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.
Getting There>>>>>>>
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 do all day is drink.
Accomadation>>>>
As in most cities varies, there's loads of B&B's just outside the centre (500m-1km) or in the summer, some nice looking accomadation is available at the uni. There are a number of hotels out on the coastline too, the choice is yours. Cheaper, hostels are also to be found in the city too.
Food & Drink>>>>
Galway is famous for its pubs, there's loads to choose from and drinks are a lot cheaper than in Dublin. Food is about the same or more expensive, as its such a tourist trap, food in the centre is v.expensive! There's a good choice of food, French, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Thai, Traditional Irish, were just some of the ones we saw. Throughout the day the streets are full of buskers and entertainers. This carries through to the night and there's a real buzz on the street. There are plenty of internet cafe's but I wouldn't say that Galway is good for shopping. The main entertainment form in this city I would say is the pubs, which is fair enough!
What to See & Do>>>
As we weren't there long, we didn't get to see much, however we went on the bus trip, which, while being a bit random (i.e. the commentary on house prices & the gypsy estate) was quite pleasant. From up above, Galway isn't the prettiest city, which is why I recommended getting a car so you can get about to the smaller surrounding villages.
Overall, a great short break holiday, not a great deal for kids to do however I'd assume, a couple of hours drive from Dublin will get you there, would be good for a group of people / stag / hen do
Enjoy
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I was taken there as a child and, unfortunately, don't remember much about it but I might make that my next Irish holiday instead of going back to Derry which, incidentally, is a great place.
julietta 29.08.2001 16:52
Thanks for your opinion - I'd never thought of visiting there but maybe I will now. You sum it up well - cheers!
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Aug 29th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
