Traveling to and from Shannon? Prepare to be an early riser and pay for the privilege
I am an independent traveler. I love to be shuttled around by friends and enjoy the sites, but I am generally happy to make my way by myself. Honestly, I see much more with friends and do more activities and such, but I get to be more present when I have time to wander at my own speed. That said, I always forget something ... like looking at bus schedules in a place BEFORE I book my flight.
My flight to Shannon was perfectly timed. I was able to access the bus and, just in case I missed one I had plenty of others to choose. Leaving for London is less so as I leave on the earliest flight from Shannon and will require me to take a taxi. As I am paying the 70 Euro tomorrow morning, I will be thinking of all the things that could have bought like tea at Harrod's, about 35 drafts of cider, a hotel room in Dublin, etc. Instead, I think London will be a teetotaler few days as I can control my alcohol and the costs of it far more than my food. It's hard to nearly impossible to be eat inexpensively and travel with allergies.
My trip will be filled with some of those connection missteps. Arriving in London will be easy as I arrive at around 11 am, which is plenty of time to catch a few trains and make my way to my hotel to drop my things, rest, write, and rest. Leaving London will also be easier. I leave on a train to Paris in the afternoon. Plenty of time to check out of my hotel, get to the station early, eat a bite, people watch, write, take the train. Plenty of time, too, to arrive in Paris and take the metro to my hotel. Easy peasy.
Leaving Paris will be slightly more challenging, but, if I remember correctly, I am on a direct line to the airport. The metro in Paris will also be super easy in the morning, though perhaps a bit crowded.
Returning to Shannon may also be difficult as I arrive rather late in the evening. I am hoping that Siobhán can pick me up, but it's a toss up right now. Another 70 Euro trip? I may just camp out at the airport until the earliest bus. I've not camped out at an airport before for that reason but I don't mind a few hours wait. I can just as easily avail myself of the free Shannon wifi. The first bus to Ennistymon is at 9:15 on the Monday. I am considering a taxi to Limerick (about 35 Euro) and a stay at one of the hotels (35 Euro). 70 Euro for a good night's rest, but an additional 15-20 to get the bus from Limerick to Ennistymon ... or 70 Euro to Ennistymon and get a good night's rest there? That makes the most sense but I may still decide to save about 56 Euro of my money (14 the next day for the bus) and hunker down at the airport. If I had planned it better, I would have made sure to arrive before 3pm, in time to catch the last bus at around 5pm.
The rest of my trip is easier. On the day, I go to Cork I have a reading in the evening, but the reading comes with a night's rest at a local hotel. The next day, I'll head back to Ennistymon for the night. On the 30th, I'll head over to Dublin in the morning with enough time to get there, go to my reading, and then on to my hotel for the night. July 31, I'm back in Ennistymon, I think, as I've spent many days in Dublin. I haven't sorted that bit as yet. Do I want to stay an extra day in Dublin to write or in the small town of Ennistymon for continuous time? August 5 I'm in Limerick for a reading. I'll stay the night there on my own dime and take the earliest bus out to Shannon as I fly back in the morning that day.
So, all in all, I'll have some difficulties with travel to and from Shannon, a night to still book in Dublin, and one to book in Limerick ... still in the scheme of things, not bad.