Ireland, and Britain

Your question is too vague to get good responses. IMHO, 9 days in Ireland and 9 days in the UK are insufficient to see either well. It's also not clear if that includes your travel days to/from/between. You can do a race around Ireland in 6 days of driving. You could see Glendalough, Kilkenny, the Rock of Cashell, , Killarney Natl. Park, Cliffs of Mohr and Galway. That's a lot of driving so you need to plan well. Public transportation is very limited in Ireland so most here recommend a car. In the UK it's even more distance to cover between major sites but public transportation is much better. The typical rushed trip would probably have you hit Bath, the Cotswolds and York. You could do Bath and York with public transportation but it's hard to not have a car in the Cotswolds. You could also replace the Cotswolds and Bath with Edinburgh. Fly from or to Dublin and Edinburgh and you you could see Edinburgh and take the train to York and then to London. I suggest you get the Rick Steves Ireland and Great Britain books and read his suggestions.

I wouldn't even bother going to either Ireland or England for such a short time. My husband and I have been to London, four years in a row. We have stayed for anywhere from 10 days to two full weeks. We still haven't seen everything we want to. As for Ireland, we just took a two week TAUCK tour of Ireland, this past June. We loved Ireland and want to go back. We saw a lot of Ireland, but there is still so much to see. There really isn't much to do in Dublin. We spent two nights there and that was more than enough. All there is to see there in Trinity College (that Book of Kells), which didn't excite us. Ireland is so unbelievabally spectacular and green. The people are so gracious. We thought the Ashford Castle was too beautiful to be real. The weather was terrible, but it didn't matter. We think Ireland is under rated by travel agents. We would go back to England or Ireland with an hour"s notice. Absolutely phenominal.

As you state you are going next month, I assume you have your flights already booked. If so, and you are going to be in Dublin, three days is more than enough time in my opinion. See the Book of Kells, the Cathedral, Kilmainhaim Gaol which we thought was the best of all sights. Msybe take a morning tour of Newgrange if you plan to be there three days. Then pick up the car, head south towards Rock of Cashel, Kinsale, Cobh and around to Dingle pensinula ( we just happen to prefer it to Kerry). end up with Cliffs of Moher and then drop car in Shannon. You can then get cheap flight to Edinburgh for maybe three or four days and take sleeper train to London. Or just head to London and then get car at airport and tour west, Bath, Cotswolds, etc, then return to London and spend rest of your time there before coming home. Do not need car in either city at all. Yes it would be great to have more time but if this is all the time you have, you can certainly see some wonderful sights.

I agree, you have a nice amount of time to get a taste of both places (I'm guessing you have roughly 9 days for each country?). Of course you can't see everything, but you can get a nice introduction. Three days in Dublin would be plenty. Just don't try to cram too many places into those days. I disagree that the only thing to see in Dublin is the Book of Kells. Kilmainham Gaol is a must see. You could take a tour of a Georgian house at 29 Lower Fitzwilliam St. Temple Bar is worth some time, as are any of the National Museums (I especially liked the one with the gold hordes, near the government buildings). There is great shopping, theatre, the cathedral, watching the buskers on Grafton St.

Thank you everyone for all of your help. I think I will keep my schedule unplanned and just drive each day according to where we want to go. I'm going to research the locations you all said. I have always been a fan of seeing the land, and culture mo so than tourist locations. This was I can come back another time and spend more time where I wish. I was thrown off by Elaine saying my 9 days at each location isnt even with bothering. I am excited to see a land I haven't seen before. If you have any other suggestions please let me know. Thank you for your help! Happy New years