We are in the early stages of planning a multi-generation family trip to Ireland in July 2026. I am the grandmother/travel planner for our group and one of 5 adults and 4 children (ages: 4, 7, 10 and 11 by the time of our trip). I know that we will be flying in and out of Dublin and would like to pick up a 9 passenger van/mini-bus after 4 nights in Dublin and return it to the same location after 2 weeks of exploring. We are going to try to base ourselves in 4 places as we travel and do activities/day trips. It's easier on the children to travel at a slower pace. I'm excited about the trip but a bit overwhelmed as well. Any advice would be most appreciated. Kind regards!
Posted by
2600 posts
Our extended family of eight explored Ireland by two autos. Wonderful trip. A brief check of rates next summer indicates that renting two economical autos is far cheaper than renting a single van. Surely, at least two of your five adults are licensed drivers.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1678 posts
I would schedule 2 vehicles: Adults and children have different things that suit them. Some may want to stay a while at one stop and not be stranded, while the others want to play golf, etc, Some of the Adults may want to go out in the evening, while the children go to a movie, etc. Also is sometimes hard to find parking for a big vehicle. A friend of mine went on a small group van tour in Ireland with a professional guide and had a great time with special cultural experience stops, which actually might save money. Good Luck!
Posted by
1449 posts
Driving in Ireland is harrowing enough without driving a large vehicle. There's a reason that parked cars on the side of the road have their outside mirrors tucked in. If I were in your shoes, I would rent at least two small vehicles.
Posted by
OP
12 posts
Great advice from all posts. All of the adults are licensed drivers, but not everyone chooses to drive and my daughter likes us all to be together, so it creates a bit of a problem. We traveled for 3 weeks in Scotland and drove all over the place including single track roads with our son-in-law doing most of the driving in a 9 passenger vehicle. It worked out fine. That being said, I do like the points you’ve made about having more freedom to split up. Definitely something to seriously consider. What I’m looking for is suggestions about is ideas about itineraries, accommodations and other bits. Many thanks to all!! Kind regards, Pamela
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
1460 posts
With such a large group, accommodation would seem to be the biggest issue. My advice for that is to do a search of the whole country on AirBnB (or booking.com or VRBO, whatever you prefer) that filters for all of your requirements. I just did such a search with min 3BR, 3BA, kitchen, parking, $400/night, available for a week in July 2026. I came up with 160 properties, including a farm stay that's near Newgrange, Tara, etc., as well as this beauty with breath-taking sea views:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/35628022?adults=5&children=4&location=Ireland&search_mode=regular_search&amenities%5B%5D=9&amenities%5B%5D=8&check_in=2026-07-06&source_impression_id=p3_1763407699_P3DizJd3hgAGempf&previous_page_section_name=1001&federated_search_id=0afe6b3e-2fdb-45cb-a5c0-ef0d0af827d5&guests=1&check_out=2026-07-13