My family will be traveling to Ireland in mid-July. My two children will be 6 & 8 at the time of travel. We have seven days on the ground. My wife and I were thinking 2 days in Galway, 2 days in Killarney, 1 day Kilkenny, 2 days in Dublin. We will be flying in and out of Dublin, so we would like to finish our trip there. Ultimately, we aren’t sure where to spread out our stays. This isn’t our first European family adventure, but it is our first car road trip, so we’re not sure what might be too much to expect. Any advice as to an itinerary would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2290 posts
What sort of things do the kids like doing? Are they happy spending spending long hours in the car? Don't underestimate driving times in Ireland. Roads are slow and it will take longer to cover distances than you might expect. Have you factored in how long it will take to drive between places? If using google maps ( or Via Michelin or AA) to calculate driving times, it is recommended to add 25% to the times and then add on time for stops. Have you allowed time to recover from jet lag?
I'd be inclined to slow down and possible limit yourself to just two overnight stops. There are so many exciting things to do in Ireland. Rather than sitting in a car travelling between places (can be very boring, especially as you have so little time in Ireland) arrange for time to get out of the car and explore and do things.
Posted by
1588 posts
I'm thinking along the same lines as wasleys, particularly the thought of packing and unpacking two kids every other night. Are your 7 days whole days or do they include arrival and departure days? Assuming it's 7 whole days I would do no more than 3 places. Maybe only 2 if you're counting an arrival or departure day and your in-bound flight arrives later in the day, you're traveling from North American and if you've never driven on the left side of the road.
Posted by
171 posts
We traveled pre-COVID when my kids were in middle school. For the places you listed we visited Galway and Dublin. In Dublin we enjoyed strolling through Phoenix Park and visiting the Dublin Zoo and EPIC the Irish Emmigration Museum. The museum was very interactive and I think younger kids would also enjoy it. As for Galway we went to a section of the the city by the beach called Salthill and walked along the shore, went to a playground, there was also an arcade and a small amusement park there too. Kind of typcial summer touristy things but just in a different country. The kids had a good time the afternoon we spent in this section of the city.
Posted by
OP
US, Illinois
6 posts
My children are interested in a variety of activities (e.g., parks, museums, zoos, tours, city exploration) when we travel. I wouldn’t say they are “fine” with being in a car for an extended periods time. That said, if there are things to see and place to stop along the way to explore they would enjoy that type of experience.
I have driven on the left side of the road on two separate occasions. Though it has been a few years.
We are locked into flying in and out of Dublin, and we would like to experience some of the city while taking in some of the countryside and west coast. I am not keen on the idea of starting in Dublin due to the travel back on the day of, or day before departure. My wife and I have started to lean toward this plan with 7 full days on the ground… 1 day Galway, 3 days Killarney, 3 days Dublin (in that order). I figure starting in Galway gives us a starting point, allowing us to head south, seeing a few sites along the way, while saving us from driving all the way to Killarney on day one. Does that seem a bit more realistic, or does anyone have further suggestions or ideas? Thanks