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Rough Itinerary for daughter's 2027 grad trip to Ireland (and New York City)

Posted by (Louisiana, USA) on

Trying to get an Itinerary together for my daughter's 2027 graduation trip. It will be in late May/early June. Travelers will be me, my husband and two daughters (age 22 and 18)

Please let me know if there is anything problematical about this schedule. I know the driving times for the driving days may be longer than Google maps indicates, but we will take it slow and enjoy the scenery and any sites along the way, so don't mind that too much.

I'm a little confused about the trains. I think I have to take a train from Dublin to Belfast and then another to Derry? If there is an option from Dublin to Derry that I'm not seeing, please let me know. My daughters are big Derry Girls fans (I am too!), so Derry is essential, but skipping Belfast this trip. None of us have been to Ireland before, but we've been to the UK several times.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice! (And if anyone has suggestions or tips for NYC, that would also be appreciated, as none of us have visited before)

Day 1: Fly to New York
Day 2: New York
Day 3: New York
Day 4: New York
Day 5: New York
Day 6: Fly to Dublin
Day 7: Dublin
Day 8: Newgrange and Knowth Passage tombs tour
Day 9: Dublin
Day 10: Train to Derry (By way of Belfast?)
Day 11: Derry
Day 12: Drive to Galway
Day 13: Galway
Day 14: Inishmore day trip
Day 15: Drive to Dingle
Day 16: Dingle
Day 17: Dingle
Day 18: Drive back to Dublin or drop car in Killarny and take train
Day 19: Fly home from Dublin

Posted by
2072 posts

Do you plan to rent a car in Northern Ireland and return it in the Republic of Ireland? If so, be aware that you are renting the car in one country and returning it to another. Even if an agency will allow you to do that I would expect there to be a significant one way charge fee.

Posted by
12118 posts

Yes Dublin to Derry by train is a change in Belfast. The Dublin to Belfast train you book with Irish Rail, Belfast to Derry with Translink/NI Railways.
The other option is that Translink run a bus every 2 hours from Dublin to Derry direct- that is via the 3rd side of the triangle- the X3/X4. It is a 4 hour ride, the buses have no toilet, but a restroom stop is made half way.

Now that the Dublin to Belfast train is every hour 3 types of train run the route- the Enterprise trains with 1st class (Enterprise Plus) and meal service, normal Irish Rail Inter City trains with restricted catering, and NI Railways sets with no catering, no first class and no assigned seating.

The real Enterprise trains run on the 06:50, 09:50, 10:50, 12:50, 15:50, 16:50 and 18:50 from Dublin on Monday to Saturday, and all Sunday trains (the 8:50 and 14:50 have no meal service).

Translink buses and trains can only be booked 30 days or less from the date of travel.

Posted by
510 posts

Trotter, I did a dummy booking with Avis and there didn't seem to be any extra fee for turning the car in in Dublin. I was surprised, and the overall cost for a week's car rental was very reasonable.

Thanks Stuart, I will definitely take the train to Derry, not the bus!

Posted by
4230 posts

Not an itinerary comment but even though you might not get checked, each of you are required to have an ETA to enter Northern Ireland (part of the UK). Make sure to get them on the official website and not a third party.

Posted by
510 posts

Thanks CL! My youngest daughter and I have the ETA because we went to the UK in February, but my husband and older daughter will have to get one.

Posted by
1162 posts

I think this looks like a great trip. The only exception would be the long day to return to Dublin to fly home. Out of curiosity, have you looked at doing the trip the other way? Start in Dublin, but instead of going north first, go south. You could take the train as far as Killarney, and rent a car there. This way you will end in Derry, and have a shorter trip back to Dublin which could all be done by train.

Posted by
2033 posts

The problem I see is that you are traveling the whole length of the island with only 12 nights on the ground. I understand Derry as a destination, and I understand Galway as a base for the Aran Islands day trip. Why Dingle? There are many, many options between Dublin and Derry and between Derry and Galway that don't leave you driving 230 miles in one day.
I suggest picking up the rental car at Dublin airport after your stay in the city. Drive to Galway, stopping for lunch and a look around in Athlone. Then drive to Derry via Clifden or Westport or Sligo or somewhere in Donegal (I can recommend an excellent AirBnB in Killybegs or Sligo) and/or the Sperrins. Then drive from Derry to Drogheda or Trim or Malahide via the Giant's Causeway. Do Newgrange/Howth on your last day, staying a second night in that area so that you are close to the airport to drop the car on flight day.

Posted by
510 posts

Thanks for the great suggestions, Anita and G3rryCee!

I've been reading a lot of the forum, and I'm wondering if it might be better skip Dingle and just see the sites between Galway and Derry. A lot of people have been saying how crowded the Dingle/Killarney area is, and that County Mayo and County Donegal are just as beautiful but less crowded. So I'm thinking of either driving from Derry to Galway (or the opposite), and seeing the sites in between. Do you think it would be better to drive to Galway from Dublin or take the train and pick up the car in Galway? I've driven on the other side of the road before (Chester and Wales), and I did okay on the smaller roads, it was in the cities that I was really stressed. So trying to avoid that. This time I'll have my husband for a navigator while last time it was my 13 year old daughter, who did very well, but obviously had no experience driving/navigating herself.

Thanks so much for all the help, I'm still open to suggestions as I figure out this trip!

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