Welcome to the November 2006 issue of Deals and Tales, Authentic Ireland’s monthly newsletter. Winter may be upon us but we are refusing to go gently into that cold night. We are staying positive. There is something reassuring about dark evenings, bright city lights and digging your favourite warm jacket and scarf out of the closet. Or am I crazy?

Perhaps. This month we tackle the craziness or otherwise of driving in Ireland. We have a new feature highlighting vacation options you may not have considered before. This month we put the spotlight on self-catering vacation rentals. There are monthly specials of course and a restaurant and pub we think you would enjoy.

• Ireland Travel Tips - Driving in Ireland
• Specials – sure to cheer you up
• Spotlight: Self-catering vacation rentals
• Restaurant recommendation
• Pub recommendation
• Authentic Referral program
• Next issue: stuff to look forward to
• Admin: on/off this list, small print, etc

If you want to see Ireland and I mean really see it properly, there are really only three options open to you when deciding how to get around the country. The first and best option is to walk. There is no better way to appreciate a landscape than to walk through it. But let's be honest this is only practical if you are a hardy student with a long summer to kill or a super fit granny with retirement stretching before you. Second best is to cycle. This is not as crazy as it seems. Forget trying to see the whole country, just pick an area and go for it. You will cover quite a lot of ground in one or two weeks. We will even organize it for you: http://www.authenticireland.com/actvitytours/cycling.htm

If cycling still sounds like more energy than you are willing to expend then the third option is probably the one for you. Luckily it is also the easiest and most comfortable. It is of course to drive yourself. You will not have the satisfaction that comes with aching feet or being unable to sit down at the end of the day, but you will be able to go wherever you please, stop whenever you want to and see whatever interests you. This unfortunately is not true with any form of public transport in Ireland. Trains are very limiting as they generally only run between major town and cities. Busses go to most small towns and villages, but there is no chance to stop along the way and it must be said that the most spectacular scenery is in out of the way remote parts of the country that busses do not go near. So unless you are a student, a super gran or an avid cyclist, driving really is the only way.

So how scared should you be? The honest answer is not very. I have been driving in Ireland for nearly 20 years and have never had an accident. Ok, there was one, but I was young and reckless at the time and had an entirely unfounded feeling of invincibility working against me. The crash was entirely my fault, but even so I must say the guards were very nice. They took me down to the station and made me a nice hot cup of tea to calm my nerves. So even if the worst happens you have that to look forward to. But there is no reason why it should come to that assuming you have outgrown the fallible invincibility of youth.

Still it would be wrong of me to give the impression that driving in Ireland is a breeze. There are many obstacles to contend with. The primary one being that we Irish, like our English neighbours, drive on the wrong, or left, side of the road. Why do we do this? Why because the English do of course. Virtually all former British colonies drive on the left. And why did the English decide left was best? Well, back in the 1700’s in feudal times, when men walked or rode horses and carried swords or lances, they tended to carry them in their right hands. It was always safer to have a stranger on the road pass on your right so that your good sword-fighting arm was between him and you in case of an unprovoked attack. Hence any sensible feudal person who walked or rode down a road tended to do that walking or riding on the left side. We may have traded our horses for SUVs in recent years, but we have retained the wary tradition of driving on the left.

So why, nowadays, do the whole of continental Europe and America drive on the right? They used to hug the left side of the road too you know. As usual a French man is responsible, one Napoleon Bonaparte as it happens. You see Napoleon was left-handed and when he went about conquering Europe at the end of the 18th century he insisted his army march on the right side of the road. Pretty soon the whole of Europe bar England and Ireland was marching on the right. Napoleon was a pretty persuasive guy. But what about America? Well, after kicking the English out, the Americans decided to add insult to injury by adopting the French means of getting down the road, namely on the right.

These days you are unlikely to meet a lance wielding knight coming against you on the road in Ireland, but it is still safer to drive on the left simply because everyone else does. Luckily it does not take that long to get the hang of. It also helps that the roads leading from Dublin and Shannon airports are divided 4 lane roads. This means you could not drive on the wrong, i.e. right, side of the road even if you wanted to. The danger comes when you stop thinking about it and there are no markings forcing you to drive on the left. Be particularly careful when turning from one road onto another, say at a t-junction. If there is no visible traffic it is easy to turn onto the wrong side of the road without thinking. Getting used to the controls being on the right side of the car happens naturally I think. If you drive a manual or stick shift, it will feel a little weird initially but again you will find that your brain quickly adopts. However, unless you are very comfortable driving a manual shift, it is definitely best to opt for an automatic car rental while in Ireland.

A common complaint about Irish roads is that they are narrow and treacherous with more fast bends than a Scalextric. This is true but only when you get off the primary routes and venture into more remote areas. Roads between major towns and cities have been drastically improved in recent years, though there is still plenty of work to be done. The problem is Ireland’s most scenic areas tend to be remote and consequently you will have to negotiate those truly scary roads if you want to visit them. Such roads claim to be two lanes wide but this is fantasy. Most likely you will have to pull in to the side to let the other car pass. That is the key to driving on these roads; be constantly aware of the fact that a car approaching from the opposite direction will require you both to slow to a crawl in order to pass. This just means that instead of following the ridiculous speed limit of 80km (50 miles) per hour you keep it closer to 25 to 30 miles an hour. Many roads on the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas in Kerry have the added thrill factor of being built into the side of steep mountains or sea cliffs. This shouldn’t make you any more frightened, just a little more careful.

Which brings me to the final ‘obstacle’ to be overcome when driving in Ireland. This one annoys me the most because unlike the first two it is unnecessary. I am not sure who is in charge of signposting in Ireland but whoever they are they deserve to be punished severely. Signage is often misleading but more frequently is simply missing. You are almost at your destination, feeling quietly confident when you come to a cross roads devoid of any signposts, or even more frustrating, ten different towns are signposted but the one you are looking for, or there are signs pointing down two or three out of the four possible roads. One road, the one you are sure is yours is sans signpost. It often appears to me that signage is so bad, vague and often downright wrong that it must be deliberate. If that is the case I have to take my hat off to the authorities’ twisted sense of humour. If not, I must bow to their superior levels of incompetence. Whatever the explanation there is an easy solution: always have a map on board and never be afraid to roll down your window and ask for directions.

Of course, you could avoid all this stress and drama by simply hiring a chauffeur to do the driving!

1. CHRISTMAS IN IRELAND

The Irish take Christmas very seriously. So seriously in fact, that celebrations kick off in early December. Christmas Day itself is a family affair but the weeks leading up to it are dedicated to shopping and partying. A buoyant mood takes over the whole country and the atmosphere on the streets and in the pubs is almost frantic with good cheer. Christmas in Ireland is problematic for visitors as virtually all bed and breakfasts close from mid-December to mid-January. Many hotels also close for a few days over Christmas leaving few options for those eager to experience the uniqueness of an Irish Christmas. The best option is self-catering accommodation, i.e. rent your own apartment, house or castle for the duration. Pick your town and stay there for a week soaking up the atmosphere. Our special offer: $100 per person off the quoted price of all Christmas self-catering vacations. Offer valid for vacations starting between December 15 and January 15.

A 20% deposit is required on booking. The balance is payable 60 days prior to travel.

For more information on any of our specials please check out our website here: http://www.authenticireland.com/specials.htm

SPOTLIGHT: SELF-CATERING VACATION RENTALS
Many people come to Ireland with the intention of seeing as much of the country as they can in a week or 10 days. This is understandable if it is your first visit and is likely to be your only one. There is a drawback to this approach though which you may have gathered from the article above: all that driving can prove quite tiring and perhaps even stressful. Maybe your idea of a vacation is to slow down, relax and unwind. Well then self-catering is for you. Don’t let the “self-catering” put you off. This simply means you will have to make your bed each morning if you want it to be made when you climb into it again that night. And if you want a Full Irish each morning you will either have to cook it yourself or pop around to your local cafe. But let’s be honest, consuming a plate of fried bacon, eggs, sausages, black and white pudding, mushrooms and beans is probably not the healthiest way to start the day.

The big advantage of self-catering is that you have your own home in Ireland for a week or longer. Come and go as you please, sleep in, read the paper, watch the tv, eat in one night just because you feel like it, or eat in every night because you are on a budget. Instead of unpacking and repacking every day you do it just once. You can do as much or as little exploring of the surrounding area as you like so you are not forced to cover X amount of miles each day. And instead of zipping through a town, you live there for a week, get to know your neighbours, find your favourite local pub and discover what makes the place tick.

There is a huge variety of self-catering accommodation in Ireland, from remote cottages to modern houses to lavish country mansions and even castles. Whatever your taste and whatever your preferred location there is a property out there to suit you.

Self-catering is also great value. Where four or more are sharing the price can be half what you would pay for bed & breakfasts. This makes it ideal for families. And since the house is yours the kids have the run of the place. No need to worry about disturbing guests in the room next door!

Since you are spending a week or longer in one place you want to be sure about the area you are staying. In my opinion you cannot go wrong in Wicklow, West Cork, Kerry, West Clare, Connemara, West Mayo, Sligo or Donegal. If you would like more information ask any of the Authentic Ireland team, we would be delighted to help.

HUNGRY IN DUBLIN
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, 21 Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2 (01 676 4192)
Often proclaimed to be Dublin’s best restaurant, Patrick Guilbaud’s is the place to go for that very special occasion. The food is French and superb, the décor sumptuous and the service impeccable. Dining at Guilbaud’s is an experience. But as you might expect it is also extremely expensive, even by Dublin’s increasingly outlandish standards. There is however a rather more reasonably priced fixed lunch menu of two or three courses for 33 or 45 Euro. So it is possible to see what all the fuss is about without getting prior approval from your bank manager. Check it out for lunch and you will be rubbing shoulders with Dublin’s business elite, the so called movers and shakers about town. I am not sure who you will rub shoulders with at dinner; my bank manager barely approved lunch.

Expect to pay: for dinner this is as expensive as Dublin gets, 100 euro plus per person excluding wine.

REFERRAL PROGRAM
It's very simple. If you refer a friend to Authentic Ireland and they book a tour with us, you will be entitled to your choice of:
- $30 amazon.com voucher, or
- $50 per person off your next vacation booked through Authentic Ireland.

All your friend has to do is mention your name when booking, we'll take care of the rest.

Refer a Friend: Please Use the link at the bottom of this page to forward this newsletter to a friend!

You may unsubscribe from this Newsletter at anytime by clicking the manage your subscription link at the end of this email. Please note we will not share your email address with anyone else. You will never receive spam from Authentic Ireland Travel. It is our intention to send a Newsletter/Specials Email once a month. Remember, if you do not wish to receive this Newsletter you may unsubscribe at any time.

Well that’s it for another month. We hope you enjoyed it. Any comments, questions or suggestions to: newsletter@authenticireland.com

*******************************************************************************************************************

All the best & happy travels,

The Newsletter Team
Authentic Ireland Travel
http://www.authenticireland.com/
Toll-free (from U.S & Canada): 1-888-771-8350
Rest of World: 353-65-684-4941