Hi everyone, I just want to check in, it has been a while since I posted an update on Caravogue House. It is hard to believe that we are opened for "FIVE YEARS" and we are still loving what we do.

To recap, I opened Caravogue House with my family's help in July 2019, A few months later, my brother, Rob, decided to join me to run Caravogue House full- time. and it has worked out amazingly. We haven't fallen "out" ... much, and we established within a few weeks,that we work very well together. Thank God 😊

In this time, we have welcomed many guests to Caravogue House and gained a lot of new friends, many who return to us on a regular basis, which we love!

Every day is a learning day at Caravogue,and I would like to share with you some tips and tricks,that we have learned along the way, mostly from guests who have stayed with us.

We hope that they are of interest and make your visit to Caravogue House and Ireland more enjoyable.
 

Flights, Travel,& Car Hire.

• Caravogue House is just 50 minutes from Dublin Airport, it is a wonderful place to spend your first night in Ireland.
• If you have a late flight, we can arrange a self-check-in, which means you can arrive at any time, without any pressure.
• If hiring a car, I would recommend not driving into Dublin City, just after getting off a flight. It takes time to get used to a new car and the “Irish roads” 😊.
• If hiring a car, price around, book well in advance and try your best to get an automatic car, it makes life easier.
• “Not hiring a car?” Do your research on modes of transport. I would recommend buses, as all towns, villages are accessible by bus. https://www.buseireann.ie/
• Some bus trips may require changing buses. Example: Going to Galway. Take a bus from Trim to Athlone, then another from Athlone to Galway.
• Also,research:https://about.leapcard.ie/ , You may be able to purchase a travel card for the time you are here.
• If not hiring a car, research guided day tours in each area you visit.
• Dublin is less than an hour away from us, public transport (bus) to the city departs from Trim daily, from 6am and hourly after that. The last bus back to Trim is 10pm. This means you can visit Dublin, without the stress of driving or paying for car parking.
• Buses from Trim also go to Navan, Drogheda, Kells, and surrounding areas.
• Trim is a central location for travel in any direction, North, South, East or West

Accommodation, (especially Caravogue House 😊, things to do & planning.

• We are also an excellent location for you, on your final night in Ireland.In the last few years, we have had so many guests stay with us on their first night, only to book a room for their last night. We love this, as we get to chat to you about your holiday.
• If you want to stay with us for more than 3days, send us an email, as we have secret exclusive offers, only available by email.
• Spend a few days in Trim, there is SO much to see and do. It is a great town to start or end your trip.
• Try to stay two nights in certain locations during your vacation.We have seen a lot of our guests trying to pack in as many destinations as possible, which is great, however the feedback is, they are exhausted on their last few days. Remember, although, Ireland is small, there is a minimum of 2-3hrs drive to each city/town. Some of our roads are narrow and need your full attention, it can be tiring, to say the least.
• Don’t over plan, it is great to follow guidebooks etc, however every town/destination is unique, leave time to explore and visit places that locals recommend, that are sometimes not advertised.
• City hotels are often more expensive than accommodation just outside Dublin or any city.
• When planning your vacation, always check if there is anything special going on in each area, Example: festivals, food markets, concerts etc. You may want to add them to your itinerary;however, you may want to avoid them, accommodation prices can increase during these times, it is also worth noting that if can cause a lot of traffic in the area.
• If you want to save money on accommodation, avoid cities and big towns. Stay on the outskirts.
• Major roads in and out of cities will be very busy at times, especially with people going and coming from work. Consider this when planning your trips. Busy times in and out of cities is usually from 7am -9am, 3.30pm -6pm
• Always have change in your car for tolls and road charges. (a great way to get rid of loose change).
• Large roads have a toll charge that must be paid during your stay, which are unavoidable at times. https://etoll.ie/driving-on-toll-roads/
• If a car beeps its horn at you … ignore them. They are just impatient and jealous you are on holidays, and they must work 😊.
• Book your accommodation as soon as possible, many providers will offer discounted offers for advance bookings, where possible, try to book direct, it is often less expensive when you book directly.
• Book room only rates and upgrade to breakfast when you arrive. You may need to leave before breakfast starts or might want to visit a local café in the area.
• The busy season in Ireland is April – September, sometimes it is difficult to find accommodation. Book in advance.
• If you are visiting famous or well-advertised landmarks, book your tickets as soon as possible! Example – If you want to visit Bru naBoinne / Newgrange, tickets book out extremely fast and there are limited spaces.
• If you are doing tours, get them done in the morning time, to give you more time in the afternoon.
• Check into your accommodation as early as possible, it means in most cases, you can leave your car parked and stretch your legs, after spending many hours driving. Arriving anywhere after 4pm is not recommended, as you are not giving yourself the opportunity to explore the area.
• Ask locals for recommendations on where to eat, sometimes the establishments with the best food are not the ones well- advertised.
• For your first pint of Guinness, visit an old Irishbar; there is one is every town 😊
• When planning your trip, Google areas to visit that are not advertised very well. https://www.ourescapeclause.com/ireland-off-the-beaten-path/. There are loads of other websites, do your research.
• For researching an area, I find https://www.discoverireland.ie/ very good, you can search any area or for independent information, I love https://www.theirishroadtrip.com/ they are also active on social media platforms.
• For Trim and discovering the area: https://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/

I hope this helps,wishing you a fantastic trip to Ireland and we really hope we get to welcome you to Caravogue House.

All the best,
Caroline & Rob x

Few places in Ireland contain more medieval buildings than the heritage town of Trim.
Trim Castle is foremost among those buildings.

In fact, the castle is the largest Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy and his successors took 30 years to build it.
The central fortification is a monumental three-storey keep. This massive 20-sided tower, which is cruciform in shape, was all but impregnable in its day. It was protected by a ditch, curtain wall and water-filled moat.
Modern walkways now allow you to look down over the interior of the keep, a chance to appreciate the sheer size and thickness of the mighty castle walls.
The castle is often called King John's Castle although when he visited the town he preferred to stay in his tent on the other side of the river. Richard II visited Trim in 1399 and left Prince Hal later Henry V as a prisoner in the castle
In fact, the castle is the largest Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland. Hugh de Lacy and his successors took 30 years to build it.
 

A little background on us.
Caravogue House is a luxury boutique Bed & Breakfast situated in Trim, Co. Meath, just 30 minutes from Dublin Airport. A purposely built guesthouse with spacious guestrooms and communal areas with ample secure carparking onsite.

Conveniently located, just a two minute walk from the town of Trim, Trim Castle and within walking distance to the many heritage attractions along the river Boyne and surroundings that the beautiful town of Trim has offer.

A warm welcome awaits you, offering you the comfortable perks, standards & services of a superior hotel in a relaxed atmosphere to make you feel at home and enjoy an intimate stay at Caravogue House.

Caravogue House is the perfect location to explore Trim and to experience the Boyne Valley and Ireland's ancient east.

 

Our message to you

We are hoping you are all safe, keeping well and looking forward to traveling again when we reopen, we are so looking forward to welcoming guests to Caravogue House.

As always, your health & safety is so important to us and as a family at Caravogue, we want all our guests staying with us feel safe & secure. To avoid the spread of Covid 19, extra health & safety measures are currently being implemented and we are doing everything we can to provide a safe environment and a stay save care plan, which will follow the guidelines and recommendations developed by the HSE and government authorities. A lot has changed in the last few months, however the warm welcome and the high standards at Caravogue House has not changed, in fact we aim to do better. Lockdown has only reinforced how much we love having you stay with us and how much we missed welcoming guests through our doors.

Please see our link to our stay safe care programme : COVID 19 stay safe care plan of action
 

 

Update on Covid 19 in Ireland, 7th June 2020

On following the government guidelines, once we do not see an up surge in cases or a second wave of the coronavirus ,it looks promising that Ireland will fully reopen under a "new normal" from the 10th August , however each opening phase enables us to prepare to start planning a much deserved "get away" and we are so looking forward to reopening on the 29th June 2020.

It is unfortunate that at the moment pubs may not due to open until a later stage and it is hard to imagine traveling without enjoying a few cold pints & chilled vino been served to you in the unbeatable atmospheric ambient of Irish pubs, although all is not lost, as over the last few months we have all began to enjoy a few beverages in our home and Caravogue House is no different. Outside socially distancing seating is available for guests who would like to enjoy a drink, which you are welcome to bring with you or purchase locally and we can supply refrigeration, ice and glasses. During your time with us there is still so much to do and see in Trim & Country Meath and thankfully all our heritage & culture sites will be opened along with tourist activities. www.discoverboynevalley.ie

Please note this is a personal update for government updates please refer to official sites on travel and other information.

http://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/information-covid-19-if-you-are-visiting-boyne-valley
https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/coronavirus/
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e5e599-government-publishes-roadmap-to-ease-covid-19-restrictions-and-reope/#phase-2-8-june

 

Closing Caravogue House to guests during Covid 19 was a sad time for us all and seeing the number of guests both from Ireland & worldwide having no choice but to cancel their reservations was difficult. We are now taking bookings for reservations and hope you will stay with us from the 29th June, we are also running special offers. Our room rates start from €39pps depending on the day and month you are traveling. To make it easier we are not charging a cancellation fee or do not require a deposit for the remainder of 2020.
Come stay with us!

We hope to see you soon
Best wishes from the Kearney Family at Caravogue House.
info@caravoguehouse.ie
00353863821224
00353469490499