I need help. We (Healthy and experienced travelers in our early 70's) will be traveling for two weeks with a car to Ireland.. The first week is with our daughter, husband and 8&10 y/o kids. (Day 1) We fly to Dublin. (DAYS 2-3 Dublin) St. Patrick Cathedral , Dublinia Museum, Dublin Castle, Guiness Brewery, National Museum of Archaeology, Trinity College possible options. (Day 4 Belfast) pick up a car and drive to Belfast for Titanic Experience and Crumbling Road Goal. (DAYS 5&6 Derry) Dunluce Castle [on the way}. (The following day Drive to Donegal to see Donegal Castle and Cuilcagh Lakelands. (DAYS 7-10 Galway)r Carric-a-Island via Rope Bridge and Giants Causeway in the same day. The following day our Family with our grandkids go home via Shannon Airport and my sister arrives. Visit Kilmainham Gaol Prison Museum. The next day drive to Cliffs of Moher then Doolin Caves. Maybe do the Hazel Mountain Chocolate Shops in Burren. The next day Drive to Rossaveel Pier to catch the ferry to Inishmore Island. (Day 11 Dingle ) Visit Adare ?. Drive the Slea Head Drive. (Day 12 Kinsale) Drive to Cork and explore. Drive to Union Hall.(Days 13&14) Kilkenny) Drive to Kilkenny Castle. Drive to Kilmainham Goal Prison Museum. (Day 14) Drive to Rock of Cashel Ruins. (Day 15) Drive to Dublin Airport to drop off the car and flight home. I would like to reduce the amount of accommodations we use. We will not return to Ireland and so we want the highlights. We also have spent 5 days in Dublin before and loved it. this is why we are returning and our family is joining us.
We welcome suggestions for any additions or skips would be appreciated. we are planning to go around the first 2 weeks of June.
Anyone with B&B or family run hotel suggestions are welcomed. Thank You
Posted by
Land of La
9960 posts
Gap of Dunloe, Killarney National Park, Coumeenole Beach and Foxy Johns in Dingle.
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
1472 posts
Your days and locations don't make any sense. Carrick-a-Rede and Giants Causeway are near Dun Luce Castle, which is on Day 5. You mention Kilmainham Gaol twice, but not during your stay in Dublin, which is where Kilmainham is. Is your sister arriving in Dublin? Or Shannon? Cashel is on the way from Cork to Kilkenny.
I can't make any sense of how you got from Galway on Day 10 to Dingle on Day 11 while also visiting Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and Inishmore.
On Day 4, your plan is to check out of your accommodation, pick up a rental car (which will need to be a van to hold six people), drive to Belfast and visit two places there. Are you going to drive through the city to these places and then to your accommodation? That's a VERY long day for an 8yoa child. And it's by no means the longest day on your itinerary.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2796 posts
Like G3rryCee I'm also confused by your itinerary as there are glaring mistakes in it - Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Giant's Causeway need to be done the same day as Dunluce Castle (so you aren't doubling back on yourselves) .
Where exactly does Kilmainham Gaol fit in? It doesn't make sense to do it as a day trip from Killenny. Either do it when you are in Dublin at the start of thee trip OR do it on your way back to Dublin.
Are you doing Donegal as a day trip from Derry?
I'm confused as to what is planned for Days 7-10 and how it all fits together ( Kilmainham Gaol doesn't make sense here as it means driving back to Dublin.) I'm assuming you are planning Cliffs of Moher, Doolin etc as a day trip from Galway?
Day 11 - are you driving from Galway to Dingle and hoping to do the Slea Head drive the same day? That is a lot of driving.
I'm confused by Day 12 - Again that is a long drive and isn't going to give much time to see anything of Cork, Kinsale or Union Hall. (What is the arttraction of Union Hall as it doesn't usually feature on itineraries? Think about doing either Union Hall or Kinsale.)
Exploring Cork could take a full day just on its own. Is this a good use of limited time? Where are you planning on spending this night?
Do Rock of Cashel on the way to Kilkenny.
Try planning out your itinerary day by day starting with your accommodation, planned route and sight seeing and accommodation that night. Check out driving times (allowing 25% extra if using google maps to cover thin gs like slow traffic, animals on the road , comfort breaks and lunch stop as well as time to fiond somewhere to park..) Estimate how much time that leaves forstops on the way and sightseeing. Thart will give an idea if days are reasonable with things are planned in the right order and if you need to pare back.
I can understand that you want to hit the highlights BUT at times more is less. Ireland is a place to slow down and enjoy. Distances may not look long but driving in Ireland is slow and it will take you a lot lonfger to cover the ground than you might expect. This could be quite an intensive and tiring itinerary.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
560 posts
I’m as confused as others. Have you sat down with a map? That would help you a lot in your planning.
I would suggest that you train from Dublin to Belfast and not pick up a rental car until you’re leaving Belfast.
You’re cramming a lot in. There’s so much to unpack here.