should i get a rental house or do B & B's when i travel to Ireland?

I would do bed and breakfasts in various places, depending on how many nights you'll be there. Ireland is big and it always takes longer to get places than you think. And the conviviality in the B&Bs is a great part of the experience.

We are planning on being there 6 days. Is it best to make reservations at the B&B's?

I've only traveled there during the off season and we did not make reservations except at our first and last stops (last being close to airport for early flight). We had more of an issue with things not being open in the off season. I would think May would not require reservations but you may not get your first choice. There are a couple of "local" Ireland folks here who should be able to tell you for sure. Would probably be helpful to know what areas you're interested in seeing.

Any help would be appreciated. we are pretty much going from Dublin down along the south eastern side around to the mid west. After reading some of other people's input on other topics I feel that I may not have enough time to do all that I want to do.

Kenny, no doubt about it, Ireland is time consuming. In seven nights we pretty much got from Dublin to the Cliffs, down to Dingle with a day trip to Muckross House and Killarney National Park (going the opposite way of what you describe). There are so many distinct regions and great places to see, we really want to get back there for two weeks, maybe three!

I would encourage you to not over-plan, and remember that drive times can be longer due to the small roads in places you want to be, animals, tractors, etc. so be realistic. Lots to see, don't just drive by it. With six days-I presume 5 nights-figure out if 2 + 3 makes sense somehow, for two different locations. If you stay somewhere for one night, remember that it takes time to relocate. Have you looked at flying into Dublin and out of Shannon? Good luck!

No need to pre book B&B for May except Dublin, and it depends whats on over a weekend

If we are basing ourselves for longer than four nights we rent an apartment. We like hotels more than B&Bs. I would reserve though.

Following this thread as trying to find home rental for 5 adults and 2 kids during high season. Any preferred agencies? Looking in West and Midlands and anywhere at this point! Appreciate input.

Pinotmom - a vacation rental (cottage or house) will probably be a money saver for a group as large as yours.
In the past we've had good luck using Homeaway.com and VRBO.com, and on our last trip we also found several very nice places at http://www.shamrockcottages.co.uk/. Note that during high season some of the places may come with certain restrictions regarding length of stay, turnover days, etc.
Good Luck.

Hi Kenny~
We are also traveling around Ireland in May. We had been told by many not to worry about booking ahead (we're doing B&Bs) but found some spots were filling up-- especially in Dingle. Then on this forum we discovered that the next Star Wars movie is scheduled to begin filming in the Dingle area in May; hence the demand. Goes to show, you never know.
Good luck!

I personally think a B&B has it's wonderful charm. I would try out a few along the way. You can get a good taste of culture this way. Plus it has it's own romantic appeal I think. Bed and breakfasts in the Irish countryside. Ok now I want to go.

I found driving in Ireland to be slow. While I usually stayed for several days at places on my recent German trips, I am glad that when I was in Ireland, I changed B&B's everyday or two.

We are 2 couples traveling to Ireland for 15 nights in July. We usually like the convenience of renting an apt or cottage. It allows to have a communal living space to discuss, plan, relax, cook, and do laundry. We only have two 1-night stops and those are at B&Bs (Kilkenny and Doolin). Belfast, Dublin and Dingle are for 3 nights and those are apt/cottage rentals. Kinsale, 2 nights in B&B, Connemara area, 2 ngihts in castle hotel and last night in hotel near Shannon airport. We have a nice mix of everything.

The apt/cottage rental is best for 3 or more nights, but you may find one that will let you do 2 nights. With your sized group it's definitely a cost saver.

For a large group, definitely pre book B&Bs if you are not getting a rental. We had six adults (three rooms needed), and used Trip Advisor to book everything about 7 months in advance. We found fantastic places based on the recommendations on that site. The final four nights it was just my mom and me in early October, so we did play those days by ear and booked either the night before or that morning by calling ahead. We only had the airport hotel booked far in advance for the night before we flew home.

We used VROB, flipkey and rented in Westport through Airbnb.

We leave in 3 days for Scotland and then will be in Ireland, and I booked all lodging last summer. We love B&Bs and highly recommend them as a great way to get to know the proprietors as well as fellow travelers. Plus, they are usually quite inexpensive.

B and Bs all the way. Ireland has a tradition of hospitality. The b and bs are wonderful and you get more contact with the real people of Ireland. They can help you book what you want to do in town. In selecting b and bs in bigger cities I would look for proximity to local transportation you don't want to drive at night. Our host in Galway dropped us off in town for the evening and showed us the bus stops that we needed to get back