Ireland Self-Drive

Before we can be of much help you really need to get a few guidebooks from the library and decide what it is you would like to see or do. There are pubs and sites worth seeing all over Ireland. I would recommend landing in Shannon and leaving from Dublin, though, if you want to drive around through the south.

You plan to fly into Shannon, what city you fly out of is up to you. If you want to see Dublin and the surrounding area on this trip, then fly open jaw and leave from Dublin. If you intend to go back to Ireland again someday, then I would say spend the week in the West/Southwest part of Ireland. You can see a lot of the countryside and still fit in a couple cities (like Galway or Cork). Any guide book on Ireland will list well-known Irish pubs, but often the best Irish pubs are the ones you stumble across that aren't listed in a guidebook at all that have an impromptu music session, and you're the only American in the pub.

I think you should focus the driving from Dublin, south to Dingle Peninsula, then back up to Shannon- make a trip to the Cliffs of Moher. There are many sights between Dublin and Cork to see, then to Dingle. If you can fly or take a train to Dublin to start, that would be best. The drive between Shannon and Dublin is not much and you can see Dublin without paying for parking-just get the car when you are ready to take off.

I was there as a present for my 40th birthday. We flew in to Dublin (from London) and stayed 2 nights in Wicklow. Then we drove to Cobh and stayed 2 nights there. Followed up with 2 nights in Galway. We flew out of Shannon back to London (stayed there 2 nights too) before returning to the US.

We went to see some of Dublin when we landed in the afternoon the first day. Guinness brewery was the first stop (not much of a tour but the view at the top is amazing). Spent the whole next day in Dublin. Played golf in Wicklow then after lunch, we drove to Cobh. Went to Jameson distillery, Blarney Castle, Titanic tour- like 60-90 minutes- in Cobh. Left there and drove to the Ring of Kerry. I forget when we left there but it was pretty late in the afternoon and headed to Galway. Got stuck in traffic in Limerick and made it to Galway in time for dinner. I met a friend of mine there and we went to Lahinch and played 36 holes. I think Lahinch was my favorite place really...back to Galway for dinner. The next day we went to the Cliffs of Moher and then to Shannon...had a bowl of stew and a Guinness at the airport.

depends what you want to see...plan extra time for the driving...the roads are rarely straight! I hope you find lots of craic!!

thanks to all for your advice.. definately wanna see the cliffs of moher and now considering staying in the south visiting galway..dingle..cork and limerick.. maybe bypassing dublin for this trip.. opinions? or wondering if any places worth visiting along east coast.. shannon..dingle..cork and then to dublin??

Personally, I'd bypass Limerick.

If you do want to go to Dublin you could do what Katy suggested, but in reverse. We are going the last week of April for 7 nights and we have to fly round trip to Dublin. We are getting our car when we land and heading out of town. We will go to Kilkenny, Dingle somewhere else (as yet undetermined) and return to Dublin. We will turn the car in and spend our last 3 nights there. If you are flying into Shannon (lucky!) you could get your car there and drop it in Dublin when you get to town.

Shannon is really only a stop to get in or out of the airport. It's not really a destination or anyplace you would want to spend a night.

Again, you are only going for 7 nights so you don't want to plan for too many destinations and too much driving. If you are more interested in scenery, you may want to stick with the West Coast and the Southwest.

There are beautiful spots around Dublin, too, and there is always County Donegal or the coastline in Northern Ireland if you really felt like you need to see Dublin. Overall, you need 2 full days for the city of Dublin - and while it's a great city with lots of history and fun, most visitors want to go for the dramatic scenery and the slower pace of small towns.

Hi, Jen: We have done two 7-nights self-drive trips to Ireland over the past few years....the first alone and the second with my parents. First trip I definitely overscheduled us and put about 1000 miles on the rental car! Flew into and out of Shannon. The second trip (into and out of Dublin), my parents' ages forced me to slow down and it was much preferable. Some quick opinions:
- Shannon is much easier to deal with rental car-wise. And it puts you close to the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, the Burren, DIngle, etc.
- We enjoyed the west coast of Ireland better than Dublin, although Newgrange was a highlight. I would minimize the time in Dublin and concentrate on the more rural areas (although Trinity and the Book of Kells, Temple Bar district, Christchurch, St. Patrick's, etc. should be seen).
Send me a personal e-mail and I can offer some more of my thoughts.

Defintely second Nancy's motion to by pass Limerick!!!!

Again thanks to all.. i think we have decided to bypass dublin for this trip and just stay in the west/southwest.. thinking galway..killarney..dingle (spending two nights in each).. only other thought was to also visit cork but with only 7days i feel we will be driving to much!?

I would definitely stick to the west coast, Jen. Don't try to do Cork; it will be way too much driving. I would be inclined to skip Killarney, which is a little too touristy for my tastes. You could stay somewhere around Doolin instead and have more time for the Burren or take a ferry to the Aran Islands. Another option would be to spend three days in Galway and three in Dingle.

When you head down to Dingle, make sure to take the Tarbert-Kilmer (or something like that) ferry. It will save you a lot of time in the car.

I have a nice laugh to myself any time I hear someone continue Rick's ridiculous mantra that Killarney is "too touristy." Killarney is a great Irish town - and has lots to offer. Its also a great base for touring so many areas.

I just returned from two weeks in Ireland, one week in Dingle and one week in Ballinalacken, just outside of Doolin. I've also been to Killarney, twice now.

When I was in Gus O'Connor's pub in Doolin last week, the only Irish people in the bar were the bartenders and the guy they called to come play music, because the crowds were large enough to justify having him come down. The place was chock full of Germans and Americans. We still had a good time - but suggesting Killarney is "touristy" and recommending Doolin is a bit ironic.

Sorry for the minor rant - but I get a bit frustrated when people get on the Killarney is touristy train . . .

We self-catered for two weeks, and talked a great deal with the owners of the homes we rented. Even talking with the folks in Ballinalacken, which appears to be farm country - they told us the number one business there is catering to tourists. Yes - some people still try to farm - but it's tough and tourism is where the money is.

What I'm trying to say is Killarney is no more or less touristy than Dingle or Doolin.

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. I just found that Killarney had lots of tacky motels and souvenir shops. I will admit it is in a convenient location and the area around it is really pretty. But I think Dingle is much nicer -- tiny B&Bs instead of motels, neat little pubs and shops. Of course it's full of tourists and touristy places, but they seem more charming than what I found at Killarney.

As for Doolin, I've never been there, which is why I said someplace near Doolin.

Jen, you'll have to decide what works for you. Good luck!