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Itinerary Advice

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My best friend and I are headed to Ireland for 9 nights and have the following itinerary planned. We don't want down time, we can do that when we get home. Thoughts?

Day 1, Monday
Drive to Galway from Dublin airport
Spend the day on Quay Street in Galway, shops and pubs
Hotel for 2 nights

Day 2, Tuesday
Travel North to tour Ashford Castle
Head to the coast to visit Kylemore Abbey
Lunch on the coast, return to Galway for dinner and pub stops

Day 3, Wednesday
Early departure to the Cliffs of Moher
(Time permitting) Ferry ride to the Aran Islands, Inishmore
Depart Doolin for Dromoland Castle afternoon Tea
Head to Adare Manor for the night

Day 4, Thursday
Breakfast at Adare Manor
Travel to Tralee, shops and lunch
Visit Inch Beach
Travel to the town of Dingle (time permitting)
Stay in Tralee for the night

Day 5, Friday
Leave Tralee headed to Killarney
Visit Killarney National Park, Gap of Dunloe
Drive the Ring of Kerry, sightseeing along the way
Stay in Killarney

Day 6, Saturday
Leave Killarney headed to Cork
Visit the English Market, walk the shops of Cork
Visit the Blarney Castle
Head to Waterford for the night

Day 7, Sunday
Tour Waterford Crystal plant, explore Waterford seaside area
Drive from Waterford to the Sugarloaf Mountain and the Powerscourt Waterfall
Hotel for the night in Powerscourt

Day 8, Monday
Leave Powerscourt Hotel after breakfast, headed for Dublin
Explore Dublin.
7:30 PM – Dublin Literary Pub Crawl,
Dublin for the night

Day 9, Tuesday
Explore Dublin
Book of Kells, Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Return the car
Airport hotel for the night

Posted by
503 posts

You've not said where you are originating from, but adding a 2 hour drive (on the wrong side of the road) after a transatlantic flight is not a good plan. Thus, if you are coming from the US move the Dublin piece to the start of your trip so you've recovered from jet lag before your driving marathon.
Day 3 isn't workable. Take a look at the Doolin ferry schedule to re work that day.
Day 5 isn't really workable either - even if you were to drive the Ring straight through, it will take you almost 4 hours.

Overall, I think the plan is way too ambitious - there is having "no down time" and having no time at all to actually see and experience the sites you've listed and the itinerary you've outlined falls into the latter category.
Driving times listed to get from Point A to Point B aren't terribly accurate for Ireland in my experience. Many of the roads you'll travel are single lane or single track which will increase your travel time.

Posted by
3122 posts

To avoid driving while jetlagged you could easily take the train from Dublin to Galway on Day 1. Rail serves the major cities with fairly frequent departures so you don't have to worry about missing the only train of the day. Then return your car at Dublin airport on the afternoon of Day 8.

Posted by
15579 posts

And in general don't underestimate driving times. If you aren't on the highway, it's surprising how slow driving is.

Why do you want to keep the car in Dublin? If you're staying in the center, you can get everywhere faster on foot and using Luas than bus or car on city streets - never mind the hassle of trying to find parking near anything.

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