Author: Stefan Axelsson

Back home and time to clean the car, doing the laundry and summarize this years grand tour. We managed 6,450 km during 17 days. First the accounting, we spent in total 21.317 SEK on the hotels, 22.321 SEK on ferries and bridges. Plus 8.934 SEK on fuel. Meals and drinks not included, nor entrance fees to castles and museums. 

The car, we bought a brand new Mazda MX-5 last year. We used it on the tour to Scotland. Since planned to be away for a couple of more days, we decided to buy a luggage rack and an additional suitcase. We managed to get hold of a used Mazda suitcase (no longer sold by Mazda). The luggage rack worked well although it’s a bit fiddly to fit the straps (in particular when it’s raining). We didn’t notice any increase in full consumption despite adding a box on top of the boot. The suitcase wasn’t entierly water proof. So, we used it for the laundry. We also used the set of bags we bought last year to keep things organized.

At home, we use a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. There are great when it’s dry and on track. But not so good when it’s wet. Given the destination and the fact that we had a couple of ferries to catch. We bought another set of tyres with a bit more threads. Some might argue that Yokohama AD08RS aren’t that much of all-weather tyres either, But they worked well both in rain and sunshine.

On the last couple of days, we noticed that the downshift from 4th to 3rd gear wasn’t as smooth as it should be. The manual gearbox on the 4th generation of Mazda MX-5 is a known weak spot. So, the car is now booked in for a visit to the garage. Should be covered under warranty but quite annoying.

Ferries and bridges, we had pre-booked the Öresund bridge as well as the Rødby-Puttgarden ferry via Scandlines. We’ve used thus route many times in the past. It worked out very smoothly this time as well. The bridge use number plate recognition. So, you just have to drive up to one of the gates, the light turn green and you can drive through. For the ferry, you have to scan the bar code on your booking confirmation. The machine is too high up if you sit in a sports car. But luckily, the lane is wide enough to allow you to get out of the car and operate the machine.

We used the ferry between Hoek van Holland and Harwich in both directions. Apart from a torrential rain on the way out, it went smoothly. They are very considerate with sports cars and you usually end up on the lower deck. Thus avoiding the ramp and risk of scraping the front of the car when embarking/disembarking. The breakfast onbord is better to be avoided. Once in Harwich, we usually opt for Costa in the harbour. On the way back, we just grab a sandwich and coffee on a service station.

The next ferry on the route was from Anglesey to Dublin. It’s a 3 hour trip. As usual, it was a bit confusing to find the way in the harbour (clearly intended for lorries, not turists).

Once on Ireland, we use three different road ferries. Payment by card or online worked well. They were a bit expensive by our standard (in Sweden, most road ferries are free of charge). 20+ EUR for a 10 minute boat trip might be a bit excessive.

From Ireland to Isle-of-Man, we took the ferry from Belfast to Douglas. This was a two and a half hour trip on a fast catamaran, doing 30 knots. To get back to England, we choose to take the ferry to Heysham instead of Liverpool.

Accomodations, we stayed at the following hotels and B&Bs; Good Morning Hotels in Lund, Sweden. This was just for a nights sleep while in transit. Very simple standard, but clean rooms, friendly staff and to our surprise a bar with outdoor seating. Works well if you just needs somewhere to sleep. Cheap as well at 984 SEK for a twin bed room. Black Boy Inn Hotel in Caernarfon, Wales. This was for the second night during the transfer to get to Ireland. A charming hotel within the city walls. Limited parking next to the hotel, so we had to park a bit further away. Parking was free during evening and night. 1.725 SEK for a twin bed room. We didn’t have time to try the breakfast in the morning since we had a ferry to catch. White Sands Hotel in Portmarnock was the first hotel on Ireland. Located just north of Dublin. In the evening, there was some football going on so the hotel bar was fully booked. It turned out that there weren’t any options nearby to get some food. The room costed 1.891 SEK for a twin bed room excluding breakfast. Parking was free outside the hotel. The next stop was Cork where we stayed at Commodore Hotel in Ballyvoloon. This was a really nice hotel, next to the water. There were several restaurants nearby, parking was free along the street during evening and night. The hotel also had an underground parking. The room costed 1.723 SEK for a twin bed room including breakfast. We continued our journey to Killarney where we stayed two nights at Killarney Court Hotel. We must have missed something when we did our research. This turned out to be a very busy and noisy hotel next to a major junktion and a service station. Luckliy, the city center was within walking distance. We opted to have breakfast at a little french café instead of the hotel. Parking was free just outside the hotel. Two nights in a twin bed room costed 3.536 SEK including breakfast (which we skipped).

Next stop was The Waters Country House in Newtown. This B&B is a little gem! Located some 5 minutes drive outside the village. It’s owned by a lovely, italian, couple. The building is quirky to stay the least with plenty of charm. It has both a library and a bar. Plus a wonderful full Irish breakfast. One night in a twin bed room costed 1.757 SEK including breakfast. Needless to say, parking was free. For dinner, you have to drive into Newtown. We continued north and the next hotel was Westport Woods Hotel & Spa in Westport. It’s ok as a hotel with large enough rooms and a small wood nearby. Situated in the outskirts of Westport. Parking was free and breakfast included for 1.995 SEK. BUT (in capital letters) avoid their restaurant. There are alternatives down by the harbour that must be better. Their ”catch of the day” should be renamed ”what we found at the bottom of the fridge today”. Luckily, the next stop was so much better. The Lodge @ Harvey’s Point was excellent. We had opted for the lodge which was a bit cheaper than the hotel. But with access to the same bar and restaurant. Lovely staff at the reception as a start. The rooms in the Lodge are small, but we knew that already when we booked. The hotel is located in the countryside next to a small lake outside Donegal. We had an excellent three course dinner. Great service and attention to details. This is a place we would consider coming back to just to relax and enjoy the food! One night at the lodge costed 1.701 SEK including breakfast.

We then continued to Northern Ireland where we stayed at Ballygally Castle Hotel just north of Belfast. We found out about this hotel via a youtube channel that we follow, Harry’s Garage. Harry Metcalf, who runs the channel, visited this hotel while driving his Jaguar XJ-C on the island. Anyway, the hotel is built next to an old castle by the sea. One night including breakfast and parking costed us 1.735 SEK. On Isle of Man, we spent three nights in Douglas at The Sefton Hotel. There was a small car park under the hotel but also a publicerad car park nearby. We are usually not fans of public car parks, but we had to use this the third night since the hotel car park was full. The hotel sits along the main street next to the beach. Like most of Douglas, it had seen better days. But it was ok, especially considering that three nights including breakfast only costed us 3.373 SEK. The last hotel night was again at Good Morning Hotels in Lund, Sweden.

Things to do, we had an ambitious plan of things to do. But subject to change and the weather. We were only three people this year, which made things easier. See each day in the blog for further details of what we did plus more photos.

During last part of the transfer, we decided to drive through Snowdonia national park. We visited the area back in 2019 (see the first part of the blog for more details and inspiration). Once on Ireland, we spent half a day in Dublin. The weather wasn’t great but it was worth taking a look while there. Driving in Dublin wasn’t fun, to say the least. The next day we drove to the Wicklow Mountains National Park. It was foggy in the morning, but it cleared up later on. Really nice views in that area and worth visiting. Baltimore Beacon and Mizen Head are both worth a visit, in particular Mizen Head with breathtaking views.

Ring of Kerry plus the addition of Skellig Ring is well worth to drive. There are multiple places to stop at along the drive. We only did a few stops. Kilkee cliffs is a better option than the Cliffs of Moher. The later is full of tourists and buss tours plus shopping. Not really the nature experience we were looking for. Further north, Connemara National Park is worth a visit (and some hiking). More cliffs can be viewed at Downpatricks Head. This is also a great alternative to the Cliffs of Moher. As is Malin Head on the most northern part of Ireland.

Once on Isle of Man, driving the TT course over the mountain is a must. The Motor Museum is worth a visit, despite the less than cheerful staff. If the weather is better than when we visited, take the train up on Mount Snaefell. The views are spectacular according to Google.

Conclusion, we didn’t really have any clear expectations about Ireland. Having watched several youtube films helped us doing the planning. But we were positively surprised, great roads, stunning scenery, friendly people. We might fly back at some point to explore Dublin (and eventually spend a week or so at Harvey’s Point). Isle of Man can now be ticked off the list, but we won’t be coming back.