Ireland- First Day Driving from Shannon

Julie Snyder, Equitrekking Travel's Preferred Provider of Travel Services, and I are exploring Ireland, riding horses all over the country. It's a good way for Julie to get to know each equestrian vacation that we feature on Equitreking Travel better, so she can match riders more accurately and both of us to discover some new destinations. I've visited Ireland twice now and filmed two episodes here and there's still more to see and more places to ride. We've just arrived and had our first challenge, driving.

OK, driving in Ireland is not so easy. Living in a metropolitan area, I barely drive at home, so driving on the wrong side of the road down country lanes that are so tiny that they can barely be called roads is difficult, BUT I managed. So, if I can drive in Ireland, pretty much anyone can. A word of advice, get an automatic car.

Julie and I arrived to Shannon Airport at 7 AM, after an overnight flight from Newark. If you can sleep, it’s really helpful and thankfully we did. We had a free seat between us, into which I gladly stretched my long legs.

We headed from Shannon to the West County Hotel, which is only about twenty minutes from Shannon. Of course, I went the wrong way into my very first roundabout. Yikes! I won’t make that mistake again.

I wasn’t so hungry, when we arrived at the hotel where we are meeting Nicola and Bertie, our hosts for the Galway & Clare Riding Adventure in County Clare, but by the time I sat down and had a nice cup of piping hot Irish tea, I was ready for more. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and some good  cereal were on the menu. I don’t know if it’s the water or what, but the tea is really good.

Nicola and Bertie are Julie and me on a whirlwind tour of County Clare and to the coast. No sleep for the jet lagged. That’s the way we roll with Equitrekking. We’re off!

Learn more about equestrian vacations in Ireland at EquitrekkingTravel.com. Learn more about travel to Ireland at DiscoverIreland.com.