Getting out of Dublin quickly towards Cashel

I suggest you get the car at the airport when you arrive. Drive directly towards Cashel and pick a convenient stopping point along your route. You could probably go straight to Cashel. It's about a 2 hour drive. The direct route is mostly on pretty good roads.

You don't say what time of the year you are going, but unless it's in the dead of winter you should have enough light to get to Cashel on the first day. I would second the suggestion of getting the rental at the airport and just heading out. Going into town for it would not be the best use of your time. And, as the previous poster suggested, you could just stop along the way if you wanted. You'll find B&Bs everywhere.

Thanks Nancy. We are traveling in July. We arrive in Dublin around 6pm with two kids. We'd prefer just to stay in Dublin that night and then hit it first thing in the morning. We'd prefer to stay in something small, not the Best Western, but want it easy to get in and out.

The logistics of getting into Dublin proper will take as much time as driving to Cashel. Staying at the airport will be more expensive than most decent places on the route to Cashel. You'd also have to get to the hotel by the airport and then go back the next morning to pick up your car. Arriving at 6 pm in July will give you more than enough time to drive to Cashel before dark. Again, you can get out of the airport mess (congestion, high cost, etc) by driving 30 minutes. I think you're making life more complicated than it needs to be by staying in Dublin or around the airport.

Thanks Ken. I'll look for a place on the way to Cashel.

Thanks so all for the advise. We'll pick up our car at the airport and head to a B&B in Wicklow. All set. Appreciate your advise.

I would suggest Kildare rather than Wicklow. Kildare is actually on the route to Cashel, while Wicklow is on the coast in a different direction. From Wicklow it's a much longer drive to Cashel the next day.

Okay, Kildare. Any suggestions cause I certainly can't find a place for a family of four for July 13. Maybe you have a suggestion.

Try Irish Tourist Bureau, they publish a book (free) of over 1000 approved b&B's

The B&Bs are also listed on www.discoverireland.com, the official website of the Irish Tourist Board. There are several in Kildare town, and a lot more in Naas, which you will encounter first on the Dublin to Cashel route. (I counted roughly a dozen possibilities in Naas without looking very closely.)

Stayed in Naas three times and loved it , many B&B's. Not sure if it is still there but we ate several times as Lawlers right in center of town where locals eat, great and reasonable food.

Don't forget to factor in time of pick up rental car. In March I had terrible experience with Hertz at the Dublin airport. From the time I came out of airport until I actually drove aware in my rental car was almost 1 1/2 hours because they did not have the car I reserved ready. After that drive to Cashel was not bad. It took 2 hours starting at 1 pm. There is a short section of the M50 that is really just a two-lane each direction city street with traffic lights and I imagine that might get heavy traffic in evening rush, but the rest of the highway was smooth sailing.