Plan on spending 2 days seeing the ring of Kerry......Staying in Killarney after the 2 days moving on to Dingle. How would you recommend to drive the ring in this instance? Which direction, where to stop for the day, how to get back there the next day to continue? Am I making sense?
We were only going to do one day on the Ring but days in October are short so read that it might be better to do it in 2 days. We have 3 days in Dingle afterwards.
I appreciate any advice.
We have been there several times. The north side of the ring isn't nearly as scenic as the south side. My suggestion is that you drive the south side to the tip of the peninsula and return the same day. Next day, drive the north side of the ring of Beara and return the same day. Apparently you already have reservations in Killarney, but if not, Kenmare is a more interesting location for both of the two peninsulas. Lots of good restaurants and pubs with music.
On your way to Dingle, stop and take the jaunting car trip through the Gap of Dunloe. You will still have plenty of time for Dingle since you are staying there three nights.
I appreciate your advice. We are not locked in yet so I will look into all suggestions. Can't wait. Still a year to go but I want to plan the perfect trip for my mom. We are going to be on the ground in Ireland for 24 days.
Just got back from Ireland a week ago. We drove the ROK counterclock wise and we were staying near Killarney. This IMHO, is the best direction to drive the ring. Get an early start and then most of the tour busses will be behind you. You do not want to hit the tour busses coming in the opposite direction.
Per your other post it appears that you'll be visiting in November, so you'll need to get an early start each day to maximize your available daylight - days will be short. Most here suggest staying near, but not necessarily in, Killarney, which can see traffic snarls virtually any time of year. I agree with the advice about going clockwise one day and counter-clockwise the next. Do stop by the Gap of Dunloe - one of the prettiest glens in Ireland - for a scenic walk (about 3.5 miles each way to the head of the glen) or one of the jaunting cars as mentioned earlier. There are organized tours based in Killarney that involve a boat trip across the lake to Lord Brandon's Cottage, boarding a jaunting car there for a one-way trip thru the Gap, lunch at Kate Kearney's Cottage, and then a bus or van back into town. Might be something that your Mother would enjoy. Do pick a sunny day though - would guess that it would be pretty miserable if it's cold or rainy.
And include the detour out along the Skellig Ring Road on one of your days. Tour buses don't go out there which makes for an altogether pleasant excursion. Stop by the Kerry Cliffs for a photo op and a short stretch of the legs, then head down the street to the Skellig Chocolate factory - a destination in its own right in our opinion. Further along is the scenic village of Ballinskelligs, where you'll find the ruins of an old abbey and a very nice stretch of beach for wandering ... or maybe a picnic on a sunny day.
great advice.....I'm taking it all in. We should be around the ring of Kerry in Late October.....Can't wait. Still a year away but I like to have it all planned in advance so your suggestions are super helpful.
We did it counter clockwise from Killarney and it was a long single day. We would have liked to have more time both exploring the north (we went all the way out to the Kerry cliffs view), and then time for hiking around the Killarney national park on the south side. I'd probably do the ring from Killarney to Portmagee and then back track seeing ring forts, ruined castles etc. Next day I'd go as far clockwise as I felt, but mostly concentrate on Gap of Dunloe, hike to top of Torc peak, and lots of time doing the loop around the lakes in Killarney national park.
Agree with Cynthia about considering Kenmare as your home base. Much closer to the counterclockwise route, if you get an early start, it should be no trouble to do the ring of Kerry in one day. Spend the next day in Killarney national park and drive/walk the gap of Dunloe.
BT
For what this may be worth, as part of a bike tour back in June 2011, I pedaled south from Dingle to Cahersiveen in a day, with Skellig Michael as the next day's sightseeing destination. The waters were calm enough the next day, so I made it to Skellig Michael, and took that afternoon/evening and part of the next day to Dingle. So I saw a bit of the northwestern part of the Ring of Kerry cycling each direction, but with a car, my gut says counter-clockwise would've been the way to go. Again, the first night I stayed in a hotel in Cahersiveen, and the second night was at a B&B in Glenbeigh.
I enjoyed Killarney much more than I expected. Good traditional music and an adjacent park. Muckross down the road.
If you're not in a hurry and have a car, you might want to stop at Fort Staigue. The buses don't go there because it's not convenient for them to get in, park and get out.
