Richard

I think staying in Dingle would be a really nice town to stay very nice shops and good restaurants!

We have booked with 12 travel.com and stayed twice at Ardnagashel -- near Bantry, which was fun. Old stable converted into nice suites very near Bantry. You can call 12travel.com (Free Phone Number from USA/CANADA 1-800 - 255 9302) to possibly get the phone number for one night reservation. You can walk to Bantry Bay through a nice wooded area not far from the stables. There is a cute studio right on the water, not real fancy, but beautiful views. It is attached to the original estate. The restaurants on the square are good for Pub Grub.

Connemara area town of Clifden is one of our favorites. The restaurant Off the Square is really good, and be sure to go to Roundtree and see where the work shop where they make the Bodbran (drum) and if you have the opportunity, as to meet the creater Malachy Kearns or his wife Gifty. The shop, work shop, & café are real nice and there is a large store right by this shop that specializes in silver Irish jewelry.
Connemara, in general, has a LOT to see. Staying in Westport would be beautiful!! Nice canals, lined with trees, plenty of shops and it is on the water. We didnt have a chance to stay, but sure will on our next trip in January.

Skibbereen, as Michelle mentioned, is a good choice. We try and make it there each visit. Also, Kinsale is a beautiful sea town, as Michelle mentioned


I wish you lots of fun and memories and hope your wife will have a wonderful time. ( I was in the same place December 2005 with chemo and radiation.)

Youngka

Richard,

You might enjoy the Famine Center in Skibbereen: http://www.skibbheritage.com/famine.htm It could replace the visit to Strokestown. You will also get a lot of info about the famine and immigration at the Queenstown Museum in Cobh and the Ulster American Folk Park.

I think youngka meant to say Roundstone instead of Roundtree. It is a small, picturesque fishing village in Connemara.

I hope you wife's scan comes back clear. The worst part is waiting for the results. Everyone either has family or friends who have been through the same thing. We can certainly sympathize with your situation.

Michele

Richard

I forgot one other place that is a very good & nice little restaurant, good food!, in Kenmare -- called Prego. Owners name is Jerry. He also has a nice place for dinner in Kenmare -- called Bistro. Not far from Bistro -- recently opened it. Very good food -- both places!

Youngka

Michele,


You mention another famine museum in Skibbereen.  Oh, there are too many choices with one in Cobh and Strokestown too.  Strokestown is out of the way but it has a family estate and musuem.  Oh, what to do? I think I need to consult with Michele.

Thanks Michele for the thoughts.  You are so right, this week waiting for next week are the two bad weeks that come up every six months.  You are in a place you do not want to be.  Unfortunately, the surgeon scared the daylights out of me when she said "the tumor was nasty".  I thought all cancer tumors were nasty. I didn't understand.  She said pathology grades them 1-9, this one was a nine and one of the 20% where inhibitor drugs do not work.  So, I read travel books and try my best to plan the best vacations.  So all the help  is much appreciated.

Richard 

Youngka,

We are going to Eugene and Portland to see friends, then into Washington.  On the return we are coming down the coast of Washington and Oregon.
If I can help you with Italy let me know.  I have spent 4-5 months on vacation over there and went to school in Italy for a year during college.  We have seen more or Italy than our Italian friends who live there.

Richard

Sorry,  I did not mean to put material not related to Ireland on this board.  I just did not see the alternative location for unrelated communication.

Richard

Youngka,

I sent an email to the people you suggested about the accommodation at Ardnagashel but they did not respond to my inquiry about a one day rental.

I am trying to cut down on 1 might stays unless a place -location and accommodation is just very special.  So I will probably cut out a night at Bantry, Dingle, Clifden, etc.  I will probably stay in Kilkenny, Galway and Ennis extra nights to cut down on jumping around.

Am I correct that you rented accommodations for a week and do day trips staying put in one place, having breakfast and dinner in the accommodation instead of eating out?  Should I consider staying in two places in the west for a week each?  I understand rentals are by the week, but I could leave a day early from each one if I need to move to a new location-transit day/night.

I am torn between staying in B&B's where the hosts seem to be very helpful in terms of daily guidance within the framework of my itinerary, but then I am moving after every 2-3 night stay, packing up the car unloading the car, leaving the car loaded until arriving every 2-3 days at the next accommodation.

If I do B&B's for N. Ireland and the area south of Dublin over to the west coast and picked two locations on the west coast for apartments, where would be good locations for this?  My mind is not made up because I am not sold on taking the same roads 6-7 days a week and backtracking everyday, at least not on my first trip. 

What do you think?
Richard

Youngka,

How do you feel about me going to Dingle for lunch, stay the afternoon, then depart around 4:00-5:00 to drive back to our accommodation. I am only missing dinner in the area, since sleeping does not require a specific location.

Still, it has been suggested that we go to dinner and spend the night at The Shores at Castlegregory. I have to admit it does look very nice.

I am not sure how I corresponded. I assume they do not want a one night rental.

Staying in a one week rental does take you to the local markets and you do meet people in those circumstancs, but I think the B&B's will give us more contact with the other guests and the owners than the rental. Perhaps if we ever go back we can pick 4 places for a week each as you are doing.

I do not know whether to go North from Dublin, thru N. Ireland over to the Sligo area, then west coast, then the south and then back up to Dublin. Or do I go south to Kilkenny, Kinnsale over to the West Coast, then North and back to Dublin?

What car rental agency have you used? We need an automatic. Can I do with a vehicle smaller than the Toyota Corolla or is there no place for luggage in the smaller vehicles? I am concerned about all the days we need to keep the car full of luggage until we arrive in the late afternoon at the B&B's

Again, why Dingle over Castlegregory? Michele says stay a night in Dingle, Bob says leave Dingle and spend the night at The Shores in Castlegregory, someone else tells me to do the Peninsula in a day drive and return for a 3rd night to the same place so I am not doing so many 1 and 2 night stays.

Your honest opinion is appreciated.

Richard

Richard,

The Shores B&B in Stradbally near Castlegregory is a destination in itself. It is one of the nicest B&Bs in Ireland and Annette is a gourmet chef who makes astounding dinners (and breakfasts) for her guests. She does not do dinners on weekends, only weekdays. It is in a rural area overlooking the sea.

Many people prefer to stay right in Dingle town because they want to be close to the action. They want to walk in for dinner and then go pub crawling at night. Since most pub music starts at 9 or 10, if you are people who are early to bed then pub crawls might not suit your schedule.

As to whether to head north or south from Dublin at the start of the trip, I suppose it would depend on your exact dates. Some areas are best avoided on weekends because of crowds. You might also have some holidays to contend with. In May not everything in No. Ireland is open on weekdays. Therefore it is better to be there on weekends. As you can see doing a good itinerary is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

As for leaving luggage in a car, in over 30 years of travel to Ireland I have never had a single problem with it. You will want to have it in the trunk (or boot as they call it in Ireland). As long as you don't intend to bring lots of huge suitcases you should be fine with a small car.

On the subject of self-catering versus B&Bs - I like them both. Self-catering is more work because you must cook your own breakfast and meals, straighten up after yourself, make beds, etc. At B&Bs you are catered to and you are the guest. When trying to see a good portion of Ireland it makes most sense to stay at B&Bs because you can move on when you want and are not tied down for a week at a time.

Michele

Hi Richard!

Now you are on the right track!

My husband and I prefer the self catering because we can live like we do at home, sleep in forever, rest up for the next day's outings. I am not a B & B person, for reasons that are not important. I actually think you could see more of Ireland in B & B's, stay longer if you like a certain area, etc. I am not able to walk long distances, and a few other medical problems; thus, we use the self catering. Michele knows so much more than I, which I know you know, and I can tell you places to stay at and places for eating so you will have more choices.

It seems like you are planning to go N. or S. and make a loop back to Dublin. I think this is really a good idea, you see so much more of the coastline, which is breath taking. We explore the little places away from the large cities and I have gotten a lot of ideas regarding where to stay and eat on the forum.

You and your wife had a really nice trip, and you have sure gotten a lot of help and ideas. Now to just put them down on paper!!

My son's girlfriend was looking around for me today and found about $850 per person roundtrip, car rental was between $550 to $1400 for the month, depending on what
type of car you wanted. She didn't mention which airline or which car rental. I asked her, maybe we should wait till Dec./Jan. to check again? She does this look up more than I do.

Michele, what are your feelings?

Bit Devine is another person who comes on this site and gives her comments. After you asked Michele who she was, how to reach her, I realized Bit would not even know I mentioned your name, etc. I'll drop her a line.

Have a wonderful trip and I know you are going to get a lot more ideas!
Youngka

Good Morning Richard,

To start with, the rental company that I usually use for my autos is AutoEurope. Michele has a link to their sister company, Kemwel, on her site. I have tried others but have never had the quality of service that I have received from these two companies. As long as you don't overpack and are of average size, you will be fine with a compact car. Since you will be in for a month, I would recommend packing for eight days. On the eighth day, drop your clothes at a wash-n-fold as you head out for the day and pick them up on your return.

As for B&Bs vs Self-catering, I have found self-catering tobe beneficial when traveling with those who have health issues. There are days that I cannot get out of bed. If I am staying at a B&b and have one of these episodes, I feel guilty because I am interrupting their routine. Terefore, I force myself up and out, creating a backlash effect the next day. You can plan day trips from a well located self-catering cottage that will have you only backtracking minimally.

I will say that I find your starting itinerary a bit daunting. Even with a four week window, it seems a bit frantic. I am sure that you will smooth out as we help you plan your trip.

Whenever we have a month in Ireland, we usually break it up with two weeks of B&B and two weeks of self-catering, usually the first and last week B&B and the middle two self-catering. As you are coming in the off-season, you can also inquire as to whether they have "short break" rates, which are usually three nights. The benefit to self-catering is in being able to cook as lite as you wish, sleep in if you wish and in being able to explore more closely a particular region. It didn't take us very long before the grocer knew our names and  what kind of snacks we were in for. I enjoy the self-catering because it allows us, for a week, to become part of the community.

If I were you, I would probably go north from Dublin, spend the first week touring the North, Belfast, Antrim Coast, Derry, then drop down to Sligo, into Galway and down the coast, Dingle, Kenmare, Kinsale. From Kinsale, go up into Skibbereen or Castletownshend, which has a wonderful B&b/ Self-catering. Then head North towards Dublin: New Ross, Kilkenny, Glendalough.  

Staying at the Shores is truly a phenomenal experience and Annette, if advised of the dietary restrictions ahead of time, could most likely accommodate your wife's needs. It is off the beaten path and a destination in its own right. Staying in Dingle town puts you at the heart of Dingle. I recommend Blooming Wildflower Cottage in Dingle. 

As to the Strokestown House, it is indeed a phenomenal museum. That being said, Skibb also has a fabulous museum which covers th famine years quite thoroughly. It is on your route and there is no need to make a detour or special trip as you would to go to Strokestown. (Yes,Yes, I know, everyone can quit gasping, I am dissuading someone from visiting Co. Roscommon)

Once you have your airline ticklets purchased and your "must sees" winnowed down, we can make further lodging recommendations.Bear in mind when you are planning your routes, narrow roads and unusual traffic (sheep,pedestrians, bicycles, tour buses, farm equipment) make for much slower driving. Whichever route planning site you might use, disregard their estimated times. Instead, take the distance, convert to miles and divide by 30 to get your actual driving time. Then factor in stops for "must-take-a-picture" and "oh-did-you-see-that?" Make your lists, mark each on a map, calculate the distances in between and then start winnowing them down.

Remember Ireland is best experienced like a good whiskey, small, slow sips, savoring each moment and place. The sites are a wonderful part of the Ireland experience but it is her people that leave the most lasting impression.

Slan Beo (Take Care),

Bit

Richard,

No matter where I travel around the world the forum is my "home away from home". Although I couldn't check in for a couple of days, I always pop back up as I check on my "baby" as often as I can under the circumstances.

I see you have connected up with Bit. If you stick around here you will find some wonderful advice from her. Actually, for your first trip and knowing nothing you are doing a good job. You have found the forum and you also contacted me to make your itinerary once we know your firm dates. When I went to Ireland for the first time I knew far, far less and still had a fantastic time.

Don't worry, your trip will come together and all fall into place. Once you return you will wonder why you were ever worried about it to begin with! But it is fun thinking about it and changing the pieces of the puzzle around to see what would happen.

I think you are leaning toward B&Bs because of the interaction with others and the help of your hosts. There is a lot to be said for that. Also if you want a real "vacation" there is nothing like having someone else make your breakfast, do the dishes, make the beds, clean the rooms, etc. That means less for you to do and more time for other things. By the time you have to make those decisions, you will be an informed traveler. You are learning more every day.

Michele

Bit,

I will look at your suggestions and make some inquiries. If they will let me stay for 3-4-5 nights, maybe I should consider that a diversion from 4 weeks of B&B breakfasts and schedules.

Alternatively should I stay a week at Burren and a Week at the Courtyard or perhaps 6 days in each, leaving a day early to move on. If I do these places, then I miss staying overnight in Dingle or at the Shores?

So I miss staying in Dingle, miss a stay at The Shores, miss another of your favorite places, the family home and museum in Strokestown?

I am missing so many favorites?

Richard

Richard,

We are staying two places in the Burren, reservations already made. I have made reservations for all four of the places that we are staying at for year 2008......

Bit, how do you access the site telling about Croughmore (isn't this the one you told me about)

http://www.doonbeg-ireland.com/clare/burrenholidayhome/index.html Corofin (County Clare) -- near Cliffs of Moher

Your outline sounds pretty good, Bit. Makes a nice loop.....

Youngka