Ireland Other Types Of Accommodations

For a cozy alternative to impersonal hostel dorms, B&Bs (private homes with rooms available to travelers) range from the tolerable to the sublime. Hosts will sometimes go out of their way to be welcoming, often accepting travelers with pets or giving local tours. “Full Irish breakfasts” (eggs, bacon, bread, sometimes black or white pudding, fried vegetables, cereal, orange juice, and coffee or tea) fill stomachs until dinner. Singles run about €30-40, doubles €45-65. Many B&Bs do not provide phones, TVs, or private baths. Irish B&Bs tend to be cozy and are usually staffed by knowledgeable and friendly locals. B&Bs displaying a shamrock are officially approved by Bord Fáilte. For accommodations in Northern Ireland, check the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s Where to Stay in Northern Ireland, available at most tourist offices. For more information, check out InnSite (www.innsite.com) or BedandBreakfast.com (www.bedandbreakfast.com).

University Dorms

Many colleges and universities open their residence halls to travelers when school is out; some do so even during term-time. These dorms are often close to student areas—typically chock-full of things to do and people to meet—and are usually very clean. Getting a room may take a couple of phone calls and some planning, but rates tend to be low, and many residence halls offer free local calls. For appropriate cities, including Belfast, Dublin, and Galway. Let’s Go lists colleges which rent dorm rooms in the Accommodations sections of towns and cities. Cork and Limerick are also big university towns with student housing available in summer.

Home Exchanges And Hospitality Clubs

Home exchange offers the traveler various types of homes (houses, apartments, condominiums, villas, even castles in some cases), plus the opportunity to live like a native and to cut down on accommodation fees. For more information, contact HomeExchange.com Inc., P.O. Box 787, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, USA (☎310 798 3864 or toll free 800-877-8723; www.homeexchange.com), or Intervac International Home Exchange in Ireland (☎041 98 30930; www.intervac.org/ireland).

Hospitality clubs link their members with individuals or families abroad who are willing to host travelers for free or for a small fee to promote cultural exchange and general good karma. In exchange, members usually must be willing to host travelers in their own homes; a small membership fee may also be required. The Hospitality Club (www.hospitalityclub.org) is a good place to start. Servas (www.servas.org) is an established, more formal, peace-based organization, and requires a fee and an interview to join. An Internet search will find many similar organizations, some of which cater to special interests (e.g., women, GLBT travelers, or members of certain professions). As always, use common sense when planning to stay with or host someone you do not know.

Going Green

ECEAT International (the European Centre for Ecological and Agricultural Tourism) publishes a Green Holiday Guide to Great Britain and Ireland (€15), which lists places to stay on organic farms or otherwise environmentally friendly establishments. All ECEAT-listed accommodations are in lovely, wild areas. Contact ECEAT International at Radnicni 14, 66601 Tisnov, Czech Republic (☎420 541 235 080; www.eceat.org). For more about Irish organic farms see Beyond Tourism.