Belfast to Dublin - West Coast, are we crazy?

Honestly way way too much driving. Why fly into Belfast if your not exploring the area ? Fly instead into Shannon and your in the west. Assuming you want two nights in Dublin at the end. That gives you 5 nights to explore the West a bit.

You can't cover Dingle and the ROK in 5 days, let alone Ireland. Trying just leads to hectic one night stays and a frantic pace. Less is FAR more in Ireland. Depends on what you want but if you want history, insane scenery, pubs, real wild Ireland and a chance to really soak in Ireland as much as possible, skip Galway (it's a city, a nice one but you'll be in a city at the end). Also skip Cork and Blarney Castle. It's a long drive to wait in line to hang upside down and kiss a stone - there is so much more to see in places you would be near. Unless it's a life dream it really isn't worth it.

Would urge you to fly into Shannon and pick two spots to stay and see the west. You could easily do the Cliffs of Moher......though the Cliffs of Kerry on the Skellig Ring are far more wild and less touristy....and if you are on the Ring of Kerry it's right there. See Dingle and Slea Head and the Ring if Kerry and the Skellig Ring. There is enough to fill weeks in both places let alone just 5 days.....Cliffs, great small villages, castles, ruins, ring forts, standing stones, pubs, truly incredible scenery, the Blasket islands, Skellig Michael, being in a UN dark sky preserve with some of THE WORLDS best stargazing, shopping, trad music in pubs, hiking, horseback riding, and the best folks we have run across in a Gaeltech language area. Truly incredible......and by cutting back on the driving and one night stays you give yourself time to soak it in and enjoy it instead if being in a car all day.

Anyway ...Just our two cents worth. Hope you have a great trip.

This seems like way too much too fast. I agree with the idea of flying into Shannon and out of Dublin. With seven nights, I would focus on three stops maximum not too geographically dispersed. As nice a city as Galway is, it would not make the cut for me with the time you have. (My wife and I visited Ireland in 2002 and 2016, I have visited all of these places except Belfast). Kinsale over Cork hands down, and I would not go out of my way to see Blarney Castle. County Clare with Ennis as your base--Dingle--Dublin is do-able. Or Clare-Kinsale-Dublin. Or if you are really set on Galway, Galway-Clare-Dublin. If you do go to Galway, the city is worth a full day. I don't think the idea of Skellig Michael on the one day you have in Dingle is practical, plus you would miss the whole point of Dingle which is not the town itself but the Slea Head loop. As Rick says, assume you will return and plan an itinerary for quality over quantity. Dublin is worth two full days, which means three nights. Kilkenny is a very nice town with great stops on the way in and the way out, too. (Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle on the way in; Glendalough, Powerscourt, Wicklow Mountains on the way up to Dublin). That's just my two cents, it's your trip so do what works for you!

I would agree with others that this is far too much ground to cover. I would also agree that it makes more sense to fly into Shannon and out of Dublin given that your interest is in seeing the west coast. I would try to pick just two places to base yourself. You will actually see more doing this. You may be able to squeeze in a third location if you plan carefully. My thought would be Dingle, Galway, Dublin. Galway was my favourite town, there is a lot to see and do that is fairly close. If you only have seven nights the that likely means you only have six days. If you manage to fly into Shannon then spend one night in Dingle then head towards Galway, stopping to see the Cliffs of Moher on the way. Other day trips you can do from Galway are the Burren, Connemara, and Aran Islands. Spend your last three in Dublin. You won’t need the car just to see the city. On your way from Galway to Dublin you could stop at Clonmacnoise or Newgrange.

Yes, if you only have 7 nights you should limit your highlights to just a couple of areas. Fly into Shannon since you are interested in the west coast. Then, visit either Galway/Connemara or the Dingle region, not both. And end up in Dublin, where there is plenty to see for at least 2 full days.

Agree with above posters. Slow down and enjoy. I would pick three different destinations tops. If it was me, only 2!

Agree with above posters. Slow down and enjoy. I would pick three different destinations tops. If it was me, only 2!

As others have said tooo much driving. Don't try to check off all the sights. Too much work and not enough enjoying Ireland.

Fly into and out of Shannon. See the Cliffs and the burrens then spend the night on the way to Dingle. The cliffs are extremely touristy so take that into consideration. We've been to Ireland twice and to the cliffs both times so we like it but we climb over the warning signs and continue south along the trail toward the point getting away from the throngs and having a more peaceful experience.

Drive to Dingle via Conner Pass stopping to enjoy the views and climb up to the lake. The drive over the mountain is a little challenging but worth it. Do the Dingle drive.

Then head to Killarney. Touristy but a good base. If you can do Skellig Michael but you need to get to work reserving the trip. To me Skellig is the crown jewel of the trip. From Killarney do the Ring of Kerry and the other associated things others have suggested. Take the buggy ride over mountain with the boat ride on the lake to Ross Castle. Also take some time to drive through and experience Killarney National Park.

Skip Cork and Dublin.

Enjoy a great trip!

Alright, so we definitely were crazy. Thanks people! I am cutting out Belfast and most likely Cork, focusing on Galway (must do as this is my husband's one and only request on our 3 week trip) and Dingle.

We will fly into Shannon on August 7 and need to be in Dublin to fly home on August 14. Want to spend time in Galway and Dingle. Interested in scenery mostly, Galway for the live music & nightlife (husband loves trad music).

Recommendations from there? Should we stay somewhere along the way to Dingle from Shannon? Killarney?

We traveled 10 days in Ireland 3 years ago and did not have time to cover everything on your list. We did a few days in Dublin, a night in Kilkenney (Kilkenney castle was great), three in Dingle, and two in Doolin. Doolin and Dingle had the best small town feels, with the trad music and pubs. Getting out of the car for hikes and walks on the beach and the gorgeous scenery is essential.

If you decide to stay in Dingle, I highly recommend the Milestone house. The hosts made our trip memorable. They arranged tickets for us to see the Trad music at St. James church, had insider tips on which musicians to see at which pubs, and provided invaluable advice and secret tips on our drive around the Dingle peninsula. Here is my TripAdvisor review posted right after our stay:

Barbara and Michael were wonderful hosts. They accommodated our early arrival and gave us a quiet room so we could power nap after our flight. Barbara had a lot of insider info on the Dingle Loop drive that made our trip special. They also shared a lot of helpful suggestions about where to go in town, and made arrangements for us to see the folk concert at the church. The breakfast was great! We could not find better bread than Michael's the rest of our trip across the country. If you don't spend time talking with them and tapping into their knowledge of the area, you are missing out on some amazing experiences. We can't wait to return!