We’re going to Ireland next week, spending 2 days in Dublin and then taking a bus tour that gives us 1 night each in Cork, Limerick and Galway, with a final night in Dublin. Sightseeing stops between the towns include Powerscourt, Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Adare, Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Caherconnell Fort, The Burren National Park, Poulnabrone Dolmen, Clonmacnoise.
Our itinerary is pretty much set; we don’t want to drive and are fine with just being bused to these places.
Looking at pictures and videos, we wonder whether sneakers will be enough for these sites? Or would it help to bring hiking boots, since from the videos some of these places look rocky and muddy? An issue is that we want to travel light with just a carry-on suitcase each. We don’t plan to check in any bags.
We’ve been warned that it will be chilly compared to the Northeast US; forecast for next week shows highs in the low 70s and lows in the 50s.
I would bring both. If you’re going to be traipsing around the countryside, you definitely want hiking boots. They also come in handy if you’re going to spend a lot of time walking around cities and especially small towns. At the end of the day, however, you’re probably going to want something lighter and cooler for going out to dinner or a pub.
FWIW, I spent ten days in Riga last month. A lot of the city is still cobblestoned, even outside the Old Town. All I had on this trip was a pair of Reeboks, and I would have been more comfortable navigating the streets in hiking boots. They also would have been better for going out into the countryside near the shore.
I would go for a pair of lightweight walking boots. Rugged enough for footpaths but not for climbing mountains. If you find the right pair, they should be comfortable enough to wear on the plane.
I just returned from a long vacation in Ireland. You won’t need anything more than lightweight footwear for what you are planning. Proper hiking boots would be overkill.
But for the possibility of substantial rain you would be fine with sneakers. Your itinerary (most of which we did) is genteel and will not involve any significant mud or rough terrain.
However, because Ireland can of course be rather wet something that is at least somewhat water resistant is probably a good idea. Mrs P went with @bob_2’s plan and I think that worked well.
Personally I had some waterproof Timberlands, because I knew we would be doing some actual hiking. I also took a pair of deck shoes. I barely used the Timberlands. Deck shoes were fine.
I was in Ireland for 8 days in September of 2008, with a very similar itinerary as yours. There were six of us, and none of us had any shoes other than sneakers. We got along just fine.
Traveling light is always easiest and you only need one pair of shoes to travel in Ireland. Just take a pair of waterproof hiking/walking shoes (e.g. Keen’s).
Thanks all! I’m going to bring a pair of waterproof walking shoes and a pair of sneakers. 2 pairs of shoes is the absolute minimum for me on a 12 day trip, we’re going to London for 4 days after Ireland.
@bob_2 I’ve long wanted to get a new pair of lightweight walking boots to replace my pair that died years ago, but didn’t see anything reasonably priced in the store near me. I’ll keep looking for another time.
@Railer13 and @Princhester, interesting that you had similar itineraries. Any comments you (or others) may have on what you saw would be welcome.
Thank you all. I’m home, with a healed blister. @RitterSport there were times I thought that going barefoot might be comfortable! During 7 days in Ireland, there was only 1 day of rainfall, so no mud. 3 of us in our group of 4 brought water-resistant shoes but didn’t need them.
The most challenging surface was a cobblestoned road in Dublin–as @Princhester said, surfaced were genteel.
And @bob_2 yes, the London pavements are hard! A transit strike didn’t help either. It’s 2 days after the end of our vacation and my feet still feel tired.
I’m physically active, do a good amount of swimming, biking and walking but I realized that I don’t usually walk more than 5-6 miles / 8-9 km at a stretch. I thought that one day I would do the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago in several days walking, but the past days have me thinking that my feet aren’t up to the standard 15-24 km per day that most of the walking tours seem to do. 30 years ago I sprained my ankle badly, and instead of taking care of it I thought I could tough it out. What can I say, I was young and stupid. It bothered me for 20 years afterwards if I did a lot of walking, but it hadn’t been troubling me lately. Then I sprained it mildly on this trip and it’s been hurting in the same places. I’ve been wondering if it’s worth seeing my podiatrist about it.
