As Rick Steves says, Europe gets more intense as you go south and east. To this end, we plan to fly from the USA to Dublin, then take the train to Killarney, where we'll stay two nights. Then we'll leave Killarney in the morning to catch our evening flight to Munich. I know this isn't a lot of time in Ireland, but we just want to sample one Irish town for a full day. It would also be a good way to take it easy while we get over jet lag. I do not want to rent a car in Ireland because the jet lag would compounded by the disorientation caused by having to drive on the left side of the road. I can just visualize trying to go through a roundabout clockwise when my body thinks its 2 AM. I would like to take the train from Dublin to Killarney so we can enjoy the Irish countryside in a relaxing and safe mode of transportation. What do you think of this plan? Would you pick Killarney if you had to choose one Irish town to stay in? How easy is it to get from Dublin airport to the Irish rail train station? How closely do Irish trains follow the train schedules posted on the Irish Rail website? Thanks!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
If you're looking for one of the most tourist-filled towns in Ireland, Killarney would be the place. You don't say when you are traveling, though, so maybe it won't be so bad. The problem without a car is getting out to the nearby sights, like the national park. You'll have to look for a tour to take you (don't worry, there are plenty of them). If you are set on Killarney, why not fly into Shannon instead? You would be closer, though you might be stuck with bus transport, since there is limited train access in the west. If I were looking to spend one day in a town other than Dublin (though Dublin would be my first choice on a brief visit) it would probably be Galway. And again, Shannon would be a better choice to fly into. Can't help you with rail info, since I always drive.
Posted by
Fredericksburg, VA, USA
409 posts
I would do one of two things: (1) Fly into Shannon as mentioned above, then stay somewhere nearby like Ennis or Doolin; (2) Fly into Dublin and stay in Dublin. You need to maximize your visit time...and you're flying in from California, so you're going to be exhausted. You could do Dublin justice, but travelling to Killarney and then back to Dublin means you are going to use important visiting time on the train or the bus. (FYI, if I had to pick one Irish town to visit, it would NOT be Killarney.)
Posted by
OP
Clovis, CA, USA
41 posts
Thanks to both of you for your feedback. We talked about it and decided to drop Ireland, spending more time in Switzerland and Austria than originally planned.