Two weeks in September - Itinerary Help

Taking a direct bus from the airport to Galway is what you want to do. It takes three hours.

In many ways this itinerary doesnt flow well and has lots of backtracking.

The better flow from Galway would be bus to Derry, for a one or even two night stay, then train to Belfast, then train to Dublin.

The bus ride, on the #64 bus, to Derry is long from Galway, but no longer than train to Belfast via and changing stations in Dublin.
It can be expeditiously broken up with a lunch stop in Sligo.

The Giants Causeway is as easy a day trip from Derry, as it is from Belfast.

Oh - and you will need a UK ETA to enter Northern Ireland.

Dingle is way too far for a day trip from Galway, and the wrong direction entirely on the way to NI.

However what you could do on arrival day is to go to Tralee- bus and train are the same journey time of around 4 hours, and the same frequency of every 2 hours (bus you interchange from the airport at the Red Cow, train is a direct and frequent bus to Heuston, then train).
Then next day bus to Dingle - a one hour ride, roughly hourly, the #275 bus

Then day 3 bus or train to Galway. The train is unlikely to be via Dublin- more likely to be via Limerick or a switch of trains en route at somewhere like Portlaoise.

However, given your time frames, this probably doesn't work unless you compress your stays in Belfast and/or Dublin.

I recently spent 2 weeks in Ireland using a combination of public transport and short tours.

My trip report might give you some ideas for your trip:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-ireland-may-2025-my-trip-report

Assuming this is September 2026, you have plenty of time to develop your itinerary. Follow Rick's advice and make a prioritized list of the things you want to see and do. Mark them on a map and consider the transport links between them. Ireland is best traveled in a clockwise or counterclockwise loop. In two weeks via public transport, you likely need to choose northern half (which you have wisely chosen) or southern half (which nearly everyone else, including Rick Steves himself, chooses). So either Dingle or Derry, not both. With your selected cities, I would be more inclined to go counterclockwise, starting with a bus to Belfast from DUB. Day trips to Giant's Causeway (I did this with Paddywagon), etc. Then train to Derry, then somewhere in Donegal or Sligo to break up that extremely long (but in places quite scenic) bus ride to Galway. Back to Dublin by train. How many nights in each place depends on your list of things to see and do. You can't go wrong with two weeks in Ireland in September!

We've visited Ireland many times (perhaps 10-12 trips) since 1993. We were last there in 2023. We are extremely biased toward the West of Ireland. As they say, "the West is best" when going to Ireland. Of course having distant cousins in Galway and Kerry makes these trips unique, as we have had cultural experiences that the average American traveler would not. Although more expensive, we would definitely recommend renting a car and driving the back roads. We have been to Dublin 2 or 3 times, and would not return. It is a rough city, and the traffic is horrendous. Spend your time in Galway City instead. Tour Counties Clare, Galway, Kerry, Sligo, and Donegal. The small towns and the people that inhabit them are some of the world's gems. A visit to Dingle town is a wise choice. Drive through Connor Pass west of the town for an adventure. View the beautiful Blasket Islands off the shore of the Dingle peninsula. In Clare, a stop at Gus O'Connors pub in Doolin for "craic" and music is fun. Explore and hike the Burren in County Clare. Lovely towns we always return to are Clifden, Galway City, the Aran Islands, Dingle, Ring of Kerry, Killarney, Kinvara, Kinsale, Westport, Lisdoonvarna, etc. The list of wonderful villages is endless. Meet and talk to the local people. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the local pubs. Ask directions to a place and expect an hour conversation to transpire. If you have ancestors there, do some research ahead of time, and check out the local heritage centers for genealogical info. Don't worry about the weather. Fall (Sept-Oct) is the best time of year to visit. And pack light! No more than one checked-in suitcase and a carry-on. Get tickets for the "Trad On the Prom" concert in Galway city; it runs from April through September. Don't try to tackle too much of the country in a small amount of time. You will enjoy it much more if you focus on a smaller area. Never been to Belfast, but the Giant's Causeway and the footbridge nearby are very interesting sites in the North. The Waterford crystal factory is interesting, as well as the coastal town of Youghal. Visit Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains or the Killarney National Park if you like hiking. There is so much to experience during a two-week trip that you will love it. Again, we recommend renting a car; the trains and buses can't access the out-of-the-way places. Good Luck. Hope you enjoy your trip.

Reply to: rdmbbyrnes
09/03/25 09:13 AM

THANK YOU! I really want to see Belfast and Derry, and the rest was just learning about what might be interesting, but your breakdown is INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much! We will adjust - another friend said Dingle was their favorite. I don't think we will rent a car - just too stressful for us - but we can hire a private driver and go on small tours. I cannot thank you enough! Take care!