Ireland-bound

Have you looked at the itineraries for the Rick Steve’s’ Ireland tours? Even if you don’t take one of them you will get a good idea of potential itineraries. I have not done any if the Irish tours but have taken three in Italy, Hill Towns, Southern Italy and the Rome tour. Yes, you may have an early morning or two, especially for something like the day on Aran where you need to get a ferry, but it seems like there are few churches, but some ancient monuments, some interesting local side trips and cultural trips….falconry, sheepdog trials, music/pub nights, etc. there are days, afternoons and evenings where you are free to do things by yourself. In terms of logistical planning taking a tour will save you hours and hours of work. In addition to the listings on the Tours page, have a look at The RS Ireland tV programmes. The RS website and guidebooks are great info points..

The 7 day tour might be a good introduction and you could arrive a couple of days early to get over jet lag and stay a few days after the tour to spend more relaxing days….or head to Belfast for a look at Northern Ireland.

Highly recommend Ireland, its a fantastic time!

For timing and weather, Summer is definitely an option but prices may be a bit higher. When I last went, I went at the start of September, experienced good prices, and was only ever cold once, and im someone used to warmer weather!

For places to go, you have many options.

Dublin is the biggest city (though nowhere near New York) and has a lot of great restaurants, pubs, and hotels, as well as many landmarks. Whats nice is that since its not as large as some of the major cities in the U.S., a lot of stuff is very easy to walk to without much effort. For example, St. Patricks Cathedral is just about a quarter mile from Christ Church Cathedral . Both are great sites, and Trinity College is fantastic. For Museums, the EPIC museum is a fantastic place for irish emigration history. For a different kind of museum, the Leprechaun Museum is a very fun little place that talks to classic irish folklore, and do recommend it. And if you drink the Teeling Whisky tour and the Guiness tour are both very good!

Cork is another city that offers a different vibe. The city itself seems a bit more industrial then Dublin (at least in my opinion) but has a delightful charm, and works as a great base for nearby attractions. You can take a trip to Blarney Castle (of Blarney Stone fame) and also see its gorgeous grounds. The Midleton Distillery is fantastic for any whiskey drinker! The nearby town of Kinsale is a wonderful fishing village and many cliffs are nearby. Also had some of the best chocolate ive ever had from O'Conaill Chocolate in the city center.

To the West of Cork is Killarney, a fantastic are for outdoors relaxation and enjoyment. A delightful small town on the water of Laugh Leane, it is also right up against the Killarney National Park, which holds the Torc Waterfall and Muckross Abbey and House. The Gap of Dunloe, a gorgeous area, is a short taxi away with amazing (if rocky) hikes and stunning views. If staying in Killarney, I'd very much recommend considering splurging on staying in The Lake Hotel. Its more expensive then the other hotels, but sits right on the shore, with a castle on the grounds, and is right against the beginning of the national park, while being a beautiful hotel with a fun history.

If looking for a great vibe and cultural experience, definitely consider Galway! On the west coast, this smaller city has the wonderful Quay street with many great restaurants, pubs, and shops, surrounded by historical buildings such as the Spanish Arch,and friendly people. Definitely a great place to grab a drink with Garavan's, a world famous whiskey bar, and Tigh Nora, a fantastic Gin Bar recommended by the locals. It even features Michelin Starred restaurants. Also most of the hotels are much smaller places, many family owned, with just a handful of rooms.

Outside these cities, plenty of other great sights like the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, and all of Northern Ireland if making a two country trip!

Some tips that I think would be helpful is to know that getting a taxi between towns can be VERY difficult after 5 PM (almost got stranded in Midleton, haha) and that Uber (at least last i checked) simply subcontracts to the taxi services. The trains are a great way to get from city to city! If renting a car and going on rural roads, get the Super CDW or CDW Excess insurance, as its VERY easy to damage a car on them, and the vast majority of rentals will be manual drives, not automatics. Also expect to see and hear plenty of the native irish language, its more alive than one may expect! Don't worry though, basically everyone is still fully fluent in english.

Hope this helps!!!

Are you planning to drive? How many days will you actually have not counting arrival and departure days? Are you interested in N. Ireland as well? You could consider a plane to Belfast for a couple.of days then bus or train to Dublin.and renting a car there for the rest of the visit. Flying into one city and home from another is multi city not two one way tickets. If only the Republic then perhaps you can fly into Dublin and home from Shannon or the other way. That saves you backtracking. We have never had a problem in renting any type of automatic transmission from.different rental companies over ten trips just don't wait until