Any last minute advice

you are well prepared.

Packing cubes make a great way to pack all your stuff into the carryon! I highly recommend them.

Have a wonderful trip!

IDP (International Driving Permit) for each driver?

IDP (International Driving Permit

how long does that take to get if leaving in 4 days?

Jennifer,

I'm still trying to figure out how to cram all my crap into one carry on.

Pack only the essentials and if you're missing something you can always buy it there.

I pack for 6-7 days, with less bottoms which can be worn more than once (and 6/7 tops) then plan to do laundry during my trip.

I usually end up buying myself a few items of clothing (usually tops), so next time I will pack only half of my clothes!

Don't forget to notify your bank and credit card companies about your travel plans.

Have a wonderful trip and enjoy every moment!

If there's a AAA office nearby, you can get an IDP in about a half hour. They can take pictures if you don't have extra passport-size photos. Give them a call!
EDIT: other posters have suggested that since the IDP translates your license into English -- and they speak English in Ireland -- it might not be necessary.

International driving permit not needed in Ireland. Just showed my PA license. This was just on this past Wednesday.

• No need for international driver's license
• Eat all the dairy you can because Irish daily is GOLD!
  
• Enjoy the Irish, they are the friendliest people you will ever meet!
• get packing cubes and pack so that you have layers.
• Most of all have fun!

Just ordered some packing cubes on Amazon! I knew I read about them In the guide but forgot.

I will enjoy the Dairy as we can't have it in my house since one of my children has a life threatening dairy allergy. And it's just me and my husband.

Hertz said my husbands license is good.

Now I need to find a good travel plane pillow and I think we are all set.

I'm even changing my sleep schedule now so we won't be as jet lagged. I feel like I'm 5 and can't sleep on Christmas Eve because I'm so excited. 😂

We leave on the 17th, and I am also excited! I am loving the tips given here!

Enjoy ! Enjoy all the sights but always be willing to sacrifice a stop or another sight on the itinerary for time to soak up the little things and enjoy the Irish people. Also the big sights are wonderful - Moher, Cashel etc. but an out of the way ruin not clogged with folks can be even more memorable - for us a standing stone in Derrynane, Staigue Ring Fort ......or take a walk through an amazing Irish wood like Tomnafinogue Woods near Tinahely - absolute quiet miracles around every bend in the trail - and time to talk with the funny, self deprecating, exceedingly genuine Irish people.

The Cliffs of Moher will always live with us but so will Scones from Brown's Market in Ballinskellig, Taytos, Margaret and her dog Holly, the Dyin Cow Pub w not a tourist (besides us) anywhere near and the warm, funny welcome we had.

In short give yourself time to soak up the little every bit as much as the "big" stuff !

BTW - no matter how,excited you are - it's better !!!!!

I think all of us on this forum can relate to your excitement--I remember it well! And in my experience the trip will be even better than you are imagining right now. My advice is to take notes while you're traveling. Both times we went to Ireland I had great plans for keeping up a journal but it didn't last more than a couple of days--too much else to do and sometimes I was just too tired. After the first trip I was surprised at how much detail I couldn't remember (or that my husband and I remembered differently). The second time we went, we made a point of sitting down together every couple of nights and jotting down highlights and details that we didn't want to forget. I've been slowly (and I do mean slowly--it's been two years now!) compiling a journal based on those notes and it's been lovely to relive experiences and sensations that we enjoyed so much. If you can, when you get back write up a trip report for the forum. I've always been sorry that I didn't do it after our last trip. I love reading other people's reports--they always bring back happy memories. Safe travels and have a wonderful time!

Take pictures if you want to remember where you were in order

Good idea from Jazz+Travels about taking photos to remember things in order (and with dates.) I have started snapping a photo of a sign or information plaque to I can identify "which" church, castle or bridge I found so wonderful.

Greetings! We are on day 16 of our 25 day Ireland trip! Bring layers! Bring layers! Bring layers and also rain gear! It has been unusually cold and windy here for this time of year...or at least that is what the locals have said! We have gone from wind and rain to sun back to wind and rain all in the same day so be prepared. Also, if driving give your self lots of time to get where you are going. You will have to get use to the roads, the signage and even your garmen. Ours kept saying to turn left when in reality it meant veer to the left. We kept looking for turns that were not there :) AND you will probably not drive the speed limits on the roads...I have been driving for 2 weeks and I still think that a lot of the time I am under the speed limit. And most important just enjoy! Don't run around trying to check things off the list. Do what interest you and don't worry about what someone else said was the best thing they have ever done. For instance a lot of people don't like Killarney, we loved it! The town itself is just like the other towns...touristy but there is so much to do in the area. Hike the Gap of Dunloe. We saw lots of people driving the Gap and I am sure they did not enjoy it as much as we did hiking the gap. If you are driving you will be watching the road constantly and if you are the passenger you will be praying your driver doesn't hit something.

On a negative note there is a nasty cold bug going around there now. I got it our last 2-3 days. Not fun. Saw a doctor there and got some medicine so managed but may want to check w your doctor before you go....maybe extra vitamin c or a flu shot. I'm no doctor but anything to avoid it .... please do. The plane coming back sounded REALLY bad w many hacking and coughing. The Irish doctor said a lot of folks had it in his area.

I will add about driving - avoid driving in Dublin if you can. Just park the car there. Driving in the countryside wasn't too bad once you get used to driving on the wrong side (and narrowly squeezing past little rock walls that line many of the roads...and having giant trucks barreling down on you going way too fast...hahaha) - but Dublin - oh, did we get lost there. The street names change often, the street signs are often tacked to the sides of buildings and are hard to see, lots of one-way roads, etc. So take my advice and park your car at your Dublin hotel and use other forms of transportation in the city, and use the rental for the countryside!

I will also note that we lost a hubcap by scraping against an aforementioned rock wall - so I would def. recommend the additional car insurance in Ireland! Don't count on your credit card covering it - many specifically exclude driving in Ireland (and Jamaica, and Israel).

Okay thank you everyone for all the amazing advice! My packing cubes arrived yesterday. Wow are they amazing! I'm like where have you been all my life! I had my flu shot last week, so I'm good there. Strep is going around like crazy here so I'm gonna go get checked this morning. Seriously I'm not letting anything ruin my trip! 😂
So I'm packed ready to go! Leave in 28 hours, not that I'm counting or anything!
Oh and the journal idea! Wonderful!
My only hiccup is my outdated camera but it still works amazingly so I need to empty some old SD cards today.

Thank you again RS helpers! Ireland here I come!

if you do the Ring of Kerry be sure to go to the Cliff's of Kerry, imo they rival Cliffs of Moher

After your trip let us know how it went for you !!!!! Enjoy every minute !