We will be spending first night in Dublin near St. Stephens Green, two nights in Galway (will see the Cliffs of Moher), two nights in Coleraine (visit the Giants Causeway), last night in Dublin. Any suggestions for places to visit, experience or to eat are all greatly appreciated! Yes, we are renting an automatic vehicle. Or should we just omit Galway and spend our vacation just in the North?
Posted by
Vermont USA
359 posts
That's a lot of driving. If the north is your primary interest I'd definitely skip Galway and the Cliffs and enjoy the north....with lots less driving and more time to interact, relax and explore. Galway's a nice city .....but a city which your already spending time in other places. Cliffs of Moher are beautiful but busy and very touristy. In the north there are incredible natural sights to see like Slieve League, Malin Head or Errigal......and many others.
Better to experience Ireland rather than a car interior. PLENTY to do in the north !!!
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2829 posts
I agree with ewewoolknit: skip Galway this time around and concentrate on NI to save yourselves a lot of running around. There are lots of things to see and do in the North, in fact you might consider just keeping Coleraine as a base for explorations over to Derry, the Donegal Loop drive, the Ulster-American Folk Park, and the exquisite coastal drive down the A2 to explore the Glens of Antrim - beautiful and not clobbered with (other) tourists.
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3227 posts
Agree with the other two posters. The Cliffs are nice, but not worth going to that area just for them.
Head north and maybe even stop and see Newgrange/Howth.
Posted by
Minnesota
57 posts
Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Burren are great, but I'd agree with the above posters and suggest you explore the north more intensively. While I'm glad that I went to the Cliffs of Moher, it was probably the most touristy place I've been in Ireland, and felt very sanitized. Giant's Causeway is more wild, although it too can be very busy.
Near Giant's Causeway, the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge is worth a stop if you aren't afraid of heights. Near Dublin, Newgrange is also not to miss. If you can, try to get on one of the first tours of the day. If you arrive in the afternoon, they might be all booked up.
That all said, if you do go to Galway, try to spend some time in Connemara. It's spectacular.