Ireland Itinerary

You should really look at your destinations on a map - you are all over the place. You head south to Kinsale, back north to Lough Derg and Co.Clare, then back southwest to Dingle, east to Kenmare, west on the Ring of Kerry, then back to Shannon. And one day is not enough for the Dingle area. Perhaps you can find a way to make more of a circle so that you won't do so much backtracking and you can make better use of your time. Can you put your horseback riding trip at the beginning or end of the trip so that your other sightseeing days can be more consecutive?

The ride is a fixed date and we only have 2 wks so we're trying to fit some sightseeing in on either end. Maybe we should leave out the Kenmare and ring of Kerry and spend the extra night and day in Dingle. How far is Dingle from the Ring of Kerry?

Your first day, it will be close to 11:00 or so by the time you collect luggage, do the car rental paperwork, take the shuttle to the car rental, and get on the road. Shannon airport to Rock of Cashel is about a 2+ hour drive, then you will want to allow at least an hour to see the Rock. From there it's another 2.5 hours or so to Kinsale.

From Kenmare, around the Ring of Kerry to Dingle, with no stops, will be about a 4+ hour drive. Stopping to take pictues, explore Staigue Fort, deal with traffic (tour buses), etc., will make it longer.

If your horseback riding trip was first, with your extra days later, you could then make a circle from Cashel to Kinsale, Kenmare around the Ring, and a couple of days in Dingle. Then you could head back to Shannon via the Killimer-Tarbert ferry. Or are your travel dates fixed, too?

I think your idea to skip Kenmare and the Ring of Kerry to spend an extra day in Dingle is an excellent one. Dingle is beautiful. I loved the Ring of Kerry, but Dingle is even better. I think it would be better to really enjoy Dingle and its beauty than to shortchange Dingle and rush through the Ring of Kerry. It would also be more relaxing.

Hi

Nancy what rental car company do you use that it takes you 2 hours to get your car???

I arrive at Shannon at 9AM (Most flights) and I am on the road by 945 at the latest.

As for your itinerary, my advice is to not pin all your driving times down to the minute. One thing that a lot of people do when laying out a itinerary in Ireland is they underestimate the driving times and distances. They look at a 2 hour drive and compare it to a 2 hour drive in the states or main land Europe. Its not the same!

I visit my family 2 times a year in Ireland, I have for the last 10 years. Believe me when I tell you that driving on the left, narrow roads and signs that are "to little to late" make driving a challenge. I do however tell everyone that the only way to see the REAL Ireland is by car not by a bus seat.

Take your time have fun and don't pin your entire itinerary on the time it takes you to get to your destination.

Brian,
We have 3 nights and 2 full days for our visit to the Dingle/Ring of Kerry area. We will be traveling down from the Whitegate/Mount Shannon area leaving here in the morning after breakfast arriving in Dingle for night 1. (What do you think of Conor Pass?) Then 2 full days to follow and on the day after the 3rd night, we will head to Ennis (4th night) to fly out from Shannon the next morning. I wonder, would you book all 3 nights in Dingle and see the Ring of Kerry if desired or maybe head over to Kenmare at the end of the 2nd day, spend the 3rd night here and drive the Ring of Kerry on the day we head on up to Ennis? Your thoughts?

Brian, I wasn't trying to suggest that it will take two hours to get the rental car. On my flights landing in Shannon, we have arrived somewhere between 9 and 9:30. There is a delay while you go through immigration, and wait for your luggage, maybe visit the restroom, get money from the ATM, and do the paperwork at the rental counter. Then there is a wait for the shuttle to take you to the rental offices, loading luggage into the car, getting instructions, etc., before you can get on the road. So, yes, it can take an hour or more to get all of that done. Of course, if you only do carryon and the shuttle happens to be right there when you walk outside it could be quicker, but most likely there will be brief delays that you can't anticipate. Saying that it will be more like 11:00 is generally more realistic than saying that it will be 9:45. It also makes a difference that you have done it before, so you know what to expect and don't have questions.

The driving times I suggested were those of ViaMichelin, inflated by about 25%.

Hi Betsey

You have some tough decisions to make as all the places you mentioned are all 5 star areas.

In my humble opinion with 3 days to spend I think Dingle and Kenmare (Ring of Kerry) are going to offer you the most bang for your vacation buck.

If I were you and to make it easier I would stay in Dingle, maybe choose a nice B&B or self cater in a cottage. Not having to worry about finding a place each night is going to give you more time to enjoy the area.

Both Dingle via R559 and TRK can be done in a giant circle and while both areas need 2 days minimum, doing the circles in a day can be done, I would give the Ring of Kerry the 2 days.

Things not to miss in Dingle are the Conor Pass and the beautiful views out over the ocean. There is a beautiful beach (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3406/3593413574_40f7e82721_b.jpg)that you cant miss well worth the stop.
On the Ring of Kerry don't miss the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney National Park and Muckross House.

Hope that helps a bit =)

Nancy I didn't mean to come across as a jerk. Dublin airport I never seem to get out there in a hurry. Shannon Airport is a bit more ummm..rustic and laid back so I tend to get out of there much quicker.

Brian, I agree. I've been to both airports and Shannon is easier, by far. But for someone who is doing this for the first time, it can be a slow process, and sometimes people forget that there is more involved than just getting off of the plane and jumping into a car. That's why I said it could be more like 11:00 before they were on their way.

Thanks so much to all for the info. I travel quite a bit and am familiar with glitches and car rentals etc. All valuable suggestions to keep me thinking straight. I'm a road trip kinda girl and rarely have a dedicated agenda but I do like to have reservations for accommodations as I want a comfortable safe and definite place to end my days of adventure. I have 3 nights reserved in Dingle and just wondered if it would be easier to take the 3rd one in Kenmare to get an early start on ROK spend the last day seeing it and heading up to Ennis that eve. I prefer less crowded venues which I know the Dingle area will provide but wonder if I'll regret leaving off the ROK if I spend all my time on the D. Pen.

Kenmare is a great little town. Whether or not you see the ROK depends a lot on the weather, though. The day we planned turned out to be rainy and foggy. After a few miles on the ring drive we gave up any hope of seeing anything and went back to Kenmare to watch lacemaking and go shopping instead.

I would probably do two nights in Dingle then spend the third night in Kenmare if you want to do the Ring of Kerry. Otherwise, it will be way too much driving on the last day. At least it would be for me.