Ireland Itinerary

It is so wise to start now. Traveling with an extended grp esp in Ireland an North can be challenging for
The driver and to find appropriate lodging.Remember July is peak season. I am currently on a 10 tour of Ireland and north. The roads can be narrow when not on a motorway, weather changes very rapidly, it always seems to take longer in driving time than documented. Get a good map and circle your stops of interest, note the miles from a to b and expected drive times. There is no way to short cut the planning it will be what u wish to see. This country is family friendly as even in May we have seen lots of extended families visiting. Be sure to include a farm stay to see border collies demo their art in sheep herding.
Suggest to start in Belfast and return from Dublin or Shannon.
No info on Skellig.

With extended family and 2-year-old, you will probably want to rent two cars. That will give the group more flexibility, as group travel in a single vehicle means you can only go as fast as the slowest member, and if one member needs a stop everyone has to stop. Also, as the previous comment notes, most of the roads are narrow so driving a large SUV of mini-van ("people carrier") would be stressful.

Have you taken votes on the most important places that everyone wants to visit? Will you have 14 days on the ground, or are Day 1 and Day 14 taken by US-Ireland travel?

I am planning a trip in July 2019 and have found doing a mymaps on google very helpful. Can pin sites to see, eat, stay and travel routes. We have traveled to Ireland with a 10 year old and other family members. No matter where we stopped everyone usually found something that interesting. Every b&b we stayed at had a dog, so fun pics. Since your child will be 2, I suggest you focus on what the adults want to see and lots of downtime, walking time, climbing time (lots of things to climb on). Bring an umbrella stroller or rent/purchase one there. That way little one can nap while the adults carry on. (We did this when we traveled to Australia with our 2yr old. The airline took it a the door to the plane and we got it when we landed.) We found playgrounds to stop at everywhere. Some B&Bs and towns have fairy doors to look for, which was fun!

Thanks for all the tips! We are definitely looking into a farm stay or two!

I would still love some advice on dividing our time up. We are looking to spend a full 14 days on the ground with travel in addition to our two weeks. Ideally, we would like to get 3 or 4 central AirBnb's and do day excursions to the various areas of Ireland (easier then frequent check in's/out's with a toddler).

When we went in 2016, we stayed in Dublin, Cork, Killarney and Galway. I am looking for an area on the east coast, west coast, Northern Ireland and then Dublin. Any suggestions on where to stay that would be a good central location in these geographic areas?

We will probably fly in and out of Dublin, and rent a car or two from the airport since its cheaper then flying in or out of Shannon or Belfast (flying in from Toronto). I was thinking fly into Dublin, rent the car and either drive North or South. We could return the car at the end of our trip and stay in the City of Dublin before leaving and save the Dublin sites for last. We stayed in Temple Bar last time we went, but with a toddler, I don't think I want to stay there this time. What areas of Dublin are nice to stay in for families?

We're staying in the Ballsbridge area in October. Quiet area and close to the DART or buses. Walking is doable but maybe a challenge with a 2yr old.

Skellig Michael is an amazing place to visit; it would not be appropriate for a 2 year old, though. It has steep, uneven stone steps and too many places a toddler could fall. There are no facilities on the island, and you’re there about two hours to explore. Someone would have to babysit your two year old.

I stayed in Portmagee (where the boats depart) the night before; it’s a nice place to visit, but very small. Nearby Valentia Island has greats views, trails, and an interesting Skillig Michael museum.

You could also stay in Kenmare the night before and drive about 2 hours or in Killarney (about 1:45 hours).

Start checking on booking a tour date in early 2020; they can fill up fast.

All the best,

Raymond