Ireland Travel Hacks…for Families

Many of my readers know that I have been wanting to go to Ireland for 20 years.  My husband and I decided last year, that on our 20th Anniversary year, we would make this dream a reality.  Before I get into the series of blog posts around the actual trip, I want to create this post for you on what I wish I had known.

I became a member of a group of travelers last year who had been to Ireland, but mostly they gave advice about the actual places.  I want to give you advice on what to pack, and if you are traveling with teens, or family, some options to think about and include as well. 

Some things to remember before you leave for your trip:

• • • Take all photos off your phone and free up as much space as you can.
    • Check your provider’s international plan.  We actually switched to T-Mobile because of this trip and we had service.  I am not affiliated, FYI, but here is a link for you to check them out.
    • Got teens?  Encourage them to UN-install Snapchat (or not post while on your trip) and actually post to their Instagram accounts while on the trip.  They forget their photos disappear, etc, on Snappy and besides that, I told mine to end all her “streaks” because she needed to be fully engaged in the trip, and she sent her streaks a message and said she was taking a break for a while.  To be honest, I think she was relieved as she was on it much less and was present during this trip.
    • Make a copy of your passports and put it somewhere else.  Take one copy with you as well in your carry-on.
    • Buy water-proof shoes.  Seriously.  You will thank me.  I wore these shoes the entire trip. And yes, I will post all links after and they are affiliates for these items.  I bought my daughter a different type and she loved them as well, so here are hers.
    • When you think about the Cliffs of Moher or Giant’s Causeway, think about wearing these pants.  These are waterproof hiking pants, so get them before you go and they dry quickly.  I had no place to wash clothes on my trip for 11 days and I had to take everything off once in a bathroom, no lie, as my “skinny” jeans were soaked.  Yuck.  I used the bathroom dryer.  It was a freak downpour, but I wished I had those pants.
    • Use something like a water-proof pack inside your backpack or bag that you carry like this.

For the teens:

• Don’t wait until the last-minute for them to tell you they don’t have a carry-on bag or don’t really know what to put their stuff in…unless you travel all the time and they are used to it, but my girls both needed packs to carry and keep up with their snacks, phones, extra socks, and coats.  Here is a water-resistant pack for them.  <<< Very handy!
• If your teen doesn’t think they need a raincoat, or forgets to pack one, these come in handy on the day they realize they made an error.  >> Totes 2 pack ponchos << Over there, with the Euro cost, etc, these will be more than this.
• Does your teen want to carry-on a few items to refresh on the plane (or even share with you)?  Remind them about the clear bag.  They were strict about the clear bags, and I did use zip lock on some things, but this helped keep everything handy.  Other people were pulling things out all over.

On the plane tips:

• I carried these items in my travel bag and I was so glad I did.  As soon as I got on the plane, I used make-up removing wipes (my flight was overnight, and I used these the entire trip as they don’t have wash cloths in MOST B & B’s), spritzed my face with rosewater so I didn’t feel dry (love this brand!!), the girls use these wipes << As you can see, I use natural products, to wipe down the trays of the plane (one of the dirtiest areas), and then their arm rests (they do not get cleaned…they literally filled the plane up as soon as it landed and took off again with us).
• I then put on ultra moisturizing chap stick >> Like this one << and under eye cream >> Burt’s Bees << has a nice one.
• I pulled on my socks as well and then got comfy.  I continued to drink water the entire flight and nothing else that could be drying, or caffeine (and you guys know I love my coffee).
• I took a homeopathic Jet-lag supplement with me as well like this one >> No Jet Lag << because I knew we were really going to be early and that I would either get a few hours of sleep or possibly none…and I really needed to rest, but I had a full day when we landed.

We were all very excited about the trip and hoped that we hadn’t forgotten anything…even though perhaps a teen didn’t think they needed a raincoat…and wished they had one.  The best tip was dressing in layers with options in your backpack or bag even as you were sight-seeing.  We happened to travel during one of their more warm times, literally, than the country had, but one day it dropped rapidly on the coast and I wore layers as well as a beanie I bought there.

Stay tuned for my next article on the Best Souvenirs from Ireland!!

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