Advice Needed (Again) Especially from Members in Great Britain and Ireland

[ktmrider]

Well, I am looking for advice about another long distance walking tour, this time either in England or Ireland.

As I have posted here earlier, I have completed the C2C trail in Northern England last fall. The 196 miles was just a bit much, especially with the very rugged terrain in the Lake District. I have also walked the West Highland Way in Scotland and a part of the Camino de Santiago.

This next hike will be shorter (about 100 miles) and will be the last week of April and first week of May. I am looking for advice on either the Wicklow Way which starts in Dublin or the Cotswoth Way which terminates in Bath. It appears that terrain, distance, and weather will be very similar.

I am leaning toward Ireland simply because I have never been to that country.

Thanks, Rich

 

[johnnyrod]

I'm not overly familiar with either so have just done a quick google. I'd probably also pick Ireland as it looks like a more scenic route, and with more variety. Ireland is a great country, the people are (generally of course) warm and funny, the food and beer are good. I've left a pub at 2am and gone back that evening to find most people in the same places where I left them that morning, I can only presume they left at some point.
You're going to get rained on you know, perhaps every step of the way, on either route at that time of year. We can have snow any time until early April, although the last few years May has been almost the best part of summer. The more settled weather is the end of summer and into autumn I'm afraid!

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Another vote for Ireland and May. We've always had fine weather there and enjoyed ourselves and the pubs, B&B's etc are dog friendly. He thought he was in heaven at one or two of them...

My view of the Cotswolds is that it's lazing about by rivers country. I just don't see it as a walking part of the UK and I visit it pretty often. Lots of nice, small towns to explore and views in all directions. And the GWR from Broadway to Cheltenham...

Regards, David

 

[ktmrider]

Well, my daughter getting married in May and starting a full time career in June has removed her as a travel partner for the near future. However, my wife has decided to retire in mid June so I have another partner.

Due to various constraints, I am trying to get her interested in another long distance walk. Am thinking the Wicklow Way in Ireland for the last two weeks of September. We have to be in Alaska for the latter half of October for her mom's 90th birthday. I assume the weather in late September will be pretty similar to the C2C in Northern England which I did last September.

Comments and places to visit in Ireland would be appreciated.

 

[rfaspen]

Never been to Ireland? What the heck are you waiting for?

I think the decision is made...

Love Ireland! My wife is Irish ancestry (mine is further back in the family tree) and we last visited a couple years ago to see "the homeland". Fell in love. You will too. Spent most of our time in the western Counties, but Dublin and the east are nice too. Sorry I don't have specific recommendations for hikes/walks, or even specific site to see. We were in County Claire for a couple weeks though, and just soaked up the landscape. I'm partial to ancient sites, such as megalithic structures. We visited a number of those.

 

[johnnyrod]

Yep weather will be similar, tends to be dry (well, Ireland isn't very dry but it's not like spring!), could be mild or could start to turn chilly, but I would have thought more mild than anything. The prevailing wind is off the north Atlantic so the further west you are in the British Isles, the wetter it is.