The credit card charges are in! Our costs were spaced out over the last year – hard to believe I shared this post last May – but we kept track of them in our travel folder; with the last expenses coming through, I can confirm our 9-day family trip to Ireland cost us $3,700. Not quite as good as our trip to Copenhagen and Hamburg, where we spent under $3k for nine days abroad, but since we have another person traveling with us now, we feel pretty good about it! This is how the costs broke out for the three of us:
Transportation: $1,362
Of course, of these expenses, our flights were the biggest component – just under $1,100 for the three of us. While our son flew as a “lap baby,” we still had to pay taxes for his travel, which cost ~$96. Much cheaper than a ticket of his own, but since we upgraded my seat to have a checked bag, the savings weren’t actually that significant. Lesson learned: we’ve booked him his own seat for Spain.
Other costs in our transportation bucket included the bus from Dublin airport to the city center ($22 roundtrip), the train from Dublin to Cork ($101 roundtrip), the bus from Cork to Rosscarbery ($36), the bus from Kinsale to Cork ($21), the tube from London Heathrow to Victoria Station ($5), the train from Victoria to Croydon ($42), and the train from Croydon to London Gatwick ($36).
Lodging: $917
We found a great price on a hotel in Dublin that unfortunately turned out to be closed when we actually got there. Fortunately, Hilton was able to sort it out, and they honored our original purchase price of 70 Euro per night – a steal for St. Patrick’s Day! In total, we paid:
- One night at the Hilton Garden Inn Dublin Custom House – $94
- Two nights at the Trident Hotel Kinsale – $309
- Two nights at the Jurys Inn Cork – $213
- Three nights at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre – $229
- One night at the Jurys Inn Croydon – $72
Not included in this price: the $14 we paid at Jurys Inn Cork to have our laundry done. A 9-day trip with a toddler is no joke – the load of laundry was mostly his! We did appreciate being able to get some of our most worn laundered. This was the cost of doing one “large” load, and we definitely felt it was worth it.
Restaurants: $687
We ordered so many chicken goujons (chicken fingers) for the kiddo, it’s not even funny. Since we didn’t always have access to a fridge, and we were on the go fairly regularly, it was easier for us to eat out and do small grocery shops in each city, rather than stock up and try to prepare food in the hotel. Besides – we like sampling the local fare!
Our more expensive restaurant visits included Brannigans in Dublin ($123), The Church Café, Late Bar & Restaurant in Dublin ($85), Gallaghers Boxty House in Dublin ($67), The White House in Kinsale ($63), and Market Lane Restaurant in Cork ($43). Everything else was under $40 – we weren’t breaking into the Michelin stars on this trip!
Dog Sitting: $500
Since our pups didn’t make this trip with us (though they’ve tagged along before), we had to make sure they were well taken care of while we were gone. My sister often watches the dogs for us when we travel, but she was also in Ireland, as were both of our moms. Fortunately, we were able to employ our friend Megan for the job; the dogs love her, and I’m sure she got some extra puppy snuggles!
Groceries: $144
Considering how often we were buying milk for the kiddo, I’m actually surprised this wasn’t more. We definitely carried more snacks around than we have historically – consider that when packing for a toddler – but it also meant we also always had access to food. We managed to find convenience stores and grocery stores everywhere we went, but Tesco tended to offer us the best selection. We actually still have some Tesco snacks that made it home!
COVID Tests: $70
We made appointments in advance to have our COVID tests done at the Dublin airport, so that we’d be able to come back into the US, per current CDC requirements. The testing location is a little tricky to find, but ultimately, the process was super convenient and worth any extra cost we may have paid to have them done on-site.
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We didn’t take any Paddywagon tours (or tours of any kind) on this trip, but I would definitely still recommend them, especially if you’re traveling with kids who might better appreciate them. There are also some important caveats to all these expenses:
- We had leftover money on an Oyster card from our trip to Scotland and England, so we used that on the tube in London.
- We sometimes purchased tickets or other items for the family as a whole (7 adults), and then we had other things purchased for us – tickets, meals, etc. If something seems too expensive (or not expensive enough), that’s probably why.
- We were very fortunate to stay with family friends for a night in Rosscarbery at their place, RossNua. These friends also drove us to Kinsale – after tracking down a carseat for us – so we were able to save money on those parts of the trip.
Wondering how much other trips cost? Check out these breakdowns: