For those who have been before, if you were going to be in Ireland for only one week and wanted to minimize moving from place to place (as in, spend 3 nights in one place and then 3 in another), what are your "must sees" for Ireland and Northern Ireland. I am contemplating flying into Shannon, spending 3 nights on the Dingle peninsula and then taking the bus and train to Northern Ireland for 3 nights with the 7th night in Dublin before flying out the next day from Dublin. Primarily interested in hanging with the locals and seeing the gorgeous scenery--not necessarily doing the stereotypical "kissing the blarney stone" type of things.
Posted by
Milwaukee
194 posts
Hi Nancy,
I think three days in one place and three days in another is a great idea.
My husband and I were in Ireland for 10 days in late April/early May. We loved the west coast. We loved driving around the Burren, seeing the Cliffs of Moher, the Dingle Peninsula, Galway and the Connemara. Everything is so scenic and beautiful on the west coast.
Are you thinking of staying in Dingle for three nights and renting a car?
I haven't been to Northern Ireland (yet), so I can't offer any help there.
Posted by
OP
Taylor, TX, USA
416 posts
Nicole,
If we stay in Dingle for 3 nights, we will probably make use of the bus system if we want to go anywhere nearby. Neither of us wants to try to drive on the left if we don't have to.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Sounds like a good plan, though it seems you'll miss the Co. Clare area (which you'll actually be in when you land at Shannon). Northern Ireland is a good idea, and I'm sure you'll find day trips to the more outlying areas in N. Ireland, like the Giant's Causeway. Belfast and surrounds are relatively free of tourists, and they are doing a lot to promote tourism there. And the train from Belfast to Dublin takes only about 90 minutes.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2724 posts
Dingle is great and worth three nights - but you'll probably need a car to see the really great stuff. Or look online for a guided tour of the peninsula - it's a not-to-miss drive and worth a full day. Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, Westport, Aran Islands were all my favorites in this area. As for the North, Portrush is a central location to see the Giants Causeway, Dunluce Castle, etc. Personally, I'd make that two nights and devote part of the next day getting to Dublin, so you have a whole day in Dublin (that's all you need, but one night isn't enough).
Others may have opinions, but I've heard the bus system isn't as extensive as other countries, so you will want to confirm exactly what services are offered, and how long it's going to take you to get from Point A to Point B. The public buses I saw were PACKED and didn't look like any amount of fun (but then again, I was on a RS tour, we had plenty of our own space).
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
Whether you travel by public bus or by your own rental car, it can take the better part of a day to get from Dingle to Northern Ireland. I have taken public transit to Northern Ireland from Western Ireland - it routinely requires a change in buses and yes, the buses can get fairly full - but not really packed. I would suggest you only have 1 suitcase each and not be loaded down if you are taking public transit.
There is definitely enough to keep you occupied for a full week in Western Ireland and some of the best scenery is in this part of the country.
If you still want to fit in Northern Ireland, I would recommend trying to at least spend one day in either Belfast or Derry - tour the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, see the murals and learn about the Troubles, how it affected both sides. And see how Northern Ireland has changed dramatically in just the last decade. It may not be gorgeous scenery since it is the city, but it's an awesome experience.
Posted by
Sacramento, CA, USA
158 posts
Taking in the area ---Ring of Kerry while hanging out in the Dingle Peninsula might be are ..........or the Cliffs of Moher........
We fell in love with the Ireland...............for the breathtaking views in the Dingle area..........and local color!!!
Posted by
OP
Taylor, TX, USA
416 posts
Thanks for all of the responses!
We were looking at taking the bus to Tralee and then the train to Belfast for getting to Northern Ireland--possibly a little faster than going the whole way via bus or car. My friend having done a whirlwind typical big bus tour of Spain, France and Italy last month and me having done a driving tour of Italy (with a little Switzerland and France thrown in for good measure) back in March, we are both in the frame of mind of really kicking back and taking it easy rather than trying to see how much sightseeing we can cram in. If that means we spend an entire day just wandering around Dingle and hanging out in pubs, great! One thing we will try to fit in if we can is a dog show as we both show dogs ourselves. I also wouldn't mind a few hours at a horse race if we can swing it.
As for Dublin, we weren't actually planning to do anything there this go around. As has been pointed out MANY times, Ireland will still be there for our next trip. :-)