Ring of Dingle...driving advice needed

I'm not sure if you mean the Ring of Kerry. Either way the drive through the Dingle Peninusula through Connor Pass in particular, or the Ring of Kerry will be one of the most spectacular and some of the most breathtaking scenery you will see. I think this will more than over ride your fear of heights, steep drops etc.

See Rick's recent blog post with Dingle drive video: http://blog.ricksteves.com/blog/slea-head-drive/. It's not particularly cliffy.

Thanks for the responses. The video was very helpful. I was asking about Dingle not Kerry. I had heard there were some scary stretches for folks with fear of heights in Dingle where there was no wall or barrier and a steep drop or cliff to one side. That would be rough for me.

I drove the Slea Head Loop in May 2016 and did not notice anything that would be a problem with someone with a fear of heights.

I have a fear of heights and had no problem on the drive. It is amazing!

I don't like heights and didn't have a problem. I was driving, so not on the outside of the road. If my husband was driving I might have been nervous. But I'm always nervous when he drives, which is why I'm the driver. :-)

Thanks so much for the encouraging words. We are really looking forward to it .... Just don't want to put a damper on the vacation by careening off a 400 ft embankment in my panic ..... my wife would not be pleased ! :)

I was driving around with a friend this past week who vacationed here in South Kerry for decades as a youngster. He commented about how the roads were so much better, and how there were some low walls, newly built, that weren't there in the old days. He even asked us if we'd ever heard of anyone dropping down off the road! Nope - we've never heard it mentioned (though admittedly we have heard about head on crashes).

Dingle is much calmer than Iveragh (Ring of Kerry). No so many cliffs, at all!

One warning - be careful at Inch Beach! I highly recommend the parking lot and not parking on the beach. It's really pretty crazy how many cars (rental cars!) get stuck in the sand and then flooded. ;-)

Susan
in Waterville (Iveragh)

The best thing we did in Ireland was pay for a half-day driving tour which took us around Slea Head, out past Ballyferriter to the West Kerry Museum and Gallarus Oratory, and so much more. Freed from the task of driving, we were really able to see so much, and relax while we heard the history of the area. As others have said, this drive is relatively mild in terms of heights. I can steer you to the guide that we used, or you can set this up with the Tourist Info center in Dingle, they're very helpful. Enjoy.

Thanks for the great information, ideas and responses. Would love the contact info for the good guide in Dingle. Thank you.......an excellent possibility.

Susan, on a side note - is there a kayak rental in Waterville that has lake kayaks for Lough Currane ? We can only find sea kayaks online ? Much appreciated - Waterville' s tourist bureau isn't answering. :)

Denis Ryan of Dingle Tours. We had a great time.

http://www.dingletours.com/

Ah! Waterville's tourist info office is staffed by volunteers and operates part time, and this weekend ahead is the biggest weekend of the year - the Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival! That's probably why they aren't answering!

The company that rents sea kayaks also rents them to fisherman on the lake. Additionally, I'd say you should check Derrynane Sea Sports as well as Valentia Island Sea Sports for rentals. L.H. Marine/SeaSynergy may also help with that - a marine science center in Waterville. She does snorkling tours and beach tours, so may do kayak tours, too. The man who is setting up kayak rentals here in Waterville isn't QUITE up and running, so other than those choices..... we're limited!

Susan
in Waterville

Thank you so much for your responses - fantastic help and advice. We can't wait to visit ! It's been a lifetime dream of ours and our children banded together to give us this trip. We live in a frequently visited tourist area in the US......southern Vermont ....and try very hard to make visitors visits memorable and special. As long as my rather insane fear of heights doesn't interfere it should be a trip of a lifetime.

An update......Thanks for all your encouragement and help. Did the rings of Dingle, Kerry and Skellig without a problem. You all were right. Spectacular views but nothing bad for a wimp like me w an absurd fear of heights. Near Caherdaniel was the closest I got to a bit of "wow" as they were doing road construction and temporarily had no barrier next to a shear drop for about 100 feet. But your encouragement gave me the needed edge to attempt all these roads without undue worry and it was awesome. Thanks again !! Thanks to that encouragement I was able to enjoy the most incredible scenery I have seen in my life - and my wife appreciated having something approaching a rational human with her.

Please stop using the words "ring of Dingle." You wil confuse people. No one, but you, calls it that and most people will think you are confusing it with the Ring of Kerry."

It is either the Dingle Peninsula or the Slea Head Drive. We try not to confuse people here.

Thank you.

Well Frank considering there are numerous websites that use the term....for example http://travelsinireland.com/touring/ringofdingle.htm with a definition of the drive as "the ring of dingle" .....that we were given a map IN Ireland by a tourist bureau of the "Ring of Dingle Drive" and when in the town of Dingle we were asked by a local at a pub if we were doing the entire Ring Drive it seems you are the one easily confused.

You may want to ask them to stop calling it the Ring of Dingle or perhaps the Ring of Skellig as well......but it won't stop it from being called that by some. Best Wishes but you may want to delve into things a bit before appointing yourself arbiter of what is "proper".