Best town for getting to an early flight out of Shannon

Not a helpful answer, maybe, but it depends on how early you want to get up to go to the airport. :-)

Google Maps says it's a little over an hour to drive from Galway to Shannon Airport. Assuming you obey the recommendation to arrive for check-in 3 hours before your flight you'd need to be leaving for the airport a little before 5 AM at the latest. There's a passable breakfast cafeteria at SNN upstairs before the security zone as well as a bar & restaurant just beyond the duty-free shop - so you could plan on breakfast after arriving at the airport.

Don't forget to allow time for refueling the car and turning it in.

It would make for a long day but I'd be willing to do it. We stayed in Doolin the night before flying home but our flight wasn't until 12:30 PM.

I have stayed further (e.g. driving from Hedaye to Bilbao airport in Spain was 50% further) but found that morning drive to be stressful. Knowing the traffic jam I had encountered in the opposite direction, I felt lucky that no major delays came up. It made me question how cavalierly I've treated the airport drive time at home.

The hotel at the Shannon airport is nothing special, but clean and serviceable, and you will only have to walk to your plane. It might be worth it to reduce your stress on the way home. Spend the day out and about, and then check into the hotel at dinnertime or after. There is a decent pub---at least, they have Guinness on tap and decent food. We stayed there a couple of years ago, and it was comfortable, reasonably priced, and easy.

Have a great trip!!

I'd suggest staying in Bunratty the night prior to your departure. And, if you really want an easy morning, if you will be renting a car, turn it in the afternoon prior and take a taxi to the airport the morning you depart. But, I say that with absolutely no experience whatsoever on how easy/hard it is to turn in a rental car at the Shannon Airport on the morning of a flight. But, I would guess several of the other passengers on your flight might be doing the same thing.

The Bunratty Castle Hotel (which is not a castle and not to be confused with the historic Bunratty Castle)....is located right next to the Bunratty Folk Park (which is fun to visit) and there are a couple of pubs for dinner, etc. right next to the hotel. We found the hotel clean, quiet (we asked for a quiet room), but it is a rather basic hotel...more like a Hampton than a high-end hotel, but okay for the last-night-before-departure stay.

There are also several nice B&Bs in the area, and maybe Nancy will see your post, as she seems familiar with some of them. And, likely she could also advise re: turning in a rental car.

I would also suggest Bunratty. It's only six miles from the airport. The last time I flew out of there, my flight was at 11:00, so it was no big deal for me to gas up the rental car and drop it off, take the shuttle to the airport, and get through security with plenty of time to spare. But since your flight is two hours earlier, it might be a bit tight (you will also go through US Immigration at Shannon, which can take additional time). I'm not sure what time the car rentals open, and as another poster noted, there could be other people also dropping off cars (and doing the necessary check in). It might be wise to do as they suggested and turn in the car the night before, then take a taxi in the morning. In my opinion, Galway is much too far for your last night before flying out. While Google Maps might show it as an hour, Via Michelin shows it at an 1 hour 23 minutes. Adding 25% to give you a more accurate time picture, the drive is much closer to 2 hours, plus gas, checking in the car, taking the shuttle, checking in at the airport, and going through security and immigration.

We stayed in Bunratty before our morning flight out of Shannon. Great B&B:
http://www.avarest.ie/

I'm glad I found this posting. I am also flying out of Shannon and flight is at 0900 so we didn't want be too far away. I think dropping the car at the airport the afternoon before and staying at the airport hotel will be much more relaxing and less stressful on the departure morning. The hotel looks more than adequate for a last night.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Sounds like Galway will be too ambitious for an early morning flight. Hate to cut it to one night there but Bunratty sounds like a good final night option.

Which hotel is the airport hotel?

Margaret and Nancy got it right. Bunratty castle hotel isn't more than ten or fifteen minutes from Shannon airport. Staying there provides also the opportunity to make your last night in Ireland as much fun as you've had all week. On the grounds at Bunratty Castle there is the Bunratty Folk Park which is a recreation of an old Irish village and a most pleasant afternoon can be had there. There is also evening entertainment there.....the Traditional Irish Night at the Corn Barn (on the Castle grounds) has Irish song and dance and was lots of fun. There is also a Medeivel Banquet there.....you can get tickets in advance on the Burnratty Castle web site. Or....the Durty Nellies Pub is adjacent to the Bunratty Castle and just across the street from the Bunratty Castle hotel......one of the most fun pubs we found all week. There are also some shops and a cafe/pub adjacent to the hotel.

We stayed at a local B&B, that was not any more than 7-10 minutes from the airport. We had to get up very early, so they packed a special bfast for us. Bunratty Haven B&B only charged us $60/ nite and the room was clean, large and modern. (and we loved the bed!) http://www.bunrattyhaven.com/

There are many more of these B&B's close to the airport.

It would be hard to find a better place than the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis. Fun town and a lovely hotel with a wonderful restaurant and pub. Easy trip to the airport in the morning.