Need help - Starting in Scotland, ending in Ireland

To include St Andrews you could get a multi-city flight from the US into Edinburgh and then out of Dublin back to the US.

From Scotland, you can fly from Edinburgh to Shannon with Ryanair, pick up a car at the airport, travel around the south and north and return the car to Dublin prior to flying home.

But for just 2-3 nights I think St Andrews and Scotland is over-complicating matters.

You could open jaw out to Edinburgh, back from Shannon.

Then after St Andrews fly Glasgow to Derry. Rental car through NI to Belfast, return rental at the International or City airports.
After time in Belfast train down to Dublin Connolly, LUAS across town, train from Dublin Heuston to the South West of the Republic, then another rental car while down there returning it at Shannon on the way home.
Or coach to Dublin Airport and pick up your second rental car there.

Yes, St. Andrews complicates things for sure. I didn't even consider flying into Shannon, from Edinburgh! That may be a possibility. Thank you!!

@isn31c thank you. I had actually found an airbnb in Belfast with parking so I think renting the one car will work out fine for us, and especially lugging golf clubs around. :-)

Actually, St. Andrews doesn't really complicate things.

Dundee airport is 15 miles from St Andrews and there is a non-stop flight between Dundee and Belfast a few times a week on Loganair. I've taken it.

Does he realise just how difficult it may be to play golf at St Andrews, particulary if he is wanting to play the Old Course? You have to enter a ballot (and there's no guarantee of getting a ticket) and there needs to be at least two of you...

I suggest you task him with sorting out the logistics of this and see if he's still as keen...

Alternatively suggest to him you come back and just visit Scotland next time. There are loads more golk courses he could play at!

Go back to your original plan. Tell husband that is the way it is. Offer him the chance to work it all out. It is amazing when someone has to actually do the planning verses just telling someone else to do it whilst their only input requires everyone else to bend that way.

I didn't realize there was an airport close to St. Andrews so that's something to consider too, and then we'd have to make our way to Dublin to pick up the car which is fine.

Yes, he knows that getting on the Old Course as a single, other than getting on line in the middle of the night and hoping for one of the few spots, will be his only chance unfortunately and it will be a slim chance at best. Although he would love to golf the Old Course, I think just a chance to see St. Andrews will satisfy him somewhat, for now. I agree - another, separate trip would be best for us.

I couldn't agree more - working out the logistics of trips is very different than dreaming about what you want to do and see. I hours/days/weeks/months planning every one of our trips and he just follows along. He's a good sport about it. Funny story - many years ago I wanted to do a short trip out to Oaxaca, Mexico. Before that trip he did indeed ask me why I always plan our trips and don't give him a chance to make the plans. I told him to have at it - you plan the flights, I'll figure out where we're staying, etc. That afternoon he told me there was no way we were going to do that trip because it would take us at least 24 hours to get there since we had to fly from Miami to Tokyo, just to get to Oaxaca. He was searching for flights to Osaka, rather than Oaxaca! (Clueless).Since then he's never asked to plan a trip and I definitely don't suggest that he does for fear of where we may end up. :-) :-)

Last May, we flew into DUB and immediately drove to Belfast, parking the car in a parking garage about 8 min walk from Ten Square Hotel, then drove towards Derry after three days. The L21/day parking was far less than any dropoff fee or second rental. Most rentals charge you L30 for crossing the border. The train/bus logistics would have cost us a day of our plan. We eventually got back to Dublin, turned the car in, then visited Dublin for a few days before flying home.

Gotta thank you for the chuckle "...He was searching for flights to Osaka, rather than Oaxaca! (Clueless).Since then he's never asked to plan a trip..." I will remember this one, LOL.