Honeymoon Discussions

Ireland itinerary

I am thinking of a 4 day self driven tour in Ireland. I would like to fly into Shannon and see Galway and cork. Has anyone done this and have any tips? Thanks in advance!!! Any help is appreciated

Re: Ireland itinerary

  • Driving in Ireland is a fun adventure, do it. Dingle is great. 4 days feels pretty short though. I spent a few weeks and only saw a fraction of the country's charm.
  • AdeleDazeemAdeleDazeem member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited February 2013
    My family flew into Ireland and did a bus tour through Galway and Cork and ended in Dublin.  It was very nice!  Once in Dublin, we rented a car and drove to County Mayo on the Western coast.

    I think it sounds like a nice trip, just realize that many Irish roads are small and windy.  They also are opposite from the US (driving on the left).  We did encounter places where sheep covered the road - that's not just a movie thing.  Ha. 

    Think hard before you do the Ring of Kerry.  Teeny roads on a cliff!  Gorgeous views, but the degree of allowable error can be frightening.
  • Thanks this is great advice! What about just Galway and dingle since its such a short time? This way we could just enjoy two towns instead of being overwhelmed. Do you know of any trains that would take us there to avoid driving? Thanks again!!!
  • Thanks this is great advice! What about just Galway and dingle since its such a short time? This way we could just enjoy two towns instead of being overwhelmed. Do you know of any trains that would take us there to avoid driving? Thanks again!!!
  • I don't believe there are trains that go to Dingle (could be wrong, but I've been researching a similar trip for weeks).  I would take a train from Galway to Kilarney and rent a car for a day once in Kilarney.  Everything I read says that you should really have a car for Dingle - it's a 2-3 hour drive if you take it slowly with stops, and it gives you a chance to get out and see the scenery.  The little fishing town of Dingle itself (at the end of the drive) is also supposed to be adorable.  It's nice not being tied to train schedules.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • There are tour buses that go around the Dingle Peninsula, and make stops to enjoy the scenery. The roads are more treacherous than most of the country so we opted for that, even though I drove throughout the rest of Ireland.
  • Is it just you or will you be with someone?  We went to Ireland with another couple in Oct and honestly did not find driving as treacherous as we had heard or expected.

    What made you decide on Dingle and Galway?

    We booked a trip with Sceptre Tours (via Travelzoo) and were superimpressed.  We had 7 nights and stayed in Kilkenny, Blarney, Limerick and Dublin.  We definitely liked the Irish countryside and coast better than Dublin (just bc we live in Chicago so Dublin, in some ways, was just another big city).

    Cliffs of Moher would be on the top of my list for things to see; we didn't drive entire RoK, but we did spend a little time in Killaerny. I would maybe spend a night or two in Galway and then Killarney the other nights, which is a nice base if you don't mind doing day trips to other sites.

    I blogged about our trip here if you're interested. Let me know if you have any questions!:  http://justcallmehaha.blogspot.com/2012/10/ireland-day-1.html


This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards