New Here - Complicated Trip Itinerary Help for Upcoming Sept Trip

4kids4us · Member

New Here - Complicated Trip Itinerary Help for Upcoming Sept Trip

Michele Erdvig · Host

It is a bit complicated. I have clients who are going to the game who I've been working with for over a year. The good thing is you have your Dublin reservations (and I expect) tickets to the game.

Have you thought of sticking closer to the east, rather then make multiple cross-country drives? There is plenty to see and do closer to Dublin and in your case it would make good sense. Why is it that everyone only thinks of going west? With limited time and all the coming and going, I would change my expectations.

How about 2 nights in Kilkenny first? There is more than enough to do in the area for more than that amount of time. Plus Carlow is not far off for visiting your relatives.

Where else could you stay after Dublin? How about Co. Wicklow? Alternatively you could go just north of Dublin into Louth & Meath.

Simplify rather than complicate.

Michele

yesiree · Guru

I'm with Michele on this one. You've determined that the game is your must-see, so build around what works best with that... you won't be disappointed.

Rather than the Dingle Peninsula on round two, consider a place like Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula - it would fit nicely with Michele's Louth & Meath suggestion and it's beautiful. From there you could take a spin around the Mountains of Mourne as well.

When it comes to visiting the relatives in Myshall, don't squeeze them in between other things. Let them know what day(s) you're available, ask what times work best for them. If they invite you later in the day, plan some sightseeing in the morning... if they invite you early in the day, don't make firm sightseeing plans later in the day -- arrive at the scheduled time and just enjoy the visit. If things wrap up and there's time to see sites, then go from there -- or better yet, ask the relatives for sites or a route from Myshall to your accommodation, you'll end up with something unexpected and memorable.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Here is an article about Meath & Louth: http://irelandyes.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/exploring-meath-louth-and-the-boyne-valley/

Info about Wicklow: http://www.visitwicklow.ie/

My Lodgings page has lots of recommendations for places to stay.

4kids4us · Member

Thank you for your suggestions. It looks like we are going to head to Kinsale, stopping in Kilkenny for the first night, and seeing the Rock of Cashel and Cahir along the way to Kinsale. For the second half of the trip, I'll check out the places that you mention. My husband really wants to head to Killarney but I'll see if perhaps the places you mention might interest him instead.

THanks again.
Maureen

tony2phones · Guru

If its a choice between Killarney and Kinsale then Kinsale would not even come into the equation for me.

4kids4us · Member

Tony, the choice is whether to go to Doolin and then explore the Cliffs of Mohr/etc or go to Killarney and explore the Ring of Kerry or Dingle area. The first three days, we'll be driving from Dublin to Kilkenny and then Kinsale, then head back to Dublin for two days. Then from there, we have four days and three nights before we have to be back in Dublin for our flight home. I'm trying to decide if we should go from Dublin out to Doolin (or some other nearby place as a base) for the second part of our trip, or instead, Dublin down to Killarney (and incorporate either Ring of Kerry or Dingle) for that part of the trip.

Any thoughts as to whether we head to Killarney vs the Doolin/Cliffs of Moher/Burren area?

tony2phones · Guru

My option was to have Killarney or maybe Kenmare as a far better options instead of Kinsale. There are also far better options for Clare than Doolin. including Ballyvaughan or over the Galway border Kinvara.

As to the Ring of Kerry or Dingle, my vote always goes to Beara.

4kids4us · Member

Tony, unfortunately, we don't have time on the first leg of our trip to head to Killarney or Kenmare. The first part of our trip needs to stay closer to Dublin due to time constraints and the desire to visit with relatives. We will only have two nights before we need to head back to Dublin, so driving all the way to Killarney doesn't really make sense to me b/c it won't allow us time to do anything in that area (we are stopping in Kilkenny the first night, then have one more night before we head back to Dublin).

After our two nights in Dublin, we then have four days and three nights before we need to get back to the Dublin area for one last overnight before our morning flight (don't plan to spend time in Dublin that night, we'll stay outside the city). For that four days, I was initially thinking we'd go out to the west to see the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, etc. However, after talking with a friend who is from Ireland, as well as some women we recently met from Killarney, we were reconsidering whether to instead head to the Killarney area, explore the Killarney sights, then drive either the Ring of Kerry or the Dingle peninsula. I thought about Beara, but wasn't sure if that was too far considering all the driving we will be doing. I'm certainly willing to consider Beara if you think that is doable. Basically, I'm looking for advice as to whether we should skip the central west coast area and instead head to the Killarney area, and if so, considering our time, besides the obvious Killarney sights, what should we plan on - Dingle? Ring of Kerry? Or Beara, if that is not too far. Here is our schedule:

Sunday - leave Dublin (mid morning), drive to Killarney, stopping along the way for any sights we desire

Sunday night - Killarney area

Monday night - Killarney area

Tuesday night - Killarney area

Wednesday - need to arrive in Dublin area by 6pm

Michele Erdvig · Host

Killarney is a good base for the SW and you can do different day trips from there. Most people opt for the Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head Drive for the lovely scenery. We like Beara because it is more off-the-beaten-track and the tour buses can't go there. Which ever peninsula you choose will have good mountain and ocean scenery. Play it by ear and decide what you want to do when you are in Killarney. There is a good tourist office there with lots of free info. That might help you decide.

4kids4us · Member

Thank you, Michele. We are definitely off-the-beaten path kind of people so I started thinking that maybe we should head somewhere else instead of Doolin/Cliffs of Moher/Burren. I'd like to avoid the tourist buses so Ring of Kerry is perhaps to be skipped if Beara provides lovely scenery as well.

We will have three nights in the Killarney area. I don't necessarily want to stay in Killarney the whole time. We do like pubs, music and socializing. We will have basically Sunday afternoon through lunchtime on Wednesday to tour the area. If you have some suggestions of a possible itinerary for that time frame, I'd appreciate it. I know we'll want to drive the Beara peninsula - how long should we give that? A whole day so that we can make stops along the way, or is it mostly scenery and not much else to see? Any small towns to stop in for lunch? Any shopping (local artists/crafts?) Places in the Killarney area that were suggested to us were Muckross House, Tork waterfall, and gap of Dunloe. Allow a full day for of that? If we were to stay in Killarney the first night and visit those places on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, should we then move on to a new place to stay such as Kenmare and then do the Beara drive from there? Does Kenmare have any sort of nightlife (pubs with music?)

I think we have the first leg of our trip fairly well planned. I heard from my cousin in Myshall. We will drive to Kilkenny our first day, spend the afternoon there resting and seeing the castle, then we are staying at Rosquil House that night (Wednesday). We'll head to Kinsale the next morning, perhaps stopping in Cobh if time allows. Stay in Kinsale Thursday night. Then Friday on our way back from Kinsale to Dublin, we are going to meet in Drummond/St. Mullins where she is going to show us my ancestral home as well as the cemetery where my ancestors are buried, apparently beside an ancient ruined monastery. She said St. Mullins has some interesting things to see that take about an hour, so we'll spend the afternoon in Drummond/St. Mullins. Her 92 y/o father still lives there and apparently remembers when I came to visit as a child, and remembers my great-grandparents very well, so he wants to visit with us. We'll then head back to Dublin in late afternoon. Now that I have the actual destinations and accommodations planned, I'll start looking into what is along the way but we are also game just kind of driving with no specific plans and stopping at places that look interesting.

Thanks again for your help!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Why not make life easy and stay in Killarney for three nights instead of jumping all over the place? As I've mentioned before it is a good base for the SW and daytrips. Kenmare - although charming - is much smaller and has less nightlife, etc. You can do Beara and Kenmare from Killarney. Plan on taking the whole day.

Some places to see (depending on your route through Beara):

Gleninchiquin Park
Derreen Gardens (more like woodland walks by the sea)
Healy Pass
Dursy Island Cable Car
Ilnacullin Gardens on Garinish Island (Glengarriff)
Caha Mountains & Tunnel Drive (Kenmare to Glengarriff)

There are places to eat in the towns along the way.