Galway

Advantages: Great atmostphere in bars & on the street, relaxed place, loads of pubs,
Disadvantages: Not a great deal to do

...Unfortunately, we only spent 1 night in Galway but what a contrast to Dublin. Having been to Ireland over 10 times and spent most of it in Navan & Dublin, it was nice to go somewhere different. <u>Getting There>>>>>>></u> Situated on the West Coast, Galway is about 3 hours drive from Dublin. It's meant to be 2.5 hours by train, but ours took 5 hours (not nice). If drivings not for you, then a coach goes from O'Connell Street every hour, costs 9 punts one way or 12 return and isn't too bad. This bus drops you in the heart of Galway, a short walk from the main square and near the train station. However, to get there, I'd recommend hiring a car for a few reasons. Firstly , the trains only run 6 times a day, aren't the best but quite cheap. Secondly, Galway isn't massive, so you'll run out of things to do, unless all you want to...

sjl02 29.08.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Galway City (Ireland)

Land of sheep

Advantages: Nature, landscapes, people
Disadvantages: Traffic, lack of cultural spots, Galway city

...In the beginning of July 2001 my girlfriend and I went to Galway, Ireland. Galway (county) lies on the east coast of Ireland. Biggest town is Galway (the city) and most famous area Connemara. We cycled during a week through Galway and we discovered a wonderful land. In this opinion I will talk about our trip day by day, and I will try to give you some advice on the most interesting things to visit. PREPARATION Besides buying plane tickets, the only thing we did to prepare our trip was to buy 5 vouchers from “Town & Country Homes”. This formula is called “go-as-you-please”. Together with the 5 vouchers we got a book containing hundreds and hundreds of B&B’s through Ireland where we could use our voucher. This formula has some real advantages: 1) You need less cash during your trip...

Bastien 24.07.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of County Galway (Ireland)

Galway Bay Hotel

Advantages: Views, facilities, excellent staff
Disadvantages: A bit pricey

...I stayed in this hotel nearly a year agoa, so I hope standards haven't slipped since then! Was in Galway on business and was recommended this hotel. It's located just outside the city - Salthill direction, and has commanding views of the sea. I found the staff to be very helpfull and in good spirits throughout my stay. Hotel decor is bright and airy. Rooms are large as are the en suite bathrooms. Facilities are extensive and each room are well equiped as you would expect for a 4 star hotel. Did avail of breakfast in bed for an additional charge of E5 but it was well worth it. The food was tasty with a good selection available for a all. So I would have no hessitation recommending this hotel - ideal for those looking to be pampered!...

blaaboy 25.06.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Galway Bay Hotel, Galway

Bongos and Beer By the Bay

Advantages: Great atmosphere, beautiful scenery, plenty to see and do!
Disadvantages: Umm... nope can't help you there!

...With its multicoloured facades, bohemian taverns and generally laid-back ambience, I was hooked on Galway right from the start. Prettier than Cork, livelier than Killarney and more relaxed than Dublin, this is definitely the town I felt most at home in during my husband Dave’s and my recent trip to Ireland. Galway City (or Gaillihm) is described by Lonely Planet (Europe on a Shoestring, 1st edition, March 1999) as “a pleasure, with its old stone and wooden shop-fronts, good restaurants and busy music pubs bustling with students”. I wholeheartedly agree – it was a rare treat to actually come across a town that seemed to suit my personality almost perfectly. So on to the review… ACCOMMODATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Having not found any particularly cheap options on the net we decided to try the ‘...

gennymutant 04.07.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Galway City (Ireland)

Galway Ardilaun Hotel gateway to relaxation

Advantages: Elegant, beautiful food, great leisure, beauty, relaxing, staff, free parking
Disadvantages: disabled restricted, no grab handles in rooms, well out of galway

...My english wheelchair partner and myself fancied a short break to galway. After much hunting we decided on the Ardilaun. This hotel is located in salthill just outside Galway. It is a classic mix of grand old house and modern wings located in a walled garden setting which in good weather would be wonderful. The free parking is quite good but a little uphill for the wheelchair or mobility restricted though the wide doors open quickly. Reception is located in a large open grand entrance area and the staff are very pleasant and efficient. We were advised of all the access issues at all times and offered any assistance required. Like many hotels the disabled accessible rooms are not ground floor but the lift is small but adequate to the room level. the corridors are narrow as per an old house but negotiable with occasional help from...

128plant 21.03.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Ardilaun House Hotel, Galway

Harbour Hotel, Galway - 3 star

Advantages: Location, price
Disadvantages: Cheap decor, no air con

...Recently stayed in this hotel over the June bank holiday weekend. Mananged to get a good deal on a double room - E125 for two people sharing plus breakfast. The hotel is in a good location - only a 5 minute walk from Shop Street which is the main street in Galway city. Parking is provided by a multi story car park next door with a reduced rate of E3 for guests per day. Hotel decor is modern but low key. Staff were attentive and helpful at all times. The hotel bar was comfortable but lacked any kind of atmosphere so drinkers would be better suited to the city. Our room was on the top floor - ceiling was slanted which made the room quite small and the view was limited. Room was clean, but fixture and fittings were cheap - espically in the bathroom. The room was also extremely warm with no air con present. Overall, our stay was alright...

blaaboy 25.06.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Harbour Hotel, Galway

Irelands hidden treasure

Advantages: Stunning scenery, good craic, not touristy
Disadvantages: Slightly inaccessible

...When you think of holidays in Ireland, what do you think of? The beautiful green farmlands of Tipperary, the dramatic peaks and lake-pools of the Ring of Kerry, angling in the River Shannon, or enjoying the craic in the vibrant capital city Dublin? All of these are undoubtedly staples of an Irish holiday, but if you?re looking for something a bit more different ? why not try County Donegal? In my opinion, County Donegal has the most spectacular scenery in the whole of Ireland: hundreds of miles of coastline with the highest sea-cliffs in Europe, beautiful beaches, and inland there are rivers, glens and bogland hills, not to mention the more barren ?moonlike? stretches of Connemara. The Rough Guide to Ireland raves about the country?s second largest county saying: ?the demonically daunting peninsulas of the northern reaches are...

Maia 14.06.2003 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Donegal (Ireland)

Confession of a Galwaymaniac

Advantages: A great base for touring and a city full of life and vitality.
Disadvantages: Patchy public transport and some ugly ribbon building.

...We need to choose our holidays carefully, us pedestrians. Call us cautious, but we opted for Galway, mid-way up the West Coast of Ireland. Not that Galway feels 'safe' in a stodgy kind of way. We didn't go for the nightlife but there was a buzz about the place that hit us as soon as we stepped off the train. Now what is this thing called a 'buzz'? We couldn't quite work it out to start with, but then it dawned on us: we were a couple of dinosaurs abroad in a modern landscape. Galway is a young city, full of young people. It's a city too, with more than its share of teething troubles relating to its prosperity. Ugly ribbon built development sprawls along the coast through suburbs like Salthill, decked out like a junior Blackpool. Not that the other Galway is far away. All paths in Galway seem to lead back to Eyre Square...

plwood 11.08.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Galway City (Ireland)

The REAL Ireland

Advantages: Leprechauns, guinness, arse, feck, drink, girls
Disadvantages: Crime, violence, poverty, racism, sectarianism

...Top of the morning to ya! As an Irishman I know all that's worth knowing about the emerald isle and all the shenanigans that goes on there. I know there have been plenty of reviews by foreigners about my good country, but they can only give you a tourists view. The real Ireland lies beneath the shiny gloss and corporate lies. I'm here to unravel it for you. *What follows is called satire. If you have no sense of humour or just want real information on Ireland you shouldn't bother to read this. This disclaimer is a pre-emptitive strike against people who read the whole thing before commenting "I was expecting a nice review on Dublin."* 1. Myths and legends According to the Irish Tourist Board and Hollywood, Ireland is full of happy-go-lucky-leprechauns (see Darby O'Gill And The Little People). The idea of a mythological Ireland is...

kfingleton 18.03.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Dublin (Ireland)

Bank of ireland

Advantages: Friendly staff
Disadvantages: Long Cues

...Bank of Ireland I have been a customer of bank of Ireland for some time now, and I have to admit I have never had any problems with the service. I have a basic saving account and a credit card with this bank - and I have been a loyal customer every since. I opened an account when I was 17, and they were very helpful as I had no ID, so they worked hard with me to get a way of opening an account for me, which I appreciated very much. This account is not a card account, just a savings account - meaning I had to physically go into a bank branch to withdraw or deposit money. I didn't mind as they had 3 branches in my area, which is very handy. I then became a student and was offered a student credit card with all these brilliant deals, so in fell into the trap unfortunately, and now I owe them 800 quid . That's one thing...

lesleyanne18 17.10.2007 (08.04.2008) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Bank of Ireland