Feedback on Timeline for Ireland

I personally think this is way too much. You will be spending a great amount of time in transit and one night in each place. I think Rick has a suggested map for a multiple day trip. perhaps someone else can direct you how to locate it. Perhaps in his Ireland book. P!ease rethink what you have to see because you are literally all over the map. I would cut out at least Waterford and Derry at a minimum. At minimum get a map and p!ot your locations and also remember the main roads are fairly fast but the secondary roads are not and you need to add about 25% travel time for those roads.Ireland is wonderful and we have taken many many trips there and seen every place you mention but at a much slower and more enjoyable pace in my opinion.. Good luck.

Hi Gail! Thanks for your reply. I'm curious as to why you think I haven't plotted them out on a map, since I point out fairly often where we have the longer drives - Derry to Galway and our couple of days from Doolin back to Dublin being our only main concerns, and which would be made worse by cutting out Derry and Waterford. We're also staying at least 2 nights everywhere except Derry, Doolin, and potentially Waterford - which considering the short amount of time is actually fewer one-night stays than Rick's itineraries online. Where would staying for an extra amount of time help us see more (unmissable) sights, do you think? Our main interests are castles/landscapes/atmosphere, with no real desire to see many specific "sites" in the cities themselves. As mentioned, we are quite accustomed to fast travel, but where do you think would make the best "home base" to take over part of the trip?

Edited to add that we're Canadian and used to travelling internationally purely using public transport, so my concerns about the longer days are less about spending that much time in a car, and more whether it's physically doable/enjoyable to see the mentioned sights and get into the next city (if our main focus is on the sights we would see throughout the day). Even the drive from Derry to Galway pales in comparison to the 9 hour drive including a ferry that I did regularly to visit family, or the bus ride from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye! Our focus is to introduce ourselves to Ireland in the vacation time we have allotted, see our main areas of interest, and set up future trips, not hit all the main points

Your mother is really adamant about not flying between England and Ireland? That's an entire day gone, which is a shame given your fairly aggressive schedule. And it sounds like you recognize how fast you are moving, especially with what amounts to 3 generations - you mention "magically" getting people up to get going. With that in mind, consider how early you will need to get up, get a car and get to Newgrange in order to (1) insure you get tickets to get in and (2) get back on the road to Belfast. If you get a car in Dublin City Center you will need to navigate your way out of the city and into the Boyne Valley and out to Newgrange. If you rent the car at the airport, well, that's a taxi ride out to the airport to pick up the car and drive out to Newgrange. With respect to your last night, I wouldn't risk trying to get from Waterford to Dublin the same day as your return home. Do you fly directly to Canada? If you are flying via the US you must pre-clear US immigration in Ireland, which means you need to arrive at least 3 hours before your departure.

For that it's worth: the drive from Kinvarra via Ballyvaughn down to Doolin along the coast is nice and takes you along the edge of The Burren. The Cliffs of Moher are just a few miles from Doolin and definitely worth a stop. The shortest Aran Islands ferry from Doolin goes to Inis Oirr and it's well worth visiting. One morning we got up reasonably early and drove to Tipperary for breakfast, then over to the Rock of Cashel, then down and toured Waterford Crystal, then up to Kilkenny via Kells Priory for a mid-afternoon lunch, then back to Dublin Airport to drop the car, then took the bus into central Dublin and checked into our lodging before dark (in May). We didn't rush and although it was a long day it was enjoyable. We didn't explore Waterford town and wish we did. Based on your schedule I'd stay in Waterford or Kilkenny.

I would plot out the trip to Dublin via rail and ferry on Google maps and show it to your mother. It is not an easy day trip! We did this leaving from Conwy, Wales, and it took all day. The crossing itself is almost 3 hours, and on a windy day it was difficult to walk the halls to the restroom because of the ship's rolling. The ferries are huge, with lots of amenities, but it is more like an ocean crossing than the PNW ferries I am used to. The docks in Dublin are not centrally located, so you have to locate transportation to downtown. It was an adventure, but I don't plan on doing it again. I hope you can talk her into flying.

Thanks for your responses, everyone!

In regards to the train/ferry trip London to Ireland.... Yeah, we've discussed it extensively, and mom knows how long a trip it is (and the lack of second opportunities in a day if we miss something or something goes wrong...). But to be fair, she's had some awful experiences flying. It's a miracle each time she convinces herself to fly internationally, and once she gets in a place, we avoid small planes/short flights. I'm trying to look at it as an opportunity for a built in "down day," with minimal fuss except transportation connections . . . or as a built in excuse to add in another day. Also, my sister has never done a train journey, so hoping some of that excitement/newness can rub off on us.

Trotter - Thank you for the considerations about Newgrange, etc. Despite my use of "miraculously" we do tend to be pretty good about sleeping early and getting up and going the next day when in a new place. So many trip reports online include them sleeping somewhere other than Dublin the night before the flight, so I'm glad my gut-instinct of paranoia wasn't too off-base! We do fly directly into Canada, but I still like to give us plenty of time at the airport. I wasn't really thinking of Waterford the night before, just somewhere slightly out of Dublin, but I think I'll probably go with the "What if there's something in Dublin we want to see again?" worry and just get us there.

KBK - that sounds like an amazing day!

I've been thinking about your itinerary and wanting to make it work (instead of doing real work which is a lot less interesting). What if you took the ferry to Belfast, and started there? You could continue your outlined itinerary and end in Dublin. Yes, you would incur a drop fee for renting in Belfast and dropping in Dublin but it would also be less backtracking. Alternatively ferry to Dublin and reverse your order, starting in Waterford and then continuing clockwise but ending outside of Dublin after Newgrange. Some place like Trim (Trim Castle, Yellow Steeple, abbey ruins, Boyne River) or Malahide (Malahide Castle - really a manor house - quaint and charming shops and excellent seafood), the latter also having the advantage of being a short drive to the airport and easily accessible back to Dublin should you wish.

I don’t recommend the hop on hop off bus tour the day of arrival because you need to walk to prevent dozing off.
What I like about Galway is its close proximity to Inishmore and Connemara and that’s it. I was disappointed with the town back in 2010 which is the only time I’ve been there but there is one street that was colorful with lots of places to sit down and enjoy the ambience.
Allow 2h 30m to drive from Waterford to Dublin and then expect another 30-minutes to find the rental car drop off and another 30-minutes to get to your terminal. It sounds doable.

Up above someone recommended the RS book on Ireland. Even if you have it already or plan to get it and if you haven't done so, you might want to take a look at the Explore Europe section on Ireland.

As for the books and maps, they are currently on sale in his store.

Guidebooks.
Michelin Maps.
Ireland Travel Planning Map.

I'm planning a trip that starts in Dublin with the Rick Steves Best of Ireland in 14 Days tour and ends in Cardiff, Wales before spending the last night near Heathrow for my flight home the following day. It will include a ferry ride from either Dublin or Belfast (where the RS tour ends) to Holyhead, Wales. Here's a link to the Stena Line website in case you haven't already explored the Sail and Rail options between London and Dublin via Holyhead.