We plan to make a base in Dublin for seven days. What would be some good day trips we could do with public transport or economical bus tour?
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1265 posts
A&A - Galway Tour Company has tours that depart Dublin at 7:00 am returning at 9:00 pm for about €45 per person. We used them for coach tours of the Cliffs of Moher & Burren and Connemara & Cong.
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, if youre into horses, theres the Irish National Stud in Kildare. Not a long trip, but a nice place and of course horses. communter trains stop in Kildare and there is a shuttle from the train station to the stud. It also stops at a local mall. Happy trails.
Posted by
San Francisco, CA, USA
97 posts
Newgrange and Knowth, in the Boyne River valley (Brú na Bóinne). Prehistoric passage tombs (you can go into Newgrange it's amazing) and some of the oldest stone carvings in Europe. The entire area is green and hilly and lovely. There are several tours that go to Newgrange in 8-seater buses. I can't remember the one I took 5 years ago, but it picked me up from the visitors' center in the heart of Dublin.
Posted by
San Diego, CA, USA
237 posts
If you're interested in Stonehenge then Newgrange and Knowth are obvious choices. They are spectacular pre-historic sites and are easily accesible from Dublin as is the entire Bru na Boinne. The castle at Trim is good site - largest Norman castle in Ireland and some of Braveheart was filmed there - but probably not enough by itself for a dedicated trip but as part of larger tour worth seeing. Belfast is about 2 hours by train from Dublin. It could be worth the time to do a self guided tour and both see the country side and experience the more troubled side of recent Irish history. There are also tours south to Wicklow mountains for some more rugged scenery and sights down there. I don't have specific suggestions but they have been discussed in other threads and people probably specific tour recommendations as well. Have a great trip!
=Tod
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
When we were in Dublin, we took a Bus Eireann tour to Newgrange/Boyne Valley. We purchased our ticket at the downtown bus station the evening before then showed up 20 minutes or so before the tour was scheduled to depart. The tour was a great value. It was well paced and the driver, while not a formal guide, gave commentary on the areas we were passing as well as all we needed to know to visit each stop. They also run a Glendalough day trip. I think either, or both, of those would be a great choice. http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=968&month=Jun