This is our second visit to Ireland. We have been to County Kerry in 2011, did the Ring of kerry, Dingle peninsula and Cliffs of Moher. This time we focused on County Cork (South West Ireland) and County Galway.
Our final itinerary:
Friday 27 June 2014: Arrive in Dublin at 14:30, pick up our rented car and leave for Newtonmountkennedy where we will stay and recover from our flight from South Africa.
Saturday 28 June - Thursday 3 July : Leave for Bandon in County Cork . Follow road via Glendalough (short visit), and then on to Bandon. We have been to Cashel in 2011, but any suggestions along the way. Maybe Cahir castle.
We would like to see as much as possible in West Cork. We love the villages, music, culture, distillery or 2, tap dancing show, scenic drives and castles. We have done Dingle and Ring of Kerry in 2011.
Friday 4 July: Stay over in Adare on our way to Galway. A visit to Banrutty, one or two villages during the day. Late ffternoon and evening exploring Adare.
Saturday 5 July - Saturday 12 July: Oughterard. (Connemara) We have tried many options, but decided on a self-Catering. We like to stay in self-catering, do our trips during the day and then to go to the Supermarket and "live with the people!". I have looked into the possibilty to stay 2 - 3 nights in a place and then move on, but it worked out more expensive for us and was not self-catering. We will definately visit Aran Islands, Galway, Sky Road and a list of recommendations which we will try to see.
Saturday 12 July - Monday 14 July: Dublin. Sunday we want to visit the Guiness Storehouse. We will be staying in Swords and any extra time we may have, we would like to visit surrounding sightseeing sites. We have been to most attractions in Dublin city during our previous visit, but could not fit in the Guiness Storehouse.
Thank you for reading and feel welcome to comment!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
I really would not waste time or money on the Guinness Storehouse. It is not really a brewery tour, it's more of one long commercial with a lot of buying opportunities for the same Guinness souvenirs that you can buy all over Ireland. Yes, you get a "free" pint at the end, but tickets are expensive and you may or may not have a nice view from the bar at the end, depending on the weather.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you. We have the Saterday aftrnoon and Sunday to see more of Dublin. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2364 posts
Totally agree with Nancy about Guinness storehouse. My sister insisted we see it, big mistake.. Way too expensive and the day we were there was overcast so could barely see anything from the bar at the top and I don't like beer at all. That said, highlight for me is the Gaol, I think it is my favorite place in Dublin. Been there three times and love it. I think you can also take a day trip to Newgrange from Dublin, not sure as we had a car. Enjoy whatever you do.
Posted by
Oudtshoorn, , South Africa
5 posts
Thanks. You covinced me. I need some more help urgent. We have to book our car. We want to book with Dan Dooley. We have to make the full payment. We never payed the whole amount before leaving. Not sure if we should rent from them. Also expensive, good coverage and they promise no surprises at the desk. Somehow I feel safe with them.
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2364 posts
Don't know about paying in full ahead of time but have used Dan Dooley two or maybe three times and never had a problem with them. Be sure to get the CDW.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
I have used Dan Dooley before, but only as part of a package. I have never paid upfront for car rental in Ireland. I usually use Irish Car Rentals. Gail is right - take the super CDW to get your deductible down to 0. Yes, it costs, but it is worth it for the peace of mind. Do see Kilmainham Gaol. It's a very important site in Irish history. You can get half-day tours to places like Glendalough and Newgrange, which are outside of the city. On July 4, are you aware that to get to Bunratty from Adare you have to go through/around Limerick? Do you really want to drive through there and then backtrack to Adare for the night?
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN, USA
154 posts
We stayed in a self-catering cottage in Oughterard for 3 nights. It was a good location for sights we wanted to see like Kylemore Abbey, Galway, Clonmacnoise, and places in Connemara. Moycullen offers a few more restaurants/stores and isn't too far from Oughterard. I also enjoyed spending time in Dublin and agree with the places others have suggested, especially Kilmainham Goal. The Guinness Storehouse is worth a stop in my opinion, if you have the time and are interested. I liked the exhibits about the history of Guinness and seeing the displays. The Gravity Bar offers a spectacular view of Dublin-if the weather cooperates. I would also recommend the National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology which is located on Kildare Street, if you haven't been. Spent an afternoon there and learned more about Irish history and geological formations. Really enjoyed viewing the Irish treasures exhibit.
Glendalough is one of my favorite destinations. We drove there via the Sally Gap and were surrounded with fantastic scenery. We also enjoyed The Hill of Tara. So many options-enjoy.
Barbara
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN, USA
154 posts
Forgot to mention that we rented a car from Europcar on both trips to Ireland because they had a location our hotel.
Barbara
Posted by
Oudtshoorn, , South Africa
5 posts
This is our rental option:
1. I have included maximum insurance and in case of damage you pay just €100.
Pick up :Dublin Airport (Terminal 1 & 2)Date and time : 27th June 2014 15.00 Hrs
Drop Off :Dublin Airport (Terminal 1 & 2) Date and time :12th July 2014 14.00 Hrs
Rental Duration : 15 days
Currency : Euro 775.00
Class A CarExcess
Waiver : Selected
2. You are liable for €100 and deposit if a tank of fuel. That’s it
Any comments or advice welcome.
I would like to make the booking ASAP.
Thanks.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
" You are liable for €100 and deposit if a tank of fuel. That’s it"
If a tank of fuel .....what? I always return my cars full, and they refund the fuel charge.
Posted by
Downingtown, USA
2364 posts
Again can't help you with price, you appear to be stressed out so if this is what you found, book and don't look back. What Nancy said is right, return car full of gas.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Correct, I am stressed. We are frequent travellers and rent often, but the insurence in Ireland seems more complicated and expensive. We rented in Italy last year, did the Amalfi coast and had no problems. Italy is also on the other side of the road for us. (We are the same as Ireland-left) Also no insurance problems. The exchange rate to South African Rand makes it worse. We have to be sure what to expect when we hit the desk in Dublin.