June Itinerary - Is it reasonable?

riley's daughter · Newbie

June Itinerary - Is it reasonable?

Michele Erdvig · Host

riley's daughter,

Welcome to my forum! I am glad you found your way here because you do have a "green blur tour" planned.

I know, Ireland looks so tiny. Like a dot in the ocean. Surely you should be able to zip around the country in a couple of hours. Unfortunately, reality is very different. Have you put your itinerary through a route planner? Try this one: http://www.aaireland.ie/routes/ Get the mileage (not kilometers) divide mileage by 35 to find actual drive times.

Once you have those drive times in hand consider a few other things. Sightseeing takes time. Each stop on your list will add time to your drives and your days. You will most likely be stopping around every bend for photos. In some rural areas you will share the roads with sheep, cattle, farmers on tractors, bikes, pedestrians. Because you have to be alert and extra careful around every bend, it adds even more time to driving. Plus you will be driving on the left.

I am not telling you this to discourage you. Rather as a wake-up call. Can you do what you have outlined? Probably a lot of it if you go from dawn to dusk. Do you want to do it? Well....that is up to you.

Your dilemma is you don't want a green blur tour but you want to see everything in ten days. Now you have to decide what sort of pace you want for your trip. On every day do you want to pack, find another B&B, unpack, sleep and move on again. Repeat, repeat, repeat? If that is your travel style then go for it. But many people find it very tiresome. Plus it takes time to find B&Bs on the wing. Time taken from other things.

If you were my client and were paying for my advice I would strongly suggest choosing either the south or the north. Not both. Not all of my clients take my advice anyway. wink But I warn them that I don't want any complaints later if they do not take my advice.

Now on to your other questions.

Picnics: Most supermarkets have pre-made sandwiches for sale. However, they also have delis where you can have one made fresh and get exactly what you want on it. Small shops and petrol stations also have pre-made sandwiches.

Winging it in early June: June 1 is a Bank Holiday. I don't know if that will impact you. Weekends in popular places might be a problem, as will things like festivals, horse races, etc. But you can always just move on to another area if you encounter that. Local tourist offices will also find you something for a fee.

B&B check-in times: I wouldn't be knocking on doors any later than 8 or 9 pm. After that you will want to stay in a hotel. Did you read my B&B Etiquette page?

Sightseeing at "off times": Many attractions have set hours. If they provide tours you should expect to arrive an hour or more before closing time so you have time for the tour. For attractions that have opening times you are better off arriving early (at opening time) if you can. There are attractions that are never closed like the Cliffs of Moher. You will have less crowds on weekdays and either early or late for them.

I hope you take my remarks in the spirit they are given. I want you and your husband to have a wonderful time in Ireland. I think that with some adjustments to your itinerary, you will have a trip to remember. In Ireland "less is more". Would you go to a pub, order an Irish whiskey and drink it down in one gulp? No, you would sit there and savor and enjoy. That is what Ireland is like. Slow down and take some time to enjoy the whole experience. biggrin

Michele

Sidz · Guru

You have planned a mind-boggling schedule of driving that needs to be scaled back to provide ample enjoyment. I think this pace would be quite challenging after a couple of days. Also please take Michele's advice and check out her B&B Etiquette tips, which is a wonderful reference for anyone who has never stayed that way in Ireland before. It is a real nice compilation of do's and don'ts.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Sidz,

Thanks for chiming in. Sometimes people don't believe me. I don't want to scare anyone away but I do want to present the realities of travel in Ireland. It is impossible for someone who has not actually been there to know what it is actually like.

Michele

riley's daughter · Newbie

Thank you both, Michele and Sidz, for your advice and words of warning. I appreciate your honest assessment of my proposed itinerary, and have been tormented ever since, which is why I haven't responded sooner.

We've decided that if we can only do one of the north or south of Ireland, that the north can't be missed. It seems that tourism hasn't yet taken hold as much in the north, and we don't want to miss the opportunity of experiencing what we can of unspoiled Ireland. That being said, I'm not ruling out the possibility of finding time for the south at the end of the trip - I like to leave my options open. I've taken into consideration your frequent suggestion to traveller's that they avoid too many "one-nighters". Also, I've tried to alternate driving days, with exploring days, and plan to use the final days as buffer days, so we'll have the flexibility of extending our stay in the north, or exploring a bit of the south. As you suggested, I've investigated and noted estimated driving times (destination to destination only, not including time for sightseeing). So here goes .....

Day 1 - Arrive Shannon - drive to Clifden (overnight) (2.5 hrs)

Day 2 - Clifden to Donegal (overnight) - (3.5 hours) with sightseeing along the way

Day 3 - Explore Donegal area (Slieve League and coast) and return to Donegal (overnight)

Day 4 - Donegal to Bushmills (overnight) - (2.5 hrs) with sightseeing at Giant's Causeway and Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge

Day 5 - Explore Antrim Coast area and return to Bushmills (overnight)

Day 6 - Bushmills to Doolin (overnight) - (6 hrs) with minimal sightseeing

Day 7 - Explore County Clare (Cliffs of Moher and the Burren) and return to Doolin (overnight)

Days 8-11 can be used to extend our stay at any of the above OR

Day 8 - Doolin to Kenmare (overnight) - (3.5 hours) explore Killarney NP

Day 9 - Explore Beara Peninsula and return to Kenmare (overnight)

Day 10 - Kenmare to Dingle (overnight) - (1.5 hours) explore Dingle Peninsula

Day 11 - Dingle to Shannon for flight out - (3 hours)

As before, please be honest. My husband and I are used to covering ground on our vacations, so 3 hours travel time every other day doesn't seem unreasonable to us. It's hard to comprehend that that is unreasonable in Ireland, but tell me if it is. I welcome any suggestions for switching things around to get the most out of our time, or suggestions for must-sees that are along the way. Also, would appreciate a recommended scenic route for our heavy driving day (Bushmills to Doolin).

I have now read the B&B tips, and much appreciate the advice. Not sure if you replied about winging it in early June. Should we have any problems? Also, I know when staying in motels in Canada and the U.S., it's acceptable to ask to see the room before committing. Is this inappropriate for B&B's.

Thanks so much for your input.

Michele Erdvig · Host

riley's daughter,

Sorry, we did not mean to torment you. Just reveal the secrets that only those who have been to Ireland know about.

Winging it in early June: June 1 is a Bank Holiday. I don't know if that will impact you. Weekends in popular places might be a problem, as will things like festivals, horse races, etc. But you can always just move on to another area if you encounter that. Local tourist offices will also find you something for a fee.

Driving in Ireland is different than in the US. Few expressways mean no leaning back, flipping on cruise control and relaxing as you speed along at 70 mph. Because driving takes intense concentration, driving for a few hours in Ireland equals driving all day in the US. Depending on your route the driver can be mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the day. Plus you are driving on the left. I will be interested on your impressions once you return.

Since you are leaving things open and may or may not add on the time in the SW, you may want to consider this. Instead of zigzagging all over, perhaps you should make your first stop Doolin and then continue on your route north. That way if you find yourselves spending more time there you will already have seen the cliffs and Burren.

I would not want to make the drive from Bushmills to Doolin in one day. If you do, consider taking the most direct route not a scenic route that may add hours onto an already long day.

It is perfectly acceptable to ask to see a room at B&Bs.

With your new itinerary you have more two-night stays. With daylight lasting till 10-11 pm in June it will give you long days for driving and sightseeing. I hope it all works out as planned and you get to see everything on your list.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

I would think that you would be better off to avoid the Bushmills to Doolin run. It really is a great stretch, expecially on Irish roads.

Perhaps instead, you could reroute your trip thusly:

Day 1 arive Shannon - pick up the rental car & take the coastal road North - stop at the Cliffs of Moher - lunch and a stroll in Doolin - then head north through the Burren and into Galway - Overnight here or in Spiddal

Day 2 - Galway to Donegal (overnight) - with sightseeing along the way

Day 3 - Explore Donegal area (Slieve League and coast) and return to Donegal (overnight)

Day 4 - Explore Donegal area (Slieve League and coast) and return to Donegal (overnight)

Day 5 - Donegal to Bushmills (overnight) - (2.5 hrs) with sightseeing at Giant's Causeway and Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge

Day 6 - Explore Antrim Coast area and return to Bushmills (overnight)

Day 7 - Bushmills to Kilkenny (Overnight)

Day 8 - Kilkenny to Dingle via Cashel & Cahir (overnight)

Day 9 - Explore Dingle Peninsula and return to Dingle (overnight)

Day 10 - Head to Bunratty

Day 11 - Depart Shannon

I replaced Kenmare with Dingle because a choice would have to be made. You can always do Kenmare instead. Even though you have an afternoon flight out of Shannon, you will still have to allow at least three hours for car rental return, collecting your VAT refund, checking in and the Duty Free shop. It is always best to stay close to the Airport on the night before the departure, as any unforseen delays on the road could cause you unnecessary stress.

Though the distances don't seem long, especially to road warriors, I can tell you from personal experience that driving in Ireland is much more intense than we are used to in the states. I am one for hopping in my car and driving to San Diego for breakfast, which is a six hour drive. Be that as it may, I wouldn't dream of a six hour drive on Irish roads.

There is so much to see and do in the North. You do seem to have your heart set on the south, as well though. Even with eliminating the two night stay in Doolin, it is still a lot of Ground to cover in eleven days. confuse

Slan Beo,

Bit