I'm in the very beginning stages of planning a potential itinerary for Ireland. I'm going to focus on Connemara then head to Northern Ireland. This post isn't about my itinerary but about where to base myself in Connemara and whether there are options to get around without a car.
My plan would be to take a bus directly from the Dublin airport to Galway then have a taxi or private driver pick me up in Galway and drive me to my accommodation. I'd like to find a lodge or B&B near the west coast which would be my base for about 3-4 nights. It should have access to hiking trails so I can mostly hike all day and go back to the lodge for meals. I really don't want to rent a car. I'm traveling solo and I'm not too keen on driving on the left side nor can I drive a stick shift.
So my question is, does anyone know of a lodge or B&B which has hiking trails right near it and maybe some options to get around without a car such as buses or private drivers? I'd only need a ride to/from the hiking trail.
After the west coast, I'd go to Sligo for 2 nights then to Belfast. Get a tour from Belfast to Giant's Causeway. Then bus to Dublin for a few nights.
My main goal is just to do some hiking and maybe see a bit of scenery. I'm not trying to do a full blown tour of Ireland nor see everything.