Do Hot St. Patrick's Day Travel Offerings to Dublin Offer More Than Ones to Limerick?

Dublin and Limerick both offer special celebration activities in honor of St. Patrick's day. So, how should a visitor choose between traveling to one town or the other when they both have airports and much interest for the traveler?

Hot Travel Deals and Background for Visiting Limerick or Dublin, Ireland

Airfare prices to Ireland in my opinion are a bit high, we paid about $400 per person from Seattle but that was two years ago and it that might differ based on your city of departure. One deal, click here to read more, I saw listed airfare to Limerick at $600 which was better than my previous best price I'd found of $1000. Most airlines that fly into Ireland will offer your choice of Shannon Airport and Dublin Airport for arrival destination. When we flew to Ireland, we chose to fly into Shannon Airport near Limerick rather than Dublin Airport because we knew we were planning to drive and didn't want to deal with big city traffic with travel fatigue. We found this turned out to be a good decision.

Both cities are like most of the country in having weather that is comfortable year round but may be rainy. Travelers to Ireland should be prepared for rainy weather with rain gear and umbrellas and waterproof shoes.

St. Patrick's Day Festivals in Limerick and Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is planning a six day Dublin St. Patrick's Day Arts Festival as part of their St. Patrick's Day celebration featuring street theatre, arts, food, dance and much more. It's the largest festival in the country so they really go all out. Dublin is larger with more things to do including a castle, cathedral, museums, and many side trips available via the DART. Read Top Five Things to Do in Dublin Ireland in the Rain to get more information.

Limerick on the other hand is hosting the 2010 Limerick St. Patrick's Day Festival complete with band competition and parade. Bands should apply via to perform in Limerick during the festivities. Downtown Limerick offers an easy stroll along the waterfront with access to many shops and small museums of interest for the day. The surrounding area also offers much of interest, read Five Best Things to Do in Limerick, Ireland.

Choose Dublin over Limerick, Ireland to Take Advantage of their Public Transport

When we visited Dublin, we found costs of hotel rooms downtown extremely high so chose a hotel in the suburbs near the Public Transportation system. We had a one block walk to the subway, a fifteen minute ride into town and freedom to wander at will without having to deal with parking issues. Once downtown, there are buses but most places we visited were within walking distance. Read more about the Bewley's hotel, Leopardstown near Dublin.

Choose Limerick over Dublin, Ireland if Small Town Feels Better than Downtown

On our trip to Ireland, we chose to drive in order to see much of the country that is not in the general tourist travel packages. The down side of this plan was that rental car costs are high as is fuel and the rental car agencies do not accept insurance via your credit car protection package. The up side was when we traveled to Limerick, we stayed outside of town at a reasonably priced bed and breakfast near Bunratty Castle. This was an ideal location since we could walk to town down a country road, bird and enjoy a quieter visit with nearby visits to the historic sites of and golfing and shopping in quaint Adare. Read A Countryside Stay at the Bunratty Grove near Limerick to find out more about where we stayed.

Still Undecided?

Try a tour that takes in both towns. That way you get the best of both experiences.

Here's links to two Ireland Tour Operator's with Bus Tours Available During St. Patrick's Day

First Festival Travel
Lynnottours

Have Fun!