Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Return to IrelandYes.com Website -> Ireland Travel Forum -> Ask Michele: Ireland Travel Forum -> Ireland Trip In November
Post Info TOPIC: Ireland Trip In November
Marnie


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 5
Date:
Ireland Trip In November
Permalink  

Michele,

My first trip to Ireland in January  2006 was a whirlwind trip with a good friend whose son lived near Dublin (half of our time was spent near Dublin).  The 5 1/2 days that we had left to tour on our own  was a quick taste of  Kinsale, along the coast to Kenmare (by way of Mizzen Head) Muckross House, Killarney, Kilkenny, and back to Dublin.    

This time I am arriving at the Shannon  Airport and starting the trip from there. 
I am going crazy trying to figure out how to see one or two things on the east coast (Avoca, and The Kennedy Homestead near Wicklow) and still spend the majority of my time between Galway and Kinsale    My husband and I are arriving November 5th and leaving the 16th, both from Shannon  Airport. (I really don't want to go into Dublin this time.)  There hasn't been too much said about the midlands of Ireland so I really want to just zip through on a highway from Avoca to Galway, Cong, etc .
 As an anniversary present our children have paid for a two day consecutive stay at the Killarney Park Hotel in Killarney. It is a special package they are offering and check in can only be on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. We can use it either the first or second week we are in Ireland. I am trying to build our itinerary around this gift and am going nuts!   Is it possible to make Killarney a home base for these two days to see Dingle or the Ring of Kerry?  The other sights we would like to see are as follows:
Cliffs Of Moher

The Burren  (just a taste)

Ring Of Kerry or Dingle Peninsula
Mizzen Head
Kinsale
Kennedy Homestead (don't have to see it, but it would be nice)
Avoca  (really want to see it)
Cong (ancestors came from there) and grounds of Ashford Castle
Galway
Pubs in the evening
As much of the coast as we can.

We are renting a car as soon as we arrive at around 9am on Monday, November 5th and would like to end our trip at a town close by Shannon Airport the evening before we leave and are thinking of making reservations at the Bunratty Meadows. Our flight home is scheduled for Friday, November 16th at 11:45 am.  Any suggestions on how I should arrange this itinerary would be much appreciated.   Sorry for the rambling.

__________________
Michele Erdvig


Host

Status: Offline
Posts: 10695
Date:
Permalink  

Marnie,

Welcome to the forum! What a great gift from your kids. The Killarney Park Hotel is very nice. Since you are traveling in November you need to be aware that days are short. You will not be able to do as much as you might think.

The "fly in the ointment" so to speak is your wish to see Avoca. It is all the way on the east coast and everything else is far distant from it. If you were flying into Dublin and out of Shannon you would more easily be able to fit it in.

At this point, I think you need to whittle down you "must see" list. Decide which things are most important and get rid of the others.

As you know zipping through Ireland is pretty slow and more like meandering along than zipping.

I always suggest everyone start out with a blank calendar, map, their dates and just start fooling around with different itineraries to see what they can come up with. It does take time and work but you have the time for your planning. Be sure to consider how much territory you actually want to cover in November.

Michele



__________________

"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

Click links for Michele's Book or Custom Ireland Itinerary

Visit Michele's Irish Shop for unique Irish gifts and beautiful photos of Ireland.
Marnie


Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 5
Date:
Permalink  

Michele,  Ok, I see your point.  If I would save Avoca for the next time, are the other towns doable in one eleven day trip? In what order would you visit them knowing that we have to stay two days in Killalrney?  Thank you again for your help. 

__________________
Michele Erdvig


Host

Status: Offline
Posts: 10695
Date:
Permalink  

Marnie,

With Avoca and the Wexford area out of the picture I think you can easily see the rest during your time in Ireland. You should consider as many multiple night stays in each area as possible, mixing in a couple of one-night stays where necessary.

You can easily do a couple of loops or a figure-eight route from Shannon and back. One loop would take in Galway, Cong and Cliffs of Moher. The other would go south. It really doesn't matter in which order you do it. Just block in the Killarney Park and fool around with it till your itinerary starts coming together.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 16:56, 2007-06-30

__________________

"Ireland Expert"  Michele Erdvig

Click links for Michele's Book or Custom Ireland Itinerary

Visit Michele's Irish Shop for unique Irish gifts and beautiful photos of Ireland.
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Return to IrelandYes.com Website -> Ireland Travel Forum -> Ask Michele: Ireland Travel Forum -> Ireland Trip In November
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard