Need Help with Itinerary

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Need Help with Itinerary

GARYVOL · Veteran Member

Hi

The 1st question is what time of day and if you think that when flying into Shannon, you'll be up for driving to Blarney. It's a fairly long trip just coming off a plane.

-gary

oopsy · Senior Member

Well, this seems like a LOT of ground to cover. You'll get much better help from Michele and frequent visitors. I've only been once, and am now planning trip 2. I'll say that we wanted to do the southwest and northwest on trip 1, and (thankfully) decided against it. Instead, we did Connemara (2 nights), Donegal (4 nights), Leitrim (2 nights) and Dublin (3 nights). We'll now do the SW on this trip. My non-expert advice would be to ditch EITHER the SW or the NW. BUT, Donegal is amazing, amazing, amazing. If you cut out one section, take a close look at what each region has to offer and then decide which one to cut. It's permissable to cut out Kerry instead of Donegal!

Happy planning!

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Gary,

Thanks for reading....we'll be arriving at Shannon in the morning. I am a little concerned about the distance, but we won't be rushing so I think it might be ok.

Oopsy..thanks for your insight. I'm anxious to read what others have to say. I like that you are giving me permission to cancel the SW part of the trip. I've been kind of blasted on other message boards for even thinking about not going to Co. Kerry. If we do have to cut one of the regions it is going to be a hard choice for sure!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Annette,

I hope no one will blast you here. We are generally a fun and friendly group and rarely bite! We just offer advice and it is only to enhance your trip rather than to criticize. Everyone has their own travel style and if you don't mind long drives then perhaps you plan can be accomplished. Let's take it a step at a time and get you started on the right foot.

First let me say that in October things are getting very slow and closing down up in Donegal. They don't get that many tourist at that time of year so you can understand why. On the other hand, you will pretty much have the whole place to yourselves. That is just a FYI. Had you thought of heading north first and then south?

Any reason for going down to Midleton first? Is Blarney Castle a must? Do you already have reservations at Ballyseede Castle?

I would really recommend driving only about 2 hours or less on your first day unless you can trade off with someone else. The drive time is more on the order of 3 hours. Those computer-generated trip planners have never driven the roads! Also, it is easy to get caught up in Cork City traffic and very confusing signs. Plus if you stop at Blarney Castle and the woolen mills you can easily spend many hours there. Who knows when you will arrive in Midleton?

I see you are thinking of taking the train from Sligo to Dublin. Have you checked on the car drop-off fee for that?

Try a re-think of things and see what you come up with.

Michele

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Michele,

This site seems great so far. Everyone is very helpful. I can understand that people have their own opinions/preferences about things, but I don't like it when they want to force what they like upon you. I guess that is why I started posting here.

The info about Donegal is good to know. We will have to take that into consideration when we make our final decision. I hadn't thought about heading north first because I didn't want to do any backtracking. Wouldn't we be retracing steps if we went north and then south?

Blarney Castle isn't a must, but I'd really like to visit the woolen mills and figured why not check out the castle while there. Midleton is high on our list because of the distillery. We don't have Ballyseede booked yet. Why do you ask? Is it not reccomended?

The charge to drop off our car in Sligo wasn't too bad. But maybe there is a better way. I was considering totally changing our plans to fly into Dublin and out of Shannon. Maybe we could reverse the whole trip. Fly into Dublin, train or drive to Sligo, get a car there, visit Donegal, head south from there, and fly out of Shannon. This is so hard! I am trying to have a rough enough of a plan where we can change our minds some, but also have plans enough to keep us on track to what we really want to see. I'll have to give this some more thought tomorrow.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Annette,

The reason I asked about whether you had reservations yet at Ballyseede Castle was to ascertain whether you could change your itinerary around or whether those days were already set in stone. The drive from Shannon to Tralee is much shorter than that to Midleton. About 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you prefer going south first maybe you could consider Tralee first and then make your way over to Midleton and then north. Your plan does cover a lot of ground but if that is what you really want to do it can be accomplished.

What town are you thinking of staying in Donegal? What is on your Co. Donegal "must see" list? If you were staying in Letterkenny it is a pretty straight route from there, through No. Ireland and down to Dublin. That route goes through Omagh where the Ulster American Folk Park is worth seeing. Just a thought.

Try doing your itinerary a couple of different ways. Few people get it perfect right away. But pre-planning is an important step in the whole process.

Michele

oopsy · Senior Member

Hi Annette,

I know what you mean about other boards sometimes feeling a little pushy. I don't post here often, but I read most everything and have yet to see one of those posts.

I'm very ignorant about Blarney Woollen Mills, but if its name is reflective of what it is, I think there must be other places to shop for woollen products. We were blown away by the woollen products in and around Ardara in County Donegal (I'm wrapped up in my favorite Ireland tweed blanket right now). As for other Ireland shopping, we found lovely items in small, not in our guide book places as well as the big shopping for Irish treasure areas. Our favorite purchases were in Ardara adn Whichcraft in Dublin. Our favorite browsing but couldn't afford place was the Arts center in Carrick-on-Shannon. Our biggest shopping disappointment was in Roundstone (though we loved, loved, loved the town).

Michele has a good point about Donegal being sparse on tourists. Our days there, though, weren't spent at "Attractions". Most everything was an attraction that was always open because it was just good old nature. Of course, you would have fewer daylight hours to enjoy the good old nature. We loved the cliffs, the beaches, the waterfalls. We were good about taking small turns to explore and found some treasures not in any guide book. A beautiful area I hope to return to some day for much more time.

I am NOT trying to talk you out of the southwest. I'll spend 7 days there in May and am very excited. I just want to work against the message (not on this board) that Donegal (or Northern Ireland for that matter) are good should you ever get a 2nd trip to Ireland. We chose Connemara/Donegal/Leitrim in 2002 thinking it would be our one and only trip to Ireland.

oopsy

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Hi all,

You guys are really great....you've definately got me thinking in ways I wasn't before. I agree with you oopsie, the woolen mills at Blarney aren't going to be our only opportunity for shopping. They don't need to be on my must see list.

We also aren't looking specifically for "attractions" in Donegal or elsewhere. We mostly just want to see and experience as much as Ireland as we can. If there happens to be a neat looking "attraction" near where we are, then we'll stop - but they aren't the main point of our trip.

I did check out the Ulster Folk Park per your reccomendation, Michele, but they appear to be closed on weekends in October. Our dates would put us through that area on a weekend either on the way to or from Dublin.

After rethinking this, I've come up with a new plan, let me know what you think of this:

Saturday - Arrive in Dublin, check out some of the city, stay over

Sunday - P/U car, head towards Midleton/Cobh/Kinsale....this looks like a long drive, we might have to stay somewhere along the way rather than making it all the way

Monday - Either continue on to Midleton/Cobh/Kinsale if we don't make it or head to Killarney.....possibly start out on the ROK....staying either in Killarney or somewhere on the ring

Tuesday/Wednesday - Tralee

Thursday - Doolin

Friday/Saturday - Donegal

Sunday - Bunratty

Monday - Home from Shannon

I'm thinking of booking only our stays in Dublin, Tralee (to make sure we get to stay at the castle), and Bunratty. This will keep the rest of the trip open. Perhaps if we get to Doolin and love Co. Clare we won't go to Donegal....maybe we'll decide we want to see Galway or Connemara instead. This will keep my husband happy, as he is much more laid back and spur of the moment than I am.

Comments/suggestions?

Thanks again for all your help. Everyone here is great!!

GARYVOL · Veteran Member

Hi

If you finish up at Bunratty, then you can do some shopping at the Blarney Woolin Mills across from the Folk Park. Lots of godd stuff their. Plus leave some time for the shops at Shannon Airport too.

-gary

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Gary,

That sounds like a great way to get last minute shopping. I didn't know that there was a second location of the Blarney Woolen Mills. I just went to their website and learned that there are several locations.

I was also thinking about doing one of the dinner shows at Bunratty too. It seems like a good way to spend our last night in Ireland.

Thanks!

Annette

Andi · Senior Member

I don't really have anything to add, except that I've been to Ireland 3 times, for a total of 7 weeks, and I have yet to go near the Southwest! It probably is very beautiful, I just have an aversion to very touristed areas. My trips have all been by bicycle, which narrows down the area you can see. I found Sligo and Donegal to be fantastic--very beautiful and unspoiled. I also liked shopping in Ardara. It's true the weather is more unpredictable up there, especially later in the year. It all depends what you like.

oopsy · Senior Member

Andi--I still remember the cyclist we saw when we drove through Glengash Pass, and then saw the same woman again later in the day elsewhere (don't remember where exactly...some coastal road). We were so impressed!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Annette,

I agree with you completely. All the members here are great and my thanks to them for their valuable input. Now you are thinking outside the box.

Gary's advice about Blarney Woolen Mills in Bunratty is spot on. It is just across the street from the castle and very convenient for your last minute shopping. You will also find wonderful small shops as you travel about. Quills in Killarney is one I always enjoy.

In October you can "wing it" and it will make your husband happy too. You are wise to book your first and last nights as well as your castle stay.

I am reading between the lines, but do you have your airfare yet? Are you aware that Aer Arann flies from both Sligo and Donegal to Dublin? http://www.aerarann.ie/

I still think arriving in Shannon is better.

Michele

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Michele,

I was aware of the flights, but I was leary of flying on such small planes. Did it once before and hated it. But I was checking out the schedules just now and you can't beat one hour to get from Dublin to Donegal. And I saw that they fly to Cork too....now I'm really re-thinking things.

Can I ask why you prefer flying into Shannon? I understand that driving is easier to figure out with the less traffic, but is there anything else? The more I look at flying into Dublin the more I'm liking it - the air schedules from the US to Ireland are much better for us if we fly into Dublin and out of Shannon. And if we fly into Dublin and spend a day we could now fly to either Donegal or Cork and pick up our car there where I'm thinking the traffic wouldn't be so bad (especially Donegal). I also like the idea of putting the city part of our trip behind us. And the more I think of Bunratty, it seems like a perfect place to spend our last night. So, is it just the driving that is better about coming into Shannon or something else?

Thanks again for your help. You are making me look at this trip in a whole new light and I know it is going to be so much better because of you and the people on this site.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Annette,

If Dublin will work out better for you as an arrival city because of various things, then go for it. I often have to work out itineraries using parameters that are already in place and it is always possible to work around anything. It just seemed to me that most of what you wanted to see was in the west, while Dublin is in the east.

If you decide to fly to the northwest, you might try flying to Sligo instead. The airport in Donegal is way out in the boonies. In Sligo it is not that far from the city. I know what you mean about small planes but sometimes they are the most convenient way of getting there.

Keep working on it. Let us know if you have any other questions.

Michele

annettemcgrath · Veteran Member

Michele,

Thanks for the info about Sligo airport. That is another option for us. I was also considering flying from Dublin to Cork. What is the Cork airport like - is it in a high traffic area?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Annette,

There is quite a bit of traffic around Cork Airport. However, it is south of the city so if you were headed down to Kinsale it is ideal.

Michele