We fly into Dublin and go straight to Belfast...stay that night in Belfast and then head to visit family an hour north of Belfast. We will stay in Nothern Ireland for basically 3 days. We leave Northern Ireland Wednesday and we have until Friday afternoon before returning to Dublin. My question is where do we stay from Wednesday-Friday? I want to see the Cliffs and one of the Aran Islands if possible. I want to experience the hidden gems of Ireland and visit with locals. Do we stay in Galway and drive from there or is there another place you recommend. Help :)
Posted by
North Carolina
2457 posts
Ballyvaughan is lovely, and is close to Doolin, from which you can get a ferry to the Aran Islands.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2838 posts
That's an awful lot of driving just to get to the Galway area and then to have only one full day to explore.
Better (I think) to use the available time explore Donegal instead, including Slieve League - the cliffs there are more beautiful, more dramatic, and infinitely less crowded that the Cliffs of Moher. Donegal itself is one of Ireland's hidden gems - the area around Glenveagh National Park is quite pretty, and there are dramatic seascapes all along the northwest coast.
Where are you picking up your rental car - Dublin or Belfast? If Belfast you're aware of the one-way drop fee for an international rental, right?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Would you think staying in Donegal Wednesday and exploring and then driving to Galway Thursday better? We’d really like to tour one of the islands...is it worth it?
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2838 posts
Well, it sounds as if you just really, really want to go to the cliffs and one of the Aran islands, and if that's the case then that's what you should do. My only caution is to be fully aware of what you'll be getting yourself into to get there. Google maps is showing that it's a 5.5 hour drive from Portrush to Doolin, and that's a pretty optimistic estimate. Most folks here on the forum suggest adding another 30%, which means that your actual time behind the wheel will be closer to 7 hours ... less any stops along the way of course. Point being that you'll be dedicating most of an entire day of your limited time just getting there. Then (not to further rain on the parade) there's the chance that no boats will be running the particular day you want to go because of bad weather - the ferries are weather and sea state dependent.
On the other hand, staying in Doolin (or Ballyvaughan) would be pleasant for a couple of nights. Taking the ferry from Doolin out to Inisheer would satisfy your need to see one of the islands, and that particular ferry route goes close to the cliffs both going and coming, so you could sort of kill two birds with one stone. Plus, having seen the cliffs from the water you could spare yourself the ordeal of fighting the crowds at the visitor center. You could also stop by the Burren while you're in the vicinity.
Whether any of that would make the drive worthwhile is a question only you can answer. Donegal does have a lot to offer, but if that's just not your thing then so be it.
There is no right or wrong way to do this. No matter how you sort this out it'll be fine. It's all Ireland after all, which means it will all be great.
Safe travels.