From U.S. Driving Dublin to Dingle in one day

If you're in Minnesota, flying to Ireland, chances are quite good you'll be jet lagged-please consider sleeping a night in Dublin first.

Look at some drive times via a map app, and add 25% to those drive times for any time you are not on a major highway/freeway. Have you driven on the left before? The quickest way will be via M roads as much as possible, and you'll be driving past stuff you may well like to see. It looks like at least a 5-6 hour drive.

Julia, first of all, welcome to the forum. That’s
way too bit ambitious for the first day. It’s been a long time since I drove in Ireland, but there are few things that probably haven’t changed. First of all you’re trying to drive jet lagged on the opposite side of the road. Why don’t you spend the first day/night in Dublin to help with your jet lag and see some of the sights. The roads are narrower so slower than in the US. If the distance looks like it will be an hour drive, double the time. Also give yourself time for stops along the way. And you will get lost. Enjoy the sights when you do because the best finds are just around the corner from your wrong turn, ie monastery ruins, old woolen mills, historical markers.
Enjoy your trip. Ireland is magical.

Edit to add: Rome2rio app will help plan your distances but the times will be too short.
I’d leave out Belfast in favor of the spectacular landscape and vistas of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher in and a slower drive to Donegal.

Julia,
You may want to consider renting a car when you arrive then driving only part of the way to your destination. That will help maximize your time. I flew into Heathrow last fall from Oregon and drove from Heathrow to Wales that day and snuck a stop in at Stonehenge. I did not sleep on the plane at all and was scared to drive on the other side of the road but honestly I did very well with my friend as a copilot. I watched many youtube videos how to drive on the other side of the road before this adventure and we were fine. As a matter of fact, my mom and I are headed to Ireland in May renting from Dublin airport and driving to Enniskillen a 2ish hour drive. Make sure you rent an automatic, it decreases the complication of driving over there. Know your limits. I wouldn't want to drive more than a couple hours after a long flight.

As many have noted, driving in Ireland always takes longer than you would think looking at the distances. If you are like me and are going to get maybe a 2 hour nap on the plane, the battery seems to go completely flat about 2-3PM in the afternoon (more like 8 or 9PM at home). I need to collapse and take a nap mid afternoon on the first day. Unfortunately I took that nap driving a very nice rental car in Austria a few years ago about 3 PM - it was unpleasant - fortunately no one was injured.

Learned my lesson well, try very hard to avoid any driving on arrival day, and at most maybe a couple of hours, preferably not on the wrong side of a relatively narrow road!

Better answer might have been arrival (or departure) in Shannon (much closer to Dingle) but not convenient to Rock of Cashel.

You are putting yourself and others on the road in danger if you think you can drive from Dublin to Dingle off an overnight flight from the USA.

I took a flight last year from Boston to Heathrow and then to Dublin and rented a car and drove to Galway (about 2.5 hours). I had driven on the left numerous times before. I did OK, but by 2 hours I was TIRED. So I was glad I was almost at my destination. Driving to Dingle via Rock of Cashel will be at least 6-7 hours. I'd have a hard time doing that after a solid night's sleep.

If I were you I would maybe drive to Rock of Cashel area and sleep somewhere around there. And then get up the next morning and continue to Dingle.

And YES, you are trying to fit way too much in. With 9 nights most people suggest to draw a line between Dublin and Galway and either stay above that line or below it. If you try to do everything, you wont see anything and you'll just be in the car all of the time.

I am going in July again with my 14 year old daughter and we have 12 nights and we are flying into Shannon and doing 3 nights Galway City, 3 nights Clifden, 3 nights Westport, 3 nights Dublin. So we will see about 1/4 of the top 1/2 of Ireland. I wanted it that way to I can really get to know the area and not be rushing off in the car on long drives every day.

Good luck!

There is no way I would drive on my arrival day after 8 - 10 hours on a plane.

Why not start by taking a bus to Galway or Limerick. Enjoy that town, stay the night, then next day get your car and drive around.

Thank everyone for the replies! After hearing a lot of good advice, we decided to start our trip with 2 days in Dublin and no car. We'll then drive to Dingle for a couple days, up to Galway for a couple, and then trying to figure the plan so we end the trip 2 nights in Belfast. Any other advice welcome - Thanks again! Julia

If you are flying from Dublin to the USA you will need to be at the airport for your flight at least 3 hours before the flight leaves so that you can go thru US PreClearance. So it would be wise to spend your final night in Dublin. For that reason, consider doing what another poster suggested, which is End your trip in Dublin.