Weather and crowds?

ndvb or anyone else who has taken the Best of Ireland tour in Aug/Sep, did the temps and rain match up with what is shown in the "Before you go" info or info from other sources?

I know conditions can be variable and vary depending on location, but what was your experience? (We were spoiled last year on our July E/S/W trip- warm (even hot) with no rain for the entire two weeks.)

Is there much difference in the mid-late August vs early-mid September weather? We are trying to decide whether to sign up for a 15 August or 5 September (SG) departure. We also plan to spend a few days in London first.

Also, does Ireland (Tauck stops) experience crowds of tourists and vacationers in August like London? Because of our London pre-stay we are leaning towards the 5 September date, if it is only just a tad bit cooler in Ireland.

Comments

  • Hi Alan, believe itor not I have never been to Ireland even though my grandfather was Irish, yes I mean really Irish, he was born and raised there as opposed to having an Irish heritage. So anyway, the weather will be as described in the Before You Go section in the most part, unless the global warming affect kicks in.in Britain, I definitely always noticed that once September came around there was definitely an Autumn feel to the air, cooler and more damp in the mornings and an autumn 'smell' to the nose. The mornings and evenings will be cooler and it will be darker earlier in the evenings. The children will be back at school probably by the second week of September, from what I remember of my school days. London in August, will definitely be more crowded before tour starts, as mentioned, the schools will still be out so more British families on holiday there and possibly more expensive hotels.
    As for crowds, I would await replies from those who have been there. Let me know your experiences of Ireland when you go, I have to persuade my hubby to go, but he's been there on business several times, so that's not looking hopeful for me any time soon.
  • AlanS, we were in Ireland in the first part of September, 2012. We piggybacked it with the England, Scotland and Wales trip in late August. Both trips were fantastic. These were the last two trips that my wife and I got to take. She died this past September at the very young age of 62. She was perfectly healthy until June 16 and then got an infection in a disk in her back and died 97 days later. We were scheduled for Grand Alaska in August, 2013 but she was too ill to travel.

    Anyway, that aside, we loved both of these trips. We had been to England several times before on our own and drove (yes, drove....wrong side of the road!!!) to Wales and back to London. We have relatives to visit there. In between the two UK trips, we took the train to Liverpool and spent three days. We rented a car for one day and drove to Pennmaenmawr to visit with them. My wife's grandmother and grandfather were from there and came to the US in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

    Now, about Ireland. The temperatures were mild...60's and 70's for highs. We really had good weather for most of the trip. A couple of days it was cool in the morning and we had some misty rain....it didn't last and was nothing bad. I was surprised at how great the weather was for both trips, especially since the UK had been experiencing a lot of bad weather until the Olympics. We were in London during the Paralympics so there were a lot of people there.

    Crowds were medium and not bad. It was clear it was summer and people were on vacation, but we really didn't experience any issues with crowds. Maybe it was the "Tauck Bubble" I have mentioned before. The largest crowd I remember (I have been accused of having Old-Timer's disease) was when we visited the Blarney Stone. The line to get to the top of the castle was long and slow. My wife went up and gave the stone a big smooch, but I had no desire to stand in that line in a hallway that was very tight, so I passed. I already have the gift of gab...so I have been told.

    I don't think you'll see any significant difference in the temperatures. Remember, it is the UK and we all know the weather issues there. It seems to me it will be a wash for choosing either date. London for your pre-stay is as unpredictable as ever...but you know that, having been there. Like you, our two weeks in E, S, and W was clear and dry, except for one day in Oxford, but it only lasted about an hour.

    One nice thing about the clouds though is that it makes for great picture taking. Much better than the bright mid-day sun. Early morning and late evening stops make for some great pictures with some clouds in the sky.

    If there are any other things I can help you with, just ask. Enjoy and let me know how it goes.

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