole tomato). We didn’t care for it.
Ahh SO jealous! I just got back from a semester abroad in London and LOVED it.
Definitely get afternoon tea! You MUST have scones and CLOTTED CREAM. There are some sweet deals you can find here: http://afternoontea.co.uk/
For a fancy tea I’d recommend the Park Room in the Grosvenor House Hotel. More casual, try Bea’s of Bloomsbury, the Wolesley, or Cafe in the Crypt in Trafalgar Square.
Museums- the Victoria & Albert, British Museum. One cool museum is Geffrye Museum, which displays a series of living rooms in different styles through the decades!
Go for a run in Regent’s Park up to Primrose Hill. And check out all the markets! Portabello Road is a bit overwhelming, but I loved Camden Markets and Borough Market (for all the delicious food!). If you’re at Camden Markets, you should try liquid nitrogen ice cream at Chin Chin Labs (http://www.chinchinlabs.com/)! Also get a pie (savory pot pies) from the stand in Camden Market. If you love Indian food go to Tayyab’s in in Whitechapel, Dishoom in Covent Garden, or Brick Lane (there’s a great Sunday morning market) or Drummond Street, which has a lot of great lunch buffets (I’d recommend Chutney’s). Fish & chips – The Golden Hind in Marylebone. Gastropubs – Great Queen Street. Cheap, fast to-go lunches: Pret a Manger, EAT, Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero (London is full of these fast casual places).
My friend and I climbed the O2 Arena at night as well… very memorable views! http://www.theo2.co.uk/upattheo2
If you have time for a day trip, you can visit Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed. https://highclerecastleshop.co.uk/admission-tickets I’m not sure when you’ll be there, but the house reopens for public tours in Easter. It’s about an hour and half away from London by train. You should definitely see the English countryside!
For a quick trip outside London, Hampton Court Palace is worth a visit. (As is Kensington Palace/Gardens in London, where Princess Diana used to live). You can visit the palace, stroll around the gardens, and have afternoon tea at the Orangery.
I’m excited to read about your trip!
Oh my goodness, you lucky lady!!! What a nice surprise!! Have so much fun!!!! Super super jealous 😀
Awesome! I’ve never been to Europe, so I don’t have any suggestions for you, but I’ll certainly be taking note of what you enjoy while you’re there – hopefully I’ll be needing to use your ideas soon 🙂
I am so jealous that you are traveling to London and Ireland! I lived in London for 6 weeks one summer during college and took a weekend trip to Ireland while there. Both are such fabulous places! I’ve also been to England twice on vacation with my family, so London has a very special place in my heart.
While in London, you must have traditional afternoon tea one day (you will want to skip lunch because it involves a lot of yummy food)! For the best (but also the most expensive) experience, tea at Claridge’s hotel is nothing short of fabulous. Another great spot that isn’t quite as pricey is tea at the Park Lane hotel. I’ve also stayed at the Park Lane, and it is wonderful! You can’t beat the location in the heart of London. Brown’s is another amazing hotel in a great location. Both the Park Lane and Brown’s are pricey hotels, so I’m not sure whether they would fit in your budget for the trip.
One of my favorite places to visit in London are the Churchill Cabinet War Rooms at the Imperial War Museum. These rooms served as a bunker that sheltered Churchill and the government during the first world war. They are so interesting to see! Of course I also love the traditional “London” things like visiting the Tower of London, the different palaces, changing of the guard, Westminster Abbey, shopping around at Harrods (the gelato there is incredible), going to the theatre at night (Les Mis and Mary Poppins are my favorits), etc. So much to do and see!
If it’s warm enough, it’s fun to pick up a sandwich from Pret a Manger and take a picnic to Hyde Park. It’s beautiful! There’s also a place called Wagamama that was one of my favorite lunch spots. It’s a Japanese noodle restaurant (not very expensive) that is absolutely delish.
Two things that stood out from my Ireland experience were touring the Waterford factory and visiting Blarney Castle where we kissed the Blarney Stone for good luck. Ireland is absolutely breath-taking, and I know y’all will love every moment of your time there!
I hope you have such an incredible vacation! Can’t wait to read about it once you’re back!
Hi Julie, happy To hear your visiting Ireland!!! Check out http://www.avoca.ie, as well as powerscourt gardens in enniskerry and johnnie foxes a traditional Irish pub that has been there for over a hundred years !!
Hi Julie!
I studied abroad at Oxford in college and we made weekend trips to London and got lots of advice from people on our train rides. We went to the best fish and chips place in Covent Garden called Rock and Sole Plaice. It was AWESOME and I took my family there when they visited. It’s definitely off the beaten path.
Also, I would highly recommend seeing a show one night in the West End. You can get really cheap tickets while you’re walking around during the day and then head back at night. I saw Wicked, Hair and Les Mis–so awesome. The West End also has this Chinese restaurant in Chinatown that is SO cool. You have to knock on the door and a lady pokes her head out to ask how many people. It’s called Leong’s Legends. Great spot to head before you go to your show!
Also, there is an awesome Indian restaurant called Veeraswamy. It’s the oldest Indian restaurant in the UK! The vibe of the restaurant is so, so cool and trendy. Be ready to shell out a little money, but it’s definitely worth it!
I LOVE IRELAND! I lived there for a semester in college and have visited 3 other times. You NEED to do a walking tour of Dublin (new Europe tours are free), go to Kilmainhain Gaol, the theater if you can, and Temple Bar. Go see the Cliffs of Moher, and spend at least a day in Galway. It’s beautiful; my favorite city ever! If you have time, take a day trip to Aran Islands, and rent bikes and explore for the day. It’s like a little oasis, the people are so nice and most still speak Gaelic. It’s so cool! If you have time to head North, check out the Giant’s Causeway, and the Blarney Stone. Belfast is also a cool city, and the Falls Road, and walking the walls of Derry is always a powerful experience! If you’re planning to stick to certain area of Ireland, let me know, and I’d love to give you more tips! Also in London, make sure you hit up the Globe Theater- it’s so cool!
Hi Julie,
I’ve been following you for a while and had to finally comment when I saw this post. You have to have ice cream at Murphy’s in Ireland. It is homemade and has odd flavours , they have them in every city but it is originally from Dingle which is a super cute little town that I recommend. If you go to Dingle there is a beach called Inch beach that looks like a beach from a 5 star resort, you can drive your car all over the sand and it’s got a great breakfast restaurant right on the beach. DO NOT kiss the blarney stone for good luck, the locals pee on it because they know all the tourists kiss it! You are going at a great time March,April,may is usually the best weather in Ireland, I was there last year April and we had sun everyday, I was almost disappointed I didn’t get to wear my cute rain boots! Have a great trip
This is exactly what I was going to write – do not go to Blarney stone – they pee on it its gross and awaste of time because you will get stuck in traffic in Limerick on your way down to Dingle because you HAVE TO GO TO DINGLE. it is the most beautiful place in the world – and agree with Inch Beach. We stayed at Murphy’s B&B. Also Kinsale was amazing too they call it a small Newport, RI. amazing seafood. Also Cliffs of Moher (where i got engaged 😉 ) If you stay in galway you can take a trip up north to Connemara State Park great hiking trails. We did a loop Dublin-Galway (2nights) down stopped for lunch in Doolin and went to Clifs took ferry over bay and went through Conors Pass to Dingle (2 nights), Ring of Kerry to Killarney, Kinsale, Kilkenny(skip it) back to Dublin.
I had an internship in London in 2006! There is really too much to do in 3 days!
At the end of the internship my cousin came and visited for a few days. We had so much fun! One of my favorite things we did was a wine tour at: http://vinopolis.co.uk/
Which was promptly followed by one of the best brownies in my life from the near by market!
Make sure to drink a Pimm’s (the Queen’s drink of choice) in London!! They are delicious and definitely something you don’t want to miss out on! And the fish and chips are hard to pass up too!
I lived in London for a year and loved it! It’s beautiful! The only downfall, I thought, was the food. Not the most vibrant selections but make sure you do try fish and chips and pasties. You’ll love it all either way!
I’m from England (now living in the US) so I hope I can help! I’ve never been to Ireland but lived near London for several years. London is like NYC, you can get pretty much whatever kind of food of any ethnicity that you like.
I would recommend having fish and chips at least once (with curry sauce, my favorite!). Stop in a real pub for a pint of whatever is on draft, especially a cider on draft, just ve aware they are served at room temperature and not cold.
London has a lot of great museums, most of which are free. (The Natural History Museum is fab.) You’ll want to see the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace too, I think it’s at 11am. I know you guys like Indian food and the UK has a large Indian populations which means plenty of delicious Indian restaurants! Chinatown in London is a good experience too. There really is a lot to see, I hope you have a wonderful trip!
Charlotte
Love it when a vacation is so spur of the moment. You will have a fantastic time. Enjoy. Come back with some recommendations as we want to tour Scotland and Ireland next year.
My husband and I went to Ireland this past August, it was the most romantic, fun trip ever! We started in Dublin rented a car (smallest one possible!) and cruised around the country. My top tips
1. Get Rick Steves Ireland book, best travel advice. We loved his view on traveling in Europe – “travel like a local.” We got all of our B&Bs from that book.
2. Get a GPS with your car rental, most roads do not have names. This made our traveling totally stress free, you have enough to think about driving on the wrong side of the road 🙂
3. Stay in Bed and Breakfasts, or small Inns. We always made sure we had a room with a bathroom in it.
4. Be flexible in Ireland, the beauty is in the drive, and stopping at all the cute small towns along the way. Our favorite small town was Kinsale!
5. Talk with the locals to see about the best live “trad” music in town, and go early to get a good spot.
I second the b&b/small in recommendation.
Dublin is a great city, but my best memories of Ireland (I was lucky enough to go twice) are from small towns and the country side. I loved seeing castles. The Rock of cashel is awesome. A few times, we’d even spot an abandoned castle in the country side or even in a small town, and decide to explore. (I’m not saying that ways legal or anything…) While in Dublin, however, I did really enjoy stopping in at Trinity College and seeing the Book of Kells, stopping in at some pubs (and seeking out live music, of course!), and seeing a show at the Gate Theater. I could not get enough brown bread and smoked salmon. It was delicious and served at almost every pub and restaurant I went to.
I went to Ireland on my honeymoon and it was the BEST trip I have ever taken!!!!! We felw into Dublin and stayed there for a few days. I would recommend getting a bus hopper pass ( I think that’s what it’s called) and it will allow you to use the bus all day. Temple Bar is cool and so is the Jameson Factory tour and Guiness tour. After Dublin we drove around the southern part of Ireland where we went to the Blarney Castle, stopped in Killarney (really cute town), Doolin (near the Cliffs of Mohr, very cool), and Shannon and Limmerick. I am so jealous of your trip 🙁 Have a wonderful time!!!!
So excited for you and Ryan!! I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland!!
I just had the pleasure of spending two weeks in London over my Christmas break and it was the best experience ever! I second most everything everyone else has said. And if you get the chance, I’d highly recommend taking the train out to Hampton Court Palace. It was one of King Henry VIII palaces and has all sort of fun reenactors and amazing views and gardens.
You will definitely want to go into the Irish countryside while you are in Ireland. I loved the Glendalough region which offers plenty of walking trails. There is also a beautiful Irish estate and gardens called Powerscourt that is very close. You can easily make both of these places a day trip from Dublin!
I can’t wait to hear how your trip goes! We are hoping to go to Ireland in a year and a half for our 10 year wedding anniversary!
Go to Galway, definitely, and go to Taafe’s Pub on Shop Street! It’s a tiny little bar and they have great music and you just really feel like you’re in an Irish pub, not a touristy spot! I did a semester of my student teaching in Galway in the fall of 2007, it was the best time of my life and I enthusiastically recommend Galway to anyone mentioning going to Ireland. It’s a college town so the nightlife is really great and I’m sure you would love the shopping on Shop Street and Quay Street. Also, get a 6-pack of Bulmer’s and sit in Eyre Square to people-watch!
AHHHH I LOVE IRELAND! I lived there and have been 6 times:) In all seriousness, you could stay at my godparent’s house in Dublin and they will make you feasts every day. Things you should do:
Dublin: Howth for fish & chips, Jameson Tour (better than Guinness, but do Guinness too), Book of Kells at Trinity, The Jail is supposed to be awesome, Messrs McGuire is my fav pub with microbrews, Phoenix Park is great for a run, and CrossFit Dublin is fun!! OHH and the traditional irish music headquarters for the world are in MonksTown – they have a pub with live shows (you HAVE to go hear GOOD irish music!)
Also – Blarney Castle, Bunratty Castle for a medieval meal, Cliffs of Moher, Dingle is beautiful, Galway is more of a fun “college town” than Dublin….so much! seriously email me if you need help:)
HOW amazing!! I LOVE Europe. My sis lived in London for 6 months & my friend married a Londoner. She loves the place, and you will too! 🙂
Some of my relatives just returned from Ireland this past week! Apparently the “Ashford Castle” is the place to go? She said she had a great time, so I’d suggest researching it!
Yay! There is so much to do in London! Two things you must try in the UK.. wait three… Cream tea ( It’s a scone with clotted cream and jam along with some tea), sticky toffee pudding, and their ciders!!!! Watch out though b/c the alcohol content can be a lot higher than expected, and it’s easy to drink it like water. Especially, the pear cider! Oh my goodness, I love this stuff! (There’s a Pear Cider by Kopparberg, it’s actually Swedish I believe but they carry it in the UK and Ireland, and it’s so yummy!)
I love Ireland! Definitely rent a car and drive around, B&B’s are everywhere. Dublin is great, but what is so great about Ireland are the people, get out and talk to people! Catch a hurling match, or if you can’t make it to an actual game, get down to the pub in time to see one, and a local will explain the game to you! It’s Ireland’s sport, and it’s fast! http://gaa.ie/fixtures-and-results/national-fixtures/allianz-hurling-league/
I’m currently residing in the UK, (and backpacked around Ireland for three weeks after college) so if you have any specific questions, let me know and I’ll be happy to try to answer them.
If you are only planning to be in Ireland for a few days check out the Shamrocker tour. It’s a 3-7 day tour that goes to both big and small areas of Ireland. A little rugged, but so, so fun.
Julie,
I’ve been reading your site everyday for almost a year now and I love it!
You’re going to enjoy London! I loved the walking, the sightseeing and the culture. My husband and I went there for our honeymoon back in 2011. All I can say is if you can do more than 3 days, it’ll be less rushed. We were there for 4 days before heading to Paris and it was just not enough time. There was so much to see and do. If you’re interested in museums, that takes up all your time.
We loved walking up and down all the main streets and just window shop. My other favorite was just sitting in Kensington Park and people watch. we really wanted to rent bikes to tour the city but had no time.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
if you go to ireland, i wouldn’t stay in dublin for more than a day. it’s pretty americanized and reminds me of nyc or another busy american or international city. i hear kent and kerry are much more unique! get ready for lots of beer, make sure to order a shandy, and pack an umbrella because it rains all the time!
Ahhh im so excited for you!!! Yall have to try borough market when you are in London- it is food paradise and has a bunch of really cool stalls and shops! Plus its by the tower bridge and the Tower of London so its a good thing to do if you are going to tour the Tower which you totally should!! (and totally do the guided tour because the Yeomen are the best) Also check out the parks- My favorite is Regents Park, but they are all beautiful! If you want expensive window shopping and too see the glitzy side of London definitely walk around Knightsbridge, Kensington and Bond Street- and for shops like Topshop and to see vibrant touristy London do Oxford Street! Covent Garden is also really great! Harrods has an amazing chocolate bar, Wagamamas is an asian noodle bar that is amazing Pizza Express may be the best pizza I have had not in Italy, Nandos Chicken is a South African restaurant that rocks, and there are some great pubs in knightsbridge/kensington to eat lunch at! They also have a bike share program in London now which might be a cool way to explore the city!!!
Enjoy!
That is SUPER EXCITING!! London is absolutely amazing!
You MUST go to the Cabinet War Rooms!! That is where Winston Churchill planned the war. It’s absolutely incredible and so interesting to be there. We had a tour guide and the things we learned were sooo interesting. http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms
The Tower of London is also very cool, and you can see all the Crown Jewels! http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/
As far as food goes, I don’t think the classic London food is very good, because it was all very bland. My family and I liked to branch out to all the different ethnic food that was around. That was the most delicious!!! But you do have to try the classic British bacon – prepare yourself that it’s more like ham! Can’t wait to hear about your trip!
I’ve never been to either of those places! Sounds like a blast 🙂 And babies? You two would have the cutest little blonde bundle of joy, oh my! 😉
Hi Julie,
So exciting that you are going to Ireland and London.
I live near cambridge, so have been to london many times! I would recommend going on the london eye at night, its absolutely beautiful and the view is amazing. Definitely find an Indian restaurant because the Indian food is to die for in England, Veeraswamy and Amaya have really good Indian food and of course get fish and chips, they are so good! Another fun thing you might like, is seeing the Guard Change at Buckingham Palace, you can check the times online, but I suggest getting there early if you are going to do that, it gets really busy especially the weekend. Whatever you decide to do it will be great, there is so much to do and see in London.
Hope you have a fantastic trip and look forward to hearing about it.
London: Eat at a Wagamama! http://www.wagamama.com/
I recommend you get an Oyster card for the public transport. (Underground, buses)
Try a Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer at a pub…delicious!
Make a reservation for Afternoon Tea at the Browns Hotel. Its luxurious, delicious, and traditional English! http://www.brownshotel.com/dining/the-english-tea-room/
loooooooooove Ireland – tons to do! We stayed in bed & breakfasts on the cheap. we have done Galway mostly, don’t bother with Dublin, so boring and dirty. go to the country side and see Cork or kerry or blarney stone. That being said, stuff near Galway we love include: Clifs of Moher, Kylemore Abbey, connemara, Aryan Islands & Dun Aengus (you bike around the hill aryan islands for the day, so much fun – just dont be hungover!)
Ireland!!! How amazzzziiinng. I’ve always wanted to go there. It looks so lush and gorgeous. You’ll have to pop into a little local pub and listen to some live music. I’ve heard from my uncle that that’s the absolute best thing to soak up the Irish atmosphere. So exciting!
My brotheer and I were in the UK last summer and the two best things we did were hikes in Snowdonia National Park in Wales and along the Jurrasic Coast in Southern England. The views were spectacular and the hiking was just challenging enough. It takes a bit of time to get to the locations, but if you are renting a car, its totally worth it.
London is seriously my favorite place in the entire world. You definitely have to tour the Tower of London and it’s worth it to wait in the crows for the changing of the guards at Buckinham Palace. If you’re Beatles fans like my family, check out Abbey Road – I forget the name but there’s an awesome coffee shop near the gift store. Make sure you visit Harrods and take the trip on the London Eye. Try traditional English tea and “bangers and mash” at a real English pub. Visit the London Museum, it’s small, but full of history and great info – it’s actually constructed from parts of the old London wall. If you have the time, I know it’s far, but make the day trip to Stratford upon Avon or Stonehenge. I’d recommend the restaurant at the Dorchester – the hotel itself is really expensive, but the food is insane!
HAVE FUN – can’t wait to read about it.
gaaahhhh how exciiiiiiting!! The two places I’ve always always been fascinated with–especially Ireland! Haha, perhaps before going you should watch the movie “Once”. Amazing indie movie….And I wish I had tips for you, but I heard one thing you have to try is their scones! Mmmm
Oh my gosh Julie you will love it! Ireland is my favorite place I’ve visted.
Here’s what we did: we flew into Dublin and explored there (go to the Guiness Factory! So fun and a beautiful view from the top). And definitely check out The Temple Bar—it’ll be packed, but it’s a must-see. Honestly for me, Dublin was all about the nightlife! We did an organized pub crawl that was a total blast.
Then we rented a car and drove around the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula, which are gorgeous. The Cliffs of Moher are amazing too. And definitely try to squeeze in a trip to Galway–it’s an adorable little town with more of a traditional feel (think, signs in Gaelic!)
Those are my must-dos. 🙂 We only visted Southern Ireland, and were really happy with that decision.
Oh yeah and I forgot this—obviously kiss the Blarney Stone. 🙂 So fun! And again, a gorgeous view from the top.
Hi Julie – I had to speak up for the first time on your blog! If you hit up Dublin, I’d pass on the Guiness Factory tour, unless you LOVE Guiness. It’s overpriced and has a sterilized museum quality to it instead of a brewery quality (i.e. no behind the scenes looks at giant tubs of beer bubbling away in different stages). Everything is roped off and it’s self-guided. However! DO visit Newgrange in the Boyne Valley (www.newgrange.com) if you love history and the romanticism behind ancient historical sites, this place is seriously magical (read about their winter solstice!). You can take the train there. While Dublin is an awesome city to visit, it’s very expensive so if you’re trying to stay on budget I’d recommend taking train or bus to Galway or Cork or other cities on the West Coast. It’s rainier there but just as beautiful, plus Galway is more walkable because it’s a smaller city.
How exciting, looking forward to pics!
@kel_kwr
-kelly
I’m going to Ireland next Thursday! We are flying into Dublin and then hit up the west coast.. On my list to see is definitely the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara (especially the Diamond Hill hike), the city of Galway is having a food festival March 28th-April 1st, and just the countryside in general!
Oh my gosh I’m beyond jealous! I went to London (and many other places) two summers ago and could not have had a better time! Buckingham Palace and The London Eye are two biggies I’d suggest. Also, I spent a good portion of a day just getting lost in the streets of donwtown London and it was amazing. No set schedule, just window shopped, walked through parks, chatted with different people over tea and just ENJOYED the city. It was so easy to get caught up in the beauty of it all!
Have so much fun!!
We just went to London last May. One of our favorite parts was getting a tour of Parliament. I think that you can only go on Saturdays, so you have to plan it very carefully. I also recommend touring St. Paul’s Cathedral. The audio tour was either free with admission or very inexpensive, and very worth it. I kept picturing Diana and Charles getting married there. One of our friends highly recommended the London eye, but we just found it to be okay. It does give great views. Maybe try for late in the evening to catch the sunset?
One thing to remember when planning your days, everything in London closes at like 6-7pm. I mean the museums and attractions, etc. Luckily you’re morning people, but just be aware.
I live in Cambridge, England, and have also lived in Oxford and traveled all around England and Ireland, so if you’d like any tips, etc, shoot me an email 🙂 have fun!
Ohh gosh that’s a toughie!! there are so many wonderful places to see & things to eat in London. You have to see the Tower of London and at least one of the amazing palaces — I have pictures from some of my trip on my blog if you want to see some photos. As for food — Cipriani’s is great italian and I know how you guys love Indian and curry so Tamarind of London is amazing!! Have so much fun!! xo
I’m actually planning an Ireland trip as well! I want to travel before starting graduate school. Would you mind possibly sharing some of the suggestions you get?
You guys are going to have so much fun! I’ve been to London and Ireland and loved both, but Ireland was AMAZING. We spent a few days in Dublin, then rented a car and drove South to Kinsale (the coastal towns are adorable) and then West to Galway. Such a fun way to see Ireland, though it was at times stressful driving on the “wrong” side of the road. A Dublin activity I would highly recommend that I didn’t see mentioned above would be the Literary Pub Crawl, in which two actors take you on a tour of Dublin pubs that were favorite haunts of famous Irish authors (oh, and you get to have a beer at each stop!). The tour really stood out as a highlight of my trip since it wove together Irish history, its legacy of literature and pub tradition. It was fantastic!
Here’s the link: http://www.dublinpubcrawl.com/
Hey Julie.
Your trip sounds great. I’ve lived in Dublin 6+ years now. It’s a great city and definitely go to the Brazen Head pub. They have traditional music and are one of the oldest pubs in the country. Kilmainham is great and the tour is interesting. Trinity College is beautiful and you’ll want to see the book of kells. Also try to make it to Cork. The city is friendly and the accent is great! I’d agree with other posters to say definitely go to Galway, dingle, and the giAnts causeway. Arran islands are great as well.
Places to skip: Blarney Stone (anyone I know who has kissed it has gotten the flu), Guinness factory, and Jameson. All are overpriced and overrated.
Feel free to ask any questions and I hope you both have a great time here!
You’re so lucky! I haven’t read through the comments, so I may be saying what other people have said. My few recommendations:
Don’t spend more than one day in Dublin (overrated!!)
Go to places such as Killarney and Cork that’s REAL Ireland!
Rent a car and drive The Ring of Kerry
Who cares! Kiss the Blarney Stone!! Or atleast spend a couple hours at the Castle
Wales was one of the most beautiful places (unexpectedly), so visit for maybe a half day!
Beau Mer Castle was where I visited in Wales
London — too much to type! My suggestion is try to travel outside of the city for a day, after exploring all of London of course.
I did a bus trip from London and went to Stonehenge (in Wiltshire) and the city of Bath and was back in London by 7pm. TOTALLY worth it, and was about $70 for the whole day.
P.S — I’m a travel agent!
Have fun! A couple of friends and I backpacked across Ireland and the UK the summer after we graduated high school. I’d love to go back! Some things I really enjoyed were: The Cliffs of Moher, Kissing the Blarney Stone, seeing Les Miserables in London, Stonehenge… Oh, and if you do end up in Scotland, then go see St. Andrews Cathedral.