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Itinerary review: C.Clare, Dingle P., Galway

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Hello friendly travelers.

I've learned a lot on this forum from reading others' tales of adventure in Ireland. I would be very grateful for any feedback on my tentative itinerary.

My family of 3 is heading to Ireland for 10 nights in late June, flying in and out of Shannon. We are renting a car. We're a bit nervous about driving, but are optimistic about getting the hang of it. Even so, we don't want to spend many long hours on the road. Our primary interests are nature, history, ruins and traditional music.

We are considering:
First 3 nights in Ennis or another town to see Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.
Drive to Dingle. Approximately how long is such a drive? Any sights along the way worth seeing?
3 nights in Dingle to see the peninsula.

Drive to Galway. Is this a very long ride? Any suggestion on how to break up the drive or sights along the way worth seeing?
3 nights in Galway for a day trip to Inishmore and a day trip to Cong/Ashford Castle. I'm lukewarm about staying 3 nights in Galway. Any suggestions for accommodations near Galway, or reasons I should be happy to stay there?
Last night in Ennis in order to be near the airport.

Thank you for any feedback you can provide. Feel free to say, "Oh, since you're be near ______ you should try to visit ______."

We love traveling, but the planning is so stressful!

Gratefully,
June

Posted by
238 posts

When we were in the Galway area last September we spent three nights at a lovely Airbnb cottage in Furbo. It made a convenient base to catch the Rossaveel ferry for a day trip to Inishmore and it was nice to have our own place to come home to. There is a good grocery in nearby Barna, as well as restaurants if you don't feel like cooking. The Twelve Hotel in Barna looked like it might be a nice place to stay if you don't want to go the Airbnb route. On a previous trip we spent two nights at a really nice B&B in Galway (Petra House) and did enjoy some good music but if your main interests are history and ruins, there isn't as much to see there as you might find elsewhere. Also, traffic was difficult in the city--I'd recommend staying elsewhere.

Posted by
317 posts

Greetings from Ireland
I think 3 nights in Ennis is 2 nights too long, And Im writing this from Ennis!
Its a great wee town, but in my opinion you'd be better off spending time elsewhere and visiting the cliffs from Ennis en route to somewhere else.
In terms of being close to Shannon Airport, Ennis isn't a great choice as 1. you've already stayed there and 2. It not near the airport
If you want to be near the airport then stay in Shannon or stay at the airport itself.
3 nights in Dingle is a wise idea, you'll love it, 3 nights in Galway also, its a great city.
Slainte/Good health
Stephen McPhilemy
Rick Steves Ireland tour-guide
Dingle and Derry

Posted by
12 posts

Thanks PJ and Stephen!

We are thinking of using Ennis as a base for exploring County Clare. I agree that 3 nights would be 2 too many for seeing Ennis only. Do you recommend another town that would be a good base for exploring that area? Also, can the Cliffs of M. and the Burren be done on one day without rushing too much?

Also, our return flight is not a morning flight, so we don't need to stay very close to the airport on our last night. Is Shannon worth exploring? I'll look into it, as it would be nice to see different town before leaving for home.

Thanks, PJ, for the caution about driving in Galway. We're trying to avoid cities for just that reason. We'll explore the cities of Ireland some other time.

June

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