2-week Itinerary Plan

TheGrey · Newbie

2-week Itinerary Plan

Michele Erdvig · Host

TheGrey,

Welcome to my forum and I'm glad to hear you have picked up some tips here. You are absolutely right that there is a wealth of things to see and do in Ireland. Even if you had a month you couldn't see it all. The Giant's Causeway is the odd man out in your plan. It is best to drop that and enjoy the other things you have planned.

Most of what you've outlined looks pretty good. I sometimes suggest getting a jump-start on the trip and saving Dublin for the last two days. Glendalough is close enough that you could drive there on your arrival day. I don't know if you are comfortable doing that, but give it a thought. That will give you an extra day for elsewhere. Perhaps add it to Dingle or Kenmare.

You could skip Adare and go from Dingle to Galway by taking the ferry across the Shannon and driving up the coast of Clare via the Cliffs of Moher. It will be a full day, but doable. That would give you another day for elsewhere.

What time of year are you going?

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

If you want to see the Antrim coast then you need to free a day from the list and take a Tour (long full day tour) you would need two days driving there and back from Dublin to get the best from the trip.

Glendough can be visited either on a day trip from Dublin with Wild Wicklow Tours or drive yourself on the way to Kilkenny.

Do you need 2 nights in Kilkenny?

Kinsale could be visited between Kilkenny and Kenmare, nice enough to visit passing through but not my particular taste for an overnight.

Dingle to Galway can be done in a day as Michele says but this is a long drive with lots to see on the way so Adare or Ennis would be options.

Crossing the Shannon also has two options, the Ferry 18euro takes you into south west Clare (Loop Head would be my non tourist (so far) choice over Moher) and up the length of the Clare Coastline, The Shannon Tunnel 1.80euro takes you on the main road skipping Limerick and passing Bunratty, left turn under Ennis and hit the cost above Lahinch. or you could stay on the M/N18 and head straight to Galway past Gort and Coole park through Clarinbridge and Oranmore.

If you have 2 nights planned for Galway it effectively leaves the day in between for the Connemara or Aran Isles.

Straight run along the Motorway from Galway to Dublin unless you fell the need to stop at Clonmacnoise or a couple of other stops along the way

I would be returning the car and staying in an airport hotel (with shuttle bus) the night before departure.

The plan is essentially a good one and Half the Island can be enjoyed in a two week visit. Possibly put the Causeway on the back burner and come back in the future for the places above the M6.

TheGrey · Newbie

We will be visiting in late June / early July...

The plan is to stay in Dublin the first two nights, and then rent a car starting on the third day. Is it reasonable to do all this in one day?

- Pick up rental car from airport in Dublin
- Visit Powerscourt
- Visit Glendough and do some hiking around Wicklow National Park
- Drive to Kilkenny

If so, I'll cut out the "stay in Glendough area" idea and add another day somewhere else. Where else would you recommend? Is there enough to see in Dingle to stay two nights there?

Thanks!

Michele Erdvig · Host

It is possible to go from Dublin to Kilkenny via Wicklow provided it is not your first day in Ireland. If it is the 3rd day, fine. But you will want to get a morning start.

If you go from Kenmare to Dingle I would assume you would go through Killarney and spend most of the day seeing the sights there. The next day would be for Dingle. If you want to do that, then 2 nights in Dingle would be good.

You will have plenty of daylight in late June and early July.