There will be 8 of us. We were thinking of renting 2 cars, but I have been reading and want to explore public transportation options... if any. We have rented a home in Coleraine, NI for 4 nights then on to Galway where we have rented a home for 4 nights In Salt Hill. Then head to Dublin for 4 more nights. Our intent was to rent the car upon arrival and drive to Coleraine and then Salt Hill. We were going to return the rental in Dublin and be car free while there. Now for the difficult part. Could this be done with PT as opposed to a car? While in NI we want to explore the Giants Causeway and area. A couple will play some golf. WE will go to the Bushmill Distillary and the castle. Then thinking even day trips... Salthill were were going to do a day ferry to Aran Island Isishmore and then day trips. Because there is so much to see and not enough time we are open to suggestions. We all love to hike, explore and few pubs will be a priority. When in Dublin hoping to take the Dart along the Coast, would like to get to Wicklow and hubby will play golf. Please give me thoughts and any suggestions. As always thank you.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
You really can't do your proposed itinerary using public transportation. Better to stick with the original plan (per your other post) to book the two cars. Not only will the logistics of moving 8 people around NI and the Republic be greatly simplified but you'll have a lot more freedom of movement for your day trips, and have the latitude to be able to split the groups up on any particular day based on their interests.
You're right - you neither need nor do you want a car while in Dublin. It's just more of a hassle than it's worth. Only caveat to that is that having the car one extra day would allow you to explore Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains at your leisure rather than relying on a day trip from Dublin.
You could stop off at the monastic settlement at Clonmacnoise on your way from Salt Hill back to Dublin. If you did you could probably skip Glendalough - the sites are pretty similar - with Clonmacnoise being much less crowded. It also sits on a very pretty prospect along the River Shannon - easier to imagine what life must have been like for the locals back during Viking days when everyone would have hightailed it into the Round Tower when a longboat was sighted.
And you've picked a couple of pretty good bases for your stay. Both Coleraine and Salt Hill are central for easy day trips - well done there.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
Another thought: you could conceivably drop your car off in Galway and take the train from there into Dublin - an easy 2.5 hour ride into the city center. Might be a fun way to sample the Irish public transportation system.
Posted by
OP
Grand island, Ny
249 posts
Thank you for your input. I did think that public may not be the option but wanted to get some input. I will check in to PT from Galway and also look into the other area you suggested. Would you have any day trip suggestions. I do love the idea of ones that don't draw as many tourist. Have you driven in Ireland. This will be our first experience. We did drive in Spain (Seville) last year . It was a bit nuts... Hoping we adjust to the left side of the road quickly. My CC company does cover insurance in Ireland (Chase Bank) so we are thinking that is the way to go. So it will be and adventure. Thank you
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8880 posts
Very easy to get to Coleraine and the surrounding areas by public transportation. That section of your trip would be easy. The challenge is Coleraine to Galway/Salt Hill. I did this leg by bus, but it wasn’t easy. First you take a bus to Derry and then a long bus ride from Derry to Galway. It takes several hours with the only a short break off the bus 1/2 way. The plus was we were traveling with locals and we saw the city centers of some very interesting towns. The minus was a long travel day.
It is easy to take the shuttle bus from Galway to the Aran Island ferry.
Galway to Dublin is easy by either bus or rail.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
If this is to be your first time driving in Ireland my suggestion is to spring for the extra money and book an automatic. The default rental will be a manual shifter. Trying to manage shifting with your left hand while simultaneously trying to master driving on the left is an extra fun factor that you probably don't need ... even if you're already familiar with driving a manual in the US.
To help expedite the learning curve you might benefit from using the street view feature on google maps. Helps a lot to have seen road conditions, signage, etc. before you have to tackle them at driving speed. The front seat passenger (the one sitting on the left in this case) can help out a lot by assisting the driver with navigation, watching for traffic (especially on the roundabouts) and generally reminding the driver to "stay left". All of the muscle memory you've accumulated from years of driving in the US will be of no use in Ireland, and in fact can lead you astray if you relax behind the wheel.
Do ensure that the matter of the insurance is sorted out before you depart, ie get it in writing that the rental car provider will accept your CC coverage. Vehicle insurance is a matter of some contention when renting in Ireland and can lead to lively exchanges at the rental car desk on the day of arrival.
Your best chance of reserving an automatic is by booking at the airport. There'll be a larger fleet of cars on offer and thus a better likelihood of getting exactly what you want.
You can get ideas regarding day trips by scanning a few guidebooks - descriptions of most of the highlights (Giant's Causeway, Derry, etc.) will be in there. We've had good luck using the "Things to do" pull down menu on Trip Advisor for finding off the beaten path attractions that we never would have found on our own. We've discovered lots of little gems there that are well off the usual tourist path and which we've had virtually all to ourselves.
Your driving day from Coleraine to Salt Hill will be a long one. Google maps says it's about 4.5 hours, but actual driving conditions on the day will likely stretch that out to at least 5.5 hours. Estimated drive times are notoriously optimistic on Google, Michelin, and the other mapping apps.
There are some really beautiful drives in Connemara that will be easily accessible from Salt Hill. The Sky Road west of Clifden is one of Ireland's great scenic drives. Continuing around the loop to the National Park and Kylemore Abbey is quite pretty, and the village of Cong still looks like the movie set it was back in 1953 when the old John Wayne/Maureen O'hara film "The Quiet Man" was filmed there. Close by is Ashford Castle - a great place for lunch - and there's a very highly rated Hawk Walk there that many people here on the forum rave about. You don't need to be a guest at the hotel to do it - reservations can be done online via their website.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2980 posts
We enjoyed the Ulster-American Folk Park near Omagh. Might be of interest to you, especially if your heritage traces to Ulster. Can google it to research what it's all about.
For a true off-the-beaten-path excursion you might consider a short detour on your Connemara Loop Drive up to the Doolough Memorial near the village of Delphi. It's an extremely evovative place and puts the history of the famine years into rather harsh perspective. Can google it to learn about what happened there and to see if it might be of interest.