August Itinerary help needed!

gospaulding · Member

August Itinerary help needed!

CowboyCraic · Guru

Katy,

First off, Welcome to the Forum!

I think with a little tweaking you're itinerary will be great. I would recommend:

Friday Aug 1 - fly Los Angeles to Dublin ( a LONG overnight flight)
Sat Aut 2- arrive Dublin 10am Drive Dublin to Kilkenny
Sun Aug 3 - Drive Kilkenny to Kinsale
Mon Aug 4 -Kinsale
Tues Aug 5 - Drive Kinsale to Dingle
Weds Aug 6 - Dingle (groom has family in Dingle we want to visit)
Thurs Aug 7 -Drive Dingle to Galway
Friday/Sat/Sunday - Wedding stuff in Galway (ceremony at Kilcolgan Castle!)
Mon Aug 11 - Drive Galway to Dublin
Tues Aug 12 - Dublin
Weds Aug 13 - fly home in AM

By staying in Dublin the last two days of your trip, you can add an extra day to Dingle, which definitely needs more than one overnight. Turn in your rental car when you get into Dublin, as you won't need it there. This will save you two days the cost of rental.

In driving Dingle to Galway, catch the Tarbert/Killimer ferry
and drive up the coast road, which will allow you to visit the Cliffs of Moher, have lunch, perhaps in Doolin, explore the Burren and wind up in Galway.

As for lodging in Dublin, I always stay at Abberley House B&B and have never been disappointed. It is not too far from the Botanical Gardens or Temple BAr.

Slan Beo (Take Care),

Bit

gospaulding · Member

Thanks so much for your input! I had seen a post where you mentioned taking the ferry to see the cliffs to someone else and had already taken note of it.

So you don't think it's too crazy an itinerary? I was worried the drives from Kinsale to Dingle and then Dingle to Galway might be to long for us to really enjoy the ride. We like to stop a lot. But you think they are doable...and in an enjoyable way?

If we had to cut something--in order to relax more-- what would you choose?

thanks again for your help!--katy

gospaulding · Member

oh...and one more question... you suggest we drive to Kilkenny the day we arrive in Dublin... I was worried that would be too much after an 11 hour over night flight. How long does it take to drive to Kilkenny and how crazy are the roads for that stretch?

thanks again-katy

Michele Erdvig · Host

Katy,

You are in good hands with Bit's advice and I thank her for helping you while I was away from the forum for a few days. It takes approximately 1 1/2 hours to drive from Dublin airport to Kilkenny. If you get caught in traffic it can take a little longer. By going there directly it will give your trip a jump start.

How fun to be attending an Irish wedding. You are in for a real treat!

Michele

Quack Grass · Newbie

This itinerary seems to hit up a lot of the places I'd like to visit as well -- can anyone provide some guidance on how long it generally takes to drive from Kilkenny to Kinsale, Kinsale to Dingle, Dingle to Galway (via the Ferry), and Galway to Dublin? Just trying to figure out how many of these we can fit in...thanks in advance to the experts out there!

Quack Grass · Newbie

Of course just after I posted, I saw Michele's suggestion in another post regarding http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/. I checked out the various trips, and here's what I came up with -- do these seem right to anyone else who has actually done them?

Kilkenny to Kinsale: 2 hrs, 43 min.

Kinsale to Dingle: 2 hrs, 44 min.

Dingle to Galway: 3 hrs, 37 min. (note, this is not going by Ferry, though I'd still like to know how long that route would take)

Galway to Dublin: 3 hrs, 12 min.

Many thanks!

Ashley

-- Edited by Quack Grass at 22:51, 2008-05-06

CowboyCraic · Guru

Good Morning Katy & Ashley,

When usingthe aaireland site, you must keep in mind that their driving times are quite optimistic. Use Michele's rule of 35. Take the distance, after converting it to miles, and multiply by 35. This will give you a more accurate tiem frame. It will not take in to account all of the "oh, stop, turn around ..I must have a picture" moments, "faery led" adventures or numerous road issues such as pedestrians, large farm equipment, livestock, bicyclists, Lorries, etc. The itinerary which I suggested will not overly tax you as far as driving is concerned. I am not fond of experiencing Ireland through a windshield.

As for the Dingle to Galway route, as I said in another post, taking the Ferry gives you a twenty minute period to get out of the car & stretch. It also knocks off about 80 - 85 miles.

Slan Beo, Bit

Michele Erdvig · Host

Ashley,

I think Bit meant to say divide by 35 not multiply. That will give you a pretty fair estimate but will not take into account sightseeing or photo ops.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

Thanks Michele,

Indeed I did. Sometimes what my brain send sto my fingers doesn't come out right on paper! weirdface

Slan Beo, Bit

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bit,

I have the exact same problem at times. In a few years I suppose it will be called "senior moments".

Michele