travelling to Ireland for conferences

ICEM 2012 Dublin from Australia

June 27-30th 2012: ICEM 2012 website
- preliminary programme (pdf)
June 25th-8th July: Wimbledon tennis - London
July 27th-12th Aug: Summer Olympic Games - London

flights

please check airlines for up to date details, the following is a guide only!
Virgin Australia:
- Melb/Sydney - Abu Dhabi - Dublin
- NB. Melbourne travellers going through Sydney will need to make their way to the transfer lounge at Gate 37 in the domestic terminal and check in for your international flightand get a bus pass from Virgin to travel from the domestic terminal to the international terminal. On return flight, AFTER collecting baggage and going through customs at Sydney airport, turn left immediately after Quarantine (before entering the Arrivals Hall) and enter the Seamless Transfer Lounge. If you are booked on formal codeshare flights (one ticket for the entire journey) check in for your Domestic flight at a Virgin Australia check-in counter. Here you will receive a bus pass, to use to transfer to the Domestic Terminal.
- uses Etihad airways for flights between Abu Dhabi and Dublin or London
- Etihad do not have Premium Economy so booking Premium Economy on Virgin is not much more expensive but perhaps you don't get much more on the Etihad legs.
- Virgin Velocity frequent flyer rewards points.
- Etihad and Virgin have fully reciprocal frequent flyer and lounge access benefits
Etihad airways:
- flights from Sydney (not easy to get direct from Melbourne) via Abu Dhabi - new Terminal 3 facility built in 2009, includes Business Lounge with Day Spa facilities, and an English pub
- Business Class guests can use Etihad Chaffeur for free anywhere in UAE to the airport (if not using Abu Dhabi as a transit), and this service is also available in Australia, London, Dublin up to 50km (or more depending upon place) from the airport, but not for transits from one airport to another.
- Abu Dhabi is 150km or just over 2hrs by car from Dubai
  - Jumeirah Zabeel Saray resort and the Atlantis Palm Hotel are ~45min by car from either Abu Dhabi airport or Dubai airport and is situated on the Palm Jumeirah development
  - DON'T consider a 1-2 day stop-over in Abu Dhabi or Dubai in June-July as average maximums are 41degC and sea water is 40degC!!
- Australians are allowed to enter the UAE without a visa prior to arrival as long as they are carrying a valid passport that will not expire within six months of their arrival date. Immigration officials may grant a visit visa, which is valid for 30 days, on arrival at the port of entry.
- uses Virgin Australia for flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney/Melbourne
- flights from Melbourne start at $2051 via Sydney, with business starting at $7300
- flights generally depart Sydney 15:15hrs and arrive Dublin 07:30hrs
- flights generally depart Dublin 09:20hrs and arrive Sydney 18:10hrs, or depart Dublin 20:55hrs and arrive Sydney 06:30hrs
Emirates Airlines:
- direct flights to Dublin from Melbourne/Sydney via Dubai from around $2083 incl. taxes economy
- DON'T consider a 1-2 day stop-over in Dubai in June-July as average maximums are 41degC!!
- Emirates Skywards frequent flyer rewards system partners are only Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Korean Air, or Sth African Airways
Qantas:
- return flights Melb-Dublin start at $2272 with following options:
  - Melb-Bangkok-London-Dublin NB. Bangkok in June is hot (21degC min - 33degC max, avg 28degC), humid, and rains
  - Melb-Singapore-London-Dublin
  - Melb-Hong Kong-London-Dublin (extra cost of $372 each way!)
Singapore Airlines:
- offer Melb-Singapore-London-Dublin
- can earn Virgin Velocity Rewards points (but only 1.25 pts/mile Business class compared to 1.5pts + bonus points flying Virgin)
British Airways:
- direct non-stop 23hr flights Melb-London

Heathrow airport transfers

note Qantas flights use Heathrow Terminal 3 but the connecting Aer Lingus flight to Dublin uses terminal 1 requiring free bus transfer - see return flight process here
Heathrow airport transfer to London Paddington by train:
- Heathrow Express 15min, £18 single fare
- Heathrow Connect 25min stopping at stations, £8.50 single fare
- London underground ~60min, ~£5 single fare map (pdf) of Underground trains
London transport - consider buying the Oyster card for public transport
UK National Rail - if you are planning a 4.5hr train trip to Edinburgh - book on Eastcoast or ScotRail for a bargain berth Caledonian sleeper

flights from England to Dublin

Aer Lingus:
- cabin baggage limit is 10kg
- 1hr flights from Manchester Airport to Dublin cost (inclusive of taxes and charges) £32 without checked baggage and £49 with 1 bag checked in (on the PLUS fair) - must add £6 handling fee.
- flights from Heathrow terminal 1 have a higher taxes and charges fee bring cost without luggage to £56 plus the handling fee
- can accrue Qantas frequent flyer points

rental car in UK or Ireland

Hertz - ~$55/day for small automatic in UK, and ~$65/d in Ireland
Virgin Velocity Rewards can be redeemed for Europcar car rentals

touring UK and Ireland

weather in June:
- daylight hours 4am-11pm but only average 4-5hrs sunlight per day
- London avg min 11degC - avg. max 20degC with rain on a third of the days (London is one of the driest regions of UK)
- Galway avg min 9degC - avg. max. 17degC with high humidity and 75mm rain/mth with just over 50% of days having rain. Avg temp. is 13-14degC.
- Dublin has similar temperatures but only rains on a third of the days
- yes, mid-Summer in Ireland is about the same weather as mid-Winter in Melbourne but without the very cold days and frosts, so bring jumper and trousers!
toll roads in Ireland:
- Dublin M50 ring road - must pay €3 per trip online before 8pm the following day - pay online, by phone: 1890 501 050, or at PayZone outlets
- NB. airport to Port/Docklands toll is about €10
- Dublin-Galway M4 toll road map (pdf) - must pay cash €2.80
- Galway M6 toll road map (pdf) - must pay cash €1.80
- more information on toll roads in Ireland
day trips from Dublin:
- Howth fishing village just a few km's NE of Dublin
- Wicklow Mountains tour:
  - Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford, 50km south of Dublin, near Wicklow
  - 25km scenic drive from Ashford to Rathdrum then to Laragh but perhaps diverting for a side trip up the Glenmalure Valley
  - Glendalough's 5th Century St. Kevin’s Monastic City in the Wicklow Mountains near Laragh
  - 48km scenic mountain drive from Laragh over Sally's Gap via R115 then R759, N81 (or one could continue on from Glendalough and skip Sally's Gap) to Russborough House, Rathballyong
  - 36km drive from Russborough House to Castletown House, St Raphael's Manor which is 23km west of Dublin
  - see a trip report
  - Braveheart tour