Editor of travel2ireland, Joan was a guest on The Home Show with Sinead Ryan on Newstalk Radio and they talked about the quirky holiday rentals you can enjoy and experience in Ireland and around the world.
Quirky Holiday Rentals in Ireland and the World
The internet has made renting holiday properties around the world so much easier, especially when you use companies that manage and curate such places. Companies like Airbnb, Holiday Rentals, Holiday Lettings, Interhome, VRBO, 9Flats have opened the market for people to promote and rent properties.
It has also led to a big improvement in the quality of holiday rentals and allowed people to be imaginative. On Newstalk’s The Home Show with Sinead Ryan, I explore some really interesting ideas of places to rent in Ireland and also around the world. From lighthouses to inland islands, from a stationary jumbo jet to a train carriage in someone’s garden, to a cave in the Andalucian mountains, join us for a tour. Listen back here.
Towering Lighthouses
Being a rugged island in the Atlantic, Ireland has more than its fair share of lighthouses. Many of them are now decommissioned, using automated light and satellite technology. There is quite a few of these remote properties around the coast.
In some cases, you can stay in the lighthouse itself and in others, the cottages that would have housed the lighthouse staff. The soaring stone tower of Wicklow Head Lighthouse will give you a real feel for what it was like to live there. The surroundings are also gorgeous and wild. You will find a variety of these properties are managed by The Landmark Trust, see here.
There are also several lighthouses and lightkeepers’ cottages in private hands such as at Fanad in Co Donegal, see here.
Island Escapes in Ireland
We think of islands as places to stay off the coast of the country, however, this little island treasure is on a lake, Lough Oughter in Cavan. Trinity Island was home to Trinity Abbey built in the 13th century and the remains are still there. The O’Dowd family converted a stone-built granary into a comfortable retreat for up to six.
This is the place to go to for peace and quiet. The only sounds are the birds, its perfect for bird-watching. The lake is also full fish and there are boats and canoes available. And the barn has been converted into a games room. Trinity Island also has a sauna and jacuzzi and costs from €1,500 per week all year round. See the website here and it is also on airbnb.com,
Play upstairs downstairs in West Cork, Mount Corrin
Fans of Bridgerton will love staying in this traditional period house in West Cork. The interiors have been put together as it would have been in the 19th century, but with 21st century comforts. They include a pool, jacuzzi, gym and entertainment. Feel like lords and ladies. The house has three bedrooms with additional accommodation on site, €5,000 per week see here.
Not leaving on a Jumbo jet in Sweden
Plane-spotters will love this idea, a Jumbo jet 747 has been converted into accommodation at Sweden’s Arlanda Airport. On board you can stay overnight in a comfortable room, with bathrooms too. There are a mix of rooms from dorms to two swanky private suites. There’s even a bar and food on board, definitely a night to remember, book here.
Choo Choo in the A Field
We all know the love the British have for trains, and it seems that when they come to the end of their life, they are hard to let go. Which mean not surprisingly there are several train carriages located all over the UK from Scotland to Cornwall and they make unusual holiday rentals. Take your pick of these unusual properties. They are ideal for family holidays and in a lot of places dogs are welcome too, see details on QuirkyAccom, here.
Cave houses in Spain
Fancy being a troglodyte – cave dweller. All around Spain’s hottest regions people bored into hillside to make cave homes to protect them from the sun. These underground houses usually maintain a constant temperature all year and were perfect for those regions with big temperature differences.
Holiday Lettings have more than 70 cave houses to rent with prices from €80 per night, some even have swimming pools, outdoors, of course.
Listen to the The Home Show on Newstalk with Sinead Ryan here.
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