Am flying to Dublin, plan on driving south west to Kilkenny for two nights. Heading to Kinsale for next two nights. Want to see ROK and tour Dingle, spending two days in area. Any ideas where to stay? After, plan on heading towards Galway, and Trim before leaving back to states. Am I wasting time spending two days in Galway?
Galway is likely to be your favorite place on the trip. I like the music and emphasis on Gaelic. The rest of the "artsy" stuff I can take or leave. There are also other good sites to visit that aren't far from Galway.
Very much looking forward to west coast of Ireland. What is a " local TI???" Have not heard of that. Are these ususally cheaper than booking before we arrive in ireland. Would hate to travel, and settle for a 1-star B & B, when there are nice ones ( i think ) that are available now. Thanks
No, two days is fine for Galway. If you get bored go to the Aran Islands for the day. Regarding where to stay, use the local TI's to book a B&B when you get to the cities.
Todd, I also recommend using the local Tourist Offices. They can sometimes negotiate with the B&B owners once they know your budget, and can book ahead for you at your next stop. Be advised that they don't stay open very late. I remember 04:30 or 5:00.
Todd-TI is tourist information office. I had no luck finding the one in Galway, but I DID find a nice financial advisor's office where I was able to get directions to the hotel I was trying to find. Nothing like getting lost for giving you an opportunity to find a back door. Anyway, we stayed at The Westwood hotel there. It turned out to be very convenient for our planned cruise of Lough Corrib that leaves from Oughterard. I was there in mid-September last year and the weather was perfect (unseasonably warm as a matter of fact). We did the Corrib Cruises round trip cruise from Oughterard to Cong and back. Gorgeous, informative and very relaxing.
You should get and read very carefully the Rick Steves guide book on Ireland as it will have much helpful information for you in planning your trip. It sure did for me.
We loved Galway. We actually stayed in Salthill and had a lovely experience. Trim was one of my favorite places to visit. Trim Castle is great and Bru na Boyne is just a short drive away, if you wanted to see that as well
Thank you to all. Todd