Ireland & Scotland

My wife ran up on a deal yesterday where we'd fly into Dublin (from Huntsville on Delta) and spend 2 nights. Then pickup a rental car and head for 1 night in Cork, 2 nights in Killarney and 2 nights in Galway--$1196 x 2. Flight home was be out of Shannon Airport, and there's a $65 drop off fee. The hotels included breakfast.
The same trip could be changed to where the car was dropped off in Dublin where you could catch Ryanair over to Scotland.
Tripmasters.com was who the trip was through for Mid May, 2017. I thought it was a great deal.

Lilly89: We recently completed (September) a similar trip. We flew into Edinburgh and stayed four nights. We took the tram into the city from the airport and then a cab from the city center to our B&B. We used the public transportation in Edinburgh--which is quite easy. We flew RyanAir from Edinburgh to Dublin. We stayed in Dublin for several nights, with a day trip to Belfast, and used the Hop-on Hop-off bus. We went back to the Dublin airport and picked up our rental car and then headed out for two and one half weeks driving clockwise around the island. Do an internet search about the ins-and-outs of getting a ticket for RyanAir. We rented through Dan Dooley car rentals and took all the insurance coverage they offered for peace of mind. Although most of the roads that we were on were not a problem, in some locations, we were on roads that were quite narrow. We took a Garmin GPS from the US and purchased a chip (via Garmin website) for European maps--well worth the expense. As you cross between the Republic and Northern Ireland, remember to stop and adjust your GPS to the correct units of measurement (miles to kilometers and vice versa). We loved every place we visited; so, get the Rick Steves Ireland Guide for 2016 and review it with your mom to see what interests you.

Enjoy Ireland!

Lilly89, we took a similar trip, but in reverse. However, our time in Ireland was short and limited to Dublin, so we didn't rent a car there. Driving around Scotland was great because we could go places not well served by public transport.

I guess my main piece of advice is to remember they are 2 separate countries. What applies in Ireland doesn't necessarily apply in the UK (Scotland), for example the money in Ireland is euros and in the UK it's pounds. Naturally it is well worth investing in the RS guidebook for each.

Tell us more of your interests, priorities, and approximately how many days you want to spend in each of the 2 countries, and we can give more suggestions.

Hi Lilly,

We also did a similar trip, starting in Edinburgh, and Darrel is quite right--no need to rent a car there. We took a cab from the airport to our B&B and spent several days walking everywhere. It is quite a hilly city though. You don't mention how old your mother is--public transportation might better suit your needs. If you want to see some of the countryside, there are lots of day tours available too. If you only have 16 days and want to experience both Dublin and the more rural parts of Ireland I would recommend that you plan to limit yourself to 3 or 4 nights in Edinburgh and fly to Dublin. And most definitely avoid driving in Dublin! We spent several days there and again walked almost everywhere. We did use the hop on/hop off bus to visit Killmainham Gaol, a sight not to be missed. You can take a bus or cab to go back to the airport to pick up your rental car (we made the mistake of picking it up in the city--very bad idea!). As for itinerary, it really depends on what you are most interested in. We wanted to see New Grange, the Titanic Museum in Belfast and Giant's Causeway so we drove north and continued counterclockwise around the island. Many (myself included) feel that the western part of Ireland is the most scenic and magical, but again, a lot depends on what kinds of things you both are interested in. The roads in much of Ireland are VERY narrow, and driving on the left can be a pretty steep learning curve. It's best to go slow--have no fear, the locals don't seem to hold it against you.

We drove in both places; you'll be fine! We spent a few days in Edinburgh, and then drove north into the Highlands visiting Stirling (William Wallace fought here) and Glencoe (hauntingly beautiful valley, and the scene of the massacre in the Jacobite Uprising). We stayed at a BnB in Glencoe there (wish I could remember the name) run by the Campbell family. Lovely place and view.

The Isle of Skye is beautiful, of course, if you have time. On our first trip we just did the Edinburgh - Glencoe - Mallaig drive and then flew out of Glasgow.

Ireland ties for the top place in my heart in Europe (with France). Lovely people, wonderful pubs, beautiful scenery. My favorite place in Ireland is actually Northern Ireland - Derry and the Antrim Coast. Derry for its history and walled city (and please don't miss the People's Gallery - lovingly painted murals in the Bogside that tell the story of the Troubles in a meaningful way - Google the name to find out more about the artists...they are wonderful people who get no public funding for what they do). Of course the Antrim coast with Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede bridge, Dunluce Castle, and Bushmill's brewery makes for a great day. Go to Giant's Causeway first, and early, like as soon as the sun rises, so you can get there before others do and have the place to yourself. Incredible.

The west coast of Ireland is a fantastic visit as well. Galway is a vibrant, diverse, town with a medieval town center. Spend a day visiting the Burren (the archeological sites there predate the Giza pyramids) and the Cliffs of Moher. Spend a few days in the Dingle Peninsula, and stay at a BnB in Dingle town so you can stumble home after a late night listening to Irish trad music at one of the many pubs. The beehive stone huts and Inch beach on Dingle are great places to stop and sightsee as well.

Have fun!