My sister and I are meeting in Dublin for her first international trip and our first vacation together in June. I’ll be arriving from Saudi, she’ll be arriving from the US. We’ll have 9 days. We’re spending one night in Dublin and then 3 days in Killarney then back to Dublin for the rest of the trip. I am hoping for a private car from Dublin to Killarney and back for convenience and less stress. We have our hotels booked, a concert, and sightseeing planned so if I can get a private driver to and from Killarney we’ll be all set.
Posted by
Germany
123 posts
Why not go by train from Dublin to Killarney?
irishrail.ie
There is one direct train per day other with 1 change in Mallow.
So if you only want a driver for direct transfer and not sightseeing the irish rail is a good and cheaper alternative.
price25 euros 3hrs
P.S.
There are also flights from Dublin to Kerry Airport near Killarney with airlingus
Price 96 euros 1hr flight
Kerry Airport is just a pub with a runway so little stress factor
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3212 posts
Do you not have a driver’s license? Just rent a car and drive yourself! If you want a private driver hire a taxi.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Driving in a place I've never been and on the opposite side of the road from what I'm used to is not my idea of fun, frankly. My sisters life is crazy hectic so I'm trying to keep things easy and efficient so she can just relax and enjoy. Toting luggage on and off buses or trains and transfers is doable and economical, I but still I like the idea of going door to door with flexibility and saving our energy for exploring Killarney since we don't get much time there. I understand this is not a desired or practical option to a lot of people. But why tell me I should drive? The train is definately an option but I'm interested in a private driver also.
Posted by
TN, USA
2114 posts
Hi,
One of the risks of forums like this that when one asks a question sometimes people answering don't answer your question and seem to want to talk you out of doing what you want to do. Sorry!!!
We hired a driver for certain days when we visited Ireland, and we would do the exact same thing again. In addition to having someone local driving, he also served as a bit of a tour guide, telling us about Ireland along the way and stopping to show us a few places we would not have known to see.
And, being a numbers person by nature, when I got home, I figured out roughly how much it would have cost us to rent a car, pay for petrol, all the add-on insurances one wants/needs in Ireland, and it wound up being about the same as our hiring a driver (who came with his own vehicle). We recommended him to friends, who also hired him, and they were equally pleased. And, you are right, it was nice to not only have to worry about luggage...not so much carrying it and putting it in the car, but in certain locations, we just knew our luggage was safe with our driver (or he went ahead to the hotel,b&b, etc. and dropped it off) vs.our leaving it in a vacant car (if we had rented just a car). He's become a friend now, and he has visited us and our friends when he came thru our area on a trip to the US.
I'm thrifty, but the money we spent was definitely worth it, and it made our vacation so enjoyable....we could both enjoy the scenery and it avoided what we call the "rental car fight" and the "are you sure this is where we need to turn?" second guessing.
Our driver was:
Tony McGann, who is Doolin based. So, I don't know that it would make sense for him to go to Dublin and back. But, just ask your hotel, b&b, or a tourism office in the cities you will be visiting, and likely you will find a driver from that area.
.....and,no, you should NOT have to justify your question. It's a good question, and it deserves a good answer.
Enjoy Ireland!!
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks so much Maggie! Its nice to be understood 😊 Maybe I’ll contact the hotels in advance for suggestions.
Posted by
2 posts
Maggy, we will be going on our first trip to Ireland at the end of May. My husband and I are having heated debates regarding renting a car. He is very uneasy w/ the idea of the left side of the road thing and also the narrow roads. (and it interfering w/ his pub and distillery visits!). But I simply can't see us getting on and off tour buses. I didn't consider a private driver until I came across this thread. I hate posting right now b/c I haven't really done my homework yet on transportation but I'll throw a few question at ya. My idea if we don't rent a car: train from Dublin to Galway or Dingle area. Itinerary is not firm yet. Once in either of these areas, can we find private driver's to get us to areas outside of the towns? Same w/ Dublin. Could you possibly give me a rough (very rough is good!) estimate to have a private driver? Thanks in advance for any info you can share!
Posted by
Killarney Co. Kerry Ireland
75 posts
I would suggest taxi to train station in Dublin. 08.30 train is direct to Killarney. Hire private driver in Killarney for Ring of Kerry or Dingle tours ...
Posted by
OP
4 posts
I found what I was looking for with a company called Irish Luxury Tours. I like that we've paid in advance and our rides are pre booked. It'll be nice to have someone collect us from the airport after all night flights taking us directly to our hotels, and transferring us to/from Dublin and Killarney. It frees us up so we can relax and enjoy exploring. It costs a bit more than taxis and trains but not much more than a rental car with much less fuss. The company has responded quickly and efficiently, booking was a breeze. I am happy with my choice.