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Where to go - Connemara, Southwest, or The Burren areas

My husband & I have 3 days in Ireland. We will be flying into either Shannon airport or Kerry airport from Dublin. The airport depends on the region that we decide to visit. We will be renting a car but are not interested in blitzing crazily for 3 days. We want to get a taste of the Ireland's atmosphere, countryside and scenery. We will be there in July. Any suggestions as to what area we should concentrate on for our trip?

Posted by
9363 posts

My preference would be Shannon airport. From there you can visit Limerick, the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, the Burren, and Bunratty Castle -- all within easy reach of the airport.

Posted by
45 posts

Go for Shannon airport. There are so many places to choose from in the area. the hard part will be weeding them down to an enjoyable three days.
The Strand guesthouse in Kilkee is a great place to stay if you head up to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren.

Posted by
712 posts

I would fly into Shannon and explore that area. I had 2 trips to Ireland. On the first trip I flew into Dublin and took a bus tour that left us in Shannon. On the 2nd trip we flew into Shannon and rented a car to explore Dingle, Bunratty, Cliffs of Moher, etc. My first trip made we want to spend more time just in the Shannon area for all the reasons the last 2 people said. With just 3 days you probably would not get down to Dingle.

Posted by
522 posts

Shannon airport hands down.

You'll get a great taste of the atmosphere, countryside, and scenery from any/all of the destinations you mention. The Burren is an easy drive from Shannon. A bit farther north is the start of Connemara, but it's a large area with lots of slow roads. The southwest is fantastic. With only three days, I'd suggest focusing on either the southwest or burren/connemara. If you get through one of those quickly, add the other. Any chance you can tack on a couple more days?