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Ireland trip planning

We are in the early stages of planning a trip to Ireland late spring. This is what we're starting with
1 Dublin
2 Dublin
3 Cork
4 Killarney, Kerry
5 Killarney, Kerry
6 Doolin
7 Galway
8 Westport, Mayo
9 Donegal
10Donegal
11 Belfast
12 Belfast
13 Dublin

We started this itinerary after talking to a few friends and their experiences in Ireland. Any thoughts are appreciated. Is this too much to attempt in this amount of time? Is Belfast worth going to or would you spend those nights elsewhere and cut down on driving? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Posted by
8158 posts

Looks fine to me. We're planning on going late Spring, and will be taking one of the room/rental car packages with TripMasters.com. We're probably go to Ireland for one week and Scotland for a week.

Posted by
1172 posts

Depending on what you want to do and see in the different areas, it may be a very rushed schedule.

We had 12 full days this past summer and only did the South... we had to drop some things off our list due to time/weather constraints.

Posted by
9363 posts

It doesn't look to me like you are accounting for your travel times from place to place. Two nights in Dublin gives you your arrival afternoon and one day there, if you are counting Day 1 as the day you land, not the day you leave the US. Then the next morning you are driving to Cork. If you get an early start, you might be there by noon (viamichelin.com shows it at just about four hours) if you don't stop for gas or lunch or to take photos, and you don't get lost. That leaves you the rest of the day in Cork. The next morning you are driving to Killarney. That's only a couple of hours (again, with no stops), so you have that afternoon and the next day there.

Killarney to Doolin is another almost four hour drive. Doolin to Galway is about two hours. While driving time isn't totally lost time, because there is a lot to see along the way, you aren't really leaving yourselves time to discover anything along the way. Driving can be excruciatingly slow in some areas, particularly in the rural parts of the west, so don't expect to get the same driving times as you would for similar distances in the US. You also have to allow time to pack and load the car, find your new place and unpack, feed yourselves, etc, all of which eat up time. And what do you want to do or see in these places you have come so far to visit? Touring a castle takes time, seeing the Cliffs of Moher, or walking around Galway, or visiting a museum takes time, but you will mostly be driving.

I have been to Ireland four times and still haven't seen everything I would like to have seen. It will be there when I get back. If it were me, I would make a list of what I considered truly essential to see this first time. Look at those locations on a map, and see how long it takes to get there. If you can fit in some of the others, great. But I think you would be happier cutting back your locations and staying longer in fewer places.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks for your replies. We too are thinking it's too much driving that's why we were thinkIng of dropping Belfast. We prefer smaller towns to big cities and like to hike and walk and a museum here and there. We also have wiggle room on both ends of the trip. We will add more days on the front end for jet lag or possibly be coming into Dublin from London so will have adjusted already. Thanks for your input! And out of curiosity what would be your highlights for a first time visiter to Ireland?

Posted by
317 posts

Greetings from Dingle,
Theres some great answers from previous posts so I'll keep this brief.
If you were to try and tighten this schedule up, my advice would be drop Cork and Galway. One night in those towns is too quick and there is a train of thought that a few hours in each of them for a late lunch would be sufficient.
Belfast is worth seeing in my opinion, if you wish to understand the history of Ireland and the complexities of modern Ireland. Its also a cool city.
And the fact you wont be overnighting in Dingle but will be in Killarney, in my professional opinion, is an odd choice. Though I do like Killarney, it shades in comparison to Dingle in cultural value.
Slainte mhaith/Good health
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steve Ireland Tour-Guide
Dingle & Derry

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks for your reply Stephen. We have revised our itinerary
1 Dublin
2 Dublin
3 Cork
4 Kerry
5 Kerry
6 Dingle
7 Dingle
8 Doolin
9 Galaway/Ballynahinch Castle
10 Galaway
11 Westport Mayo
12 Westport Mayo
13 Dublin
14 Dublin

We've opted out of Belfast to cut down on driving. Any thoughts on this schedule?

Posted by
89 posts

I agree Belfast is a great place to visit. Speaking from my experience, I must say it turned out to be much more interesting and moving than I expected.

Posted by
8683 posts

Stay in Dingle instead of Killarney although don't miss walking in Killarney National Park.

Add visiting theGap of Dunloe ( between Killarney and Dingle)

Spend a day in Belfast. Use one of your 4 days in Dublin to do so.

Take the earliest train or bus and visit the Titanic Museum, take the Black Cab tour of the Troubles, lunch at Mourne's by Kelly Cellars Pub ( best seafood chowder and the fresh mussels....oh my) pop into St George's Market then head back to Dublin.

As pointed out already if you want to appreciate Eire u need to understand the Troubles. Belfast needs to be included in your itinerary.