itinerary between Galway and leaving from Shannon/hired drivers.

gardener · Member

itinerary between Galway and leaving from Shannon/hired drivers.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Welcome to the forum.

How many days in Dublin?

How many days in Galway?

You could go to Killarney for several days and take day trips from there.

From those bases it is possible to take bus tours to different places. Otherwise you will want to hire a hackney cab or taxi.

gardener · Member

Hi Michele,

Thank you very much for your reply.

We'll have 3 days and 4 nights in Dublin, 6 nights in Galway. We were hoping that Galway would be a good hub from which to take day trips but Dingle, one place we'd like to go, seems far from there. Would it be an easier trip to Dingle from Killarney? And then, how far is it from Killarney to Shannon? Do you think it would be wise to book a B&B in Killarney for after we leave Galway?

Barabara

Michele Erdvig · Host

From Killarney you can take day trips to Dingle, Ring of Kerry, Gap of Dunloe. Plus you could spend an entire day seeing the immediate Killarney area such as Muckross House, Gardens, Farms, Abbey, Ross Castle, etc.

I think I would steal a day from Galway and add it to Killarney.

You need to take a look at your transportation options from Galway to Killarney and then from Killarney to Shannon/Bunratty: http://www.irelandyes.com/transportation.html

Here is a distance calculator: http://www.aaireland.ie/routes/

If you decide to stay in Killarney it would be a good idea to make reservations at a place in or walking distance to Killarney town.

tony2phones · Guru

Limerick is another option for you to Consider as you can take day trips to Dingle and Ring of Kerry (long day trip) from there and you are only 1/2 hour from SNN for departure.

gardener · Member

tony2phones wrote:
Limerick is another option for you to Consider as you can take day trips to Dingle and Ring of Kerry (long day trip) from there and you are only 1/2 hour from SNN for departure.

Thanks Guru. Is there a shuttle of some kind from Limerick to Shannon airport? We'd won't have a car and like the morning to be as easy as possible. Our flight leaves at 10:45 so we'd have to be at the airport 2 hours earlier I think.

tony2phones · Guru

The express 07.25 No.51 bus from Limerick gets into SNN at 07.55 so might be the best option. Workers bus No.343 from Limerick at 07.30 gets into SNN at 08.15 but also runs every half hour from 06.00.

Michele Erdvig · Host

The problem with most day tours is they start winding down once the "season" is over. Although they may say they are open and operating, it is important to find out if the tours are actually going. I've been in the Limerick area during the "shoulder seasons" of spring and fall and the tours were few and far between.

My best advice: check everything of interest in advance. Not having a car limits you to what is available. Make sure before you go.

gardener · Member

Michele Erdvig wrote:
The problem with most day tours is they start winding down once the "season" is over. Although they may say they are open and operating, it is important to find out if the tours are actually going. I've been in the Limerick area during the "shoulder seasons" of spring and fall and the tours were few and far between.

My best advice: check everything of interest in advance. Not having a car limits you to what is available. Make sure before you go.

Oh. That is sobering. Is the situation the same concerning tours from Killarney? Is it possible that even checking on line would give me inaccurate information?

gardener · Member

tony2phones wrote:
The express 07.25 No.51 bus from Limerick gets into SNN at 07.55 so might be the best option. Workers bus No.343 from Limerick at 07.30 gets into SNN at 08.15 but also runs every half hour from 06.00.

Thank you for that specific information!

Michele Erdvig · Host

I suggest you contact the tour companies in advance by email. Websites can all too often be out of date. Killarney seems to have more robust day tour activity than Limerick does. More tourists = more tours.

tony2phones · Guru

Barratt have recently sold on the tour company but the same website is being used http://www.4tours.biz/ and Paddywagon are good operator for day tours http://www.paddywagontours.com/tours.php Red Viking do half day tours of Lough Gur http://www.redvikingtours.com/halfday-tours.html

gardener · Member

tony2phones wrote:
Barratt have recently sold on the tour company but the same website is being used http://www.4tours.biz/ and Paddywagon are good operator for day tours http://www.paddywagontours.com/tours.php Red Viking do half day tours of Lough Gur http://www.redvikingtours.com/halfday-tours.html

Wonderful. Now I know where to get that information.

gnight · Veteran Member

I've booked tours of Cliffs of Moher and another of the Connemara with GalwayTours which came recommended by a friend. They have been extremely responsive and helpful and pick you up at your lodging. My friend also recommended Denis Ryan for a private tour of Dingle Pen. and his prices seem reasonable. I will post again after I'm in Ireland the end of May and let you know how things worked out. There is also a fun looking all day tour of the Gap of Dunloe that includes boat, jaunty, and bus for under 50E from Killarney Day Tours. Again, recommended by friend.

http://killarneydaytour.com/book-now/
http://www.dingletours.com/ (Denis Ryan--found him to be responsive and accommodating, too.)
http://www.galwaytourcompany.com/gtc/daytours.jsp

By searching on the Bus Eireann you can find out about travel between towns and even within towns, as in the case of Galway/Salthill area.

Linda

gardener · Member

gnight wrote:
I've booked tours of Cliffs of Moher and another of the Connemara with GalwayTours which came recommended by a friend. They have been extremely responsive and helpful and pick you up at your lodging. My friend also recommended Denis Ryan for a private tour of Dingle Pen. and his prices seem reasonable. I will post again after I'm in Ireland the end of May and let you know how things worked out. There is also a fun looking all day tour of the Gap of Dunloe that includes boat, jaunty, and bus for under 50E from Killarney Day Tours. Again, recommended by friend.

http://killarneydaytour.com/book-now/
http://www.dingletours.com/ (Denis Ryan--found him to be responsive and accommodating, too.)
http://www.galwaytourcompany.com/gtc/daytours.jsp

By searching on the Bus Eireann you can find out about travel between towns and even within towns, as in the case of Galway/Salthill area.

Linda

All this is so helpful Linda. Can you tell me what Denis Ryan charges?

Thanks very much,

Barbara

gnight · Veteran Member

The quote I received from him says 40E pp for a four hour personalized tour.

gardener · Member

Thanks again Linda.

WonderfulIreland · Newbie

Barbra,

Can we suggest visiting WWW.WONDERFULIRELAND.IE for some additional information on planning your route along the west coast of Ireland.
You can actually navigate from destination to destination around all four coasts of Ireland and, by doing so, you can decide which destinations are worth seeing, and which are best passed over.

Do let us know how you get on,

Best wishes,

Fia@
WWW.WONDERFULIRELAND.IE

gardener · Member

Thank you Fia. I'll certainly look at the site. It sounds helpful.

Barbara

gardener · Member

I've been told that Killarney is terribly touristy and that it's better to be in Kenmare. However, it seems that for taking day tours, Killarney would be better. Since I've already booked in Killarney I'm leaning to keeping it that way. But I'd like opinions on Kenmare vs. Killarney without a car.

Also, does anyone know of a decent place to sleep in Shannon? We only want to be there the night before our flight out. Will be in Bunratty the night before that.

Many thanks!

Barbara

tony2phones · Guru

Killarney does get lots of tourists has done for the past 100yrs or so but if I can find the non tourist focused places in the town, anyone who wants to can. without a car and wanting to take tours Killarney is the key option.

Oakwood Arms in Shannon always gets my vote for a final night, Bunratty seldom gets my vote for anything but a final night.

gardener · Member

That makes me feel better about Killarney. We prefer personalized tours to tour busses as we like to be able to get out of the car and walk. Will contact Denis Ryan. We'll be staying at Woodlawn House in Killarney. Maybe we can book another night there and skip Bunratty altogether. I'll take a look at Oakwood Arms for the final night.

Valuable suggestions. Thanks.

Judy · Guru

Barbara,

Although the Oakwood Arms is a nice hotel, it is located about a 5 minute drive from Shannon Airport. Since you will not have a car, I would suggest for your last night, staying at the only hotel located right at Shannon Airport, especially if you have an early flight. That hotel is the Park Inn and is located within walking distance (across a small parking lot) to the terminal building at Shannon Airport.

You can check it out at....

www.parkinn.ie/airporthotel-shannon

gardener · Member

Thank you Judy. I would think that a hotel 5 minutes away would have shuttles. Do you know of any that do? Otherwise it does sound easier to stay right at the airport.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Personally, I would choose a nicer hotel than the Park Inn - even a B&B - and take a taxi to the airport. The Park Inn is convenient if you are not particular about accommodations. At this time I don't know of any Shannon/Bunratty hotels that provide a free shuttle to the airport.

tony2phones · Guru

The Park Inn has improved under the new banner so I am told but the Oakwood is a far better option based on personal experience, as Michele has said there are no Shuttle services to Shannon and I am guessing you would want to be at the Airport before the local bus starts running from Ennis (this stops outside the Oakwood)

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kenmare is not the best place to stay without a car. Killarney will be best under those circumstances.

gardener · Member

Good. Then we made the right choice. Thanks!

As far as a place to stay the night before we leave...we're not particular. As long as there's a bed to sleep in and we don't have to transport ourselves to the airport.

By the way, is it true that people over 70 may not rent a car in Ireland?

tony2phones · Guru

There is an extra insurance charge for those below the lower age and above the upper age guides. These guides are not across the board so get quotes from different operators and make sure they are detailed.

gardener · Member

We now have nights in Dublin, 5 in Galway and 5 in Killarney. The night before departure is settled. But there's the night before that which stands unsettled. At first we were going to stay at Bunratty but now it seems better to skip that altogether. Any suggestions what to do with that night? We wondered about winging it and just asking at the tourist bureau but that seems very chancy. Don't want to end up without a place to sleep. There's the option of asking for another night in Killarney and just going from there to Shannon for the last night.

Suggestions much appreciated.