English Only Information Pack
Firstly, we would like to thank you for choosing DELS for your English Language holiday. Please find below further information on your stay.
What to bring
As much as we love our green country the weather can be unpredictable so we recommend the following items along with some other key items:
- Three antigen tests
- Water Bottle – It is possible to drink the water from the taps in Ireland
- Waterproof jacket
- Three pin adaptor (for charging phone lap top etc)
- Lock for your suitcase
- Photocopy of passport to be kept separate to your passport (in case of loss)
- One towel. A towel is provided but it is recommended to take an extra towel
- Warm clothes i.e. jumpers, jackets
For Class & School
- A copybook and pens
- A device – some classes are digital so please bring a phone/laptop
Classes typically start @ 9.30 am. We will notify you on time of arrival
General Information
Contact
School Address: West End Bundoran, Co Donegal F94 X997
Contact Number: 00353 719 84 12 88 / 00353 876 00 82 05
Arrival is anytime after 3 pm.
Local area maps
Laundry
Laundry is included in the programme for students staying a minimum of two weeks. We collect the laundry every Thursday/Friday and it is returned to the students every Friday/Saturday.
Internet Access
There is free WIFI at the school. We also have WIFI at the residential accommodation Most homestays have WIFI.
Bank Holidays
On Bank holiday Mondays (17 March, 18 April, 2 May, 6 June,& 31 October 2022), there will be no English classes, students are offered an excursion/activity in place). On 1 August, the school is open as normal.
Residential Accommodation
Our residential accommodation is situated less than one minutes’ walk from the Atlantic coast, 5 minutes from the language school and 5 minutes’ walk from the town centre. Both houses have private and shared rooms, as well as self-catering facilities.
The accommodation is self catering.
Homestay
Hosts want you to be a member of the family. They will appreciate your efforts to integrate, your active participation in their life and activities. Your smile, your gratitude and enthusiasm will be the best reward for the hosts efforts and encourage the success of your stay. Most homestays are within a 20 minute walk of the school. Homestay accommodation is half board, breakfast and dinner only. No lunch is included.
Holiday Home or Apartments
Meals are not included in holiday home or apartment booking. Please refer to the booking agent for more details on this type of accommodation.
Social Activity programme
Most social activity fees are included in the overall price. Some entry fees are not included, you will be notified in advance of these fees. The excursion fees are not included in the price. We offer discounted fees for anyone enrolled on a course.
Covid Guidelines
We are following government guidelines, to view the latest guidelines click here.
We HIGHLY recommend all students to come to Ireland fully vaccinated. Students must take an antigen test before arrival and only come into the country if this test is negative.
If a student tests positive when here, they will be asked to isolate and will remain in isolation until guidelines allow. If the student tests positive towards the end of their stay, you must arrange suitable accommodation for the remainder of your isolation period, Gaurd me has a suitable insurance policy to cover this scenario, please see below further information.
Medical Care
Post Covid, there are significant wait times of up to two weeks at the local doctor surgery, should a student need to go to the doctor, we will be recommending that they use an online service. This will be covered through your insurance. If you don’t have insurance cover, it is compulsory to have one in place or please contact us for further details on the guardme policy.
Inbound Travel
Travellers to Ireland are not required to show proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative PCR test result upon arrival.
Outbound Travel
Please check the criteria needed to re-enter your country. If you are unvaccinated, you may require a lateral flow test to re-enter. This costs €35 and must be booked in advance for the Saturday morning before departure. Please ensure that you let us know if you require this test and that you have adequate funds to pay for it.
For any emergencies, please contact 00353 876008205.
Insurance
It is compulsory to have a European Health Insurance Card. This is free for all European countries and will cover any doctor or hospital appointments in the case of any medical issues. It is also compulsory for all clients to have travel insurance. For all non-European Citizens please take out private medical and travel insurance.
You must also have sufficient cover in case you /your child becomes ill in Ireland. This should cover the following: flights, airport transfers, accommodation including food, a parent travelling to Ireland to collect the student (if a minor). Please contact us for the Guard me policy which outlines the cover they offer, if your own insurance policy covers the same then please send us proof of this insurance or we can register you / your child for a cost of 40€ for a stay of up to four weeks for the Guard me policy.
Important Travel Documents
Here is important information when travelling to Ireland with children under 18. Please click here.
Please ensure that your son/daughter/student is travelling with the necessary documents.
There have been some significant delays at different stages at Dublin airport over the last few months, for this reason we will be bringing students to the airport a minimum of 3.5 hours in advance of their flight. The current recommendation from Dublin airport is 2.5 hours(June 2022). Please notify the student travelling that there will be a lengthy wait at the airport. If for any reason a student misses their flight due to reasons outside of DELS control, you will need to rebook another flight and recoup this cost from your insurance, we will do our best to help the student find accommodation and transfers (subject to availability) but, this will incur a cost.
Transfers
If opting for collection from Dublin airport
We are based 3 hours and 25 minutes by bus from Dublin airport. For this reason, we group transfers together. Typically, we have 2/3 buses at the airport on Sundays, this depends on arrival and departure times and number of students arriving.
The shared transfers are based on arrivals between 11 am – 6 pm and departures between 11 am – 6 pm. Students will typically have a 1 – 3 hour wait before the bus leaves the airport. These times may vary if there are flight delays, lost luggage by airlines etc.
Please also note that for departures, if you flight is before 1.30-2 pm, you will leave Bundoran around 4.30 am in the morning, this allows for adequate check in time at the airport (you need a minimum of three hours check in time in the summer) and then 3.25 hours to reach Dublin.
Collection: On entrance of arrivals in Terminal 1 please make your way over to the right. You will see a sign saying Meeting point. Under or around this sign will be a Donegal Language School representative waiting to meet you with a Donegal English Language School Sign(see below).
If you are flying into Terminal 2 (Aer Lingus) please make your way to the right and one of our representatives will be there to meet you.
They will have a sign showing the DELS LOGO
Airport sign will look like this
If opting for public bus from Dublin airport
There is a direct bus from Dublin airport to Ballyshannon every two hours. To arrive at the bus stop, walk out of arrivals from terminal 1 and cross the road, go through the tunnel and you will see a spar shop on your left, walk outside and to the left is the bus stop. Please go to zone noted beside Dublin Airport on this link. We then offer free transfers from Ballyshannon to Bundoran between 10.00 am and 8.00 pm daily. for transfers between 8-10 pm we can arrange a taxi for you. The taxi fee is around € 15 Transfers between 10pm and 10 am are very difficult and in most cases impossible as taxi drivers may not be working after 10 pm.
If we are collecting you from the bus in Ballyshannon, please send us an SMS to 0035 387 600 82 05 once you get on the bus in Dublin and then again when the bus reaches Enniskillen. It is really important that you do this as sometimes the bus is late and it ensures that our driver is not waiting a long time to collect you.
Boarding Cards
Please put the airline app on your phone and you can then check in online prior to arrival and departure. If you need boarding cards to be printed, please email info@ donegallanguageschool.com before 4 pm on Friday evening. Please note that the office email addresses are not manned after 5 pm on Friday evening. If received after 4 pm, we will not be able to print for you.
If travelling by car
- Please phone on 00353876008205 when you arrive in Sligo/Enniskillen (30 – 40 minutes before your arrival in Bundoran) so I can arrange for someone to meet you at the centre and show you the accommodation.
- The address of the camp is West End, Bundoran, Co Donegal. Please put F94X997 into google maps for directions
Arrival is anytime from 3 pm onwards
What happens on my first day?
Arrivals for students are generally on a Sunday. All students are welcomed and shown to their accommodation followed by a short introductory meeting. This meeting will go through the first day and any questions that may arise. Students are placed in a level most suited to them, the teacher will discuss with you the level and if you have any queries, please ask your teacher.
If the students have opted for one of the activity packages, their chosen sport takes place in the afternoon. Student Coordinators are on hand to help and assist all students through their first day.
Please click on the links to log on to facebook or instagram for regular updates on campus life @ DELS.
Looking forward to meeting you
Kind regards, Team DELS