Ireland and Scotland

First, I would fly into Dublin and out of Shannon so you are not backtracking.

Spend a few nights in Dingle and go to a concert at Dingle Music Shop.
In Scotland, we really liked the Isle of Skye and Oban, where we did the 3 island tour to Mull, Iona and Staffa.
Get yourself a good guidebook, read some trip reports on these countries ( I did trip reports on my recent trips to Ireland and Scotland), and come back with more specific questions.

Everyone has different travel styles and preferences. My first reaction was that you are trying to do one too many countries on this trip, but that is my style....... We spent two weeks in Ireland and barely touched the areas from Dublin to Galway and north. We spent 1 and 1/2 weeks in Scotland and barely touched the sourthern regions. Is there a special reason you are trying to do both countries at once? Could you focus in on just one of them?

I think you need to choose very carefully what it is that you absolutely want to see in each country because that is all that you will have time for.

Just checking on number of travel days - 2 weeks total? So say you're in Dublin for 3 days, that leaves around 11 total days for southern Ireland and your loop around Scotland? Maybe you have a few extra days if you have weekends at the beginning and end of your trip. But assuming you'll be visiting the area around Dingle in southwest Ireland for at least a couple of days, and a stop visit one day to The Burren and Cliffs of Moher, after your few days in Dublin, how much time are you planning for Scotland? You may need to limit your Scotland loop to the area just north and east of Edinburgh, or head west, to catch Glasgow, Glen Coe,Fort William, and back to Edinburgh. The Isle of Skye is great, but plan on at least 3 days there, and you still need to get back to Edinburgh. Be prepared for rain in both countries!

My first reaction was the same as Carol's. I've done Rick's Best of Ireland which is a 14 day tour as well as the Best of Scotland which is 10 days. I added on time in Dublin before the Ireland tour and time before and after in Edinburgh when I did the Scotland tour. We just barely scratched the surface of a few places in each country.

You'll note I did not drive in either country but I think one thing we, as Americans, underestimate is the time it takes to drive in the UK and Ireland.

Of course, your travel style may be very different than mine but do allow way more time for drive times than you think you'll need.

Remember when you are planning that 2 nights in 1 location gives you a full day for touring that area.

All are great suggestions. We realize we will not see everything in two weeks. We do like to see at least two countries on our trips abroad (our thing). A return trip to the area the following year(s) is always a likely possibility, just like we did Italy on two separate trips. Flying out of Shannon is an excellent idea. We may have to consider staying a little bit longer, but after being away from home for two weeks or so we are ready the get back home.

Still welcoming comments and suggestions

As others have suggested you need to see if you can fly in to Dublin and out of Shannon to save yourself from backtracking. Personally, I would not try to cover both countries in two weeks as I spent three weeks in each country and still didn’t get to see everything I wanted. If you are set on spending time in both places then realize you will have to really narrow your focus. I would recommend a minimum of three days in Dublin, Galway, and the Killarney or Dingle areas (but the drive from Galway to the Dingle or Killarney is a few hours). This would be nine days on the ground which wouldn’t leave you much time for Scotland if you only have two weeks. Plus, getting from one country to the other will likely eat up most of a day. If You can add a couple of days then you still might only be able to spend three or four days in Edinburgh, but you can get day trips into parts of the highlands from there, and spend some time in the city. If you were thinking of just a week in Ireland then I would stick to Dublin and Galway, but I don’t think you can get flights out of Galway. With only a week in Scotland I would stick to the south near Edinburgh. It may be easier for yo to start in Edinburgh then fly to Dublin and end in Shannon to fly home.

Did a both-countries-in-two-weeks in 2016, and learned two things: some places we'd like to go back to, and that we don't like one-night [or even two night] stays. Too much packing, even when traveling light. But that's just us. That said, here's a possible trip to consider:

Fly to Shannon, drive the Ring of Kerry and/or visit the Dingle Peninsula, then up to Galway, then through Connemara up to Westport. Then visit the megalithic sites [Newgrange, etc.] north and west of Dublin on your way there. Return your car in Dublin and take the bus or train to Belfast. If you're bound and determined to see the Giants Causeway etc, then rent a car in Belfast for the day. [You can't use the car you got in Shannon and return it to Belfast unless you're prepared for the big surcharge associated with returning a car to another country] Take the 2-hour ferry over to Cairnryan from Belfast-- way more hassle-free and relaxing than flying-- and get your car for Scotland. Drive up to Arrochar on Long Loch, just west of the north end of Loch Lomond. Visit Oban, definitely Glencoe, then Stirling and Edinburgh. Return your car in Edinburgh and fly home from there. It's a whirlwind but will give you a taste of Connemara and the Highlands, and some cities. You'll have to sort out how much time at each place. Good luck!!

Could not agree more with you about the packing and unpacking. We try to stay a minimum of two night but as you know it sometimes does not work out. Great suggestions. I will take a closer look at your suggested itinerary. I was thinking of flying in and out of Shannon and skipping Dublin and Belfast this time. Less rushing around. Scotland though is still up in the air. I understand Edinburgh is a must then heading to Stirling, Oban, Fort William and then to Isle of Skye and then head back toward Edinburgh. Stopping along the way to break up the drive. But that seems like too much windshield time. Maybe cut out Skye. Fly home from Edinburgh. I think it defeats the purpose of travel if you are just rushing around and not stopping to get a flavor of the Irish and Scottish people.

Robledge, thanks for your thoughts.

Hi Steve, We actually did drive up to Skye during our week in Scotland. Definitely worth our one day there. The offset of the "windshield time" is that the scenery is worth it. Don't miss Glencoe but try to go through on a weekday-- the traffic is nuts on a weekend and the pull-offs don't accommodate that many cars. My wife says if you're gonna do Edinburgh, get someone to give you a tour.

We are doing the same thing in July, we have been to both countries several times before and have rented a car and also not rented a car. There is a ton to see in both countries. My advice is to pick only a couple of spots in each country knowing you’ll come back again! Its pretty cheap to fly around the UK. We have round trip tickets to Dublin ( it was way cheaper for us, I checked every possible combination), but we are flying from Dublin to Inverness to explore the highlands, then we are actually flying from Edinburgh back to Dublin. (We are going to the tattoo). We are renting a car both places.