Best Irish travel tip, #1 tip Ireland.

relax

The best Irish travel tip, the A #1 travel tip to Ireland, is to relax. I know I’m supposed to wax poetically about the magical draw of Ireland. I am supposed to have you hyped up on visiting the land of your ancestors, that the blood of chieftains run through your veins. That the Irish people are a friendly and gregarious bunch that will roll out the emerald carpet and issue a hearty Cead Mille Failte to you and yours. That Ireland has gorgeous scenery, awe inspiring seascapes, patchwork countrysides, quaint picturesque villages. I am supposed to convince tourist that there will be traditional Irish music and nice chats with charming townspeople over a perfectly poured pint of guinness. And all that can be true. But none can be attained without being patient and non intrusive, or in a word, relax.

It is a subtle difference not even realized by many visitors, There are plenty who have rode in on the bus to a preplanned event and are engaged in conversation with paid Irish tour providers and sit and listen to a cabaret show of Irish balladeers and step dancers. First off, there is nothing wrong with this, the Irish tour directors, and organizers, do a good job taking care of their customers. The problem occurs when the incoming tourist strays off the tour guide’s itinerary. If you enter a pub and babble on about being Irish and do you know any O’Connors, O’leary’s, or Murphy’s, you will be treated to either a polite ignoring, or perhaps a not so polite sarcastic conversation, the butt of todays joke. It all comes down to first impressions.

Americans have to be aware of reputation and reality, the reputation of being loud and pushy, and the reality of being among the most prevalent group of Irish tourists. In any tourist situation your experience will be enjoyed much more by relaxing, soak in the local atmosphere, and use some common sense. Ask yourself “what kind of tourist bugs me” and “what kind do I enjoy dealing with” usually you can conclude that polite, respectful, and pleasant people are the best to deal with. The best Irish travel tip is to relax, the next best Irish travel tip is to follow proper pub etiquette, and, the third best Irish travel tip is to appreciate the differences in cultures and ways of life, it’s why you travel after all.

The funny thing is after you do your best to relax, be patient, non intrusive, you’ll be making friends and carrying on, having great chats with farmers or engineers, road workers and philosophy professors, having a pint or two and maybe even singing a song. Once you have shown you are not a royal pain in the butt, the Irish really are a welcoming interesting bunch to get to know.

So now that I have pounded this nail in with a sledge hammer, a few other suggestions.

Know there are different sides to Irish vacation travel. Tour vacations, self directed, visiting family, family genealogy, revisiting favorite spots.
The pub isn’t just a bar, it’s more of a meeting place, a place for social discussion and pleasantries.
Have a sense of humor, and if you don’t know what a slang word is, ask.

So now you know my best Irish travel tip, clear some time in the next year and visit a truly wonderful place to experience.

If you have a tip or two add it to the comments,

Cheers.

Ireland favorites

Irish music, Irish food, Irish fun

Best Irish travel tip, #1 tip Ireland.

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