We will be arriving at the Shannon airport at 9:15 a.m. flying overnight from the USA. We will be renting a car. Our plan is to drive to Kinsale that day perhaps going over to the Rock of Cashel on the way. Friends tell us to get a hotel near the airport due to fatigue from travel for the first night. I say we'd miss a whole day of sight seeing. Any advice from the experienced?
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
Jet lag affects different people in different ways so it is impossible to say what is right for you. Personally I would not want to make that long a drive after an overnight flight. I would stay somewhere not too far from Shannon,see some of the sights in the area, have an early bed time and leave for Kinsale in the morning. It is far better to spend a few hours relaxing and resting than getting into a car and driving on the left for several hours on strange roads and possibly having an accident or a shouting match with your spouse.
Something that many people forget is that you are supposed to be having a vacation not running a marathon.
Posted by
Tustin, CA, USA
92 posts
Definitely try to stay awake all day and go to bed at whatever a normal bedtime is for you (Irish time). I think driving to the Rock of Cashel would be reasonable on the first day, but not all the way to Kinsale for the first night. Is the driver adept at manual/standard transmission, or did you splurge on an automatic? That's something to think about when driving the first day, in addition to driving on the left. :)
Posted by
OP
Charleston
9 posts
A couple of different sources indicate that it takes about 3 hrs to drive from the Shannon Airport to Kinsale. Adding an hr. on for amateurs that would be 4 hrs + lets say another hr. for baggage claim and car rental...getting us into Kinsale around 2:30 or 3 if we didn't stop at the Rock of Cashel or 4 or 5 if we did. This doesn't sound that bad to me or am I just nuts?
Posted by
OP
Charleston
9 posts
What about staying in Cashel that first night. Looks like some nice bnbs there and it would decrease the drive by about 1/2 I think. Then we could rest a little and go explore the Rock of Cashel.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Your plan sounds fine, Betsy. On my most recent trip to Ireland, we drove straight from Shannon Airport to Blarney, which is only a short way from Kinsale. We even stopped along the way at the donkey sanctuary in Liscarroll. We had plenty of time there and at Blarney Castle (and at Blarney Woollen Mill) before going to our B&B for the night. We went to bed around 8:30 and were fine the next day. I think you have plenty of time to get to Kinsale the first night if you want to. You might find driving slower than you can anticipate, but you still should have plenty of time.
Posted by
Tustin, CA, USA
92 posts
Betsy, Yes, I think you should stay in Cashel for the first night. I thought I had mentioned that, but then I was trying to remember where a friend of mine stayed (and enjoyed)... I think it was called Cashel Lodge. I believe the Lodge is sort of a B&B meets hostel/hotel. You'll probably want a regular B&B for your first night.
We drove from Shannon Airport, after arriving in the afternoon, to Roundstone, a small town near Clifden. We had to drive through/around Ennis and Galway and then on narrow, sometimes unmarked roads. It was supposed to take 2 1/2 to 3 hours, but I think we were on the road for at least 5. Good thing it's light out late over there! Anyway, if I were to do it again, I would have planned to stop someplace like Galway.
Posted by
New York, NY
319 posts
Betsy,
I think you're fine either way. You can stay in Cashel or Kinsale. I definitely wouldn't stay near Shannon. As you say, it's a waste of a day and completely unnecessary.
Heading to Kinsale and seeing ROC on the way is a long day, but it's doable. If you want to hedge your bets, you could stay in Cashel the first night.