Leaving in 2 Days -- Please help with itinerary

kriegienjj · Member

Leaving in 2 Days -- Please help with itinerary

Michele Erdvig · Host

Welcome to my forum. Sorry you found it so late. Since everything is already booked you need to stick to that, but can tweek some of the days.

Day 4: Kilkenny * Drive directly to Kilkenny and spend the day seeing the city. Take a walking tour, see the castle, St. Canice's Cathedral and if time allows Jerpoint Abbey.

Day 5: * See Rock of Cashel & Cahir Castle on way to Kinsale.

Day 5-6: Kinsale * There are also boat cruises available. Not too far is Blarney Castle and Cork City. There is a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city.

Day 7: Kenmare * No time for ROK, Beara or Gap of Dunloe. You could drive via the West Cork coast and see Bantry House & Gardens, perhaps Ilnacullen Gardens (Glengarriff).

Day 8-9: Dingle * Do portion of ROK (Kenmare to Killarney), Muckross House, Killarney National Park, Ross Castle on way to Dingle.

Day 10-11 Galway * Take the Shannon ferry and go up the coast of Clare. Skip Adare. Choose either Aran Islands or Connemara. Each separate day trip takes an entire day.

You seem to be planning too much, rather than too little.

Have fun!

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

Use the 2 spare days for Kenmare and explore the south west corner from there. Call in at Clonmacnoise on the wat back from Galway to Dublin.

chaika · Veteran Member

You're skipping Newgrange and Knowth north of Dublin?
Don't forget to bring your binoculars and a voice recorder to take notes if you have one!
ROK and Beara take a day each.

kriegienjj · Member

All of you are so helpful. Thank you!

I forgot about Newgrange. Could we do that on the first day out of Dublin--on the way to Kilkenny?

Did I book too much time in Kinsale--best to leave there in early am the second day to do more around Kenmare--or west of that?

Do you think Connemera or the Aran Islands would work best for us? (I know you don't know us--just a personal opinion would help.)

Thanks.
Mary

tony2phones · Guru

In honesty one night in Kinsale would be more than enough for me, I prefer Cobh, Fota and enough on my plate that I don't have to find a takeaway after an extortionately priced meal.

I also prefer Connamara to the Isles, basically because being tied to a schedule with the ferries conflicts with my "had enough now lets go somewhere else" nature. My advice would be to wait and see what the wind and the weather blows in. The weather is grand at the moment but I cant make any promises for two weeks hence.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Mary,

Bru na Boinne, Newgrange and Knowth takes half a day at a minimum. By the time you drive there, see everything, have lunch and drive 2 - 3 hours to Kilkenny it will be late afternoon. Can you see it? Sure, but at the sacrifice of everything in Kilkenny.

I thought your reservations were already made and can't be changed?

Michele

kriegienjj · Member

Hi,

All hotel/b&b reservations have been made--the ones in Kinsale and Kilkenny can be changed if necessary.

Thanks for all the information--obviously I'm planning to see too much! Will spend the day trimming it down.

Mary

Michele Erdvig · Host

Mary,

Every one who goes to Ireland plans to do too much. I would spend more time in Kenmare, if possible.

Michele

kriegienjj · Member

Thanks so much for your help, Michele! Also Tony and Chalka. I know all of you have helped our trip!

Wellsley · Guru

Hello,

I think it would be very difficult to do day 7 if not impossible. If you can spend more time there and decide what are the most important sights to see and see those first.

Frank

kriegienjj · Member

Thanks to all of you, our trip was wonderful. The only way it could have been better is if Michele had planned it for us! (Next time.) We took your advice and spent extra time in Kenmare, and stopped at Trim Castle and at Clonmacnoise on the last day, on the way back to Dublin. So glad we did! My only regrets are not having more time in the area around Galway, and not being able to get into northern Ireland. Thanks for helping us see one of the world's most beautiful countries!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Mary,

Welcome back. I am happy to hear it was a success. Hope you have more time on your next trip. Now you know where to go for help well in advance of your trip!

Michele