HELP planning June Ireland Two-week Vacation

Jesinka · Member

HELP planning June Ireland Two-week Vacation

Michele Erdvig · Host

Jesinka,

Welcome to my forum! Everyone here will be happy to help you with your trip to Ireland. And there are lots of very informed members here who have been to Ireland multiple times. You could say we are all addicted to the Emerald Isle.

It is easy to get "information overload" when planning. With only two weeks you are correct that you will not be able to see everything. I suggest making a list of "must sees" in order of importance to you. Check a map to see where most of those places are clustered. Then make your decisions on what to cut.

For instance let's say that you have 20 things you want to do in the SW and 2 you want to do in Sligo. The obvious place to cut from your itinerary would be Sligo. Also try not to go to extremes. By that I mean going from the very SW to NE and everything in between. It just can't be comfortably done in two weeks unless you want to be driving in your car the whole time.

I suggest you go to my "Getting Started" page. Contact Tourism Ireland for your free books, booklets and map. Your local library will have books about Ireland for you to read and photo books to look at. See what is attracting you the most. When you have some ideas let us know so that we can help you refine your trip.

Looking forward to helping you plan a great trip.

Michele

Jesinka · Member

Hi Michele-

Thank you so much for your advice. Since I first wrote we have confirmed our flight from June 6 - June 21, (yay!). Now I am working on an itinerary, but am stuck on a few things. I just recently received the free booklets and map from Tourism Ireland, which has been a huge help. Maybe you and the other experienced travelers here can help with my questions. Here is what I had in mind.

June 7 - June 9 Arrive Dublin airport in early morning -head into North Ireland. We want to see antrim and Belfast, the giant causeway, carrack-a-rede rope bridge and maybe bushmills distillary. Here are some questions about this:
1. We can spend 3 days in No. Ireleand. Is this too little/too much time to see
these sites?
2. Can we base our stay in one place or will we need to stay in two locations?
3. Is it necessary to rent a car to travel in No. Ireland. We are planning to rent
one to explore the south, but am unsure if it is needed up north. Perhaps the
public transportation there will suffice?

June 10 Driving Day. Head South along the eastern coast stopping along the way as we feel. Ideally we wanted to base in Kilkenny by early evening.

June 11-12 Spend two days in Kilkenny area, one day exploring the hook lighthouse, dunbrody and enniscorthy, and second day seeing waterford factory and nearby areas.
1. Obviously we are ambitious, can you
recommended the most fun/interesting of the sites in this area? We are not
partial to any sites at this moment, although I do love lighthouses :)

June 13-14 Drive to Kilarrney stopping spending time in Cork on the way. We would like to see the ring of kerry and its villages and possibly limmerick on the way out. I love Frank McCourt works and thought it would be great to see this city, although I am not sure what is there?

June 15-16 Two Days in Co. Clare seeing the cliffs of Moher, the burren, aran islands

June 17-18 Galaway City and surrounding
1. Maybe a castle? Dont know where to fit this in yet, or which castle to visit? Any
ideas? I would love a mideval reenactment if available?

June 18-21 arrive Dublin in evening and relax until departure for home :)

Basically we are spending around two-three nights in each area, and exploring the surrounding sites. I know there are some questions in the itinerary and that it is probably overloaded. However, we are Philadelphians, who are used to busy life, so I figured we would be over ambitious in the middle of the trip and save relaxing for both no. ireland and dublin. We are very easy going people who are up for spontaneous changes, but still, I would like to know if this seems that it is too intense of an itinerary or if there are any further recommendations that I may have missed or that you think is too much??? We do not mind driving, in fact we enjoy it, so that will not be a problem for us. Again, we have never been to Ireland so I am just speculating driving time (I hear it is longer than in the US) and times in cities.

Lastly, we do not have kids yet, and plan on coming back once we do. With this said, if there is anything family oriented that I may leave out of this trip to save for a future trip Or if there is anything adult geared that I may have missed that would be helpful?

I look forward to suggestions :)

Thanks a million.

Jessica

CowboyCraic · Guru

Jessica,

You might be interested in doing a counter-clockwise tour such as this:

June 7: Arrive Dublin, Pick-up rental car and head for Belfast (two nights) and explore Belfast (I would suggest a Black Taxi tour or a hop-on/off bus tour)

June 8: day trip to the Antrim coast and its environs: Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-rede, Bushmills

June 9: Head from Belfast to Galway (three nights lodging) In the evening, you might work in your castle experience at Dungaire Castle in Kinvara

June 10: Catch the ferry from Rossaveal to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands)

June 11: Explore the Connemara region: Kylemore Abbey, Connemara National Park, Cong, etc

June 12: Head south from Galway to Killarney taking the coast road through the Burren, stop over at the Cliffs of Moher, Catch the Kilimer/Tarbert Ferry and proceed to Killarney (3 nights lodging)

June 13: Take the Gap of Dunloe tour

June 14: Day trip either Ring of Kerry or Dingle Peninsula

June 15: head to Wexford (1 night lodging) catch the car ferry to Ballyhack and then down the peninsula to Hook head lighthouse - then proceed to Wexford for the night

June 16: head to Kilkenny (2 nights lodging)

June 17: explore the sights surrounding Kilkenny or take a day trip to the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle

June 18: Head to Dublin (3 nights lodging): Turn in your rental car prior to entering Dublin and take ground transportation to your lodgings. If it is too early to check-in, then leave your luggage and explore Dublin

This type of tour would allow you to see those areas which you have indicated a desire to see whilst allowing for less backtracking.

Slan Beo (Take Care), Bit

-- Edited by CowboyCraic at 00:36, 2009-03-01

Michele Erdvig · Host

Jessica,

Bit has given you a nice loop trip around Ireland instead of the backtracking one you posted. Although driving from Belfast to Galway will take most of a day. You will still have a very active trip with lots of sightseeing.

You can see what you outlined for No. Ireland in three days. Don't miss going down to all the beaches and coves along the Antrim coast or Dunluce Castle. It really is a superb drive.

I suggest you rent a car in Dublin and drive up to Belfast. The car will give you the freedom to go where you want, when you want. It will let you explore off-the-beaten-path places like scenic Torr Road where the tour buses do not go. My personal preference is to stay on the Antrim Coast, but you could opt to stay in Belfast and do day trips. Just choose a city hotel with parking available. I like the peace and quiet of the countryside with views of the sea.

Michele

Jesinka · Member

A warm thanks to both of you, Bit and Michele, for your time and efforts. I see what you mean about back tracking, so we will go on the counter-clockwise loop of the island. The itinerary looks great and I love the idea of staying in a few places for a few nights each, instead of one night in different locations. Thanks again for your help!

I did do a little bit of research and we have decided to take Michele's suggestion and stay on the antrim coast, not in Belfast. From what I have read it isnt a very scenic city and safety can be a concern. Also, finding a hotel with parking seemed to be very difficult, if we wanted a central location. Still - we will stop and do one of the tours as Bit suggested on the first day, then we continue to our coastal lodging and do the northern attractions on the second day.

My question remains, can anyone recommend a nice area/small town to stay along the coast? I was told Potrush is a nice summer town but is quiet in June. Also, it seems a bit far for travelling from Dublin in one day? We like the idea of having a few places to eat/drink, socialize, relax, walk etc. nearby. But- complete remoteness = complete relaxation and that is OK too.

Also, my husband has requested to see Derry, if it can be fit into our schedule. Can this be fit in on our drive to Galaway or does this require more than a few hours? I didnt see much about things to see there, except a walking tour around the wall that details the city's history. If we do decide to stop there, should we then spend night 1 on the east coast of Antrim and night 2 closer to Derry OR should we stay in one place centrally located for the two nights, and sacrafice the beautiful coastal car ride/views?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences :)

Jessica

Michele Erdvig · Host

Jessica,

You really don't have time for Derry. You are stretching it to fit in what you have now.

The drive from Dublin to Belfast takes about 2 hours on a good highway for most of the way. From there you could cut straight up inland through Ballymena and Ballymoney to the Antrim coast. That will most likely take another 1 1/2 hours. If you don't want to drive that far on your first day you will have to tinker with your itinerary and have an extra day for the Antrim coast.

Consider staying in Ballycastle or Bushmills. Take a look at my Lodgings page for suggestions.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

Jessica,

My favorite place to stay on the Antrim coast would be Crockatinny Guesthouse. That being said, you would probably rather be in a small town or village on the coast so that you have some night life.

It is approximately 130 miles between Dublin and Portrush. You could certainly stay in Portrush. You could also make Derry your destination and day trip to the Antrim Coast from there. It is approximately 120 miles from Dublin To Derry. Both would be a hard pull on your first day though. You would have to make more frequent stops to get out and stretch to combat jetlag.

You could also look to staying in Cushendall, a small village in the Glens of Antrim area. I loved my stay there at Cullentra House. I have also enjoyed a few nights at the Village B&B in Cushendall. The Village B&B is in Cushendall proper and next door to a great pub. Cullentra House is outside the village but has fabulous views.

You could do a circular day trip from Cushendall to Ballymena then to Derry and, from Derry, head up and over along the Antrim Coast and then back down into Cushendall on your one full day in the area, as well.

You might also consider staying in Belfast at least overnight the first night. There are some amazing things to see in Belfast. I never felt I was unsafe there at all. I walked everywhere at all hours of the day and night without a worry. The Stormont Hotel offers free parking for its quests and is close to City Centre. Tara Lodge is also a nice hotel with free on-site parking.

Slan Beo, Bit

-- Edited by CowboyCraic at 16:45, 2009-03-02

Jesinka · Member

Hi Michele and Bit-

Thank you for your quick responses. It seems we will tinker with our No. Ireland itinerary. I will let you know what we decide and what we confirm soon. I plan to have our accommodations booked with the next 1-2 weeks.

Right now we just have our airlines and car rental booked. And yes, the car rental required a lot of time and research and made for many headaches. I'm happy the worst part is over and I look forward to finishing up the accommodations soon. Thank you again for your advice. It has been such a help discussing the foundation of the trip with you.

Just a quick note to those planning a Ireland vacation soon. Aer Lingus has a great sale now for the spring and summer. About two weeks ago, I booked direct flights in June from New York to Dublin for $580 per person, including taxes. This was the sale price in February, and I thought it was great compared to the other airlines.

I looked back today and found that the new sale price for the exact itinerary is $525 per person. I called the airline but they refused to refund the difference. I did not think they would, but then again thought it never hurts to ask. Anyways, I believe this sale end March 6th, so if you are planning on buying do it soon.

Also, if you book with Orbitz.com they will refund you the money if the prices fall. In retrospect, we should have done this, but I usually try not to book with the large search engines. However, with the economy problems today, I would not be surprised if the prices continue to fall. Just thought -- hope it helps.

Jessica

Michele Erdvig · Host

Jessica,

I am happy to hear that everything is coming together for your trip. I agree that the car rental is the worst part of the whole planning process. If you can get through that, it will be clear sailing. I hope you had a look at my Car Rental page beforehand?

Thanks for the tips on the Aer Lingus sales. We enjoy having you as a forum member. And we would love to hear about your trip when you return.

Michele

Jesinka · Member

Hi Michele and the rest of the forum readers!

So happy that my trip is finally coming together. I do not think I could have done it without you! So here it what we have so far. The first three days are a bit packed and the rest seems more relaxed.

Day 1 - Arrive Dublin drive to Belfast, explore Belfast
Night 1- Sleep in Belfast

Day 2 - Drive up Antrim Coast - See all the sites we can manage in that day - definitely causeways, dunluce castle, and rope bridge
Night 2 - Sleep Portrush

Day 3 - Longest Driving Day - See Derry in the morning and continue to Westport (Maybe stopping in Slingo for break, seems to be the halfway point) Hoping to arrive and explore Westport in the late afternoon/early evening.
Night 3 - Sleep Westport

Day 4 - explore Connemara region making way to Galway
Night 4 - Sleep Galway

Day 5- Explore more Connemara Region or Galway City (Dungaire Castle evening)
Night 5 - Sleep Galway

Day 6- Drive South to Kenmare (Another long driving day - but scenic - thinking of driving through Ennis ??) Driving through, Burren and stopping at Cliffs of Moher
Night 6 - Sleep Kenmare

Day 7- Gap of Dunloe and Lakes/ Killarney - Rent bikes or hike (No long drives today!!!)
Night 7- Sleep Kenmare

Day 8 - Muckross House and drive to Cobh
Night 8 - Sleep Cobh

Day 9 - See Kinsale and Jameson's Distillery
Night 9 - Sleep Cobh

Day 10- See Rock of Cashels - drive to Kilkenny
Night 10- Sleep Kilkenny

Day 11- Explore kilkenny and nearby caves
Night 11- Sleep Kilkenny

Day 12- Drive to Dublin - stopping in Wicklow - powerscort gardens - Arrive lunch time
Night 12- Dublin

Day 13&14 - Dublin
Night 13&14 - Dublin

Whew! It will be a very busy and exciting trip and we are psyched to go! Are we missing anything that is a must-see??

Also, Was curious if anyone knows of discount cards or student discounts for the sites we plan to see? I keep reading about Heritage cards on the various websites, but hear there are other options too. Does anyone have experience with these? Thanks for everyone's Help!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Jessica,

I have used the Heritage Card as well as the mostly 2-for-1 admissions provided by Heritage Island. Those who order my book get the Heritage Island discount brochure free. However, I have not yet received the 2009 brochures. I expect them to arrive from Ireland any day now.

You do have a lot packed into your trip. However, you can decide when there if you want to skip something in favor of relaxing.

On Day 6 you can drive down the coast of Clare, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher and take the ferry across the Shannon. Continue on to Killarney and then Kenmare.

On Day 8 seeing Muckross House from Kenmare and then driving east is backtracking. Try to see Muckross on one of the days you are driving through Killarney instead.

You might consider two nights in Kinsale instead of Cobh.

Michele