Advice 2 week trip w/ 2 kids: Ireland or Norway

Well, your comparing apples to oranges.

How do you plan to get around, rental car, public transportation or a combination?

Keep in mind, in either country you will have unavoidable crowds in certain areas unless you avoid the most popular sights. But then, you miss out on some incredible experiences.

Ireland is a good first European destination. It's small, so you can get around to a lot of places. Donegal is a great choice for beautiful scenery and a remote feeling. Belfast, Derry, Galway and Dingle are all well trod tourist destinations. Instead of Dingle or Ring of Kerry, try the Beara, Sheepshead or Mizen Peninsulas in the Southwest. Connemara in Co. Galway and Erris in Co. Mayo are less touristed areas that offer a variety of scenery and are closer to Donegal. An "on the way" option to consider is the Sperrin Sculpture Trail, which features 3 troll sculptures by Thomas Dambo. Two are accessible from adjacent parking areas. The third requires a pretty long, steep hike. https://discovernorthernireland.com/blog/read/2025/08/the-sperrin-sculpture-trail-a-giant-adventure-b302

@jeanm, we would likely rent a car, with two kids in tow.

With a rental car and flying into Bergen you can do a great roundtrip in the Western fjords - Ireland has nothing comparable to this although other great destinations. The best option is to have bases for 2-3 nights each and then to further getting around. Avoid one-way rentals, they often are very expensive. Rent the car earliest when leaving Bergen, e. g. to explore scenic Hardanger route.

Interesting you are getting advice, but unless I missed it, there is no date or time of year. So, Those that said Norway think its a more interesting and doable destination all 12 months of the year?

Ireland by most accounts is currently one of Europe's most expensive destinations. Norway according to many sources is less expensive. While most sources for this sort of thing are somewhat questionable, I wouldnt count on your perception that Norway costs more.

But it does come down to activity. If in Ireland you will stay in cities and towns and have no need for a car, while in Norway you want to go on driving tours, then Norway may well cost more. The only way you can figure it out is build both plans and track down real prices. And none of that takes into account the airfare. For a two week trip thats a signficant portion of your cost.

So, with very little to go on, I suspect that one of the two is calling you. Toss costs concern out the window and go where the calling is the loudest. You will enjoy more and regret less. Well, unless its Norway in February.

Regarding costs, I will just say based on personal experience Norway is significantly more expensive for things like food and activities. We visit Ireland regularly (most recently December) and were in Bergen in August last year, and the costs don't even compare. One thing that can be very expensive in Ireland is lodging in Dublin specifically, but overall Norway is more expensive.

I will always advocate for people to visit Northern Ireland, it is an amazing and beautiful place, altho I'm not sure I'd say it's quite off the tourist trail these days. Honestly I think you'd enjoy either of those trips.

Interesting you are getting advice, but unless I missed it, there is no date or time of year.

Mr É, you missed it in the first sentence: "for our first family trip this summer".

Regarding costs, this Eurostat table shows the 2024 price level index for travel: personal transport equipment, transport services, communication and restaurants & hotels. You can see that Ireland (index 136) and Norway (index 127) are both over average compared to EU average (index 100).

Norway is absolutely worth it. Huts and cabins are price-worthy options to overnight - and do not open this link to unique accommodation options.

We have visited both countries, more than once.
Your Ireland plans are excellent. Don't miss the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher, and Kylemore Abbey.

Your plans for Norway need to improve. Only Oslo and Bergen areas are missing many of the famous fjords.
Consider taking a cruise up the coast of Norway to the North Cape. Fjords at Geirangerfjrod, Alesund, Flam and more are fantastic. Also, more expensive than Ireland.

I can't suggest a driving route for Norway since we traveled only by public transportation supplemented with the coastal ferry from Kirkenes to Bergen, not a typical cruise ship, during our 2 1/2 weeks. This was May/June 2023.

Really, the only true "crowds" were on the 2 hour scenic ferry between Gudvangen and Flåm. But being on the Naeroyfjord was one of the highlights of our trip. This was part of our DIY Norway in a Nutshell from Bergen to Oslo. By DIY we were able to avoid the tour crowds the rest of the journey.

We spent 3 nights in Ålesund. On 1 of the days we booked a wonderful tour to Trollstigen. Yes, this is a major tourist sight. We choose the day when there were no cruise ships in town. So instead of being on a bus with 60 passengers, we were a group of 4 plus driver/guide in a minivan. Again, this day was fantastic.

Wherever you choose, with a bit of planning, you can minimize the crowd factor.

Thank you Mark, I did indeed and I read it three times looking for a time of year. I am getting old and senile. You discovered what I discovered, that Ireland has gotten a tad pricy if its more than Norway, which is what a lot of the price guides indicate. Then I think the activities in Norway because their nature might also be a bit more expensive making both places sort of equaly but not cheap. But you gotta follow the heart, not the pocketbook.

Well, it happens sooner or later here on the forum - just a lot of text.

Thanks, everyone for the advice and examples of your travels! We're leaning towards Norway this summer as the natural beauty of the land sounds amazing, and to hopefully experience a bit of scandinavian culture. However, I do think both places deserve visits, so it's a good problem to have. I may follow up on the SR Norway forum with some more detailed questions as we confirm out a slow, reasonable itinerary but generally it's going to starting out in Oslo for a few nights, then getting over to the Bergen area. Cheers!

We have done both trips with our kids in tow during summer months. I'd say either would be an incredible experience, which is why it makes it hard to choose.
To me, the biggest factor are the price differences. Norway is incredibly expensive. Much more so than Ireland. We spend a lot of time in Ireland (son lives there, I'm Irish) and, if you choose Ireland, Co. Donegal is a fantastic choice. To me, it is the most beautiful, serene part of the country. Lots of outside activities to do and it is much less crowded than the rest of the island even in summer. And, it is not expensive.
With that said, I think either choice would be wonderful. Please pop back and let us know what you decide.

KimberlySEA, with all respect for your individual experience but the statistics posted do not support your statement that "Norway is incredibly expensive. Much more so than Ireland.". The currencies play a role as well. He had this issue in another thread.

Mark I did see the Eurostat and it is a useful tool. My suspicion, based on anecdotal experience, is that the data for Ireland is skewed by Dublin. It would be interesting to see data broken down further. We found Norway overall to be expensive no matter the city (or town.) Eating out cost us twice as much in Norway than eating out in Ireland (excluding Dublin.) Accommodations were also more expensive for us in Norway vs Ireland (also excluding Dublin).
Regardless of my personal financial experience, I think the OP will have a marvelous time with whichever country chosen.

When you break down the Eurostat data for the things which matter to a tourist, Norway comes out more expensive than Ireland on every relevant measure. I'm not saying that Ireland is cheap (far from it), just cheaper-
that is Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages; Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (almost on a par on that measure, which frankly is a surprise, would like to see that in more detail); Transport Services (Ireland a run away winner); Restaurants and Hotels (I'm surprised that is relatively tight- maybe the Dublin effect).
Other measures relate more to daily living costs of a citizen, as opposed to touristic costs.
In Norway the cost of public transport (versus car rental) is really very good value, apart from the Flam railway line, and Hurtigruten/Havila- which are only tangenitally public transport nowadays. Compared to Scotland even internal flights are not exorbitantly expensive in Norway.

Returning to the wider question, my feeling about Norway is that just staying within day trip distance of Bergen is missing so much of what really is Norway, your definition of day trip probably being significantly smaller than mine!

I am also a little bit surprised to hear that Irish tourism is reported to be down. In Northern Ireland for instance you are missing out the Sperrin Mountains, and also the Strangford Lough area to name just two examples of less touristed areas- on the latter Rick did a wonderful Monday Night Travel maybe a year/18 months ago, admitting that the area was possibly unjustly missing from his highly curated books. You don't even have the Antrim Coast- just Belfast and Londonderry/Derry with a blank in between.
On boat rides and scenery what about Rathlin Island or work west along the coast from Portrush etc to the Greencastle/Lough Foyle ferry across to the Inishowen peninsula and the start of the Wild Atlantic Way.

I'm not promoting either Norway or the Island of Ireland.

I looked at "Budget Your Trip" and they show Ireland being quite a bit more expensive for a holiday.

Then I asked AI and AI promised me Norway was more expensive. So then I asked AI for the average cost for a couple for one week in Ireland, then the same for Norway. Doing it that way Ireland came out substantially more expensive.

This is great, keep the opinions flowing!

@isn31c, now I'm doubting my initial leaning, as all the places you're throwing out in NI sound amazing! Interested in antidotal experiences in either location on pros for traveling to!

Since you plan on renting a car are you as comfortable with left hand drive to right ?

bethcsanders, I presume you read my post and understood the point and context.

Plan your ideal trip. Research the details and the costs of the things that will bring you enjoyment. If along the way you have any doubts, do a full plan for the second destination and compare the costs and benefits. Averages and internet predictions of costs might noy apply at all to your plans so those arguments are only a distraction. To be honest tgey generally dont apply. Then run with the one that most excites you and have the time of your life.

This is Rick's Monday Night Travel for County Down (the area east of Strangford Lough)- https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/travel-classes/monday-night-travel/ireland-county-down

I can't remember, but I think he mentions the Strangford Lough car ferry- https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/strangford-ferry-timetable

North of Belfast I would hug the coast passing through Carrickfergus (with it's Castle), onto Whitehead with it's cliff walk to the Lighthouse, then on to the Gobbins (if re-opened), then through Larne (a big port town) before beginning the Antrim Coast Drive, up the A2.
From Ballycastle you have the ferry over to Rathlin Island which really is a special place. There is limited accommodation so you need to book early.
Certainly in County Down and the majority of the Antrim Coastal Road you are avoiding mass tourism.

To be honest (and I'm used to doing chunks of this itinerary as day trips, not a proper vacation, Down is day trips to me off the Liverpool ferry, doing back to back nights) I think by the time you have reached Derry you could easily have taken a week, maybe 10 days if you have included Rathlin Island. That is before you've reached the international ferry to Greencastle (Donegal).
This is totally ignoring the inland parts such as the Sperrin Mountains. Northern Ireland may be a small "country" but has a lot to offer.

Also do remember that if driving up from Dublin you can come off the motorway at Dundalk and use the Carlingford Lough international ferry into the Mournes AONB.

That part of Donegal (known to me as Lough Swilly country) is one I've always yearned to explore, but not got round to.

As an aside from Ballycastle there is also a ferry to the Isle of Islay in Scotland!

This is in my view a wonderful road trip.

@MrE-yes, all good, thank you for the advice! Follow the heart.
@Pat- my husband will do most of the driving, so yes, I'm prepared to drive on the left hand side lol!
@isn31c- more great tidbits. I'll watch the Monday night travel show- thanks!

We loved all of Ireland and N. Ireland, but our hearts were taken by Donegal, (including driving the peninsulas to Fanin Head and Malin Head.

We also really enjoyed the Ulster American Folk Park near Omagh & sw of the Sperrin Area. (albeit, many years ago for that visit)