Help with Driving Itinerary - 7 days

Michele Erdvig · Host

RE: Help with Driving Itinerary - 7 days

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Thanks for all your help in planning our trip. My mom is coming tomorrow to stay with me and we're going to make all our arrangements. It feels so good to have our itinerary all settled. Now it's going to be hard to wait until August!
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

I was very happy to help out. You and your mother should have fun choosing the accommodations. August will be here before you know it. The time will fly. Then you will be back telling us all about it!

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
We are ready to book our escorted tour. My mom has experience with a tour company called Terry Flynn Tours. We have also received estimates from MyGuideIreland (formerly 12 Travel and Crystal Travel) and Small Escorted Tours of Ireland. Do you happen to have any knowledge of these companies?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

MyGuideIreland (formerly 1 2 Travel) is very good and has an excellent reputation. You may want to go with them or Terry Flynn, since your mother has dealt with them before.

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Thanks for your quick response! I'm glad to hear that 12 Travel is reputable. They have been very helpful and responsive and their prices seem good, too. Now I know we can't go wrong whatever we decide. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

Always happy to help. If you go with 1 2 Travel aka MyGuideIreland and mention my name and website I will get a small percentage (but you will pay no extra). Or you could just email me and I will get in touch with them. I agree that they are a very responsive and helpful bunch of people there. If price is a consideration I suggest going with whoever costs less, either 1 2 or Flynn.

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
We're signed, sealed and delivered on our Ireland trip! We booked today through 12 Travel (Myguideireland) and we're all set to go. Elma Connelly is our agent there and has been most helpful. Their price was the best, but more importantly, their customer service is exceptional. I mentioned to them that you had referred us and Elma said she would let her Marketing Department know so hopefully you'll be getting a referral fee. Thanks so much again for all your help and I'll be sure to write a trip report when we return!
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

I am just delighted to hear everything is set for your trip. And thanks so much for the referral. I agree that customer service at 1 2 Travel is excellent. Now you can sit back, relax and just wait for August to arrive.

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
I'm getting so excited for my trip. I have a quick question for you. We will be arriving Sunday night (August 5th) into Killarney so we'll have that evening and all day Monday set aside for Killarney. I know that Monday is the Banker's Holiday but I'm hoping that the stores will still be open. We leave Tuesday (August 7th) to drive to Bunratty where we'll be staying the night to fly out of Shannon the next morning (Wednesday). We want to squeeze in either the Ring of Kerry or the Cliffs of Moher. Which would you recommend seeing and on which day would you recommend going? I'm not sure if it makes sense to give up a Killarney day to see one of these sights or make a long driving day to Bunratty. Thanks for your input.
Susan

cryogenine · Veteran Member

Your trip sounds luuuuuvly. Given a choice between the Ring of Kerry or the Burren and Cliffs of Moher, I'd to the Burren. It is a fascinating landscape that you have to get out of your car to experience and feel.

And if you find yourself in Corofin, you won't go wrong eating at Bofey Quinn's.
I recently taught Clara, the young barmaid there, how to cut a shamrock on a pint of Guinness and I'm sure she has had enough practice as to perfect the craft.

ps: If you can squeeze in the Rock of Cashel when you go to Blarney, it is amazing. And Draven's, just around the corner, has wonderful food.

Have a wonder-full journey,
jb

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

To me it would make more sense to see the local Killarney things on the Monday Bank Holiday. Don't worry, the shops will be open catering to all the tourists! If the weather cooperates I suggest you see the Cliffs of Moher on the day you drive to Bunratty. You can take the Shannon Ferry if you want and make a big loop.

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Thanks for the advice - we'll do the Cliffs of Moher on our way to
Bunratty - it will be a great way to end our trip. I'm counting the days! FYI -
I applied to have my passport renewed since it was going to expire a couple months after my return from Ireland. Be aware, if anyone asks, that it took almost 12 weeks by regular mail to have it renewed. I'm glad I applied early enough but some of your readers may not know that there is a great backlog in the Passport Department because of the new rules. I'll let you know how our trip is once we return.
Susan

Susan · Veteran Member

JP -
Thanks for your information. I was hoping to see the Rock of Cashel. Here is our itinerary - if we could squeeze it in without taking up too much time, when could we do it?

Wednesday and Thursday (Day 1 and Day 2): Dublin

Friday (Day 3): Drive to Kilkenny via Powerscourt or Glendalough and spend night in Kilkenny

Saturday (Day 4): Morning touring Kilkenny and afternoon touring Waterford Crystal Factory. Drive to Blarney and spend the night in Blarney.

Sunday and Monday (Day 5 and Day 6): Tour Blarney Castle and then drive to Killarney. Spend two nights in Killarney.

Tuesday (Day 7): Drive to Ennis via Cliffs of Moher. Spend the night in Bunratty

Wednesday (Day 8): Return to Shannon Airport - flight departs at 1:25 PM.

Thanks!
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

Unless you cut out Waterford Crystal you really don't have time to see the Rock of Cashel. Do note that on weekends there is a skeleton staff at the Waterford factory. It is best visited on weekdays when the work is in full swing.

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Thanks so much for letting me know about Waterford's skeletal crew on the weekends. Seeing the Waterford factory is very high on our list so we defintely want to be there on a weekday. Looking at our itinerary, I think maybe we should skip Glendalough and drive directly from Dublin to Waterford and then to Kilkenny for the night. Unfortunatley, our reservations are made for the B&Bs and I can't change them. Do you have someplace you recommend that we should see while driving from Kilkenny to Blarney to make up for missing Glendalough?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

What a shame to miss Glendalough. However, I would suggest either Kells Priory (south of Kilkenny near Callan) or the Rock of Cashel as substitutes.

Waterford is about an hour from Kilkenny so you may be able to fit in some Kilkenny sightseeing too.

Michele

aprilmay · Veteran Member

Hi Susan,
Just returned from Ireland and I would vote for ROCK OF CASHEL

Very impressive just driving up to it.. the impact of seeing it has stuck with me- highly reccomend.. Just my 2 cents. april

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Thanks so much - I am disappointed to miss Glendalough, too, but will leave it up to our driver to see if it is too much to try to fit that, driving to Waterford and doing the tour and then driving to Kilkenny. If so, we'll stop by Kells Priory. Wish we could do it all!
Susan

Susan · Veteran Member

April -
Now I'm so confused!!! I wish I could fit everything into this one trip but unfortunately we can't. Guess this means it will have to be my first of many! Thanks for the input on Rock of Cashel. Michele had recommended that along with the Kells Priory - I'm going to see which is more on the way. Thanks!
Susan

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Well, I only have to wait 5 more days until I leave for Ireland! It's been a long wait! Anyway, I wanted to get your advice on the recommendation of seeing the Cliffs of Moher on the drive from Killarney to Bunratty. Looking at one of the driving websites, it looks like it will be a 3-hour drive to the Cliffs of Moher and then an additional hour and some to Bunratty. Does that sound about right? Sometimes these websites either exaggerate greatly or underestimate. Thanks!
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

Wow - only 5 more days! You must be very excited to be counting down. Are you taking the Shannon Ferry? If so it will probably take over 3 hours to the cliffs. It is about 1 1/2 hours from the cliffs to Bunratty.

I hope you have a wonderful trip. Bon voyage! Do let us know how it goes when you get back.

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Thanks, Michele -
We are driving to the Cliffs of Moher, not taking the ferry so I'll guess that the driving time is about the same - 3 hours. I'll let you know all about our trip when I get back. Thanks again for all your help - I truly appreciate it.
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

It is a car ferry that you drive onto and takes you across the Shannon from Tarbert to Killimer. It does save you from having to go through Limerick (and possible traffic) on the way to the clliffs. http://www.shannonferries.com/

Michele

Susan · Veteran Member

Michele -
Ireland was amazing! Simply the best trip I've ever taken! Thank you so much for all your help in planning our trip. It was perfect from start to finish (except for the fact that my luggage was missing for the first day!). We spent a couple days in Dublin where we met up with my daughter, who was finishing up her study-abroad session. We loved Grafton Street and Temple Bar and the Hop-On/Hop-Off bus was the greatest. We bought the 24-hour pass and saw everything. My mom and daughter were the official "tasters" at the Jameson Whiskey tour and the view from the top of the Guinness bar, which a total glass 360 degree view of the city, was awesome.

After Dublin, we had a driver who took us around the rest of our vacation. We stayed in wonderful B&B's and absolutely loved the countryside. We enjoyed having to stop on the road for a bull crossing! The people in Ireland are so hospitable and wonderful and made us feel so welcome, whereever we went. (It also helped to have a 20-year college student with us!) Even though it was a little crowded because we were there over the Banker's Holiday, we didn't miss out on anything. We toured the Waterford Factory (my goal), kissed the Blarney Stone, tried every Irish beer (Smithwick's was my favorite or Guinness North Star), had brown bread ice cream, sang along with Irish musicians, bought out the stores, loved the pubs but my absolute favorite place was the Cliffs of Moher. The view was absolutely spectacular. We had a gorgeous sunny day and spent hours just walking around and marveling at the beauty. It was the highlight of our trip.

In the 7 nights we were there, we explored Dublin, Waterford, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Blarney, Killarney (which was my favorite town), Adare, Limerick, Ennis, Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and Bunratty. I'm glad I wrote a journal every night because the vacation went by so quickly it is all almost a blur. I have a list of what I want to see on our next trip, which my husband and I are planning in a year or two.

We have such wonderful pictures and great memories of this trip. It was so special that my mother, my daughter and I could all experience this together. Again, thanks for all your help and your forum is a fabulous tool in planning.
Susan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Susan,

Welcome home! I am delighted to hear that you had a fantastic trip to Ireland. If we at the forum helped a bit then we fulfilled our purpose and were happy to have given advise. I'm glad you enjoyed the Irish people and saw so much in your short time. I hope that some time in the future you get to return again. If you have the time we would love to hear a bit more. Feel free to post in the "Ireland Trip Reports" section.

Michele