Hello! I am planning a trip to Ireland in August and will only have four full days to visit. There will be three of us traveling and our interests vary, including city vs. rural. I'd like to see a mix of cities plus the landscape - cliffs, rolling hills, the sea, the green, etc. My original intention was to fly into/out of Dublin but after researching I think some of what we would enjoy is in West Ireland. I am open to flying into Dublin and out of either Shannon or Kerry because the prices appear similar. None of us have driven on the left side of the road so I don't think we will rent a car (though I could be convinced to try if other modes of transportation are just too inconvenient). Thoughts on an itinerary that may blend multiple sites without rushing our way through Ireland? Thank you!
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3227 posts
With 4 days, fly into and out of Shannon if you are interested in west Ireland.
Head to Doolin or Dingle, plant yourself and enjoy. Don’t waste your time driving to and fro. You don’t have time to see a lot, so don’t try.
Posted by
Vermont USA
359 posts
Hi....the problem is with only 4 days you will burn the better part of one day traveling from the east to west or vice versa. It might be better to decide which is the higher priority for you ....cities or scenery and make the most out of either option.
For example. If your main desire is the scenery, cliffs and castles of Western Ireland fly in and out of Shannon. Concentrate on the west and stay in Dingle and Doolin. You can get insane scenery on the Dingle peninsula going out Slea Head, visit cool historic sights and enjoy great pubs, restaurants and trad music in Dingle.....then head to Doolin, which also has fun music, pubs and restaurants and visit the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren or even a day trip to the Aran islands and the stunning cliffs at the ancient Dun Anghosa fort. You'll see a ton and have fun evenings in these very friendly towns. (There are endless permutations on this.....Galway and Connemara......or Kenmare and the ROK). Depends on what you want - just don't try to do them all....totally self defeating..
If on the other hand you prefer the city fly in and out of Dublin. The city has lots to offer for a couple days and then you can take easy to access tours or drive to the Wicklow Mountains and amazing Glendalough....fantastic scenery. Visit Trim or go see the truly incredible Neolithic burial tombs at Newgrange. You'll get amazing scenery , history and castles with the big city. No cliffs but TONS of memorable things.
Just don't kill too much time driving/touring around trying to see it all....you can't. But you CAN have an amazing magical visit incorporating MOST of what you want. Trying to incorporate it ALL is where you end up spending more time in a car than experiencing Ireland....and that would be a shame.
With that limited a time, pick one side of Ireland or the other and enjoy it a ton !
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2829 posts
I agree that with so little time available you really need to stick to one place to avoid spending most of your time in transit.
My suggestion would be to fly in and out of Shannon, collect a car there, and head down towards Castlemaine or Glenbeigh. Any of the towns in that area would be centrally located enough to facilitate short day trip explorations of both the Dingle peninsula and the Ring of Kerry. There's a lot to be said for unpacking once and settling in, and there's plenty in the area to keep you occupied for your 4 days.
Unless you're willing to base yourselves in a city and rely on day trips then the freedom of a car is highly recommended. The learning curve will be steep but you'll get the hang of it in no time.
Posted by
6 posts
I have been twice to Ireland and I would suggest that you see Dingle, Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are just breathtaking and like walking into a documentary film or an episode of Planet Earth. Magic.