Six Nights in Ireland

Oh dear! Have you looked at a guidebook or driving times?? This is more of a wish list than a doable itinerary. There is no way to do the Dingle peninsula and Ring of Kerry both in one day.

I am in Ireland right now. Drove the Ring of Kerry today. Left our hotel at 8:30am, got back at 5pm and only made 4 stops.
Is your goal to see Ireland behind a windshield?
Please revise this itinerary so you can actually experience Ireland.

First, any way to change the flight to leave from Shannon. That way you could save time driving back from the West Coast.

If you do not stay in the city center, try the town of Malahide or Howth. They are near the airport but are nice villages near the airport.

If you are going to Cashel Rock, with this time frame, I don't know that I would stay in Waterford. That would be a lot of doubling back. I would do one or the other, then to Kinsale. Kinsale or Kenmare are both good jumping off points for the next leg. Kinsale, if you go the Waterford route, Kenmare if you go the rock of cashel. Kilkenny is a cute town too.

I would chose either the Ring of Kerry or Dingle Peninsula, not both. They are very similar.

Not sure if you are staying in Moher or just seeing the cliffs. that is very close to Ballyvaughan. You may be able to see some of Connemara if you drive there Thurs. and go back see Moher and see the relatives that evening.

Saturday - don't know how much of Connemara you will see and drive to the airport.

Double all of google drive times, it isn't like driving here.

Thanks for all the advice! I know we are on borrowed time during this short of a stay but that is all the time we have off. Unfortunately changing the departure flight out of Shannon is going to cost us another $3000 so will take the time and drive back to Dublin.

Is it feasible to leave Dublin on Tuesday morning and see Kilkenny and Rock of Cashel and still drive to Kenmare for the night? And then continue on to the Galway area for two nights (Thursday and Friday night) and base out of there for visits with family in Ballyvaughn and continuing sights to the south and north of there before continuing back to Dublin on Saturday?

I know we will be behind a windshield - but we are used to life behind a windshield due to where we live.....

Hi, To answer your question: It is possible to leave Dublin on Tuesday morning, see Kilkenny and Rock of Cashel and still drive to Kenmare for the night (arriving late), though are you set on that itinerary? If you are locked into Kenmare and Ring of Kerry, I would choose Kilkenny OR Rock of Cashel (and maybe you can make a stop at Cahir Castle - one of my favorites -- also after Rock of Cashel). If you are not locked into Kenmare, I don't think you need to drive that far south since your priority is Galway/Ballyvaughan. You can also vary the route somewhat and stop and gain more out of the visit by not venturing as far south and doing the Dingle Peninsula rather than Cliffs of Moher given your time.

How about this:

Monday, Aug 13 - Land in Dublin and stay in Dublin - I suggest Hop-on Hop-off Bus to get around, making stops at Trinity College for a student-led tour and Guinness world if you are so inclined. I like the General Post Office exhibit and Kilmainham Gaol to give you a sense of some of the history of the country before venturing out of Dublin.
Tuesday, August 14 - pick up rental car and head toward Tralee - Stop at Rock of Dunamase in Portlaoise (google Rock of Cashel vs Rock of Dunamase); King John's Castle in Limerick; and the town of Adare - called one of Ireland's cutest villages. Stay in or near Tralee.
Wednesday, August 15 - Drive the Dingle Peninsula. Stay in or near Tralee.
Thursday, August 16 - Drive to your location in or near Ballyvaughn - I recommend crossing the Tarbery-Killimer ferry and driving up the coast to the Cliffs of Moher, then to your destination
Friday, August 17 - Stay in Ballyvaughn or in the area to see family that evening - I recommend driving through the Burren, stopping at some of the prehistoric sites and seeing the one-of-a kind landscape.
Saturday, August 18 - You could spend the day in Galway then drive back to Dublin Airport area. I don't think you will have worthwhile time to venture out to Connemara area then drive to Dublin.
Sunday, August 19 Fly out of Dublin for a 9:30 am flight

Alternatively, you could just go from Dublin to your location near Ballyvaughn or Galway and leave that as your base for the whole stay, taking day trips to Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, etc. Maybe stay a second night in Dublin. If yo don't want to explore the city more, take a day trip to Newgrange or Wicklow.

You'll have a great time, I am sure, whatever you decide to do.

When I said ". You can also vary the route somewhat and stop and gain more out of the visit by not venturing as far south and doing the Dingle Peninsula rather than Cliffs of Moher given your time" -- I meant Ring of Kerry, not Cliffs of Moher. Sorry for that.

Thank you Gradevine...
I will check into the Rock of Dunamase; King John's Castle in Limerick; and the town of Adare and stay in or near Tralee.

Which option would you advise? Going back to the airport to pick up a rental car or rent from the Dublin city center?

Since you appear to be heading south from Dublin you probably don’t want to go to the airport to get the car. We picked up our car from the Conns Ireland office on the South Circular Road (a Hertz franchise). It made heading south out of Dublin very fast and simple. There’s at least one other Hertz franchise on the south side. We were able to return the car at the Conn’s location at the Dublin airport for no additional fee.

I agree with kclyons that unless you are heading north, there is no reason to go back to the airport to rent a car. From center of Dublin, we took a taxi to the South Circular Road Hertz location. From there it was easy driving to the highway. No matter what, it takes time to get to the rental location, go through the process, and get the car, so give yourself an hour for that. I think the Hertz there opens at 9 am, if I recall correctly. As most people say, unless you are used to opposite side of the road driving and narrow narrow roads, get all the CDW insurance offered though be prepared for the high, high cost. It will save you piece of mind as you travel throughout.

Another question....
Is it necessary to get rooms booked prior to our visit? Is there usually plenty of B&B's in the area between Cahir and Tralee? Burren area?
Not sure we can make it to Tralee in one day with suggested stops along the way such as Rock of Dunamase, Rock of Cashel, Kilkenny, and maybe the castle at Cahir. We will be headed to the Dingle Peninsula next and then onto Cliffs of Moher and The Burren via the ferry as suggested at Tarbet.

Thanks!

I suggest booking your accommodations in advance, particularly during the summer season. I had contacted quite a few B-and-B's a month ahead of time which were already then fully booked in July.In my view, it is good to have the piece of mind of knowing you have a room and don't have to waste time finding one. That said, many say they prefer to wing it and end up not having much trouble, though I am sure that is tougher in the summer months.

If you are going to head for Tralee on one day in order to be in position to tour Dingle Peninsula on the next day, you cannot see Rock of Cashel, Cahir or Kilkenny. Stick to spots on/just off of the N7 and N20/21, such as the town of Adare, which has plenty of b-and-b's, if you want to shorten the drive on that day, though it would be a little further drive the next day out into Dingle.