If you do not want to rent a car and drive or do the tour group - would travelling on the train from Dublin/Waterford/Cork/Dingle/Ennis/Shannon work on the trains and do tours out of each city?
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
Train service in Ireland is fairly limited and connecting through Dublin is sometimes necessary, thus making for roundabout routes. There is no train service to either Dingle or Shannon. You could take the train to Tralee and a bus from there to Dingle. You could take the train to either Limerick or Ennis and a bus from there to Shannon.
Bus service is much more extensive. See the Journey Planner at www.buseireann.ie.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
When our tour group was staying in Limerick I took the bus to Shannon to rent a car. It was a local which stops at every village. At that time there was no other way to get there.
Do a google search for RR schedules between the towns you will visit.
Posted by
New York, NY
319 posts
Eris,
As others have noted, public transit is severely limited in western Ireland. I would definitely consider a car unless it is absolutely not possible for you to do so.
If it's not, then Dingle might be a good place to stay. Once you arrive, you won't need a car to get around and enjoy the sights. You can even see the Slea Head peninsula drive by bike.
Best of luck with your planning. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
The bus is probaly your best public transport option. You can either book tickets similar to taking a greyhound bus in the states or book short tours that take you to designated sites. I've done one daytrip out of Dublin on BusEirann that worked really well and was a great value.