Ireland in Oct

chutchin · Newbie

Ireland in Oct

jedivader · Member

Hey Chutchin.....

Just wanted to comment that my wife and I are going to Ireland for the first time too and decided to do so because of the sweet deal on the flight. We are leaving out of Dulles on 9/30, flying into Dublin.

Have fun!

YaYa · Guru

Chutchin,

Is there any way to slow down some? If the accommodations are set, it'll have to do. Do you sleep well on the plane? Your first day might be just get to Kilkenny safe and sound and rest up for the rest of your tour.

I believe day 2 you might mean Caher Castle or the Rock of Cashel? Or if you didn't see Kilkenny Castle on
day one.

Day 3 you must mean Killarney in county Kerry.

Day 4 might be pushing it with doing Dingle.

Days 5,6,7, and 8 look fine.

Chutchin I've learned by a very,very rude comment I received on Fodors that everybody does not like to hear about driving in Ireland.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and what a lovely surprise.

Kind Regards, Joan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Culllen,

Welcome to my forum! I'm glad that you found a good low-cost flight to Ireland. There are still bargains to be had.

My first comment about your itinerary is that in October the days get much shorter and you might not be able to fit in as much sightseeing as at other times of year. You can take a look at my "Weather Page" for sunrise and sunset times. Scroll down the page to find it.

Depending on how jet-lag hits you, your first day may be a bit hectic. You have a full day of sightseeing and driving packed in.

On day two you likewise have a lot planned. Try for an early start and to get the very first tour of Kilkenny Castle. To avoid Cork City traffic you can take a ferry from Cobh and detour through Kinsale. Although it will still be a lot of driving.

On day three my advice would be to skip the Beara Peninsula because there is a full day of sightseeing just around Killarney.

On day four you have the very same problem of trying to fit in too much. The Dingle Peninsula is very scenic and slow going. Most people devote two days to it but you are just planning a quick glimpse. It is hardly worth doing Dingle and you may want to cut it and go directly to Doolin instead.

My general comments are that you are doing a "quickie" trip to Ireland and getting a little glimpse of it, which is fine if that is your preferred travel style. You have a lot of driving planned (you will average 35 mph!) on mostly little winding roads.

I realize that you already have your reservations and plans made and must stick to them. For others who are in the planning stages, I suggest trying to fit in a two-night stay or more throughout the trip and covering less territory, especially in October.

Do your most important sightseeing first thing and if you don't get to the others on your list you won't be upset. You don't want to be driving around Ireland in the dark (no street lights in most places) and you will get lost. Get an early start each day.

I hope you have a wonderful time. Let us know how the surprise goes.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 17:06, 2007-09-20

jedivader · Member

Chutchin,

I also started off with an extensive trip planned, driving all over the place. I have now settled into

Day 1 - Dublin
Day 2 - Drive to Northern Ireland (staying in Ballycastle)
Day 3 - Northern Ireland
Day 4 - Northern Ireland
Day 5 - Drive towards Dublin (staying in Dun Laoghaire)
Day 6 - Dun Laoghaire
Day 7 - leave for airport

After doing much research and checking forums, especially Fodors, everyone said I was planning too much. This new plan allows us to take the airport bus into Dublin, we can walk around town the rest of that day and take it easy. Taking the bus back to the airport in the morning to get rental car.

While in Northern Ireland, we'll fit in as many sights as we can during our three day stay there.

While in Dun Laoghaire, we'll do things within an easy driving distance.

There is so much more we wanted to see but this new plan allows us to relax a bit more.

jedivader · Member

Just got back. We stuck to this plan for the most part. Wish we had stayed in the northern part of the country longer. Did not care much for Dublin or the areas south of the city (Co. Wicklow). Northern Ireland was beautiful!

Michele Erdvig · Host

jedivader,

Welcome back. I agree that No. Ireland is a fabulous part of the island. I try to get there whenever I can. Dublin is a place that people usually either love or hate, depending on if they are city people. There is a lot of construction ongoing there. Others find it requires more in-depth exploration and then becomes an acquired taste.

I hope you had some good weather. We would enjoy hearing about your trip if you have the time and when the jet lag subsides.

Michele

jedivader · Member

Will post a trip report soon. I think I am still suffering from jet lag, don't remember feeling the lag this much when I returned from Scotland.

The weather was great. Out of six days, only one was overcast and half a day it rained. Otherwise, it was sunny or partly cloudy. Some locals said it was the best stretch of days they have had all year.

Michele Erdvig · Host

jedivader,

Yes, the weather in Ireland was bad most of the year. You hit a good patch. I find jet lag different on each trip. No rhyme or reason to it that I can pinpoint. Thanks for your trip report.

Michele