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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You’re going to love Ireland! I went when I was a senior in high school, and it was absolutely breathtaking.Galway, Dublin, and Tralee were my favorite stops. The Cliffs of Moher and kissing the Blarney stone are must see/must dos. If you can, try to visit the sheep farms. That was one of the most fun things I did while there.
That’s so awesome!! I’m actually going to Ireland in like two and a half weeks, on March 29th for a week. My little sister is studying abroad there so my parents and I are going to visit her in Limerick. Where are y’all thinking about going? My mom has lined up all kinds of things for us to do there so if that’s the part you’re headed to let me know and I’d be more than happy to share our itinerary!
You should definitely go for an afternoon tea while you are in London! My favourite ones are the Soho Hotel (the best scones!) and the Athenaeum (the best sandwiches!), and you cannot go wrong with Claridges, Browns or the Langham (yes I have tried t̶o̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶y̶ a lot of them!).
A nice English pub to go to for dinner is the Punch Bowl in Mayfair, the desserts are delicious!
There are so many good restaurants here in London I could recommend!
I am sure you are gong to have an amazing time 🙂
Oh and I forgot, the Riding House Café has this PB&J smoothie that does really hit the spot!
I agree that you need to go to Afternoon Tea!
I’ve been to London 3 times, and my favorite must-see stops are Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, walk by Buckingham Palace, The British Museum, Tate Modern museum, Harrods…( to gawk in awe at the many floors of designer clothing and food). I also recommend Hampton Court Palace, a quick train stop outside the city.
I have to echo sentiments about being FREEZING in N. Europe right now. We live about 1 hour by plane from London, at the German/Dutch border, and we have many inches of snow on the ground. Pack warm clothing, for sure, and rain gear. You will have such an awesome time!!
I’ve only recently found your blog, and quite honestly, it just gives me a little lift in the day to read your fun posts and hear about your life- it’s really making me happy! And you’ve inspired me to start morning exercise, so thank you for that. It’s also bloody freezing in the UK at the moment, so hearing about sunny Florida is a lovely distraction. If you are flying into Dublin airport, if you are up for hiring a car and attempting to drive on the left, you should drive up to county Wicklow and drive through the Wicklow mountains – miles and miles of breathtaking beauty! Or if you want to explore the West of Ireland, County Mayo is absolutely stunning, (you would have to fly into Knock airport with a 45 minute drive to Mayo). Both these places are very much natural beauty, country, mountains, lakes etc, so I’m sure there would be some wonderful walks.
Keep up the good work, and know that your lovely and uplifting posts are appreciated greatly!
xx
Spent two weeks in Ireland with my sister this past summer and fell in love with the people and country. One of our favorite spots was Killarney National Park (so beautiful) and the town of Killarney!
I love London and Ireland!
Favorites..
Ireland:
Cork: Jameson Distillery, Barrycourt Castle, Charles Fort
Killarney: Sika B&B, Muckross Estate (you can skip the Ring of Kerry)
Dublin: Free Dublin Walking tour is a great way to see the city
London: Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Eye, all the touristy stuff is great; The Londoner has an awesome blog too! thelondoner.me
have fun!
If you go to Ireland, it’s worth side trips to the Cliffs of Moher (W. Ireland) and Giants Causeway (N. Ireland)
http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/
http://www.northantrim.com/giantscauseway.htm
I recommend the Giants Causeway in Ireland! Incredibly beautiful especially for nature lovers!
We just went to Ireland for the first time last summer and absolutely enjoyed it!! Places I loved: Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher, in Killarney we stayed at the Purple Heather which was a great little B&B, Valentia Island in Kerry, Blarney castle, Rock of Cashel, Jameson Distillery, in Kinsale we stayed at the Sea Gull Inn and Mary O’Neil was the inn keeper. She is an amazing old lady and super sweet. Enjoy!!
2nd the recommendation for the Jameson Distillery- a really fun place/tour!
I was only in Ireland for a short time, visiting my boyfriend a couple of years ago while he had an internship in Dublin, so I can’t recommend too much but I definitely suggest visiting a castle while you are there! We went to Dublin Castle and it was so incredible to see such an old and beautiful building. Shopping around in the city center was fun too!
You are going to have such a great trip (:
Ahhhhh!!!!!
That’s how I react at the mere mention of London. I went to London and France during my junior year of high school and studied abroad in London for 5 weeks during college, so I’m obsessed.
Since you’ll only have a few days, I’d recommend some touristy places like Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, squeezing in a play or musical, and something not on most people’s lists, the Imperial War Museum. I’m a museum nerd, but I spent hours there. Also, one of my favorite things to do was just walk along the Thames. There’s so much to see and do in London. And, while I’ve never been to Ireland, I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time there.
I wasn’t super impressed with the food in London (didn’t really know the hot spots, I guess), but I’d recommend some authentic fish and chips or a kebab.
Have a blast whatever you end up doing/seeing!!
the Queen of Tarts in Dublin remains the absolute best breakfast/brunch of my entire life. i have dreams about their Queen Victoria sponge cake. if you end up in Dublin at all, make the trip to Dame Street and have brunch – it’s a charming place!
Yes! The Queen of Tarts was amazing. Worth the stop for breakfast or a sweet treat.
I totally second this comment! I went there early in the morning and there were wonderful, hot and fresh out of the oven scones!
Everyone had really good recommendations here, but I would have to add that if you go to London, if you have the time you should go to the Berkeley or the Savoy Hotel for High Tea. It is really quite posh, but very fun and the Berkeley tea has themed baked goods that correspond with current fashion trends of the season. I studied abroad in London and really enjoyed every minute of it. Covent Garden is this wonderful outdoor shopping area where you can find a mix of locals and tourists alike. We frequented there a lot! And if you do need a quick lunch at anytime I would recommend popping into a grocery store like M&S for a quick sandwich and some crisps. The best fish and chips that I tried were at Rock And Sole
near Covent Garden, WC2.
Hyde Park is absolutely one of the best runs that I have ever had, it’s big enough to be alone amongst the arching trees and there are great ponds throughout with swans and ducks swimming about. An easy way to get around Hyde Park is to use the Barclay’s Bikes that you are able to purchase for a pound for a couple of hours or so.
And for research on London or Ireland I would recommend Time Out London, Rick Steves, and just looking at some of the good travel sections at Barnes and Noble and the like. I would say take the Tube most places around the city as there are multi-day passes and black cabs are really expensive and have to ordered in advance. Carry some cash around at all times. Cash is still king there and if you find yourself without it, you might just have to go elsewhere and the ATMs often do not accept American cards (or not without a large fee for conversion, etc). London is doing a really good job of inventing itself food wise and one blogger that I recommend for all things London is http://www.thelondoner.me/. I would search her website for recommendations on food, bar, restaurants, things to do.
The most memorable experiences that I had in London while I was living there were the outdoor markets, there are markets for foodies, antiques, anything and everything.
Here some recommendations:
— Borough Market (this is for foodies, and is a MUST)
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk
Opening hours:
Open 11am-5pm Thur; noon-6pm Fri; 8am-5pm Sat
Transport:
Tube: London Bridge tube/rail
-Portobello Road Market (I almost felt like I had not experienced living in London until I went here, another MUST and Hummingbird Bakery is on the same street, but I would say eat a light breakfast before you get there, pass on the street crêpes and go straight for some of the venders that sell their food after you have passed most of the antique shops. You don’t have to buy anything, you can just stroll if you want to, but you really get a great sense of London, Notting Hill and the atmosphere, as well as the colorful houses are quite brilliant!)
Portobello Road (Go on Saturday morning before the crowds) 8am-7pm
Transport: Tube: Notting Hill Gate/Ladbroke Grove
–Brixton Market
Outdoor market and several arcades of stalls selling exotic fruit and veg, halal meats, fish, clothes, fabrics, household goods, reggae CDs, crafts and wigs.
–Spitalfields Market
Website:
http://www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com
Opening hours:
Open General 9.30am-5pm Thur, Fri, Sun. Antiques 8.30am-4.30pm Thur. Food 10am-5pm Fri-Sun. Fashion 9.30am-5pm Fri. Records & books 10am-4pm 1st & 3rd Fri of the month
Transport:
Tube: Liverpool Street tube/rail or Shoreditch High Street rail
Sorry for going on for so long! But have a lot of fun! I can’t wait to see what you do! And thank you for your blog! I have so much fun reading it every day!
People have already recommended lots of great things just want to add one more thing. Local pubs! Both in Ireland and London there are so many local pubs and it’s really interesting and fun to go for a beer with the locals.
I am studying abroad in London right now! It is my favorite city in the world!
My favorite food so far: Nando’s (you hav to try!), Paul’s cafe, Hummingbird Bakery, Ben’s cookies. Cream tea or High tea is a great British treat. Indian food is top noch here also!
Although London is an expensive city there are a lot of free things to do as well. My two favorite markets are Portobello Market in Notting Hill, and Camden Market in Camden Town. Depending on where your staying in London will probably decide on what market you check out. Also visit a royal park if you’re up for a walk/run!
I went to Dublin recently and had a great free tour with Vikings free walking tour. Our tour guide showed us the city touristy stuff and some local sights as well as shared some great history and stories.
I would love to help you out more if you are still planning! There is ALWAYS something to do in London!
You have to try scones with clotted cream, clearly.
So my favorite types of food were some of the savory tarts that you could buy at the local pubs! My absolute favorite was a roasted vegetable tart, yum! At times when we were in London my stomach was upset because so much of the food is fried so the tarts were a nice break!
it was MANY years ago, but i know we went to a few plays. they were very well-done (and i am tough on plays)
I spent last summer in London. 🙂
I agree with all of these suggestions so far! Afternoon tea is a fun England thing to do. I liked it at the Ritz hotel best! England is known for good Indian food. Pubs are also very popular- you’ll see them all over.
I also agree that all the touristy things are fun, and I’ve seen all the good ones already mentioned in the comments, but I would just add in Kensington Palace- it’s where William and Kate live currently, and where Princess Diana used to live.
Have fun!! 🙂
I spent a month traveling all around Europe a few summers ago, but the Cliffs of Mohrer (and surrounding areas) in Ireland was hands down the highlight of the trip for me. Absolutely breathtaking- would highly recommend! I did it as a bus tour day trip from Dublin since I wasn’t in Ireland for very long, and you might alter your plans since you’ll be there for a week, but being able to see essentially the entire southern part of the country from east to west worked out great! Enjoy!
Ride a Gypsy Vanner in Ireland!!
Definitely check out Galway and The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland! And of course, Wesminster Abbey and the London Eye…among MANY other things, in London! Have fun!
Why am I the only one more interested at the small inclusion about babies!!!
hahaha! 🙂
I agree with all of the above 🙂 I will add one suggestion for Ireland; I enjoyed visiting Waterford. The town is small and you can tour the Waterford crystal factory. Glass cutting is a dying art, young people do not want to apprentice. I was there four years ago and the gentlemen was so kind to chat with us but he seemed sad that Waterford crystal may be a thing future generations hear parents talk about and never get to experience.
I also recommend antiquing! We visited second hand shops and had fun, plus purchasing some pieces there was a great buy. Much cheaper than at touristy shops or mall type stores.
Love Ireland. Cork is a must. We stayed at Hayfield Manner, so beautiful. Travel to Kinsale, Charles Fort is amazing. Also go to Cobb, Titanic museum is okay, the city is so gorgeous. I hope you havean amazing adventure!!!
How exciting! last minute plans 🙂 Enjoy it 🙂 Oh and if you need some guestposting- I’m always keen! 🙂
Depending on where you are in Ireland there’s so much to do and see! I second the London suggestions (Westminster, Big Ben, Tower of London & the Tate) and also think it would be worth your while to wander Piccadilly a bit 🙂
If you’re going to Dublin, you need to check out Temple Bar, Trinity College of Dublin (their library contains the Book of Kells and their campus is beautiful!) and just wondering the markets is a blast! Getting out to the countryside a bit would be worth it (biased, my family is from county Clare) but I also hear Galway is AMAZING! Haven’t quite been yet myself.
HAVE A BLAST! Can’t wait to hear stories!
I’m from Ireland, and if you come to visit you should spend at least a day in Galway! It’s a really nice city! It’s also not far from the Cliffs of Moher which you should also go see! The giants causeway is worth a visit too. Whilst in Dublin you should visit the Guinness storehouse, you get to pour your own perfect pint, and they give you a certificate!
I’d recommend renting a car 🙂
When are you going to be in London next week??? I am going to be there March 21st-March 23rd!!!!!!
I have my days packed full in order to see everything!
Hi Julie
I’m from Ireland and Follow your blog. i see a good few things mentioned already but just to let you know it’s really cold at the moment bring warm clothes!
One of the websites that will tell you whats on: http://www.discoverireland.ie/
Dublin: The book of Kells in Trinnity college. Georges street arcade for a stroll …blazing salads is a fab takeout for a snack. there is loads of restaurants a few Michelin Stars! if your looking for a nice dinner thats not to expensive try rustic stone (the owner had a Michelin star in his last place and is our Master chef!) but there is plenty to choose from. There is the usual pubs and Bars but a new one is the vintage cocktail club http://vintagecocktailclub.com/
Obviously there is much more but you can e-mail me if you need help!
If you want a nice hike Glendalough is amazing! its very beautiful and well worth a visit if the weather is good you could hop over to powerscourt from there also. If you are going to Kerry i would recommend killarney… you can do the ring of kerry from here and again the national park there is lovely there is Hikes all around the lakes and torque waterfall. i think there might be a 5k race on when your here.
Kilkenny is a beautiful medieval city not to far from Dublin. The castle houses an art gallery and it’s grounds are very pretty. Take a walking tour (it’s not very big) and drop into the Friary church on friary street it’s really peaceful you would never even know it’s there. there is a round tower to climb and get a panoramic view of the countryside. go For afternoon tea in the marble city tea rooms or Doors. the rivercourt hotel has a vintage feel to it and has stunning views of the castle. If you are into crafts there is a crafts trail….pottery is particularly popular, as is jewelry.
For cork, kinsale is another beautiful town with fab food it’s the gourmet capital of Ireland. if you go into the city (cork) check out the queens market.obviously if you are in this region there is loads of castles…Bunratty, the blarney stone etc…
If you are going to the west there is loads to do there too…..Galway is a great spot and a trip to the Aran Islands is a must (get the ferry and climb to the fort at the top of the Island..you can hire bikes off the ferry if you fancy that)
Westport is another lovely town in the west and if you are there go to the seaweed baths in Eniscrone or Sligo
http://homepage.eircom.net/~seaweedbaths/
http://www.voyaseaweedbaths.com/contact.aspx
I’m running out of steam now!!! ha ha well there is loads to do and if you need any advice e-mail me and i’ll do my best to help!
your recommendations have been SUPER helpful during our trip!! thank you!
I’m from Ireland and so the first thing I have to tell you is wrap up warm! Many places got snow last Monday and even without that the weather is cold and wet.
Some you’re only there for a week or there about, you should probably stay in a city. My favourite is Galway. But cork is lovely too and you’ll have to visit Dublin. There is so many different places to go, so it really depends on what part of the country you are in but the cliffs of moher is a major one. I’ve only ever been in the summer. But im sure they’re still spectacular this time of year.
In London there are also a variety of different things to do but if you’re in any way interested in musical I’d advise going to the west end.
Hope you have a great time wherever you decide to visit 🙂
Ireland is stunning – you’ll have fun wherever you go! If you get to the west coast of Ireland definitely check out the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle. Bunratty Castle is fantastic and was a highlight for me when I went to Ireland in 2011 – you can pretty much look throughout the whole castle and they throw a fantastic medieval banquet with yummy food (which you have to eat with only your fingers or the “dagger” that they give you!) and Irish music. Or if you are really adventurous, check out Newgrange – it’s one of a number of ancient tombs in Ireland that are meant to be older than the pyramids…sounds wierd but was fascinating (google it!) 🙂
If you like Indian food you HAVE to go to Punjab in Covent Garden. I used to take anyone who visited me there and everyone loved it. The BEST Indian food ever. My husband would travel back just for the chicken madras! http://www.punjab.co.uk/
I second this! My husband and I were in London this summer and this restaurant came highly recommended by one of the flight attendants on the way there. Our best meal in London, hands down! We had the pumpkin curry that was recommended to us and it was delicious!
As far as things to do, we were there about 2 months before the Olympics so we were able to take a tour of the venues. I’m wondering if similar tours still exist. It was fun to hear the inside info as to why London was chosen as the host city.
I went to both London and Ireland this winter and I had a great time in both, but I absolutely adoreddd Ireland. I’m not sure where you’ll be staying, but some of my favorite things we did in Ireland included seeing the Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, the Cliffs of Moher, and if you can find it, there is this tiny little pub that’s only open on Thursday nights called Jim o’ the Mills. It’s actually someone’s home that they open up every Thursday. It’s three rooms; one of which is a bar. The other two rooms are packed with locals who bring instruments and sing traditional Irish music. It was an amazing experience to see. If you’re in Dublin though, I’d recommend just walking around the city and seeing some of the great churches. I stayed at Jury’s Inn, which is right across from Christ Church and a 2 minute walk from Temple Bar, which is another must see. I also had a great time at the Guinness factory. Also, if you’re near Jury’s Inn- just around the corner there is a take out place called Burdock’s and they’re famous for their fish and chips. My boyfriend and I both agree that our favorite meal was at this cute restaurant called The Farm. It’s all organic and freshly made and is much less greasy and heavy than a lot of the Irish cuisine, but still incredibly delicious.
As for as London goes, I was only there for 2 days, but some of my favorites included Westminster Abbey, the National Gallery, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London. We ate dinner one night at a really old restaurant called Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and you just have to try it. It’s a bar/restaurant that’s about 5 floors high with a ton of different rooms and so much history. Not to mention delicious and traditional English food.
I hope it helps!
My all time favorite spot in London is borough market. I highly recommend it!!!
I’ve never been to ireland but I have been in lodon 3 times. Three of my favourite places to go are:
– dress circle this is a shop in the seven dials completely overstuffed with all thing musical (broadway, westend etc.)
– camdens lock/camdens market. This is a part of london where they have really cool shops and food stalls.
– my favourite place to do a high tea is definetly the orangery in kensington gardens, near kensington palace. It’s so gorgeous and not too expensive.
Have fun ,london is awesome (but i remember you going there last year with your parents and sister?)
I love Ireland (much more than London actually)…
Dublin and Cork are great cities with plenty of things to do. You could easily wander the streets and never get bored!
I’d recommend the Dingle Peninsula – it’s small and picturesque. You can hike all the way around the peninsula in a few days or do sections of the hike for a day or two. It takes you right on the edges of some cliffs overlooking the water, through fields and over small mountainsides. Absolutely stunning views the whole time. It’s not a bark/dirt trail, buy a trail book and it tells you the path, miles and markers to look for. Best workout ever too 🙂
You’ll have a blast wherever you go!
Hi Julie!
London is amazing! High tea is a must! We had afternoon tea at the Mayfair Hotel but I would have loved to try Harrod’s as well. It is totally worth it, go hungry though, I didn’t realize how many delicious finger sandwiches and scones were involved!
I also did the audio tour of Westminster Abbey…as a fan of the royal family I thought it was the coolest to be in the same place Prince William and Kate just got married 🙂
Lastly, if you and Ryan want to check out a museum I second the Imperial War Museum! It is amazing and it is very easy to spend the entire day there.
Have a fabulous time!
Borough Market is great, Soho is generally really wonderful in terms of coffee, wine bars, eateries. I like this place: http://www.cafeboheme.co.uk/gallery
Notting Hill is also good, it’s a nice neighborhood to wander around, plus there’s Portobello Market.
This may be helpful too? A list of five apps for London travelers: http://blog.startle.com/five-essential-apps-for-london-travelers#cmpid=dstrachan
Enjoy!
I go to school in Boston but I’m currently studying abroad in London – I’ve been here for 2 months now and I love it! As everyone else has stated, the touristy places are good since you’re only in London for a couple of days. Also, take advantage of the museums here. Most museums in London are completely free – the British Museum, Tate Modern, and Victoria & Albert are some of my favorites!
Now I don’t understand why London gets a bad rep for food – like any metropolitan city, there’s a diverse array of food options. If you’re in the mood for Indian, go to Aladdin restaurant on Brick Lane (or anywhere on Brick Lane for that matter). London has some great food markets as well – Borough Market has an AMAZING lunch market Fri – Sun. I would suggest going on a Friday afternoon if possible, since it gets super crowded on Saturday and Sunday. Regardless, the crowds are worth enduring.
I hope you have an amazing time =]
No advice or suggestions- never been, sorry. But, OMG. YAYYYYYYYYYYYY about babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 😀
I lived in London for 2.5 years, there is a little place in northern London called Little Venice that you should go and see it’s beautiful. Also Kew Gardens is a good place to walk around – and of course pretty much all the museums are have free admission. 🙂 Have fun!
I’ve recently started reading your blog and was so excited to read you’re traveling to Ireland! I spent 8 months living there a couple of years ago and cannot wait to go back. While there are certainly things to do in Dublin I would suggest spending most of your time elsewhere. The Jameson and Guiness tour as well as the old jail were entertaining but overall the city does not give the authentic Irish feeling you get elsewhere. I lived on the West Coast in a city called Galway. (like the song Galway Girl!) The rich Irish heritage and culture are everywhere from the cute shops to the authentic pubs. It also is right on the ocean and has some beautiful views. It is very close to the Cliffs of Moher which is also a must. County Mayo is right there as well and I don’t think you could find a better driving area than there. The Dingle Penninsula is also amazing and worth the trek! Hope you have fun!
I just compiled a list of my posts from when I went to Ireland in 2010- they are here http://www.bettycupcakes.com/2013/03/13/st-patricks-day-eats-treats/ I cannot recommend Kinsale enough- it’s a beautiful seaside town with wonderful food. We had such a lovely time there- stayed at the Old Presbytery Guesthouse. Perfect B&B experience! http://www.oldpres.com/
I get the feeling you’ve already got more advice than you can deal with for Ireland and London, but they are two of my favorite places in the world so I thought I’d throw in my two cents!
In London, head over to Loong Kee Cafe (or really any restaurant in that area- it is a lot of really authentic Vietnamese food). The ethnic food in London is WAY better than traditional English food (which gets quite heavy after a few days). You can find some amazing food at the Borough Market and also on Brick Lane there is some incredible food but you need to go to both of those for LUNCH. They pretty much close down at sunset. Spitalfields Market is so cool too! Brick Lane & Spitalfields are right next to each other and are also really neat places to get some gifts. As is Portobello Road Market (street food & gifts!)!! (That’s NOTTING HILL! 2 birds one stone!) Also, make sure you stop in Tesco and just look around (it’s a grocery store). And look for Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer- you can buy it in the grocery store and it is SO GOOD!!!
I recently did a 10 mile self-guided running tour of London which was pretty awesome- you and Ryan may be interested in walking some of it or even running some of the route while you’re there! Here’s a link to the route: http://www.luckyzucca.com/2012/10/self-guided-london-running-tour.html
One more piece of advice for London- do purchase an Oyster card and take advantage of public transportation. When you leave the city, you can turn the Oyster card back in and get your money back (I believe they cost 10 pounds but it is refunded when you return the card) and by using the Oyster card your trips on buses and the tube are much cheaper. Also take the bus when you can and go all the way up to the top for the view! It is a great way to see the city if you’re not on foot!
If you’re interested, here’s a link to some of the sights I saw on my most recent London trip: http://www.luckyzucca.com/2012/10/london-sights.html
Sorry to add links back to my blog… There’s just far too much info to put it all in a comment. I just hope they will be of some use to you if you get the chance to look at them!
I could go on and on about Ireland too but it sounds like from your most recent post you’ve got the right idea- rent a car and drive the country! And stay in Bed & Breakfasts! And make sure to stop by the Guinness Factory of course :] The Blarney Stone is very neat, Dublin is beautiful, Derry is full of history (if you’re making it up North), Monasterboice is beautiful, and the Giant’s Causeway is one of the most magnificent natural wonders I’ve ever seen.
I will stop now. Enjoy your trip and have safe travels!!!!
I love it! I’m so excited for you! My husband and I actually went through a semi similar random international travel experience last week! We also want to squeeze in as much travel (particularly international) before we start thinking about kiddos. We have a credit and a couple of upgrades due to my husbands work travel that have to be used up before the end of the year so we gave our travel agent a few parameters (only miss 5 business days, must use the credit, must use the upgrades, tropical location, international) and gave her free reign to choose a destination! She just came back with Brazil so we’re all set to go in July but I wish we were going next week! Have an absolute blast! My husbands been to Ireland and loved it. His advice to people going there is to go to the local bar and meet the locals 🙂 What part of Ireland by the way? My sister in law is from Ireland and most of her family is still there!
You must find a Pret A Manger in London… They are all over the place and hard to miss. All natural, organic, healthy food. Nothing ever disappoints me there. Get the Love Bar! You wot regret it 😉
My ancestors are from Ireland. That is one place my husband and I would both like to travel. Hopefully some day. I think the countryside is breathtaking. Enjoy and take lots of pictures.
Hi Julie!
I studied abroad in London last spring…you will have a blast! I second some of the above recommendations for Nando’s and Pret a Manger – both quick, inexpensive options with locations all over the city. You also MUST check out Borough Market (near London Bridge tube stop). It’s only open on the weekend (Thurs-Sat I believe) but it’s incredible. Lots of amazing food options but the must-try is the Kappacasein stand for raclette (cheese+potatoes) and grilled cheese. The lamb sandwich at the stand nearby is also excellent. For a nice dinner, Dishoom in Covent Garden is awesome! It’s modern Indian food-great atmosphere and absolutely delicious.
Other than food 🙂 you have to wander around Covent Garden for some great shopping, take a walk through Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, and check out all of the typical touristy things! They don’t disappoint. The London Eye is awesome at sunset! Have a blast!!!
Hi Julie! I see you have many suggestions already, so I’ll keep it brief. I highly recommend Dublin, and I know you’re a coffee drinker. You MUST go to Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton St. It’s some of the best coffee we’ve ever had and have traveled a lot! We go back every chance we get and stock up! Also, I haven’t done it myself, but a friend who lived in England for awhile suggests the “roasts” they serve in the pubs on Sunday afternoons. Have a blast and enjoy!!
Hi Julie,
Currently living in Ireland for school (have been here for 4 years) and originally from Canada. Some recommendations:
Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
Rock of Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Dingle, Kerry (seafood chowder and fish pie is amazing!)
Queen of Tarts, Dublin
Bewleys Cafe, Dublin and Butler’s Cafe, Dublin (hot chocolate!)
Wicklow Mountains
Mt. Carrantuohill (hiking), Kerry
Afternoon Tea! (Adare Manor, Mount Juliet)
Hope you have an amazing time!! I know I’ve definitely enjoyed living here the past few years, everyone is super friendly! 🙂