Would really value insight into our Ireland itinerary.
My wife and I will be coming from Los Angeles for an 8 to 9 day trip. We arrive on round trip to Dublin at 2pm (June 11)…depart June 20 at 3pm. In general, we are set on renting a car and doing the common southern loop starting with Kilkenny to Cork… and ending with Galway and on into Dublin.
So….my initial question is in terms of the start. Many prefer starting with rest in Dublin… which sounds good…but given the solid wisdom of avoiding driving into the city (especially as one is just trying to learn to drive on opposite side)… and would therefore involve complications of renting the next day (via city center rental or returning to the airport)….I have also considered the other wisdom of renting at the airport and heading onto the more main roads…particularly heading to Kilkenny as a first stop. Since we arrive at 2pm… that would likely lead to driving out of the airport around 3:30. Even if not in the best shape after the flight…and needing to do some practice driving… maybe the drive to Kilkenny would be reasonable… and be the most efficient way to get started. Then we would save time for Dublin at the end….after returning via Galway. However, that too would lead to the issues (cost) of dropping off the car before staying in Dublin. REALLY WELCOME PERSPECTIVE and ADVICE.
I also would value any perspective on the following itinerary. Anything that doesn’t make sense or seem wise? I know that some prefer having fewer “home bases”…but I am inclined to pack up if driving onward and just end the day in a new location rather than adding additional driving to get to previous place.
Gratefully, Brad
Start:
Option 1
Day 1 – Arrive 2pm… head into Dublin for 2 nights and leave early the second morning. (Having evening and one full day in Dublin at start. Would then limit or skip Dublin at the end. Need to rent car after visit in Dublin via return to airport or at outlying city rental.)
Option 2 – Arrive 2pm… head into Dublin for 1 night and leave early the next morning. (Would want one day in Dublin at the end) Day 2 - Go straight to Kilkenny, see the Castle and Black Abbey…. Then on to Rock Of Cashel (Outside is best part…so consider inside optional),,,and nearby Hore Abbey. Continue on to Cork for evening stay. (Expect long day and later arrival)
Option 3 – Arrive 2pm. Depart Dublin airport and head straight to Kilkenny. Then would shift to stay in Dublin at the end.
Remainder of itinerary:
If renting car on third morning…
Day 3 - Depart Dublin and head to Kilkenny, see the Castle and Black Abbey…. Then on to Rock Of Cashel and nearby Hore Abbey. Continue on to Cork for evening stay. (Expect long day and later arrival)
Day 4 - Visit Cork, Cobh, And Blarney Estate – Stay in Cork
Day 5 - Drive The Ring Of Kerry – Stay in Killarney
Day 6 - Explore Killarney Area (National Park, etc) – Stay in Killarney
Day 7 – Drive to Dingle and explore the peninsula – Stay in Dingle
Day 8 - Drive Dingle to The Cliffs Of Moher then route to stay in Galway
Day 9 – Drive Galway to Dublin. Stay overnight in Dublin…. Or return car to airport and stay in nearby Malahide (15 mins by taxi from the airport) for a more relaxing end of trip. (Would allow staying out of driving in Dublin city, one day of rental cost, and avoid concerns for last day car return)
OR
Could stay another night in Galway and then drive directly back to Dublin airport on Day 10 since flight is at 3pm. (Galway to Dublin is 2.5 to 4 hrs… and it is a Saturday so less traffic. Leaving Galway at 9am should reach airport by noon.)
Day 10 – Late morning head to airport for 3 pm flight
Posted by
1595 posts
How about reversing your itinerary? Upon arrival in Dublin, take the bus to Galway (picks up outside the terminal). Rent a car as you leave Galway and continue as you planned in reverse order, dropping the car off as you leave. By the way, on our most recent trip to Ireland we spent the last night in Malahide. Since parking is free at most of the hotels and B&Bs and the extra day of rental was the same price as a taxi, we kept the car. It’s a very short and easy drive to the airport.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6792 posts
kclyons nailed it. Reverse your loop. That's what we did.
Upon arrival in DUB, grab the bus to Galway. They're impossible to miss, frequent, comfy, not expensive, easy as pie. Arrive in Galway, check in to your accommodations, walk around the town until dinner, sleep early (but not until after an early dinner) crash and rest. Wake up, grab your car, Bob's Your Uncle, off you go. At the end of your trip, on your last full day (the day before you depart), find a place to drop your car (preferably in the morning) where there's a train station, hop the train to Dublin, enjoy the second half of the day and evening there in Dublin, get up and fly home the next day. This maximizes your time in the south and west at the expense of Dublin, and you never have to deal with driving in Dublin itself - not at all. You don't want to need a car in Dublin. You want a car when you're away from the city, so get it (and get rid of it) when you're away from the city. (If you really want days in Dublin, catch that train a day (or two) before.)
This strategy worked well for us this past summer.
Posted by
1172 posts
If you keep your current itinerary, you will not get to see much of Galway. By the time you leave Dingle and drive to the Cliffs and then on to Galway, you will get there pretty late. We did this a couple of summers ago..left Dingle at 9 am. we did stop at Bunratty which I recommend, then onto he Cliffs and then Galway. It was 8 pm by the time we go to our hotel.
FWIW, we started out trip with Dublin.. took the airlink bus to our hotel then back to the airport to pick up the car 2 days later and ten on to Kilkenny. We then dropped off our car at the airport on our last night and stayed by the airpot ( we did have a 10 am flight back home though) .