# Wiki Enhancements Design — Packing, Workation, Highlights, File Improvements

**Date:** 2026-08-03  
**Status:** Approved

---

## Scope

Four related improvements to the Roadtrip wiki. All are wiki content changes — no code, no tooling.

1. **`PACKING.md`** — new packing list for 3 colleagues, driving trip, 4 weeks
2. **`WORKATION.md`** — connectivity setup guide + per-stop workation ratings table
3. **`HIGHLIGHTS.md`** — top 15 experiences across the trip; `⭐` markers in stop files
4. **File improvements** — fix cycling-as-transport language, targeted improvements per file

---

## 1. PACKING.md

New file at repo root. Sections:

- **Documents & Admin** — passports (all 3), ferry booking confirmations (Stena Line booked + Steam Packet + Irish Ferries), green card / car insurance covering UK + IE + FR, GHIC cards (EU health coverage replacement), international driving permit if non-EU licence, printed hotel confirmations
- **Electronics & Work** — laptops × 3, USB-C chargers, USB-C hub/dock, UK 3-pin travel adapters (needed from Harwich onward), mobile hotspot device (or designated SIM phone), USB charging cables, power bank
- **Car & EV** — Type 2 charging cable (mode 2 granny cable as backup), CCS adapter if needed, charging network apps pre-loaded (Zap-Map, ESB ecars, Chargemap, ABRP), warning triangle + reflective vests × 3 (legally required in France), tyre inflator/puncture kit
- **Clothing** — waterproof jacket (non-negotiable for Atlantic Ireland), layers for 15–20°C with wind, one smart outfit for Dublin game day (Aug 30), comfortable walking shoes, light hiking boots or trail runners for walks like Croagh Patrick / Slieve League
- **Toiletries & Health** — travel sizes, any prescriptions, sunscreen (yes, even Ireland in August)
- **Nice to Have** — binoculars (Slieve League cliffs, Skellig Michael boat), reusable water bottles × 3, dry bags for coastal walks, small daypack per person

---

## 2. WORKATION.md

New file at repo root. Two sections:

### Connectivity Setup
- **Recommended:** One colleague buys a **Three UK SIM** on arrival at Harwich (available at supermarkets/convenience stores). Three UK includes unlimited roaming in Ireland at no extra cost — covers the entire trip from England through Ireland.
- **Isle of Man exception:** IoM is a Crown Dependency with its own networks (Manx Telecom, Sure) — most UK and Irish roaming plans exclude it or charge international rates. **Verify your specific carrier's IoM policy before departure.** If not covered, buy a local SIM in Douglas or use a global eSIM (Airalo etc.) for the 2–4 days on the island.
- **France return leg:** Three UK roaming covers France too. No additional SIM needed.
- **Hotspot sharing:** One SIM + hotspot covers all 3 colleagues for light work. For heavy video calls simultaneously, consider two SIMs.
- **Apps to install before departure:** Slack/Teams offline-capable, VPN if required by employer, cloud sync (ensure files are available offline for dead zones)

### Per-Stop Workation Ratings

| Stop | Wifi/Connectivity | Best Workspace | Rating |
|------|------------------|----------------|--------|
| Harwich | Good (town) | Hotel | ⚡ Pass-through |
| Cambridge | Excellent | Cafés near Market Square; university library areas | ★★★★ |
| York | Good | Cafés in the Shambles area | ★★★ |
| Liverpool | Excellent | Baltic Triangle coworking; hotel | ★★★★ |
| Isle of Man (Douglas) | Good | Hotels; cafés on Strand | ★★★ |
| Belfast | Excellent | Commercial Court area cafés; hotel | ★★★★ |
| Donegal | Poor–Fair | Donegal Town cafés; expect 4G only in rural areas | ★★ |
| Sligo | Good | Sligo town cafés | ★★★ |
| Westport (Mayo) | Good | Cafés on Bridge Street; Matt Molloy's has wifi | ★★★ |
| Clifden (Connemara) | Fair | Clifden town centre; signal drops outside town | ★★ |
| Galway | Excellent | Coffeewerk + Press (Kirwan's Lane); Áras na Gaeilge; multiple coworking spaces | ★★★★★ |
| Clare (Doolin/Ennis) | Fair–Good | Ennis town for serious work; Doolin is rural | ★★★ |
| Kerry (Killarney/Dingle) | Good | Killarney town cafés; Dingle has decent options | ★★★ |
| Dublin | Excellent | Everywhere; Clement & Pekoe, 3fe, industry-standard coworking | ★★★★★ |

---

## 3. HIGHLIGHTS.md

New file at repo root. Top 15 experiences, grouped by type. Each links to the relevant stop file. Corresponding `⭐` added inline to the item in each stop file.

### Unmissable Views
1. **Slieve League Cliffs, Donegal** — highest accessible sea cliffs in Europe → `06a-donegal.md`
2. **Snaefell Summit, Isle of Man** — 5 countries on a clear day → `04-isle-of-man.md`
3. **Keem Bay, Achill Island** — turquoise beach in a cliffside amphitheatre → `06c-mayo.md`
4. **Cliffs of Moher at dawn** — before the coaches arrive → `06f-clare.md`
5. **Slea Head Drive, Dingle** — Atlantic edge of Europe → `06g-kerry.md`

### History & Culture
6. **Skellig Michael** — Iron Age monastery on a sea stack; puffins → `06g-kerry.md`
7. **Dún Aonghasa, Inis Mór** — Iron Age fort on a 100m cliff → `06e-galway.md`
8. **Giant's Causeway** — UNESCO basalt columns, day trip from Belfast → `05-belfast.md`
9. **Castle Rushen, Isle of Man** — one of Europe's best-preserved medieval castles → `04-isle-of-man.md`
10. **Book of Kells, Dublin** — 9th-century illuminated manuscript → `07-dublin.md`

### Food, Drink & Music
11. **Traditional music session, Doolin** — the real thing, every night in August → `06f-clare.md`
12. **Seafood in Dingle** — best seafood restaurants on the WAW → `06g-kerry.md`
13. **Westport pubs** — Matt Molloy's (The Chieftains) for trad music → `06c-mayo.md`
14. **Galway Latin Quarter** — Tigh Neachtain for music; Ard Bia for food → `06e-galway.md`

### Unique to This Trip
15. **College Football at Aviva Stadium, Dublin (Aug 30)** — Notre Dame vs Navy in Ireland → `07-dublin.md`

---

## 4. File Improvements

### Remove cycling-as-transport language
Files to edit — remove or reframe:
- `06-wild-atlantic-way.md` — remove "Panniers vs backpack" note; reframe as a driving route with day hikes and optional bike rental
- `06a-donegal.md` — remove "perfect for cycling" road description; replace with driving + walking framing
- `06b-sligo.md` — remove cycling note; Strandhill is a short drive not a cycle
- `06c-mayo.md` — Achill cycling note: keep as "rent a bike on the island" option, remove loaded-tour framing
- `06d-connemara.md` — Sky Road: reframe from cycling road to scenic drive; keep "rent a bike in Clifden" as optional
- `06e-galway.md` — Aran Islands: reframe from "rent a bike" as primary to "optional day activity"
- `06f-clare.md` — remove Burren Way cycling route reference; keep as a walking/driving area
- `06g-kerry.md` — Dingle Peninsula: reframe as a scenic drive; remove Ring of Kerry cycling counterclockwise tip (keep the counterclockwise direction but for driving); Slea Head Drive already works as a drive
- `02-england-to-iom-ferry.md` — remove "test any gear" cycling reference in Cambridge section

### Targeted file improvements
- `04-isle-of-man.md` — add approximate dates (~Aug 7–10); add workation line to Practical Info
- `05-belfast.md` — add EV charger note for Giant's Causeway visitor centre in the day trip section
- `08-return-via-france.md` — simplify toll section: remove Télépéage tag suggestion, note card payment works at all booths
- `06-wild-atlantic-way.md` — update overview to reflect driving trip; remove cycling-specific practical notes section; keep hiking callouts
- All WAW section files — add `**Workation:**` line to Practical Info section

---

## File Inventory After Changes

```
/
├── README.md                  (update: add PACKING, WORKATION, HIGHLIGHTS to intro)
├── PACKING.md                 (new)
├── WORKATION.md               (new)
├── HIGHLIGHTS.md              (new)
├── CONTRIBUTING.md
├── .ai-context.md             (update: note driving trip, not cycling tour)
└── locations/                 (20 files, targeted edits per above)
```

---

## Out of Scope
- No changes to file numbering or structure
- No new stop files
- No tooling, scripts, or GitHub Actions