Hello
My husband and I are travelling in Ireland for 11 Days.
Please tell me what you think of our itinerary and offer suggestions.
I need to know where to stay over along the way.
Dublin 2 nights
Galway 2 nights
Limerick 2 nights
Kenmare 2night
Wexford 2 nights
Wicklow 1 night
thanks
Maureen
Just so you are aware, two nights in a place is only one full day. While one full day is probably plenty for Kenmare or Wexford, it's not enough for Dublin or Galway. Personally, I would skip Limerick all together. The Cliffs of Moher are well worth seeing, as are Ennis and Bunratty. It also doesn't look like you will be heading past the Rock of Cashel, which is one of Ireland's iconic sites. Perhaps you have a particular reason for Wexford (geneology, say) but I could probably skip that, too, in favor of other places.
Hi Nancy
This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for. Are you from there?
Nancy
What would you plan if you had 11 full days?
Do you plan on renting a car, and what types of things do you like to see? Is there a particular reason you have chosen these towns as opposed to others? I also agree that two nights for Galway and Dublin are just not enough. I spent four in each, and they were very full days.
We are renting a car when we leave Dublin.
We've never been before so we have consulted a road trip book.
We have 11 full days to tour around. Flying in and out of Dublin.
Love history, castles, cliffs, pubs and B&Bs.
I'm not sure the first person's criticism is entirely fair, although in some places it is. For example, our flight from the US arrived around 7 a.m. on our first morning in Dublin. We were eating breakfast by 9 a.m., and did indeed have two full days, only staying two nights. And then Galway is only about a 2 hour drive from Dublin, so if you left at 8 or 9 a.m., you'd have two full days there too. In any event, there are lots of great sites all over Ireland, outside of the towns in which you plan to stay. For example, on the way from Dublin to Galway, you could stop in Tullamore or Clonmacnoise. From Galway to Limerick or Dingle (see below), drive through the Burren and stop at the Cliffs of Moher. From Dingle/Kenmare, stop at the Rock of Cashel. So my point is that even when you have long driving trips (and some of these will be), you won't be wasting your time. Just plan things to do along your route - there is always something good to see/do.
I would skip Limerick unless you have a reason for going there. It doesn't have the best reputation. Considering spending two nights in Dingle, it was our favorite place in Ireland, and I think many on this forum would agree. In my opinion, Dingle has the best pub/music scene in Ireland.
I would stay two nights in Kilkenny over two nights in Wexford. Nothing against Wexford, but Kilkenny has an interesting castle, a great old town, pub scene, and is more conveniently located.
Might suggest picking up a copy of "Back Roads Ireland" to help with your route planning. We found it to be quite helpful on our own trip last year...lots of off-the-beaten path suggestions for leisurely, scenic drives getting from point A to point B, and it alerted us to several lesser known points of interest along the way that we'd have missed.
I, too, would skip Limerick in favor of Kilkenny, but would include a stop at Glendalough in Wicklow Mountain National Park...about an hour outside of Dublin - beautiful place. Get there early, before the tour buses start arriving around 9:30AM. Newgrange is worth a look, as is the Boyne Valley what with all of its significance in Irish history.
Personal aside: don't underestimate the effects of jet lag. My wife and I were dragging for the first few days - suggest taking it easy at first to minimize the chance of getting sick while your immune system is adjusting.
No, I am not from there, but have been there four times now. :)
My cousin used this site to help plan a driving trip when she took her mom to Ireland a few years ago. She was very happy with the itinerary and all the places they stayed....http://www.irelandyes.com/.
I just finished 9 days in Ireland driving 6 of those. The roads are VERY narrow especially in the country around the Dingle Penninsula and through the Burren to the Cliffs of Moher. It will be an interesting experience if it is your first time driving on the left in a right-side driving car. RS touches on it but more needs to be said about driving in Ireland (roundabouts, anyone?). The driver has to be constantly alert and the front passenger needs to be on the lookout for curbs that seem to stick out on the left. Absolutely would not drive in Dublin. Will have more to say in Trip Reports.
