Killarney? Nice, but such a rip-off
Wednesday February 27 2008
Muckross House, the surrounding gardens and woods, Torc mountain and so on are all exceptionally beautiful and leave a lasting memory.
But -- yes, there's a but! -- everywhere we went, except Muckross, we felt ripped off. From cups of coffee, bars, caravan parks etc -- they all ripped us off.
Take, for example, Killarney's caravan parks. Standards very high, by Irish standards, but €30 per night -- wow!
After inspecting the 'Irish Tourist Caravan Park Guide', as an area Killarney stands out as having the most expensive caravan parks in Ireland.
We motorhome in southern Europe for a few months every winter and the going rate would be €12 to €15 per night.
Our conclusion would be that (a) Killarney charges Dublin prices, (b) business and service providers are spoiled by the amount of tourist business they get every year, and (c) they exploit the trusting, undiscerning Irish tourist.
Our conclusion: we'll visit Killarney again, but we'll stay and eat elsewhere.
ANNE SCOTT
DUBLIN ROAD, MULLINGAR
