Ireland first time! Please check out my itinerary.

Allyboy · Newbie

Ireland first time! Please check out my itinerary.

Green Dragon · Guru

So you came on over! I was hoping you would. I've recommended this site to many from Fodor's :)

I'll let Michele answer most of your questions, as I've already put in my input on Fodor's, but I can recommend the B&B I stayed at in Kilkenny - Alcantra House. I got the recommendation here, and it's wonderful! It's only a couple blocks from the castle in Kilkenny, (though they are long blocks - we always drove into town). The breakfasts are wonderful and the hostess very friendly. Homemade marmalade!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Alan,

Welcome to my forum! I am delighted that Green Dragon gave you an invite. Overall your itinerary looks pretty good. However, there are a few days that are extremely full. I am also assuming that you will be going to Ireland during the season and not in winter when days are very short. Let me review them day-by-day below.

Day 1 Leave for Shannon
Day 2 Arrive Shannon/ Pick up car/ drive to Galway and explore city *B & B Asgard House
Day 3 Go to Aran island from Galway and stay another night
Day 4 Connemara/Kylemare Abbey/ Clifden Stay in Galway All of the first 4 days look good.

Day 5 Drive through Burren/Cliffs of Moher and stay in Doolin * B & B Roadford House Fine.

Day 6-7 Drive to Dingle via kilmer/tarbert ferry, stay in Dingle* B & B Greenmount House Good.

Day 8 Drive to ROK and stay in Kenmare This is where your itinerary starts speeding up. Since most of your day will be on the ROK it leaves you little time for Kenmare, my favorite small town in Ireland. If you can take that day from Dublin to add here you will be pleased.

Day 9 Drive Kenmare to Kilkenny stopping at Rock of Cashel Okay.

Day 10 Drive to Powerscourt/Glendalough

and then to Newgrange for the night This is a pretty long day and you will want an early start.

Day 11 Newgrange in the morning and then to Belfast If you see everything at Bru na Boinne it will take you at least 4 hours, if not more. Plus you will want lunch. I suggest you arrive first thing at opening time. The drive to Belfast is about two hours.

Day 12 See Giants Causeway and stay in Belfast Another extremely long day, especially if you take in all the tourist stops along the way. The coastline is gorgeous and if the weather is good I highly recommend Torr Road.

Day 13 -15 Belfast to Dublin Airport then into Dublin Drive time to Dublin is about 2 hours. It is a good motorway most of the way. If you are going to be on the M50 toll road that rings Dublin please read the info about it on my Hot News page. I assume you are dropping off your car at the airport? Will you be staying downtown?

Day 16 Leave for NY

A few questions: Should I add a day for Kenmare and cut one from Dublin? Yes!

If I leave Belfast early and return my rental to Dublin Airport can I still have enough time in Dublin (it would be 2 nights and 1 full day, and an afternoon there? Or is there another solution? Let's assume you steal a day from Dublin for Kenmare. That leaves you a day and a half for Dublin. On your half day do some things like Trinity College & Book of Kells, stop at the tourist office for info and brochures and a walking map. On your full day there I suggest you take the Hop-on Hop-off bus and fit in as much sightseeing as you please.

Any B & B suggestions for Kenmare, Kilkenny, Newgrange, Belfast and Dublin? I have many suggestions on my Lodgings page. Near the top of this page is a light blue bar and one of the options on it is IrelandYes Index. If you click on it a box will drop down and you can navigate to my website. The nearest recommendation I have to Newgrange is Tankardstown and Trim Castle Hotel.

I think that with some gentle tweaking your itinerary will be just right. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Michele

Allyboy · Newbie

Anyone have anything to say about Virginias guesthouse in Kenmare or Davitts?

My itinerary now looks like this:
Galway (3 days)
Doolin (1 day)
Dingle (2 days)
Kenmare (2 days)
Kilkenny (1 day)
Belfast ( 2 days)
Dublin (3 days)
I had this new idea and would like some input: I will be leaving Kilkenny early and expect to visit Glendalough and Powerscourt Gardens. Originally I was considering spending the evening near Newgrange so that the following morning we could stop there and then continue on to Belfast, and drive to Giants Causeway the next day. However, my new "idea" is this: After Powerscourt drive directly to the Dublin airport, drop off the car and take the bus to Belfast. Instead of driving to Belfast and to the Giants Causeway we will take a tour bus to the Causeway, take the taxi tour of Belfast and head back to Dublin by train. By doing this I pick up a day and can still see Newgrange (from Dublin) by train, bus or van.
Any comments?

Green Dragon · Guru

I think it's 6 of one and half dozen of the other. While you won't have to deal with parking and such, there's more back and forth, and less chance of exploring. Personally, I prefer to have a car when in Ireland, so I can explore the back streets, signs for historical sites I see along the way, random castles, cliffs, etc. As a photographer, I have lots of 'oh, let's stop here!' moments, impossible on a set tour bus.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Alan,

Like Green Dragon said, having a car has its benefits. You can make your own schedule. You can also go where the tour buses don't go. Such as scenic Torr Road. Then there are all those other stops along the Antrim coast for the various beaches, coves, the rope bridge and Dunluce Castle.

But either plan will work. Think about it and then make your final decision.

Michele