I want to get some opinions from experienced Ireland travelers on our (mine and my husbands) itinerary in Ireland this July 2010 for our belated Honeymoon.
Since the post does not allow a long post, here is the link to the itinerary in google documents:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=djp8rk5_11hpbqxzhr
Please comment!
Thanks,
Nikki and Dan
Congratulations!
Your itinerary sounds similar to what we're planning in October. Here is what we're planning so far:
Day 1 - Fly into Dublin from London, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, explore Dublin
Day 2 - Pick up rental car and drive to Cashel. Tour the rock, drive to Kinsale.
Day 3 - Blarney Castle, explore more of Kinsale and surrounding area
Day 4 - Killarney National Park and then drive to Dingle.
Day 5 - Explore Dingle/penninsula
Day 6 - Drive to the Cliffs of Moher, stay in Ennis or Doolin (haven't decided which)
Day 7 - Drop car off in Shannon. Explore Shannon area.
Day 8 - Fly home
Hope this helps! Can't wait to hear about your trip!
Congratulations on your marriage! I went to Ireland this summer for two months and fell in love so I'm excited for you guys! I think your itinerary looks pretty good to me, but I was a bit concerned by your day 7 where you have listed to leave Dingle for Doolin, but also include the Aran Islands, The Cliffs and the Burren. I don't think that will all be possible to do in one day. You have to add in driving time, the fact that the ferries only leave at certain times, and that you probably (I assume) want to spend some time on Inishmore (the largest Aran Island), plus time to actually see the cliffs and time to see the burren.
Here is my advice
While you have included distances and times and all that, remember that driving times need to be approximate and can vary greatly. What looks like a "easy 2 hour drive" can turn into a 5 hour nightmare. Signs in Ireland are "to little to late". Roads are narrow and twisting. Buses and trucks "share" these roads. Driving on the left all of these can add to the issue.
Be flexible take your time. Enjoy "getting lost" it will happen and it can lead to some of the most memorable memories.
