Collaborative Post¦ We really enjoyed our last family holiday to Bluestone, Wales. So, have gone online and tried to work out where we will go next.
One of the possibilities is Ireland. It is has a reputation for being a family-friendly destination and the journey is not prohibitively long. If, like us, you may be travelling to Ireland – what you need to know about travel insurance and much more is outlined below.
The right travel insurance for Ireland
Regardless of whether you are from the UK, the USA or another part of the world, you need travel insurance. Ireland has a good healthcare service, which holders of the EHIC card can have access to in an emergency. But, even EHIC cardholders should buy travel insurance as well. If someone in your party were to fall seriously ill and need to a medical ambulance or flight to get back to your home country you want to be sure that those costs are covered.
Make sure you are insured for all activities
Ireland offers visitors the chance to enjoy a long list of activities. This includes horse riding, abseiling, climbing and other high adrenaline experiences. So, it is wise to make sure that your travel insurance covers you for these activities.
Where to go
In terms of size, Ireland is 118th on the list of countries. So, it is relatively small. Yet, there is no shortage of things to see and do while you are there. Here are a few suggestions that are particularly family-friendly.
Stay in a castle
If you have the cash, staying in a castle is an exciting experience that the whole family is bound to enjoy. Ashford and Ballynahinch Castles both welcome children and cater for them well.
Dublin
Like most capital cities, in Europe, Dublin is very kid-friendly. It is a relatively small and flat city. So, you can easily walk everywhere. There are some nice parks and on rainy days there are several public play centres you can pop into to let your toddler burn up a bit of energy.
The Imaginosity Dublin Children’s Museum caters for all age groups and The Ark offers creative art activities. Plus, there are several kid-friendly tours for the family to enjoy.
Kinsale
If you want to stay somewhere small and quaint, you cannot beat somewhere like Kinsale in County Cork. On your way there, you can stop off and visit the Fota Wildlife Park. The Charles Fort and James Fort are both relatively nearby.
Stay in Killarney
If you want to see all of the big sights Killarney is a good place to base your family. From there, it is perfectly possible to visit the Iveragh Peninsula, Torc Waterfalls, the Staigue Stone Fort and Portamagee. The ferry to Skelling Michael is not far away either.
What to pack
When deciding what to pack for a trip to Ireland, you need to bear in mind that the weather is variable. The best approach is to go online and download a packing list that has been written by a travel blogger that has actually travelled to Ireland.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.