This is one of the most visited places in Dublin (by families).
You would need 3-4 hours to cover the entire zoo.
This zoo is located in Phoenix Park just after People’s Garden and its one of the oldest zoo in the world (opened to the public on 1st September 1831). Its spread across 28 hectares.
Dublin Zoo has not got a designated car park. However, there are lots of places to park around Phoenix Park.
An interesting history:
The zoo is noted for its lion breeding program, and since the 1850’s, more than 700 lions have been bred here. The most famous past resident is probably the MGM trademark lion. Named Slats, he was filmed for the opening sequence that preceded all films from the then newly formed MGM studio, and first appeared on screens in 1924.
You can buy tickets online and save some money.
Ticket price below:
There are other options like ‘Annual Pass’.
The zoo is open almost throughout the year.
The zoo is home to roughly 400 animals from 100 different species, and you can visit all of them across the eight different habitats, which range from an Asian jungle to a family farm, where kids get to meet the inhabitants up close and milk a (model) cow.
Some of the mammal’s that you find are:
Chimpanzee,
Gorilla
Orangutan
When visiting the new Orangutans enclosure in Dublin Zoo be careful when they are crossing above your head.
They’ve been known to pee and poo down on onlookers for the craic.
Elephant ,
Giraffe,
Hippopotamus,
Rhinoceros,
Lemur,
Okapi,
Oryx,
Sea Lion,
Zebra,
Snow Leopard,
Tiger Wolf
Some of the Bird’s that you find are:
Flamingo,
Ostrich,
Pea cock,
Penguin
Family Farm
Located near the entrance/exit, the zoo also has a petting farm, where visitors can interact with farm animals
Cows,
Sheep,
Pigs,
Goats,
Rabbits,
Chickens,
Other animals
There is a Snake park with in Campus.
There is a beautiful lake within the zoo.
Carefully recreated habitats:
Their habitats have been carefully recreated, there is no cage in this Zoo and you can feel the wellbeing of the inhabitants. The Zoo has worked on an expansion project for 20 years including a huge African Plains area, a new sea lion cove habitat, a forest trail for the elephants, a forest for the orangutan and a rainforest for the gorilla.
Play Forest:
Dublin Zoo has got a free and innovative play area for children (mainly kids aged from 3 to 10). Named Play Forest, it is strategically located across the lake from the main entrance, just past the main Asian Forest attractions — or about a 10 minute walk if you weren’t stopping to look at the animals. The play area includes fun wooden climbing structures and a giant slide.
There are restaurants and souvenir shops within the campus.
There are lot of seating arrangements in the campus. It’s really good option to relax yourself after a long walk. If you have taken food from home, you can take advantage of the numerous picnic areas scattered throughout the zoo.
We visited county Mayo from Dublin in February 2019.
This was a part of the 5-day road trip from Dublin covering mainly Mayo, Galway and Clare counties.
Road map- Day 1:
Places covered on Day 1:
1) Termonbarry Lock
2) Strokestown Park House
3) Downpatrick Head
4) Céide Fields
1) Termonbarry Lock (This is in County Roscommon)
Happened to see that the re-opening of Tarmonbarry Lock on the Shannon Navigation was done in Apr 2015. This lock is still operational. This is really an Engineering marvel.
You can spend around 30 minutes in this location, as it is quite near to the main road.
There is a lot of parking space available.
2) Strokestown Park House / National Famine Museum (This is in Roscommon County)
Strokestown Park is a unique historic property in the west of Ireland and is the home of the first landlord to be assassinated during the height of the Great Famine of Ireland the 1840s.
If you are a history lover, this place can be in your itinerary. The museum contains some of the best records from the time of the Famine.
Please note that there is a ticket charge involved to get into the National Famine Museum (around 10 Euros/person).
There is a Woodland Walk which is free of charge and open 7 days a week from 10.30am-3.30pm. This would be interesting for kids. (You don’t have to buy any tickets to use this walkway)
This place should be in your itinerary, if you are going to this part of Ireland.
It’s a place of absolute coastal beauty. It is one of the Signature Points on the Wild Atlantic Way in Mayo.
From the parking area, there is a nice walk. A little bit upwards, but easy to make.
The name Downpatrick is derived from a time when St Patrick himself founded a church here. You can still see the ruins of the church building, a stone cross and holy well here today. This was once a popular destination for pilgrims, who came here each year on the last Sunday of July, known as ‘Garland Sunday’. Today that tradition lives on, and mass is still celebrated at Downpatrick Head on that same day.
There is also a holy well and a memorial to 25 Irishmen who fled from British Redcoats during a 1795 uprising. They hid in the caves at Downpatrick Head, but couldn’t get back out before the tide came in and flooded the cavern. They all perished.
There is a Lookout Post here, one of many around the coast of Ireland dating from about 1939. At these lookout posts in 1942-43, ground markers were etched out spelling EIRE and with a number – this one is 64 – to alert aircraft to the fact that they were now over neutral Ireland.
Be little careful when you go near the edge of the cliffs. Unlike Cliffs of Moher, we don’t have enough protection (steel fence) at the edges.
4) Ceide Fields:
While you visit Down Patrick, please make sure to take the short drive out to visit the Céide Fields. The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world, over five and a half millennia old. It is a unique Neolithic landscape of world importance, which has changed our perception of our Stone Age ancestors. You can also visit the Céide Fields Visitor Centre, which has exhibitions, audio-visual shows and so on.
Opening Times:
Open Easter to October 29th
Daily 10am – 6pm June to Sept
Daily 10am – 5pm Other months
Available for bookings in winter months.
Admission Charges
Adult: Euro 4.00
Group / Senior: Euro 3.00
Group / Senior: Euro 3.00
Family: Euro 10.00
After Ceide fields, we went back to the homestay.
Road map- Day 2:
Second day, we started a little early as we had to cover a lot of attractions on the same day.
Places covered on Day 2:
Achill Island
Croagh Patrick
Roonagh Pier @ Wild Atlantic Bay
Doolough valley / famine valley
Connemara National park
Kylemore Abbey
Aasleagh Falls
Sionnanach
Clifden
1) Achill Island:
Achill Island is on Ireland’s West Coast in Mayo County. It is on Wild Atlantic Way – a 2500 KM long trail that goes along the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland.
This is a place that you should cover when you are in Mayo.
Achill Island is the largest of all islands off the coast of Ireland. Achill is accessible by the Michael Davitt Bridge, built in 2008 on the site of the original bridge which was constructed in 1887.
It makes a fantastic day trip from Westport, as it’s only one hour away.
Inhabited for over five thousand years, the Irish language is still spoken on the island.
You can see hundreds of sheeps in this region. The sheeps along with the background gives you the best postcard pictures in your camera.
The 2 other places (I couldn’t go to these places) which are around 15-30 Minutes are:
Keel beach (White sand beach)
Keem Bay
2) Croagh Patrick:
Croagh Patrick is a Holy Mountain which overlooks Clew Bay in County Mayo. Croagh Patrick is 8km from Westport town and its peak can be seen soaring above the surrounding countryside. Spectacular views of the Clew Bay coastline and the south Mayo countryside can be seen from the mountain. This is one of the highest peaks in the Western part of Ireland. Please note that in case if you are not planning to climb the mountain, there might not be anything special for you at this place. There is lot of parking space (paid), available here.
3) Roonagh Pier:
We have not visited this place but heard that this is a nice place.
4) Doolough valley:
This is a magical landscape of lakes and mountains.
It is a high-quality driving route in a spectacular setting on the R335 between Delphi and Louisburgh in Co. Mayo.
There is also a Famine Memorial in this region. This is a stone memorial, in the form of a simple stone cross which was erected in memory of the victims of the famine in this area.
Unfortunately, it was slightly raining when we passed through this area. However, this is one of the journeys that I would never forget.
The last 4 destinations that we visited was Connemara national Park, Kylemore Abbey, Aasleagh Falls, Sionnanach and Clifden. I would like to cover those destinations in my blog related to ‘County Galway’.
After seeing Clifden, we went back to our home stay.
We visited county Clare from Dublin, in February 2019.
This was a part of the 5-day road trip from Dublin covering mainly Mayo, Galway and Clare counties.
Road map- Day 4:
Places covered on Day 4
Doolin Pier Point
Doolin Cave
Burren Way / Burren national park
Fanore Beach
Murrooghtoohy
Ailwee Caves/ Birds of Prey Center:
Poulnabrone Dolmen Tomb
Kilimer Port
1) Doolin Pier Point:
Doolin Pier Point is situated in the Wild Atlantic Way. Doolin is the home of traditional Irish music. Its a nice walk down to the pier, but they’re not great for getting down to the sea itself as there’s no seashore here. Its more like a rocky beach here.
This is not a beach for swimming. But it is a beach for amazing views, listening and watching the waves crash, enjoying the sun, and admiring the dazzling geology of the coastline.
I believe the Sunset view from here will be excellent.
There are high chances that you will find some Dolphins here.
There is enough parking space available here.
The pier has two public restroom spots, one by the boat booths, and one closer to the rock beach.
You have Ferry Services From here to Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher.
Since we had planned to go to Ailwee Cave, we decided to skip the Doolin Caves.
I have seen lots of discussion on internet regarding the comparison between Ailwee and the Doolin caves.
Personally I have visited only Ailwee caves and hence might not be in a position to do a comparison here. I would suggest you to visit both and draw your own conclusions.
3) Burren Way / Burren National Park:
The Burren, on part of the Wild Atlantic Way – from the Irish ‘boireann’ means rocky place.
It is a 123km walking route that takes in the best of what the Burren area has to offer, from the coast at Doolin to majestic wild-flower-decorated limestone terraces and from the remains left by the Neolithic inhabitants of the Burren to the rich heritage of early Christian churches and site.
The Limestone rocks beside the road provides a spectacular display.
4) Fanore Beach:
Fanore is located on the main road from Doolin to Ballyvaughan and this road is well worth a drive on your visit to the Burren. It has some fantastic views on a clear day.
This large sandy beach and clear water is very popular with walkers, swimmers and surfers.
Fanore Beach is on the northwest coast of the Burren and its golden arc of sand with the backdrop of bare limestone hill, make this a very distinctive Geosite.
Ample parking space with clean toilets are available.
The views are spectacular from this beach, especially the rock formations.
5) Murrooghtoohy:
From Murrooghtoohy, you can get magnificent views of the whole of Galway Bay from the Aran Islands to Oranmore Bay east of Galway City, with a back drop of the Connemara mountains.
Another place which you can cover is the ‘Flaggy Shore’. I have personally not visited this place during our trip.
6) Ailwee Caves/ Birds of Prey Center:
This was First discovered by a local farmer in 1940.
Later only in the year of 1973 is when he shared this information with a group of students (Cavers). The cave had been fully explored and mapped in 1977. The cave is not operational currently.
Formed by water flowing through cracks in the limestone hill, it is one of the oldest caves in the Burren. The remains of bears can also be seen inside the caves and allusions have been made to it being the last bear den in Ireland. There is a also a very small water fall inside the cave.
You can also visit the Birds of Prey Center which is in the same campus.
There is a combo ticket to get inside the caves and the prey center.
Individual tickets will cost around 7 Euros and the 2 attractions combined will cost around 12 Euros. The cave ticket charge includes a guided tour. The tour takes approximate 30-35 minutes and is a great option for people who have never visited any caves in their life time.
The bird centre is the home to one of the largest and most varied collections of Birds of Prey in Ireland – Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, Owls and Vultures to name but a few.
It’s a nice place where you will get a chance to see some trained birds in flight. You can also have them land on your hand which was very exciting for the younger members in our group. Birds flying display are daily at 12noon & 3.00pm
There is a also a Café and a gift shop within the cave campus. Lot of parking space is also available.
7) Poulnabrone Dolmen Tomb:
It’s an amazing view to see the rocks (that heavy), that high off the ground and that too around 5000 years ago when there was no much machinery available.
I know from reading about this tomb that it was put back together a couple of years ago as one of the supports fractured or was going to collapse, but it still doesn’t take away from the sheer wonderment of something so old.
The site is very quite and free of charge. There is parking space available and information signs on the way from the carpark to the tomb itself. It is off the beaten track to get to this.
8) Kilimer Port:
We desperately wanted to cover a Ferry trip during this 5 days but unfortunately most of the services were not operational due to winter.
Finally we decided to take Shannon ferry which goes from Kilimer port to the Kerry island (Tarbert Port)
You can keep this as an optional plan in your trip as the driving distance is more.
Kilimer to Tarbert takes around 20 minutes one side in the ferry.
Shannon Ferries also provides a discount (15%) for the online booking.
The return Car fare cost is around 30 Euros (25.50 for Online). They charge only for the vehicles and no additional charges for the passengers in the car. You can simply drive in to the ferry and the tickets will be given during the journey.
There is a snack shop inside the ferry but it was closed (not sure if its due to the Winter season)
There are Toilets available within the ferry.
In case if you plan to take this Ferry to explore Kerry, I would suggest you to take morning trips.
The main attractions like the ‘Rings of Kerry’ would take a minimum of 2 hrs from the Tarbert Port.
We took the return trip in the ferry back to Kilimer Port and went to the Airbnb accommodation that was prebooked near ‘Cliffs of Moher’.
In case if you are near Kilimer and want to explore some other places near by (avoiding ferry to Kerry), I would suggest some of the below places:
Scattery Island
Loop Head Light House
Lahinch Beach
Places covered on Day 5:
Cliffs of Moher and then Back to Dublin
Cliffs of Moher:
This was the last day of our 5 day road trip. We wanted to spend some quality time at the cliffs and hence decided to reach there in the morning itself.
One of the important things to be noted is that we need to take tickets to visit the cliffs.
At the gate, it’s a flat rate of 8 Euros. (For adults). For Children up to 16 years, it’s a free ticket.
If you book online (at least one day in advance), you need to pay only the half amount of 4 Euros for the morning and evening visits.
Morning visit time is between 08:00 – 10:59 (Means you can enter any time between 8:00 and 10:59)
The Cliffs of Moher are located about 90 minutes south of Galway or 3 hours from Dublin on Ireland’s west coast in County Clare. This might be the most famous destination in the entire scenic wild Atlantic way. The cliffs run for around 10+ kms and at some places, it rise to a maximum height of 214 metres (702 feet) above the Atlantic Ocean. It ranks one among the most visited tourist sites in Ireland, with around 1.5 million visits per annum.
You can also visit the Cliffs of Moher visitor’s center. This state-of-the-art underground visitor centre features various interactive exhibits, images and displays that can be enjoyed by people of all age groups. There are some restaurants and public toilets available within this center.
There’s also a observatory tower here with a ticket of 2 Euros. But now its closed for some major maintenance work.
The parking area is huge. But you will have to walk a long distance to reach the cliffs from the parking area (Private vehicles).
There are safety barriers which prevents visitors from going near the cliff. However, if you keep walking away from the Visitor’s center, the barrier ends. So be a little careful and dare not to go near the edge. Already many have lost their life here.
During summer, you can use the boat trips to experience the cliffs from the water and there are Helicopter rides to see the cliffs from the top. In winter, such options are not available.
If you have only limited time in Dublin and want to cover this scenic cliffs, you can search and book for day trips. There are many companies like ‘Wild Rover Tours’ , ‘PaddyWagon’ and so on arranging such trips.
If you’re into photography you’ll want to stick around and wander along the coastal walk since there are many different vantage points to enjoy.
Being one of the busiest attractions in Ireland, you are bound to find visitors all year round, however July and August are the peak months.
It’s recommended that you leave at least half a day (or atleast 3 Hours) for your visit to the Cliffs of Moher, as the site isn’t simply a pretty tourist destination but also includes an impressive number of hiking trails that offer spectacular views of their own.
We had stayed in Pake’s Cottage (Near to Cliffs of Moher)
We took the ‘Go Bus’ service from Dublin to Cork..
The starting point was Burgh Quay (Dublin). It’s a 3 Hours journey (Direct-28 Euros including Return). The bus service was prompt and on time. The dropping point in Cork was St. Patrick’s Quay.
I have also seen bus services which take more than 4 hours (one way). I believe Go Bus is a good option. The train charges are more and hardly you can save 30 minutes by train.
We stayed in Cork on the First day at my relatives house and went to ring of Kerry on Day 2.
Area wise, Cork is the largest county in Ireland.
All year round, Cork is a great place to visit — whether it’s to relax or to explore, there are plenty of activities in and around this place. It’s one of the more popular cities in the country with a lot of good food and pubs.
As Cork is a small compact city, getting around is really easy. Walking is a great way to get around.
The main intention of this trip was to cover Ring of Kerry and hence did not explore much of the tourist destinations in Cork (Hopefully I will go back to Cork again to explore more).
In case if you would like to explore Cork, you can keep the below places in mind:
Mizen head
English Market
Hike around Gougane Barra
Cork Butter Museum
Cork City Gaol (Old Prison)
Courthouse (Washington Street)
City Hall
The National Monument at the top of Grand Parade
Walk down the Oliver Plunkett street
Echo Boy
Kiss the Blarney Stone (Nearby)
Patrick’s Hill
Holy Trinity Church on Fr. Matthew Quay
University College, Cork
Shakey Bridge (Daly’s Bridge)
Fitzgerald’s Park
St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral
Day2: Ring of Kerry:
The Ring of Kerry is a scenic drive around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland’s County Kerry.
Its (100+ Miles) one of Ireland’s most popular drives whether you choose to cycle it or drive, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful scenic routes in Ireland. Fortunately, or Unfortunately, it rains almost most of the days here in Ireland. If you reach here on a rainy day, you might not be able to enjoy this place fully. Unfortunately, it was raining on the day, we travelled aswell.
People say it takes around 3.5 Hours to complete the entire ring. Obviously the time would increase, as you cannot avoid stopping the vehicle for capturing some scenic places. But for sure you can complete the entire trip in 7 hours or so. Some people extend it to 2 days.
Some people go in a clock wise direction and some others in the anti-clockwise direction. Most of the guidebooks say to go clockwise so you’re going the opposite direction of the tour buses, which go counter-clockwise.
We did not see any of the restaurants (common chains) in the route we travelled. So, keep some snacks handy with you. We also faced network coverage issues in many places.
Views of the Atlantic Ocean:
The views of the Atlantic Ocean is simply superb.
Waterville Village/Beach:
This large village is famous for golf, its beach and its association with Charlie Chaplin. It is a great place to stop off and have a tea/coffee or something stronger and there are a number of pubs you’ll enjoy along the sea front. You’ll also notice the monument of Charlie Chaplin which of course is worth taking a photograph with.
Caherdaniel:
The best stop off point is the beach between Caherdaniel and Castlecove. Parking can be scarce here but it is so worth stopping off. You will know it because it has a caravan/mobile park and a beach side pub, so keep an eye out for those signs so that you can turn off the road in plenty of time. This is a small beach but its really magical, especially on a sunny day. This can be a peaceful spot, even if its crowded.
Some other places that you can explore in and around Ring of Kerry:
Molls Gap
Ladies View
Staigue Stone Fort
Ballinskelligs Castle
Kerry cliffs
Skellig Michael / Beehive Huts on Skellig Michael
PortMagee
Valentia island / Harbour
Stopping in Sneem
Kenmare (One of the cutest towns)
Geokaun Mountain and Fogher Cliffs
Caragh Lake
Rossbeigh Beach
Derrynane Bay and Ballinskelligs Bay
On our way back, we also visited Torc waterfalls (inside Killarney National Park).
Parking is free, and the falls are only a mere 300m walk from the car park.
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous
During our trip to Luxembourg in Aug 2019, we managed to do a 1-day trip to Trier, the oldest city in Germany. Trier was once the regional capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Second Rome’.
It’s around 45-50 Minutes journey by bus, from Luxembourg.
A normal search on internet would highlight mostly the train options only (which is around 16+ Euros, one side – https://www.thetrainline.com) and some options like Flix bus is available at cheaper rates (around 6 Euros – https://global.flixbus.com).
The best option that I felt was BUS 30 which starts from the Gare De Luxembourg station (city center) Zone 23.
The ticket must be purchased from the counters inside the station and you can purchase the return ticket as well. The to and fro ticket price was around 9.6 Euros/adult.
Please note that you don’t have to carry your passport for your Luxembourg-Trier trip.
We visited the following places in Trier:
1. Porta Nigra (towering Stone Roman Gate):
The Porta Nigra (large Roman city gate) is extremely old, with parts of the structure including the foundations dating back to 186 AD. While you can see the Porta Nigra for free from the outside, you must pay to walk up and explore the ruin itself.
Porta Nigra represents the last bastion of the Roman Empire’s presence north of the Alps.
The Romer Express (City Train ride) and the Hop on Hop off bus trip starts near to this place. You will also find an Information Centre from where you can grab a city map for free (Such free maps are available only with the people in the counters whereas all the other maps in shelves comes with a price tag).
There is also a Euro shop near Porta Nigra, from where you can get some Trier souvenirs (and other articles) at a reasonable price.
2. Karl Marx Statue (Near to Porta Nigra):
In 2018, Trier celebrated the 200th birthday of Karl Marx, it’s most famous inhabitant.
On this occasion, China donated a statue honouring the spiritual father of communism.
The statue weighs 2.3 tons and stands 5.5 meters high. The statue was originally proposed to be 6.2 meters. Trier stated that they would not be able to accept such a large statue so, in the spirit of compromise, the Chinese decreased the height by 27 inches and shipped the current statue.
3. Mosel river Cruise:
I have seen 2 cruise options; 1-hour trip and a 2-hour trip. The price was around 12 Euros/person. I personally felt that the cruise trip is not that attractive.
Various snacks, ice creams and drinks are also served in the cruise boat (not free though). Most of the boats have an open roof. Lot of tourists (especially in groups) explore this river cruise option.
3. A) Mariensäule:
You can also take some snaps of Mariensäule more closely from the cruise. Visible for miles at a height of 300 metres on the left bank of the Moselle is a Marian column placed here in the 1860s. The monument towers above the woodland at the top sandstone cliffs and was funded by donations from Trier’s Catholic congregation.
In case if you want to go near this monument, you can catch a bus to just 20 metres below the column, and on the platform, you can soak up an all-encompassing view of the Moselle and Trier.
4. The Romer Express city train trip:
The Romer Express city train trip takes you through a round trip of old city of Trier.
Price was around 9 Euros/Adult and the total travel time is around 35 minutes.
It’s a Nonstop journey and you cannot get down at any main attractions. Around 50 people can travel at a time in a single trip. More details here : http://www.roemer-express.de/en
City tour commentary is available in English, French and German.
Major places covered in the trip are:
4 a) The Roman Amphitheatre in Trier:
The Trier Amphitheater is a Roman Amphitheater in Trier, Germany.
The arena itself is surrounded by a protecting wall with openings for animal cages.
4 b) Imperial Roman Baths in Trier: The Trier Imperial Baths are a large Roman bath complex in Trier, Germany. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was constructed in the 4th century AD. The whole place spoke about the existence of the Roman Empire.
4 c) Karl Marx House:
The birthplace of one the most influential German scholars of the 19th century, the Karl Marx House in Trier is among Germany’s most important historical museums.
Redesigned in 2005, the permanent exhibition provides a vivid and accessible tour of Karl Marx (1818-1883) the man, his place in history and the development of his philosophical and economic ideas. Key works such as ‘The Communist Party Manifesto’ and ‘Das Kapital’ are placed in their 19th-century context.
The Romer Express city train trip will take you near this cathedral.
But I would certainly recommend you visit this Cathedral (a Must see in Trier)
This is a Roman Cathedral in Trier. It is the oldest church in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier, notable for its long-life span and grand design.
Today, the cathedral is an important Catholic shrine that still receives pilgrims from all over the world.
You can take photos/videos inside the cathedral.
6. Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady):
The Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Dear Lady) is a 13th-century parish church in Trier, separated from Trier cathedral by a narrow passageway.
7. Hauptmarkt (Main Market):
This is another major attraction in Trier. It’s basically a square, near Cathedral of Trier.
This is the centre of the city’s commercial activity, and you will find an abundance of stores where you can go shopping as well as cafes and restaurants (including some Souvenir shops)
This public square (where many buildings are facing towards the square) has served as Trier’s main marketplace since medieval times.
8. Alleen center (Shopping mall):
If you are looking for some shopping or some common food chains like Burger King, this mall would be a good option. More details Here — https://alleencenter.com/
In case if you want to explore more, you could also check the below Options:
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous
Paris, the capital of France has been drawing visitors from across the globe for centuries. This is infact one of the most visited cities in the world and one of the most romantic cities in Europe.
As a part of my business trip, I got a chance to visit Paris in December 2019. It was a 2 day trip and I tried to sneak in some time to visit a couple of major attractions in Paris.
It was an 1.5 hours trip from Dublin to Paris in Flight. Could capture some scenic photographs from the Aer Lingus flight that I had travelled.
There are 3 airports in Paris:
a) The Major one being Charles De Gaulle (CDG) (2nd largest Airport in Europe after Heathrow). Its around 30 Kms from city centre.
b) Orly. Its around 17 Kms from city centre.
c) Beauvais (Low cost airlines like Ryanair fly out of this airport). Its around 86Kms from City center.
There are bus shuttles from Beauvais airport to Paris which takes around 1.15 Hours+. Please note that these bus shuttle schedules are adapted to the Flight timetables.
My flight was to CDG airport. CDG has 3 terminals and they are connected with the CDGVAL airport shuttle (Driverless trains). There are clear markings in the terminals which would help you to reach the airport shuttle.
Since my itinerary was only for 2 days and my flights were from the CDG airport, I had opted for a 2 days Zone 1-5 card which costed me around 38.35 Euros. The website price was 42.20 Euros. So I believe the tickets from the counter was cheaper compared to the online option.
You can buy travel tickets from the Kiosks or from the ticket counters available in the airport. The most convenient ticket that I had found was the ‘Paris Visit’ card. These are unlimited travel cards and you can select the convenient card based on the Zone/Days. The ticket infact is a small piece of paper and its extremely difficult to handle and there are high chances that it might get misplaced somewhere. So be extremely careful with such tickets. The Paris visit card is valid in trains, Trams and buses. I had travelled only once in bus and the experience has not been great. It was extremely crowded, not sure if it was only with that bus/route which I had taken. If possible, look for metro options than the bus.
I had travelled from the CDG airport to Gare du Nord and from there, I took a taxi to my hotel in Porte De Clichy.
Gare du Nord is a large station which is connected by many local and international trains. I was told that this is one of the busiest railway stations in Europe.
If you are further travelling from Paris to places like Amsterdam, London, Cologne, Essen; this will be the station from where you will be catching such long distance trains.
Also, if you want to save some money on the taxi from CDG Airport to your hotel in Paris, my personal suggestion will be to take the train from Airport to major stations like Gare du Nord (RERB – around 9.5 Euros for a single side ticket) and then take a taxi further to your hotel from there. A direct taxi from CDG to Nord will easily cost around 50-70 Euros.
Also please note that there are some direct trains running from CDG airport to places like Marseille, Lyon, Bayeux and so on.
In this trip, I had explored some places in Paris:
a) Eiffel Tower:
When you think of Paris, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic, Eiffel Tower (also known as Iron tower). Even though you feel like it’s a cliché, but Eiffel Tower is a must see place during your visit to Paris. You have options to reach the 1st , 2nd and summit (Top floor) of the tower and the tickets for the same can be purchased online well in advance. Its better to get the tickets booked prior to your trip to avoid disappointment at the last moment. I personally have not travelled to the top of the tower and hence might not be in a position to provide the comment whether it is worth or not.
This place is mostly crowded. So it better to reach the tower early in the morning time to avoid crowds.
The sparkling lights of the iconic monument is something that you cannot miss during your Paris trip. Every hour, on the hour, between sunset to 1:00 am, the Eiffel Tower puts on a sparkling light show that looks incredible at night!
One of the best places for shopping (and window shopping) is at Champs Élysées but please note that many of the brands are high end ones like Louis Vuitton. The streets were completely lightened up, as Christmas is fast approaching. You can also get costly cars like Ferrari for rent, from this place.
c) Pont Alexandre III Bridge:
There are many royal bridges in Paris. This is one of the most extravagant bridge.
The stone and metal sculptures, along with beautifully decorated architecture itself will define Paris. When you take the river cruise, it’s the most incredible river bridge you’ll be seeing in that journey. If possible, walk down to this bridge during the night time and you can witness some beautiful views from the bridge. The view of Eiffel tower from this bridge is spectacular.
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d) Notre Dame (Cathedral):
This is one of the most inspiring cathedrals in World/Europe with its classic architecture, stained glass, and flower garden (behind the cathedral). There were some maintenance work going on in the cathedral during my visit in December 2019
e) Seine River Cruise:
Boat trips on the Seine are really popular, with everything from five-course dinners to Champagne cruises available. But for a budget way to see the sights along the river, the Batobus does a hop-on-hop-off loop which covers the 9 major attractions. Tickets cost €17 for one day, but better value is the pass for two consecutive days for €19 per person.
The entire round trip (without getting out anywhere) will take around 1 hour 45 minutes or so. The frequency of the boat at any station would be around 25 Minutes. So plan your Hop On and Hop off accordingly.
If you have enough time, you can even walk through the banks of the Seine river.
Based on the number of days in your itinerary, please explore some of the below places aswell:
Disney Land
Sainte-Chapelle
The Louvre Museum
Arc de Triomphe
Tour Montparnasse
Thinker at Musée Rodin
Latin Quarter
Pantheon
Oldest clock in Paris
Versailles Palace
Flame of Liberty (10 minutes’ walk from Eiffel tower)
Jardin d’Erivan (park where trees are beautifully lined up)
Basilique of the Sacre Coeur
Paris Sewer tour
Shakespeare & Company (If you’re a bibliophile)
Vaux le Vicomte & Fontainebleau Castles
Montmartre
Palais Garnier
Note:
1) French is the most spoken language and very limited people speak English. Don’t consider this as a major concern. Public transports like Metro, Bus and all have proper English displays. Many of the taxi drivers whom I had interacted were also fluent in English.
2) In some routes, the Metro might not be available after 11 PM even though the Google maps might still be showing that the train is approaching soon. If there is a staff around, its always good to check the timings/alternate routes with them.
3) You could easily cover many of the important places if you have 3-4 days in your Paris itinerary.
4) The best time to visit Paris is from April to October.
5) Paris is divided into 20 neighborhoods or arrondissements and everything is being referred to 12th, 18th, etc. 1st is in the dead centre of the city and the neighbourhoods spiral outward from there. Before booking your hotel check whether the area is safe and close to the places you want to visit. If you’re in Paris for a very limited time don’t choose a place on the edge of town, as you definitely don’t want to spend hours on commuting in order to save a few bucks.
6) Keep your Paris metro ticket until you’ve exited the metro system at your final destination because the police might be checking your tickets inside the station. Also, don’t be afraid of using Metro as it easy, cheap and safe option. On many Metro lines, the doors to the train do not open unless you press a button or lift a handle.
7) Paris has loads of little bakeries and pastry (Patisserie) shops.
8) Around all major Paris attractions, you will find beggars asking you to sign a form without giving you the chance to read it. Don’t let anyone put something in your hands otherwise, they’ll keep following you around.
9) Bonjour is ‘Hello’ and Au revoir is ‘Good Bye’ in French. You can hear these words multiple times during your visit.
10) There is absolutely no need for a car in Paris. If you are really looking for one, please note that you’ll be dealing with crazy driving, expensive parking, and traffic blocks.
This time search for the Indian food took me just outside Gare du Nord station. To my surprise, I could find around 7-8 Indian restaurants in a row. I decided to have some vegetarian food and ended up eating Masala Dosa from Chennai Dosa and Milagaipodi Masala Dosa from Saravana Bhavan.
Personally I liked Chennai Dosa both in terms of taste and price.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore”– Andre Gide
Le Mans is a well-preserved Medieval city in France on the banks of Sarthe River. Since 1923, the city has been hosting the internationally famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance sports car race. It’s located about 200 Kilometres south west of Paris. The city also has many industries in the Outskirts.
As a part of my business trip, I got a chance to visit Le Mans in January 2020.
The best and fastest option will be to board a direct fast train (TGV) from Paris-Charles De Gaulle Airport to Le Mans(Gare Du Mans station). Direct train would take around 1.45 Hours (around 53 Euros). Follow the boards (in Paris-Charles De Gaulle Airport) with marking as ‘Trains’ to reach the train station.
The tram tickets / travel cards can be bought from the machines available at the stations. English language is also available on the display screen of the machine. The price is round 1.5 Euros for a 1-hour ticket.
You need to tap the ticket (card) in the device provided in the trams. As far as I remember, you can use the same card in bus aswell.
There are only 2-3 major taxi/cab companies here in this city and a total of around 30-40 cars are associated with these companies. Throughout my trip, I had used ‘Radio-Taxi’. Their service was very good and prompt. Many cabs don’t accept cards, so its always a good idea to carry some cash with you while going outside.
The People here are very friendly and caring. They always start the conversation with ‘Bonjour’ (‘Hello’ in English).
One of the major concerns for a tourist in this town will be communication, as most of the people here don’t understand English. The issue is to an extend that even staffs at Mc. Donald’s don’t understand words like ‘Salt’ and ‘Pepper’. We had a tough time trying to make them understand what we were looking for.
The Number of hotels in this place is less. I have hardly seen 3-4 hotels. I stayed in Ibis Lemans Centre. It’s a small hotel but stay was good.
In this Trip, I had explored the following places:
1. Le Mans Car Museum and Racing track.
The whole city of Lemans is known to the outside world because of the Sports Car Race that happens here. Traditionally, this race happens in the month of June every year. Normally, lakhs of people visit here to see this Race and they stay in Public Camp sites near to this Circuit.
The race was supposed to happen on 13th June 2020, but not sure if it would happen due to the aftereffects of Corona Virus.
There is a Car Museum here (in the North Entrance) which the automobile lovers would love, for sure. The taxi charge from the city center to this palace will be around 17-20 Euros. If you want to save that money, I would suggest taking a tram to station ‘Le Tetre Rogue’ and then walk for 2 Kms (20 min).
The combo ticket for the Museum + Track is around 12.5 Euros.
The Museum houses amazing classic cars and memories from the past events. There is also a gift shop from where you can pick up some souvenirs. You can easily spend at least 2 hours in this museum.
2. Cite Plantagenet/ Le Mans Old City:
Its named after the former inhibits of the city named Plantagenets. The most important sites in this area are the Roman Wall, Cathedral and Notre Dame Church.
It has many Cobble stone laid streets with very old houses.
Don’t miss to walk around the old city. Remember that the old city is on a hill. So, if you have any difficulty walking or pushing a pram, it might be a challenge for you. If you want to know more about these places, it will be good to take the help of an experienced guide.
3. Saint Julien de Mans Cathedral (Le Mans Cathedral):
The fabulous Cathedral St Julien is a “must-see”. This beautiful Catholic cathedral was built between 11th and 15th centuries and It has a mixture of styles because of the long-time taken to build it and is one of the largest cathedrals in France. It is dedicated to the first bishop of the city, Saint Julian of Le Mans, who established Christianity in the area around the beginning of the 4th Century. The cathedral features magnificent 13th-century stained-glass windows and two fine Renaissance tombs.
4. Gallo Romans Walls:
This is one of the oldest roman walls to survive.
These walls date back to the 3rd century and span up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) between the Sarthe and the Cathedral in Le Mans, France. The walls were intended to protect this city.
There are many other places that you can explore:
Abbaye de L’ Epau
Spaycific Zoo
Arche de la Nature (Park)
Papea Parc (Theme Park)
Maison de la Tourelle (Historic House)
Palais des Comtes du Maine (Palace)
Musée de la Reine Bérengère (Museum)
Roman Thermal Building
Musee de Tesse
In summer (July, August), the old centre is illuminated with light and sound. I believe this would be a great experience especially for the kids. Seems this is known by the name La Nuit des Chimeres.
As usual, I had tried exploring some Indian food here in Le-Mans. The two restaurants that I tried was ‘Taj Mahal’ and ‘Bombay’. The food was good at both the places. They normally prepare less Spicy food, but they will make it spicy on request.
While you are in Lemans, don’t forget to try some Bagels aswell.
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous
Home to European Union, Brussels is the beautiful and stunning capital city of Belgium.
As a part of my business trip, I got a chance to visit Brussels, Belgium in August 2019. It was a 4 days trip and I tried to sneak in some time to visit a couple of major attractions in Brussels.
There are many attractions to explore here in Brussels, ideally a very good location for a weekend!
This is a small country and is squeezed between the top tourist destinations like London, Paris and Amsterdam and is therefore often overlooked. But Belgium has a lot to offer to any type of traveller! 2 days should be a good itinerary for Brussels.
Brussels Airport is the main airport in Brussels. I had travelled from Dublin to Brussels and it takes around 1 hour 40 minutes in Flight. The other airport is Brussels South Charleroi Airport, from where Budget airlines like Ryanair operate.
Typically, it takes around 30 minutes’ drive or 45 minutes metro ride to city centre from Brussels airport.
I would encourage you to explore the following options:
a) Brussels Card + Public transport (24/48/72 Variants available)
I have personally used the 24 hours card (worth 7.5 Euros) and found it very effective (used in Bus, metro and tram). You can get the tickets from the Kiosks, which is available in the stations.
Some of the attractions that I Visited:
1. Grand Place (Grote Markt):
The central square of Brussels is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered as one of the most beautiful town squares in the world. It’s a square containing the Town Hall and Guild Halls and the Maison du Roi where the Museum of Brussels is now located.
Frankly, this is one of the most beautiful squares that I had ever visited. Whenever you see a picture of Grand place, you will see a flower carpet in front of that. Please note that it’s not a regular installation and happens once in 2 years (the next appearance will be in mid-August 2020). The architecture of the buildings in this area is simple amazing.
Try to reach this place a little early in the morning as it gets crowded later in the day.
2. Manneken Pis:
This is a handsome little guy (peeping Boy) who is the most popular person in Brussels and a must see on your first trip to the city. Not much time is required here, and the good thing is that its quite near to the Grand Palace (5-10 min walk). Manneken Pis is the best-known symbol of Brussels.
Don’t forget, at certain times, Manneken Pis gets dressed up in all manner of costumes meaning a second visit will always be interesting. Unfortunately, there was no special dressing when I visited.
Also please note that this is not the original one. If you wish to see the actual original boy, you need to visit Museum of the City of Brussels.
Interestingly, Manneken Pis has over 900 costumes, of which 100 are on display in the city museum.
3. Jeanneke Pis:
The ‘sister’ of the Manneken Pis – Jeanneke Pis can be found in a small alley next to the Rue des Bouchers and is been little hidden out of sight.
Due to some reason, Jeanneke Pis is sitting behind the bars and she is not that popular as Manneken Pis.
There is also a Zinneke Pis, but I did not get time to visit that.
4. Galeries Royales St Hubert:
It’s a gorgeous shopping centre in the middle of Brussels. The two long galleries that make up the arcade were filled with brightly lit shops, boutiques, and delicious-smelling chocolatiers. Its worth visiting this place.
5. Atomium: (nearest metro station is Heysel):
This is Brussel’s Eiffel tower.
Built in the 1950’s (for world fair expo), the Atomium is a little outside the city centre but a great spot to see something a little different. Over 100 metres (330ft) tall, it’s a great place to see some views of the city. This is said to be one of the most popular tourist attractions in Brussels. It has nine large spheres connected with tubes. In 5 spheres, there are different exhibitions (Both Permanent and temporary). There was also a light show inside one of the spheres. My personal feeling is that it is worth seeing Atomium from outside, and you won’t really miss much if can’t go inside. At the ticket counter and at the lift to the summit, you will have to spend a lot of time waiting in the queue.
Another concern is about the lack of restaurants in this area. There are very limited options and you will have to depend on the street vendors/vans for your lunch/snacks (mainly French fries, ice-creams and waffles).
It’s one of the nicest family-friendly attractions in Brussels. Combination tickets are available for both attractions (Atomium and Mini Europe). Mini-Europe sits at the foot of the Atomium, so it’s best to do them both together.
Featuring each of the nation members of the European Union, this miniature park brings to life over 80 cities and 350 of the continent’s most famous buildings, containing live action models such as trains, fire, mills and cable cars.
The official palace of the Belgian King in the centre of Brussels is used for all kinds of official events and can be visited from the end of July till beginning of September. The Royal family itself lives in the Castle of Laeken, on the outskirts of Brussels.
Please note that Royal palace is closed for public, on Mondays.
8. Cinquantenaire & Triumphal Arch:
The park features a giant, U-shaped building with the city’s Triumphal Arch at the center, inside of which you’ll find the Royal Military Museum, an art gallery, and an automobile museum. Please note that this place is slightly away from the city centre and you might need to use metro to reach here from the city centre.
9. Auto world:
If you are automobile lover, you should never miss this place. AutoWorld is a car museum that has over 300 vintage European and American automobiles from the late 19th century to the seventies. Admission is €12 EUR or €11 EUR (Online) and it’s opened every day from 10am-5pm.
Despite having administrative centres in Strasbourg and Luxembourg, the EU headquarters are in Brussels. Open seven days a week with no admission fee and audio guide included, visiting the Parlamentarium is a cheap and informative way to spend a couple of hours for visitors of all ages.
11. Mont des Arts:
The Mont des Arts is one of Brussels’ most iconic places, with a long floral garden and views of the city hall tower.
12. Old England Building:
The Old England department store was a large retailer in downtown Brussels, Belgium, partially housed in a famous, important Art Nouveau building constructed by the Belgian architect Paul Saintenoy (1862–1952) in 1898–99. Today its former buildings house the Museum of Musical Instruments, founded in 1877, which forms part of the group of Royal Museums for Art and History.
Don’t leave Brussels before trying the below:
a) Waffles:
This was one of my favourite snacks in Brussels. After all, you can’t leave Brussels without having some of their famous waffles. The no of varieties really surprised me.
b) Belgium or French (Not sure which country created Fries)
Fries here had a different taste and I really loved it. Its mostly served in cones.
NOTE: People say that the French fries originated in Brussles, Belgium.
Where to Stay in Brussels:
Any where near to the Brussels Central station will be a good place to live. So, look out for hotels in this area. The commutation to airport and other attractions will be easier.
Other places worth visiting are:
Palais Royal
Basilique Nationale du Sacré Coeur
Place du jeu de Balle (old Market)
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Tintin images
Horta Museum
Chinese pavilion and Japanese tower.
Cantillon Brewery
Musical instruments museum
Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral
Antwerp (if you have an extra day to spare)
Ghent and Bruges (if you have one more additional day)
Worldwar I battlefields near Ypres (if you have one more additional day)
Delirium Café (holds a Guinness World Record for having the most beers, serving over 2000 varieties.
Again, in Brussels also I tried some Indian restaurants.
a) Indian Flavour (in City Centre):
I had tried Biriyani from here. Food was tasty and economical. Would certainly recommend.
b) Star of Asia – Indian Cuisine (Near Parlamentarium):
I had tried a chicken dish and Roti.
It was not economical and not tasty…Not recommended
Important Notes:
a) Both the trains and buses are extremely neat. Metro is mostly underground, and the good thing is that you have very good Mobile network connectivity in underground metro.
There is also proper marking in metro stations.
b) Most of the shops (including hotels) are closed on Sundays.
c) Many of the Museum’s (like Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History) and Royal Palace are closed on Mondays.
d) Brussels is very safe, and people are very friendly.
e) I did not see any of the big chains like KFC. Seems they are very limited.
f) Brussels has a lot of street food options and that would easily fit in to your budget. Best and economical option will be to try out Fast food / Kebab type of shops.
g) I saw a lot of Police vehicles around during my visit. Not sure if it’s a regular scene here in Brussels.
h) I had observed that many of the shops close around 6 PM. i) If you are looking for souvenirs, there are many shops within the city centre. j) Try to take a metro map and the city attraction guide from the hotel itself. It will be very handy.
k) People here use a lot of mechanical and electronic cycles. You will see a lot of such cycles around city centre.
l) All price includes Tax as well and there are no hidden charges.
m) You will see a lot of chocolate shops around. Don’t miss trying some chocolates before you leave Brussels.
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