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Tags: Dublin Field Trip / Castles / Spa Travel / Tourist Traps / Ireland Travel / → All Tags

Why Just Visit An Irish Castle When You Can Stay In One?

All this week, Jaunted contributor CMB will be giving us notes on her Dublin Field Trip. Any questions or suggestions? Let us know.

If touring a castle in Ireland just isn't enough and leaves you wanting more, then why not sleep in a castle? it's the easiest way to live out your fantasy of being a royal, and you're in luck because there are plenty regal Irish castles that have been turned into luxury hotels.

One of the best castles-turned-hotels is the Dromoland Castle in Co Claire, just a few minutes from Shannon, making it easily accessible via the Shannon International Airport. It's also an excellent home base for visiting tourist traps in western Ireland, like the Cliffs of Moher and of course the Blarney Stone.

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John Travolta Almost Meets End

Wild Hogs chubber and Scientologist weirdo actor John Travolta, who's also an avid pilot, apparently had to make an emergency stop at Ireland's Shannon Airport yesterday, when the Boeing 707 he was flying suffered "technical difficulties."

Travolta's been jetting himself around the world promoting his new movie and was on his way from Germany to the US when he experienced some problems mid-air, immediately grounding him in Ireland. How bad were they? Bad, we guess...

A source reveals: "If he hadn't made it to Shannon, it could have been the end of him. You could tell that he was very relieved."

After landing safely and relaxing with some light L. Ron Hubbard reading, he hired a new plane and was on his way. Be careful, John!

[Photo: 707sim.com]

Related Stories:
· Travolta made emergency landing at Shannon [Ireland Online]
· Travolta's Air Scare [SF Gate: Dish!]
· WiFi Wednesday: Luck of the Irish Edition [Jaunted]

Tags: WiFi / Free WiFi / Airport WiFi / → All Tags

WiFi Wednesday: Luck of the Irish Edition

With three days to go before St. Patrick's Day, we've got Ireland on the brain. The situation in Dublin is suspiciously similar to the one in Boston we told you about last year. (Recently, the FCC stepped in to allow a free hotspot in the Continental Presidents Club.) Still, unless you're in the club, you gotta pay to play. In Boston, it's eight bucks a day. In Dublin, that means a minimum of 3 euro just to check your email.

So where can you get online for free to finalize your St. Pat's festivities? Try Shannon Airport. You'll have to register, and you're only allowed five hours of online time a day, but if you hit that limit, you've got bigger problems. Honestly, who would spend five hours at the airport?

[Photo: steph]

Related Stories:
· FCC Rules Against Logan's WiFi Ban [Boston Globe]
· Shannon Airport [Official Site]

Tags: Airlines / → All Tags

Excess Baggage

Coverage from the Times of London and enplaned on European low-cost carrier Ryanair's recent decision to charge between $4.50 and $9 for checked baggage. The lower fee is for those who check in ahead of time, and the higher charge is for anyone who checks-in at the airport. There's also a 22lb limit on carry-on bags.

As airlines search for additional ways to cut costs--including charging for meals/snack boxes, and now for soft drinks--this is the logical next step for many of them. Unfortunately, it does make the airline experience more like Greyhound than before. Ryanair claims that they are lowering fares to compensate for the additional charge, but don't be surprised if American carriers pick up on this gimmick sometime soon. All the more reason to carry everything directly on your person during travel.


[Image via mublemurmur/Flickr]