Family Holiday in Cobh Cork

As a family, we love to have a family holiday in unique accommodations. We much prefer this approach

to holiday accommodation, than to stay in standard 3-4 star hotels. On our previous family holidays, we stayed in a treehouse in Westport, a bell tent in Derry, a glamping pod in Cork, a campervan and we once stayed in a beautiful air-BnB above a photography studio with views on the Cuilaigh mountains and we had a family photo shoot which was included in our package.

So when we came across an air-BnB Double Decker bus in Cobh Cork (which is pronounced “Cove Cork”) we were very much ‘on board’ with the idea. It’s our little girls 1st birthday so we booked the bus for two nights to celebrate. We had Double celebrations on the Double Decker bus, two little cakes, 1 to represent our precious little girl turning one and other to celebrate a year of our lovely breastfeeding journey together.

About our unique Family BnB Accommodation in Cobh

The bus was a vintage London red Double Decker bus that has been converted into a modern unique accommodation experience. It was perfectly situated accommodation near Fota island for young kids. It’s main features are:

• It can sleep, 7 guests
• It has 2 bedrooms
• 4 beds
• 1 bathroom
• kitchen- microwave, sink, hob, fridge, freezer, toaster, coffee machine (lots of free coffee) pots, pans, tableware for adults and children, cutlery, etc
• Indoor gas fire
• A TV downstairs and one in each bedroom
• Heating (central heating)
• WiFi
• Hot Water
• Shower
• Essentials-Towels, bed sheets, soap, toilet paper
• Children’s books and board games
• High chair
• Travel cot
• Private outdoor area with table and benches, bbq and firepit. Bbq coal and fire logs/coal can be provided on request.
• Self-check-in. (the key is left in the door)
• Space for 2 cars.

Our First Impressions of the Double Decker Bus BnB Accommodation

We put the coordinates into google maps and it brought us about 5 mins outside of Cobh. The gate entrance has a sign near the road saying ”The Lux Bus”. Once we drove up the driveway we could see the bus and it looked like it was parked in the front of the owner’s garden. But it is very well done as it’s just before their house into the right and there is a fence at either side and you have your own car spaces and private bbq area beside the back end of the Bus. It was all very private, just the way we like it.

There was such excitement when Ourlittlehikers saw the bus.

We all jumped out of the car and ran inside the Bus. We pulled open the original Bus doors to walk up the steps to the bus driver’s seat and steering wheel. Of course, we all had a go at ”driving” the bus (which was done about 100 times throughout our stay while singing “The Wheels on the bus go round and round”).

The key was left in the main front door, when we opened the door we could see a modern kitchen at either side of the bus where the bus seats would have originally been. As we walked down the aisle of the bus we saw a lovely gas fire to our right, on our left there were stairs up to the top deck, under the stairs there was a mini couch with storage underneath for books, jigsaws, and games. At the end of the bus, there were steps up to the dining/seating area. The sofa was U shaped and it was the coziest sofa ever, you would happily sleep there. There is also a glass table, tv, heaters in the roof and more books and games in the back window area.

Upstairs there were 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. In the ”kids room” there is 1 bunk bed and 1 single bed (3 single beds), tv, bedside locker which was filled with kid’s books, chest of drawers filled with extra towels, blankets and pillows. There was also a travel cot which we were kindly asked if we needed one when we made our booking.

The other bedroom had a double bed that felt like you were sleeping in a marshmallow, very comfy. There was a tv, chest of drawers again filled with extra blankets, etc, hairdryer, an essential box which contained shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, new toothbrushes, cotton buds, tissues, etc.

The bathroom had a toilet, a shower, and a sink.

Pros for staying on the Double Decker Lux Bus BnB:

• Such a fun and unique experience especially with children
• It has everything you would need when holidaying with children. ( I read that there is a place in town if you want to get clothes washed if you are there for longer than we were as there is no washing machine).
• Very cozy, comfortable and sparkling clean.
• WiFi throughout the Bus
• Great attention to detail, like lovely signs and messages.
• Very homely.
• great location.
• Great value for money, it cost us €100 per night.
• Very friendly and helpful owners, They left us fresh bread, milk and there was also cereals, choice of coffees, teas, butter, jams salt, pepper and oil for cooking.
• fire pit and bbq area outside for fine weather
• A dream place to stay with kids esp with the Bus driver’s seat and steering wheel.

Cons for staying on the Double Decker Lux Bus

• It wasn’t a problem for us as we are not the tallest of people, but just to note that the ceilings upstairs are 5ft 9inches which are lower than normal. Its to keep the bus as original as possible.
• Just to be mindful that if you have young children there are no stairgates on the stairs and also some of the windows on the top of the deck are emergency windows therefore they are not childproof.
• Just keep in mind during winter months it can get a little cold at night as you would expect just like a campervan but there are extra blankets to keep you warm. Once the heaters are on the Bus heats up very quickly.

Things to do and see on our Family Holiday in Cobh Cork

We found the Bus to be a great base for our family holiday in Cobh Cork. It is a 10min drive to Fota island Wildlife and a 5 min drive into Cobh. Which is filled with beautiful walks around the town, the amazing titanic experience, and the magnificent Colman’s Cathedral.

On our first day of the Family Holiday in Cobh Cork, we had breakfast on the double-decker Bus. We then went to Fota island park at the opening time for 10 am, it had just opened and was nice and quiet. We had the best experience. You can read about it below.

After our Fota island experience, we went back to the bus to relax and made lunch from the food we bought in Lidl. We find it so relaxing and stress-free to do it this way when you have small kids instead of going to a restaurant, it’s also much cheaper when you’re on a budget.

After lunch, we drove into Cobh, which was only 5 minutes in a car. We explored the beautiful Cobh, we find that you really get to know an area when you walk around it.

The Titanic Museum Cobh

We were hesitant about signing up for the titanic museum in Cobh with two young kids. We spoke to the lovely ticket saleswomen and they assured us that there would be no problem bringing young kids on the tour.

The cost of the tickets was very reasonable:

Adult: €10

Child: €7

Children under 4: FREE

The guided tour was 30 minutes with plenty of time in the end to explore, there is also a lovely gift shop.

We previously did the Belfast titanic experience before but we found the Cobh museum experience is a very personal tour. The group size that did the tour was small and it felt the tour guide spoke to everyone individually. We all got boarding cards with names of real people that boarded the Titanic in Cobh.

At the end of the museum tour, we found out if we survived the crash into the iceberg or not. Which is so sad but it makes you feel part of the experience. Just before the end of the tour, you enter a room where you can sit on seats in the shape of a lifeboat. Here you will have a chilling cinematographic experience where you listen to eyewitness accounts of their own experience while watching the Titanic sink. We also got to see the original pier (Heartbreak Pier) which was the last point of land contact for Cobh passengers (know as Queenstown back then)

We all loved the tour, it was super informative and very interesting. This is a totally different type of museum tour of the titanic compared to the Belfast titanic experience. We found this to be much more enjoyable.

Cobh Cork- Walking Trails

The Cobh historical Walking Trail starts at the Titanic Memorial in the center of the town with a large map board that outlines each of the 3 routes.

We picked the shortest route (around 1.3km) which brought us north towards St.Colmans Cathedral. It was a steep climb but we really got an amazing panoramic view of Cobh. We walked around the side entrance by the base structure of the Cathedral, it really is an outstanding structure. The views from outside the Cathedral was breathtaking (not just the climb that took our breath away). We had a great view of the Habour and surrounding islands including Spike Island.

St Colman’s Cathedral Cobh

The inside of St Colman’s Cathedral Cobh is Magfincant, Ourlittlehiker was mesmerized by it all. We lit candles, made a donation and got a lovely card with children prayers, there was also a book you can sign, which means they will pray for you at the 3 pm mass. It is a must-see when you visit Cobh, the architecture is so beautiful, along with the amazing views of the cathedral.

Fota Island Park Cobh

Fota Island wildlife park in Cobh was a 5 minutes drive from our double-decker bus BnB accommodation and 10 minutes from Cobh. This makes Cobh a perfect location to explore Fota island wildlife park.

Fota island opening hours are from: 10 am- 4:30 pm.

We arrived at Fota Island park’s main gates at 10am and we were one of the first people into the park. It was very exciting, as all the animals were just let out of their enclosures and they were all full of energy. Ourlittlehiker loved all the noises of the lions, the peacocks following her for food and the kangaroos hopping straight past her.

We all really enjoyed Fota Island park and would highly recommend it. If we were to give any tips, it would be to try to arrive mid-week and as early as possible. We felt that we had the whole park to ourselves and we had a really unique experience.

Cost- Adults: €16.90

Children under 16: €11.50

Toddlers up to 36 months: FREE

Would we recommend a Family Holiday in Cobh Cork?

Yes, definitely. Our Family Holiday in Cobh Cork was a great little two-day trip. It was jam-packed with wonderful experiences and amazing tours. We would highly recommend Cobh Cork as a family holiday. The next time we go to Cobh for a family holiday, we will allow some additional time to explore more of its hidden treasures.