What are some great honeymoon destinations for a couple on a budget? IRELAND

One of my favorite getaways is Ireland. It is amazing how affordable it is.

Let's look at a week in October 2007:

I just peaked at Orbitz.com for airfare rates. For a roundtrip ticket on American Airlines it's $419 per person from JFK in New York to Shannon in Ireland. Figure $900 for a couple with fees. You may be able to do a little better if you play with the days.

Renting a car for the week out of Shannon Airport is going to be about $200 depending on what you get, and if you can drive stick.

From the airport, you can head south for the Ring of Kerry.

I recommend Dingle. It's only 2 - 3 hours south from the airport on the coast, depending on how distracted you can get on the drive.

The pictures here I took last October on the Dingle Peninsula which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

There are different kinds of things you could do for your stay. You could drive around and stay at a different Bed & Breakfast every night. There are all kinds of plans & packages you can purchase for that, and you don't even have to decide in advance where you want to go. You can drive around and play it by ear. If you go in the off season which is Oct - March, you have even more options, and it's even less expensive. Some of the packages include spending the night in castles.

Or, you could pick one place and book your whole week. You could stay in the same B&B or hotel right on the ocean on Slea Head Drive or in the town of Dingle, or just about anyplace you'd like.

There are also plenty of great cottages you can rent by the week. Check out Holiday Cottages for some ideas. We rented a beautiful old stone cottage last fall, that had washer and dryer, kitchen, fireplace, and an incredible view of the ocean and the Blasket Islands. It's called the Couminole Cottage and it is breathtaking.

There's tons to do around it. The rich history of the land is everywhere from the monk Beehives to the Gallurus Oratory, to the Celtic Museum. Dingle is only a 15 minutes drive, where you can get the best seafood you've ever had in your life, and enjoy tons of pubs, most of which boast live Irish music a few nights a week.

Or you could just enjoy the quiet grand scenic views of rolling hills, Connor's Pass, ocean and ruins, castles and stone cottages. You could stay in the cottage and enjoy beautiful romantic mornings listening to the ocean.

The Couminole Cottage is $600 to $800 for a week depending on the season. For October, it's $700. So, airfare for two out of NYC roundtrip is $900, Rental car is $200, Cottage is $700, figure with gas and meals, it would be $2500 total for two people for a week in Ireland, in their very own stone cottage on the ocean. Beat that!

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