‘Nothing can beat living out of a van with your best friends,’ says student doing tour of Ireland on a shoestring
Seasoned travellers saved €3k by hiring a Transit for their 12-day Irish holiday
Three friends have revealed how they managed to save almost €3,000 on hotels by touring Ireland in a hired Transit van.
Best friends Ludmila Paleckova (23), Irena Minarikova (21) and Ondra Slansky (37), from Prague, met while learning Irish dancing in their home city and fell in love with Irish culture.
The part-time musicians had Ireland on their bucket list for some time, but were keen to save money.
By using the Hertz-rented van as transport and a makeshift home, with inflatable mats for bedding, the students managed to holiday on an impressive budget of just €670 – or just over €18 each a day, not including fuel and food costs.
They reckon they saved an estimated €2,748 on hotels, based on Dublin hotel rates, and say they would not have seen half of Ireland had they not travelled this way.
“We arrived on August 1 and stayed for 12 days,” Ms Paleckova said.
“We rented a Transit van in Ireland because it’s way cheaper than renting a regular car or a camper van – and three people fit comfortably in. The total for renting the van was €670, including insurance.”
The translation and interpretation student said the three friends rented the van at Dublin Airport “and within the 12 days had travelled to the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, Co Clare and then up the Wild Atlantic Way to Mayo and Sligo, eventually returning to Dublin”.
“We visited the Kilrush festival, which we enjoyed very much as we’re passionate about Irish dance and we were touched by the warm welcome we received from locals,” Ms Paleckova said.
“We couldn’t leave out the Cliffs of Moher, but the place that truly took our breath away was Achill Island and its beautiful beaches.
“We always go to Irish dance ceílís in Prague, in Erlangen in Germany and Basingstoke in the UK, but this was our first time going to a céilí in Ireland, and it was great.”
Ms Paleckova said the friends had bonded through “Irish dance and music years ago and it definitely had a part in deciding where to travel to this time”.
“We just wanted to travel and this was the best way,” she said.
“Ireland not only has amazing cultural life and traditions, but the nature is stunning everywhere you go, wherever you look. It’s a country worth staying a lot longer than just two weeks and we definitely plan to come back.
“It was not my first time doing a socalled ‘van life’ or a ‘van holiday’. Whenever I travel, I either hitch-hike or I rent a car.”
The friends logged onto the app Park4night, which gave them information on car parks and “hidden spots” where they could stay for free overnight.
“For bedding, we brought inflatable mats, which are very comfortable and easy to transport,” she said.
“We brought a camper cooker and made all our own meals. For hygiene we used either public bathrooms, or we just swam in lakes and the ocean.
“As a student and a passionate traveller, I would recommend this style of travel to anyone who longs to experience a bit of freedom and see more than just towns and hotels.
“It is way more affordable than a conventional style of travelling and you will find that it’s way easier than it seems.
“You can see as much as you want and you can stay where you like while being on a budget. I don’t think anything beats living out of a van with your best friends and travelling Europe.”
The friends made a video montage they shared with the Irish Independent, showing them travelling across Ireland in the hire van, céilí dancing at the Kilrush Festival, swimming, camping and cooking at Doo Lough in Co Mayo and climbing Croagh Patrick.
Charles University student Ms Paleckova said: “I promise, it’s easier than it seems. Anyone can try it.”
The friends’ budget adventure is an interesting topic given that new figures recently showed the number of Irish workers who cannot afford an annual holiday is the highest in the EU.
Analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) found that in 2022, an estimated 14.8pc of Irish workers could not afford a week’s holiday. This represented an almost 4pc increase on the previous year’s figure, showing Ireland recorded the highest percentage point increase across the EU.