7 nights in Ireland in October - Itinerary?

Have you thought about renting the car in Dublin and driving to Galway? I don't know anything about the train, but the drive wasn't bad. On Day 3 - as you drive to Dingle you should take the ferry to shorten the trip. I highly recommend the Milestone House in Dingle. They are super nice people and have the best soda bread ever! In Dublin you might consider the hop on /hop off bus since you will be there such a short time. Go to Temple Bar at least one of the nights you are there. Have a great trip - Ireland is awesome!

The ferry that Andrea is talking about is the ferry between Killimer and Tarbert. It cuts out the drive around through Limerick as you head south toward Dingle. It's about a 20 minute trip across the River Shannon. Bunratty Castle is kind of on the way (near Shannon airport), but it is a bit out of your way between the Cliffs of Moher and Dingle if you are taking the ferry. Otherwise, your itinerary looks good.

On your way to Dublin from Cashel, I'd suggest a stop at Glendalough. In Dublin, you might want to look into a musical pub crawl, Kilmainham Gaol, and 29 Georgian House on Merrion Square.

I think this is a good itinerary, Ruth. I would not be looking for more to do on Day 3. It will be a pretty long drive to get to Dingle, and you could spend hours in the Burren.

I think the idea of taking the train to Galway instead of driving after an all night flight is good. The train will be much more restful than trying to get acclimated to driving on the left. The #748 AirLink(not Air Coach)bus will take to directly to Heuston rail station. It has plenty of room for luggage and costs about 7 Euro.

wow, thanks for all the good suggestions y'all. I think we'll definitely take a train to Galway, and upon talking it through, I think we might try to stay an extra night to have an evening in Ennis to keep day 3 from being a stressful race to Dingle, we're not sure how long we'll want to spend in the Burren or at the Cliffs and we'd rather have too much down time during our vacation than too much drive time.

Ruth,

Have you thought about which day you'll be eliminating to add an extra day in Ennis? I think it's a good idea to break up the drive from Galway to Dingle, but you'll want to think about how it affects the rest of your trip.

Ennis is a fine place to stay on night 3, but you could also stay a bit further south, which would shorten the drive the next day. For example, I did the drive in reverse and stayed in Kilrush on my way to Galway. It was a very small town, but pleasant. Had a nice meal in local pub and a good night's rest at a pretty B&B before heading out the next morning.

I would recommend not staying in Cashel, but Kilkenny instead. Rock of Cashel was really cool, but my husband and I agreed there wasn't that much to do or see in the town, but that's just our opinion. Kilkenny Castle was worth the visit. If you do decide to stay in Kilkenny I have information on a nice B&B we stayed at, and if you want to tour Kilkenny Castle you need to get your tickets early in the morning. It fills up fast!

Have Fun and if you stay in Dingle, try to reserve a room at Milestone B&B, Michael and Barbara are the best hosts we had and his soda bread will leave you craving more!

I agree that the Milestone House in Dingle is a great place with fantastic hosts and the best soda bread ever! They will give you the recipe if you ask. I haven't tried making it myself yet, but I will! They also give very detailed maps of Dingle and of the peninsula, with recommendations of what to see and do, and where to eat. I will definitely stay there again if I return to Dingle.

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Dublin, Wynns Hotel is very central, its old style authentic Dublin atmosphere. May not be the cheapest but it wont be the most expensive either.

Driving from Dublin to Galway isn't too bad at all but taking the train will be more relaxing and it leaves you right in the center of Galway city. Book online at www.irishrail.ie about 10-15 days in advance for the best value.

Kilkenny is about an hours drive from Cashel and well worth a look, it has a vibrant night life!

Check out the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and I haven't been yet (next on the list) but Kilmainham Gaol is meant to be pretty good.

thanks for all the great advice everyone! We've booked 2 nights at the Milestone house and are very much looking forward to it. I am curious about the B&B you stayed in at Kilrush, we think that'll be a great stopping point for the day.

Thanks again everyone! I can't wait!