Hi all! My husband and I will be traveling to Ireland during late September and early October. During our visit, we plan to rent a car from Dublin and drive to the west coast to see the Cliffs of Moher and Dingle. My question is regarding the drive time between these destinations. Is it realistic to expect the drive from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher to take around 3 hours as estimated on Google Maps? Would Google's estimate of 3 hours drive time between the Cliffs of Moher and Dingle be accurate as well? Was hoping I could get some feedback as to whether or not these travel times seemed correct or to get a better idea as to what it might actually take based on everyone's experience. Ideally we were hoping to leave from Dublin early in the morning and make a stop at the Cliffs of Moher before proceeding on to Dingle to spend the night. Are we being too ambitious? Finally, what is a realistic drive time between Dingle and Dublin? 4 hours as estimated by Google? Thanks for any help/feedback you can provide!
Posted by
Land of La
9219 posts
Where are you traveling from? The states? East Coast? West Coast? Need to factor in a few things. 1. Jet Lag. 2. Driving on the "other"side of the road. 3. possibility of rain. I'd be practical and think 1.) it's going to take time to get the car rental. 2.) you WILL stop along the way (more than once) 3.) You'll have to get used to roundabouts and smaller two lane roads as well as sheep.
I did the drive from Dingle back to Dublin a year ago. Easy peasy. Kept a 65 mph hour speed most of the route. Took 5 hours as I did stop more than once and hit some traffic outside Limerick.
Give yourself more time than Google or Micheline maps give you. Also realize it's not getting from point A to point B but the journey in between. Have to give Eire it's due. Appreciate it's stunning beauty to the fullest and that means slowing down and enjoying what's around you. Weather in September as in most months in Ireland can change in an instant (there is a reason it's SO green) so be sure to dress in layers. I like Fall travel in Ireland, a bit cooler, less crowds, cheaper accommodation rates.
Have a wonderful trip. If you haven't booked in Dingle yet, highly recommend John and Angela's Cill Bhreac House B & B. You also need to have at least one pint at the charming, amusing and comfortable Foxy John's pub in Dingle.
Lovely country. Have fun.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for the reply Claudia! My husband and I are from the States and will be staying in Dublin for the first three days of our trip. We don't plan on driving to the West Coast of Ireland until a little later. Here's what we've planned so far:
Day 1: Early arrival into Dublin. Spend day finding our accommodations and exploring part of the town.
Day 2: Explore Dublin.
Day 3: Take train to Belfast for day trip and return to Dublin.
Day 4: Rent a car and drive from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher and then down to Dingle for the night.
Day 5: Explore Dingle.
Day 6: Drive back to Dublin to spend the night.
Day 7: Fly from Dublin to Edinburgh to continue our trip.
I was just wondering if we're being unrealistic with our Day 4 plans. Since we have such limited time and definitely wanted to see the Cliffs of Moher at some point during our stay, Day 4 or Day 6 seemed like the best time to squeeze it in. There's just so much to see it's hard to decide! Ultimately though, we agree with you that it's about enjoying the journey! :) Thanks again for your feedback!
Posted by
London, United Kingdom
135 posts
Hi
There's many other posts in the Ireland forum that discuss driving times in Ireland. However perhaps the key one to bear in mind when assessing time required, is that you should assume no more than a 40mph average travelling rate - thus a 120 mile drive might take 3 hours. Nowadays there are a number of 4 lane motorways radiating out from Dublin where you can probably make 60 to 70 mph, but your average will decline considerably once you leave them. Consequently, I'd say that your Day 4 and Day 6 ideas are rather ambitious, unless you don't mind spending much of each day in the car.
If you can, I'd suggest evening out the distances per day you are considering. But have fun, regardless!
Posted by
Land of La
9219 posts
Something's got to give. You have such a short amount of time. I love Belfast and love the fact you want to do a day trip. However, since your MUST see are the Cliffs I would drop Belfast and spend 2 days on the West coast. Now, having said that, it will be very important to be flexible with your plans as Mother Nature may play a role in your journey and who wants to be driving in a rainstorm? You might also cut out a day in Dublin to free up more time. Are you interested in archeology? The Troubles? Titanic? Hiking? Or simply enjoying Ireland's natural beauty? To be perfectly blunt the Cliffs are interesting but I found the Giants Causeway in NI and Newgrange outside of Dublin far more intriguing. The drive along Slea Head outside of Dingle is stellar in good weather and the beauty of the Gap of Dunloe was what took my breath away on a November visit.
Posted by
Lafayette, Colorado
82 posts
I would agree with Claudia that if you want to see the Cliffs of Mohrer, you might need and extra day. I just drove from Dingle to Dublin and it is about a 5 hour trip. Going from Dublin to the Cliffs and on to Dingle is a long day. Dingle itself has a lot to offer, so I think you may feel rushed.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Hi all! Thanks so much for the feedback - it's greatly appreciated and has been very helpful! From everyone's feedback, it does seem like we are being a bit ambitious with our endeavors. We'll probably end up playing Day 4 by ear and see where we end up! ;) Thanks again and Happy Easter!