We will be arriving at Shannon Airport and departing from Kerry Airport and want to squeeze in as much as we can in Ireland. Is this doable? We will be renting a car.
Day 1 - Arrive at 10 a.m. See Bunratty, Cliffs of Moher, Burren, Aillwee cave.
Day 2 - Aran Islands, Clonmacnois.
Day 3 - Rock of Cashel, Mitchelstown caves.
Day 4 - Cork- Blarney Castle, Cobh Heritage Center, Charles Fort, driving to Mizen Head and Bantry house.
Day 5 - Ring of Kerry/Killarney (Torc waterfall/mountain, gap of dunlow, ladies view)
Day 6 - Dingle
Day 7 - leave early morning
I would really appreciate any advice! Thanks!
Posted by
Fredericksburg, VA, USA
409 posts
Hi, Shelley: Yes, it's doable, but may I offer some advice? We've made 2 one-week trips to Ireland over the past couple of years. The first trip, we really overdid it...landed at Shannon at 7:30 AM, on the road by 9, put 350 miles on the rental car THE FIRST DAY. We kept a similar pace for the remainder of the trip and although we had a blast, we really regretted overdoing it. The second trip we slowed it down and took in more of the local scene...pubs, walking, lingering longer at sites without being on the clock, etc. Much more enjoyable, and we actually came away with more vivid memories. What I guess I'm saying is your itinerary is ambitious, to say the least. That first day, you are going to be jet-lagged. If you don't linger too long at Bunratty, you can pull it off. But definitely try to set up a few central lodging locations so you're not constantly packing/unpacking. Your Day 5 and 6 may be cheating each site a little...you could easily spend more than one day on each. Anyway, I'm not trying to rain on your plans (bad pun for Ireland)...if you think you can maintain the pace and that's what you want to do, go for it.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Day 4 is way too much for one day. You plan to see the city of Cork and Blarney Castle, then drive to Cobh and go through the museum there (well worth it!), THEN drive to Kinsale, Mizen Head and Bantry. The roads between these are tiny, narrow roads and will be very slow driving. Cork, Blarney, and Cobh (and maybe Kinsale) might be possible, but I'd forget the others. And the previous poster is right -- having only one day each for Ring of Kerry/Killarney and Dingle is cheating both areas. You'd be better off to choose one or the other and spend a part of a second day there. Leave the other for another trip.
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
And remember he first day you're going to be exhausted after the overnight flight. Plus, you need to factor in the time to get through passport control and customs, getting your bags, and picking up the car.
Posted by
OP
Macomb, MI
3 posts
Thanks so much for all the input! I'm thinking of taking out Day 2 of Aran Islands. That way I can free up an extra day for Kerry or Dingle.
Posted by
New York, NY
319 posts
Shelley,
That's a great first step - there's no way you could see Clonmacnoise and the Arans in the same day.
But I would encourage to go further, as others have suggested. My wife and I toured Ireland last year. We did most of what you're planning, and it took us longer than six days. We packed a lot into each day, but we made sure that we had enough time to enjoy each site. For example, we gave a day each to the Ring and Killarney.
Day 1 and Day 4 are the problem days. You'll be jetlagged when you arrive, and may not be able to really enjoy the sites. Also, this takes you in the opposite direction of everything else on your itinerary. I'd consider leaving that area for a later trip that could also include the Arans, Galway, and Connemara.
Day 4 is similarly busy. Will stay in Cork on the night of Day 3? If so, this would be doable, esp. if you were able to see Blarney on your way to Cork the day before.