Hi, going to Ireland/South of France for a honeymoon, about 1 week each. If looking for 2 base spots to take day trips from in Ireland, what would be 2 good locations; Dublin and somewhere else for a more secluded area? Will be renting a car so able to drive around.
Thanks!
Julie
Hi Julie,
A friend of mine and I went to Ireland for a similar amount of time in October and we really enjoyed Galway for a smaller town feel. It is also a great place to branch off from to see coastal, quaint, postcard Ireland from. I recommend seeing the Cliffs of Moher or take a drive along the Atlantic coast.
Cork is also a very nice town in the south, however it is not quite a secluded area. It's more of a smaller Dublin
What ever you decide, you will love Ireland. Have a fantastic trip and honeymoon.
Happy Travels.
Bergen
Lots of great choices! Dublin is fun but we vastly preferred the countryside. I'd consider spending almost all your time in the countryside and maybe one night in Dublin (I assume you're flying to southern France?) but it boils down to your personal preferences. We flew into Shannon, picked up our rental car and drove to Doolin for a couple nights. I think you could look at Doolin or Galway, Dingle, or Kenmare/Killarney. Lots of great drives and wonderful things to see and do in those areas!
County Clare, Dingle Peninsula are the best of Ireland, for me. My wife and I traveled to Ireland in 2002 and again in 2016. You can connect to the west of Ireland by flying in/out of Shannon rather than Dublin. Dublin is nice enough but not the highlight of Ireland. If you do visit Dublin, it's a three night/two full day stop. Kilkenny is a very pleasant town but pretty good sized. Trim to the northwest of Dublin is very nice as well. Day trips in Ireland will eat up the hours as the roads are windy. Do not have a rental car while in Dublin, that would be crazy.
Agree with what the others said. We much prefer the countryside to Dublin. Another pretty town to consider is Kinsale, down on the southern coast.
Kinsale, Dingle and Westport are all lovely little towns, each with a variety of interesting nearby spots to visit. Dublin was nice--we very much enjoyed our 3 night/two day stay there--but it is a big city not unlike other big cities so I wouldn't recommend staying longer than that. And definitely no driving in Dublin!
