Welcome to my forum. It is a long way from Argentina to Ireland. I know you want to make best use of your time. First, you might want to combine Cork/Kinsale and Galway/Clifden since they are so close. How long you stay in each place will be determined by the sightseeing you want to do in each area.

Sit down with your calendar, map and must do list and try to come up with a plan. We are here to help you fine tune it. You have lots of time to plan.

Michele

Gasoline was about 1.50E per liter earlier this month. Try to get a diesel car, fuel is cheaper and they say you get better mileage. The B&Bs we used were around 30-40E per person, but your can spend more. Prices are not much different in Northern Ireland.

I think you have too much. I would suggest a minimum of 2 nights per place. Probably 3, because you arrive in the evening of night one, spend a day sightseeing in the area, spend night two, another day sightseeing, night three, leave for next place, sightseeing on the way.

Just looking at your proposed itinerary gives me a green blur. I would decide on a theme. For example Castles, Music, Prehistoric places, Catholic places, Spiritual Ecology. Islands. Rocks. Etc. Then do a little research and plan your route. As Michele said, your goals will help you decide how long to stay. If you don't stay focused, you will feel like a kid in a candy store. And you can bet that you will not see everything you would like to.

On our first trip three years ago we rented a house on the Dingle peninsula. We spent a lot of time there, and you know what? -- We went back this month (for 3 nights) and saw even more that we had not seen before! We have yet to take a boat out to the Skelligs.

Don't forget to bring good rain gear, hiking boots, and binoculars! An audio recorder would be good too, esp. for pub music.

It would be a shame to have 17 days and not see some of the North. As a road trip the Island can be seen in a minimum 14 days round the coast. You will have some idea of why you decided on the Island of Ireland and what you want to see, what you want to do. Take some time to meet and mix with the locals and add the odd non tourist spot into the mix. Two days in each place would be enough on a road trip or select one place as a touring base for 7 days Sat-Sat to get a real feel for a particular area.

On one of our trips to Ireland we did visit all the places you listed with the exception of Kinsale and Sligo. Arriving at Shannon we did multiple nights in Killarney-4, Cork-2, Waterford-1, Kilkenny-1, Dublin-2, and Galway-3, with the last night in the Shannon area.

We did not feel like we were rushed and saw everything we had on our list including, Bunratty, Adare, Dingle, Gap of Dunloe, ROK, Ross Castle, Muckross, Blarney, Cobh, Cahir, Cashel, Cong, Cliffs of Moher and much more. Your 17 day trip is even longer than we had.

It's not like you are trying to see all of Ireland, but are keeping your list with the exception of Sligo, pretty much south of a line between Dublin and Westport. I think your list is very doable with good planning.

That trip helped us to decide which parts of Ireland to spend more time on for future trips. Now we have our favorite places in Ireland and spend at least a week in each area.

I always start by making a "must see" list. I put the most important things first. Then if I don't get to the ones lower on the list it doesn't bother me. You can't ever see everything unless you live there. Also, remember that sightseeing takes time. For instance if you visit the Bru na Boinne Center and see Newgrange and Knowth it will take about 4 hours minimum. Many people forget to budget for the actual visiting times.

Everyone has different interests. Whether it is gardens, fishing, golfing, castles, etc. So take your interests to make up your itinerary.

After 3 months time of reading, planning and so, my wife and I were able to get a 'doable' trip (I guess). We have mixed our initial itinerary with  kimmyontheinternet's (http://ireland.activeboard.com/t48825510/september-2012-16-day-itinerary/) and got this one:

Wed Day 01: Fly to Dublin

 

Thu Day 02: Arrive in Dublin -> (Dublin)

Fri Day 03: Pick up rental car in Dublin -> Sligo (Sligo)

Sut Day 04: Sligo -> Westport (Wesport)

Sun Day 05: Connemara scenic drive: Clifden, Inagh Valley, Kylemore Abbey (Galway)

Mon Day 06: Galway -> Cliffs of Moher, Doolin town exploration (Doolin)

Tue Day 07: Doolin -> Dingle with Conor Pass scenic drive (Dingle)

Wed Day 08: Dingle town exploration and Slea head drive (Dingle)

Thu Day 09: Dingle -> Kenmare via Killarney: Muckross House (Kenmare)

Fri Day 10: Kenmare -> Kinsale: Kinsale town exploration (Kinsale)

Sut Day 11: Charles Fort, Desmond Castle, Kinsale town (Kinsale)

Sun Day 12: Kinsale -> Cork/Blarney Castle (Kinsale)

Mon Day 13: Kinsale -> Kilkenny via Cahir/Cashel (Kilkenny)

Tue Day 14: Killkenny town exploration ( Castle, St. Candice Cathedral)

Wed Day 15: Killkenny -> Dublin (Dublin) drop off car

Thu Day 16: Dublin (Dublin)

Fri Day 17: Dublin (Dublin)

Sut Day 18: Fly out

 

An alternative plan for day 2 is go to Sligo by train (instead of staying in Dublin) and pick up the car there on day 4 (Drop off car in Dublin on day 15)

What do you think??? Thanks in advance.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

 

 

 

 

Thanks Michele, I'll do another try. Sligo is in the itinerary just because my wife likes W.B.Yeats and wanted to visit that place. We have no relatives in Ireland.

Having just spent several days in and around Sligo on my Retirement Tour I would like to echo Michele's comments.

If you really want to SEE Yeat's Country, you'll need more than one night.  Either driving, or by train, Dublin to Sligo is going to take at LEAST four hours.

If you drive, you'll have to do so single-mindedly, without stops for the NUMEROUS points of interest along the way, which would be a pity.

Official travel time, Connolly Station to Sligo is three, but logistics of getting to/from the Stations and securing a rental car will add 1-2 more.  That leaves enough time to visit the Yeat's Society House and take some photos of the statue, but little else.  With a bit more time, you could also visit Drumcliff (High Crosses, Round Tower and Yeat's Grave), see Benbulben and or the Lake Isle of Innisfree ...   

It is always tempting to try to 'Tick All The Boxes' on a first visit to Ireland, but the reality is that even after multiple trips (I'm begining the planning for our 17th), many sites have to be passed by.  Ireland is DENSELY packed with wonders of antiquity, amazing visuals and people of enormous wit, wisdom and spirit.  Weather, often unpredictable, can (and often DOES) play havoc with carefully detailed plans.

Still, and all, most of us have done the, "If this is Tuesday, we must be in Galway" Tour, at one time or another -- what Michele calls 'The Green Blur Tour' of Ireland, as in, you see MOST of the country as a Green Blur, just beyond the windshield ...

But, everyone has different traveling styles and some people actually enjoy a more frentic pace.  Even now, I still often insert some ocassional 'One Night Stands' into MY itineraries.

Some pointers, in that regard --

Buy a medium sized, collapsable duffle bag (Walmart sells one for about $10) to use as an over-night bag, so that you don't need to hump ALL your luggage in and out of a one-night B&B.

Make contingency plans for foul weather.

Thoroughly research your route for nearby points of interest.

Allow PLENTY of lee-way to your time table, vis a vis, travel time, stop time and site visiting time.

Visiting Ireland invariably involves making some hard choices, as to what to see and what to pass by -- Or, to SAVE, for ANOTHER trip!!!     

So MUCH to see -- So little time ...   

Bob

 

Keep at it. The fine-tuning process of creating an itinerary is important. It helps you get rid of less interesting things lower on your list of things to see and concentrate on the more important things. You rarely get it right on the first or second try. Try, try again. And you will come up with one that is just right.  

Michele/Andi, thanks for your comments and data about Yeats. I promise not to give in until I get a good & doable itinerary.

Thank you CowboyCraic. I really appreciate your suggestions about Sligo/Yeats.

I had forgotten about the Winter flooding in '09...The restoration work was to have begun last February with a schedule open date of June last....but I believe that I read that it had been pushed back due to funding issues...

Still closed. a ruin in the making there may be some eforts made next year but it is just being left to overgrow http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony2phones/sets/72157629330398445/   http://www.irelandtravelkit.com/william-butler-yeats-retreat/  http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g186607-i428-k3617269-Yeats_Thoor_Ballylee-County_Galway_Western_Ireland.html

Was past just before Christmas it's on the way down to the Kennels for the dog. Thing is it would take a crew from FAS no time to just tidy the place up,,If it was not under the control of Faite I then the local Chamber of Commerce might have done the job like they did with some of the church and graveyards around town.