Help with Itinerary for four confused 20-somethings

turin39789 · Member

Help with Itinerary for four confused 20-somethings

Michele Erdvig · Host

turin,

Welcome to the forum. First I think that the book readers and management have to coordinate in order to come up with a good itinerary. The book readers should make a list of what they want to see and do in order of importance. If you don't get to the things low down on the list it really won't matter that much.

Once you have your list you need your calendar and a map to plot things out. Although Ireland looks like a small country driving is slow going. You will average 35 mph. That means your drive from Kilkenny to Killarney could well take 4 hours of driving time depending on your route, driving style and any roadworks along the way. I do not recommend driving in Ireland at night. There are very few lights outside cities and it is difficult enough to find you way when you can see.

If you want to have time for sightseeing and not just see things through the car window you may have to pare down your list of places. But if you traveling style is to pack in as much as humanly possible, what you have outlined is within the realm of possibilities. My rule of thumb for Ireland is "Less is more. The less places you visit the more you will actually see."

Coordinate yourself with the book readers and let us know if we can be of any further help.

Michele

turin39789 · Member

Thanks! I lurked around here last year when we originally talked about a trip, now in the last week we decided to go and started booking! I'm going to talk to my researchers and send them to this thread to post some plans.

Two things I remembered that I need to look into are

Horseback riding - We'd like to do this, we have one very experienced rider, I've ridden a few times before and I believe the other two are new to the concept but excited about it. So far I've been turning up a rate of about 30 euros an hour which seems steep, but if I'm going to be paying that price I'd like to assure it's a nice ride and not just riding around inside the stable yard.

Vegetarians - We have two going, one of them eats fish and should be alright, are there any Irish accommodations for vegetarians? She gets along fairly well in restaurants that don't cater to vegetarians but I wanted to see if there are things we should look and/or ask for.

Thanks again! I'll try to get some more voices of the trip in here.

yesiree · Guru

The itinerary you were toying would fall into the extremely agressive category...and if your book readers get lured by the Giant's Causeway, Donegal and the southeast, you'll have an itinerary disaster. When you all get together, bring a map of Ireland and start marking all the dream destinations and see where the clusters start to appear.

Or if the book readers are limited on time (or have neglected their duties), have them focus on specific regions. Based on your initial description, I'd probably say DUBLIN > KILKENNY > GALWAY would be perfect. They can read the sections of the books on those areas and presto, you've got a reasonable amount of geography and loads of options.

Camping in March could be cold, and getting (or hauling) all the equipment for just one night probably won't pay off. You'll save a fair amount by staying in hostels...with four of you, a lot of hostels will have four-share rooms, and you'll have the rooms all to yourselves. Some hostels do not include breakfast or serve a toast and tea breakfast, so be sure you're comparing apples to apples when pricing hostels and B&Bs (Globetrotters Hostel in Dublin has one of the most expansive breakfasts I've ever had in Ireland - it's on the north side of the River Liffey about a three minute walk to O'Connell Street and a ten minute walk to Trinity College/Temple Bar - Jury's Inn is popular because of its per room rate, rather than a per person price).

The vegans shouldn't have a problem if they don't mind yogurt, granola and fruit for breakfast. Otherwise, meatless dishes are common accross Ireland.

There is a thread on the Fodors board you and your freinds might find entertaining and useful. The person posting has a good balance of pubs and sites. http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34873332 (if the link doesn't work, got to the "Talk" section at www.fodors.com and search for "2 girls" in the Ireland sections.

KLyn316 · Member

I'm one of the readers, here is what I have found as a possible itinerary -

Ok -I've been doing some book research trying to find the most interesting things to do in each city we are going to - I have some toss aways listed as well (things we will skip if we are running short on time). Any specifics we should do in Galway - any things we are thinking of doing that aren't worth the effort or should be put off for a future visit?

Here it is so far:

March 10th – SATURDAY

2:40pm Arrive in Ireland
Grab a munch if we are hungry
Rent car and head to Kilkenny (117 miles - 2 hr 17 min)
Check into Hostel
Wander city a bit and eat dinner and relax in area pub

March 11th - SUNDAY

8:00am Aim to wake up
10:30 Kilkenny Castle (approx 2 hr tour) – 5 euros
St. Francis Abbey Brewery - not open to tours during this time of year but we can walk by
St. Canice’s Cathedral - free
Black Abbey – free – no visits during worship
Lunch sometime/somewhere
Kyteler’s Inn (5-10 min walk through/by) – free
Carlow Brewing Company – on way to Killarney from Killkenny (I think)
10am opens The County Hurling Museum – 2.50 euro per car parked
4:30pm Leave Kilkenny to head to Kilarney (198 miels - 4 hr 16 min)
Eat dinner in pub on the way
Arrive in Kilarney to check into cottage

March 12th – MONDAY

9-10:00 am Aim to wake up
Ring of Kerry/sightseeing
Lunch sometime/somewhere
Purchase groceries for time at cottage
Dinner at pub in Killarney or at cottage
*Maybe Cork if time: Balarney Stone, Kinsale Brewing Co., Jameson Whiskey Distillery

March 13th – TUESDAY

8 am Aim to wake up

Drive to Dingle Penn. (1 hr 26 min)
See Fungi the dolphin (maybe a puffin too)
Sight see
Lunch in Dingle or packed for trip
Drive back to Killarney (1 hr 26 min)
If time then add. Sight seeing
Dinner in Killarney or at cottage

March 14th – WEDNESDAY

9-10 am Aim to wake up
Muckross House
National Park
Drive on to Galway (193 miles - 3 hr 45 min)
Lunch in pub on the way or packed for trip
Check into hostle in Galway
Sightsee in Galway - Eyre Park/Tourism Office
Dinner and relax at pub

March 15th – THURSDAY

8 am Aim to wake up
Sightsee in Galway – maybe the University
Lunch
Dinner

March 16th – FRIDAY - my birthday!

8 am Aim to wake up
Leave for Dublin (219 miles – 4hr 2 min)
Stop for lunch or pack lunch for trip
Arrive in Dublin – drop off car and catch shuttle to hotel
Check into hotel
Guiness Tour
Dinner and relax at pub
Ghost Bus Tour

March 17th – SATURDAY

8 am Aim to wake up
Sight see – wander shops and museums and other stuff we come across
Lunch
St. Paddy's Celebration - Parade
Jameson Tour (if we don't do Midleton) – it reopens today
Dinner/Celebrate St. Patrick’s day somewhere fun

March 18th – SUNDAY

6:15am Fly home to Louisville

Would like to go Horseback Riding depending on cost and time - 1 very experienced rider - 1 knowledgable rider, 2 novice riders

-- Edited by KLyn316 at 16:28, 2007-01-09

Michele Erdvig · Host

turin,

The prices you are seeing for horseback riding sound about right. Once you decide on an itinerary I can suggest a couple of places.

For the vegetarians I suggest that if you stay in any B&Bs you inform them on check in so that they can have food in the morning to suit their tastes.

Self-catering usually runs for a week from Sat to Sat. However, in the off season you will find weekend or mid-week times available. You will want to book that ahead of time. You will rarely be able to find them on the fly.

Michele

Michele Erdvig · Host

KLyn,

Have you thought of skipping one of your destinations? For instance you could skip Galway or Killarney. In that case you could stay in either the southwest or west and do day trips from that location. It would save you rushing all over Ireland.

On the Sunday in Kilkenny there will be services at the churches and cathedrals you propose visiting. It might not possible to visit as tourists. Perhaps think of attending one service instead or see them on arrival day. You should not leave Kilkenny at 4:30 for a long drive in the dark to Killarney. You really need to drive during daylight hours. Try to see as much as you can on arrival day.

The Ring of Kerry is an all day trip. Cross Cork activities off your list for that day.

You could go riding in Killarney or Dingle but with so much already packed in it might be difficult to find the time.

I think you need to narrow your focus a bit. Your time is limited and you have to work with what you have. Doing a marathon driving tour of Ireland will be exhausting even for 20-somethings.

Check this website for driving times: http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/ Find out your mileage and then divide it by 35 to find how many hours it will really take. Remember that those are only drive times. You must also fit in sightseeing, meals, breaks, etc.

Michele

Andi · Senior Member

Since it's seems that you've (understandably) overloaded yourselves with destinations and desires, I can offer some advice from my own experience of traveling (since being a 20-something). If you've done lots of traveling, you probably know this:

Everything will take longer than you plan, possibly twice as long. When you have several people together, meals, site-seeing and everything else is more time-consuming. For instance, it takes alot longer to pack every day than you may think.

While it's a great idea to research things you want to do and see, it's more than likely that you will want to make all kinds of unscheduled stops and visits. Try to have a good time while going with the flow instead of concentrating on "making the schedule." It's a lot more fun!

I envy you the energy of youth! But you don't seem to be leaving much time at the beginning for a little extra R&R due to jet lag. And what about all those pints you'll be having in the pubs?

Believe what Michele says about only making 35 mph while driving in Ireland. It's true.

Have a great time! The best thing about Ireland is the ambience, scenery and people. Taking time with them will end in a rewarding trip.

wojazz3 · Guru

Hi Klyn:

You've clearly done a lot of research and it looks good other than having too much in it. This is common. You'll want to see everything and you'll certainly start dropping some things out even if you keep them in the plan. That's fine. A few thoughts in addition to the other great comments here. Your milages seem off, for instance, Dublin to Kilkenny is roughly 80 miles and Galway to Dublin is about 135. The driving times for those may be fairly close.

Day one is fine though you may experience a bit of jet lag. Be sure to get out of the car and walk around a bit. Do it a number of times. The road from Dublin to Kilkenny is pretty good though traffic leaving the airport can be crazy for no apparent reason. On our last trip we spent about an hour getting from the airport to the M50 (on a Sat evening), but from there it was fine. There aren't a lot of good stopping places along the way until you are well out of the city. You will just be getting used to driving so that may slow you down a bit. Otherwise, with good traffic, the driving time might be fairly close, add maybe 30 minutes, not including stopping to wake up. Kilkenny is pretty wild on a Saturday night.

Day two: Way too much. Starting at the end, leaving Kilkenny at 4:30 in the afternoon for Killarney is probably not the best idea. Generally, much smaller roads than you experienced coming from Dublin. Carlow is not on the way to Killarney and is in the opposite direction so it would add a lot of time. Great beer though. You can find it in some off license (liquor) stores. Yesiree's walking tour is quite good.

As for the brewery, there is nothing really to see other than a Smithwicks sign and some empty kegs lying around. The guard booth is not much of a thrill. Kilkenny Castle is only guided tours and you will want to get there the moment they open (or as early as your 1st hangover will allow). You have to sign up for the tours and there can be an hour or more wait before your tour bigins. It's a nice tour though. I would try to leave town after lunch. Kyteler's Inn is a good stop for a pint for lunch. St. Canice's has one of the few round towers that you can climb though it is closed when the weather is bad. (slick steps)

Day 3: The RoK is plenty to do on this day with some other options in the area. If you left Kilkenny early enough the day before you could stop at Cahir Castle with I think is much more interesting than Blarney. See the National Park on this day. If the weather is bad, consider some inside options like Ross Castle and Muckross. No chance for Kinsale and Cork.

Day 4: This is fine. The Skellig Ring is beautiful in good weather. This is a full day of touring. There are horseback riding options on Dingle, but this would take a fair amount of touring time out. http://www.dodingle.com/pages/horse_riding_pony_treks.html

Day 5: I agree with Michele that you could probably have just as much fun cutting Galway out, but do what works for you. I would try to get an early start, catch the ferry at Tarbert and follow the coast up, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher. This is a full day in itself but it's a good trip. The Cliffs should be seen if you are going near. If you have an interest in beer (how did I figure that out), the tiny Biddy Early brewery is in the very tiny town of Inagh on the road between Ennis and Lehinch. This is probably out of the way, but again, fine beer. The trip from Killarney will take more than 3:45 ... and it should.

Day 6: There is a lot to see outside of Galway and Galway itself is a very lively city with all sorts of great pubs and music. Connemara lies directly to the west and the Connemara loop is a popular day trip, though for me it can fill a couple of days.

Day 7: You'll probably get into Dublin City center mid afternoon. Guinness Storehouse: If you are trying to conserve money, I don't think the tour is really worth it. You don't relly see the facilty, rather more of a museum to Guinness. The view from the top is nice but $18 (current conversion) is a lot to pay for a pint and a nice view. You can buy the tickets online for a 10% discount at the Guinness Storehouse website. You can just go to the store though and pic up some good Guinness paraphanalia. Then again, you can buy most of that in any of dozens of shops in Dublin.

More beer interest stuff. There are three microbreweries in Dublin, all of them serving great stuff. Mssr. McGuire's overlooks the Liffey River on the Southside just east of O'Connell St bridge. The Porterhouse is at the west end of the Temble Bar district on Parliament St. The Dublin Brewing Company is in the Smithfield area on the north side about 5 blocks from the Four Courts. The Cobblestone is the associated pub and they are know for their fantastic Irish trad music.

OK, I'll shut up. Hope this helps.

Bill

wojazz3 · Guru

One other quick note. DO NOT leave the Dublin airport without Euros thinking you'll stop somewhere and get them. There is a toll booth on the M50 and you don't want to show up without cash.

Bill

wojazz3 · Guru

OK, another point. Book your Dublin rooms right away. The city will probably fill up, especiall on that weekend.

Bill

turin39789 · Member

ok, we've decided to stick with our itinerary. Two of us are arriving on a direct flight in dublin at 8:30 am saturday morning, the other two are arriving at 2:30 in the afternoon. The two early birds are going to leave their luggage at left luggage at the airport and take a bus into dublin and back to the airport. From there we get our car - Advantage is showing either a corolla or 4 door peugot for 107 usd from saturday to friday. We are going to take that to Kilkenny, check into Macgabhainns Backpackers Hostel and go to a pub.

Sunday morning we are waking up, trying to hit up St. Caine's Cathedral and Black Abbey monastary and then head to Killarney after lunch.

In Killarney we are planning on staying at Killarnet Lakeland Cottages, we are staying Sunday night, doing ROK on monday and coming back to the cottage. Tuesday we are driving to dingle and then returning to the cottage. Wednesday we are going to galway, looking at either Woodvile Guesthouse or Flannery's B&B on salthill.

Spend the rest of wednesday and thursday in and around galway, and on friday morning head out for Dublin, where we have booked the Crowne Plaza Airport for Friday and Saturday night, with a free airport shuttle to our flight at 6:35 am on Sunday morning.

We have still left a lot of space open so that while on a drive or doing ROK or Dingle or Galway we can let ourselves roam some and stop at things we find interesting.

Thanks everyone for your advice so far, we're going to try to check out some of the microbreweries posted. We'd still like to do horseback riding, but at 30 euros an hour, we're feeling its a bit expensive. Then again we are from Kentucky so we have plenty of horseback riding opportunities at home. We still need to work out some logistics as far as where we get the best exchange rate, and how to pack our luggage etc. But we feel like we have most of the big legwork done, and can pick up the small details as we painfully wait for the trip to begin.

Thanks again! We've had a lovely day today planning the trip. There is a great irish restaurant here in Louisville run by an Irish immigrant called the Irish Rover where we had lunch. We're finishing up the evening with Smithwicks, Guiness, O'hara's Red, Wexford as well as several Irish Cheeses, and Heinz beans on toast.

Michele Erdvig · Host

turin,

It sounds like everything is under control and you had a fun day planning. I hope you all have a great trip to Ireland. For info on money check my Money page. For packing see Packing page. They will give you good tips for your trip.

I hope you get to see everything you want. Please let us know how you get on and how those micro breweries were.

Michele

turin39789 · Member

We're getting ready for the trip and can't wait for friday.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for some last minute reading.

I want more info on VAT, what applies, is there a minimum amount etc. A friend from Canada told me she usually has to get over a certain dollar limit when she visits up there before she can get tax refunded.

Customs - What can I bring home, how much? I noticed the whiskey thread, and read through it. I'm a bourbon drinker myself but I was definetly planning on bringing back more than one bottle/brand. Any suggestions on what to pick up that I can't get here?

Souveniers- so far my list is an Aran sweater and booze.

Things to pack - right now i'm at clothes, toiletries, a raincoat, and a camera.

I just signed up for a new bank account through work, that offers free atm withdrawals at any atm. Meaning they not only don't charge a fee but also refund the other bank's fees. They also "believe" that there is no percentage charge/fee if I use the debit card at a point of sale in Ireland - Is there any reason not to believe this, other than that many credit cards do charge you fees?

Anyone here experienced with O'hare? On our return trip we have a 4 hour layover there from 1 pm - 5 pm, I'm wondering if we will have enough time to get on public transport and grab a bite and get back to the airport.

CANT WAIT!

stewh · Guru

Hi,
Good to see you plan on bringing back Irish Whiskey. Many excellent smooth brands are more or less available in North America including various ages of Jameson. My favorite Jameson is called Crested Ten and is available only in Ireland. While it is a premium brand it is less costly than the Scotch-like "singles" like Connemara. On my last trip Crested Ten was available at Shannon Airport. Have a great trip!!
Stewh

CowboyCraic · Guru

Ah, and so the count down begins I know you will have a great time!

As for VAT, Ireland requires no minimum purchase. VAT is a "hidden tax" — already added into the purchase price of any souvenirs bought on a visit with the exceptions of books and children's clothing, I believe. Remember to ask for a form each time that you make a purchase. I usaully spend my last evening, or part of it, going through all my receipts and filling out all the forms. It will speed things up when you go to turn them in at the airport. There are three different refund systems and to be sure, you will have forms to turn in at all three desks. Make sure that you allow time for that BEFORE you go through customs on your departing trip. I usual carry a coupon type folder with me, which I use to keep track of my receipts and VAT forms. Of course, Duty-Free shopping has no VAT tax nor do charitable organizations.

With only a 4 hour lay over in O'hare, you are best to stay put and find food in your terminal. O'Hare is spread out enough that I usually want at least a 4 hour window for transfers. They have some excellent restaurants in teh concourses.

Aran Sweaters and Booze, for some reason, that statement gave me an instant snapshot of freshly shorn sheep staggering about!

Have an excellent adventure. I am looking forward to reading your trip report!

Slan Agus Beannacht,

Bit

stewh · Guru

One more thing. I'm not so sure you will be able to use your debit card for point of sale purchases. Great for cash though.

Michele Erdvig · Host

turin,

The countdown begins! I'm sure you can't wait to step off the plane onto Irish soil.

For VAT any amount purchased is eligible for a refund. However, let's say you purchased a calendar for 4 euro. Once you figure in a service charge for getting the VAT back it is not worthwhile. You may want to make a lot of major purchases all together if you find a good store for that. It will cut down on the forms you have to fill out. Try to shop at stores that use Global Refund. The TaxBack refund scheme is not reliable.

For info on US customs: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/

Take a look at my "Packing" page for tips.

As for your bank and whether they charge fees, I always suggest reading the fine print on their agreements. When you call you can get many different answers. Since you are leaving Friday and time is short, I guess you will find out the real answers when you return.

I too, agree that you should stay at O'Hare Airport. There are plenty of decent restaurants there.

Have a great trip. I hope you will let us know how you enjoyed it when you return.

Michele

turin39789 · Member

Thanks for the advice - two more last minute questions.

We have been printing up our driving directions, and plan on getting a map when we land as well. Our Directions from Kilarney to Galway are a pretty straight shot, we were thinking about taking a route that would take us by the Cliffs of Mohr, where could we find a route?

Two of us are landing at 8:35 am Dublin time, the other two aren't arriving until the afternoon. The two early birds were going to take advantage of the time by going into the city, either with their backpacks or leaving them with left luggage. What is the most economical way of getting into and out of the dublin from the airport? Anything we should look to do, current plan is just to walkabout and grab a bite.

Michele Erdvig · Host

turin,

Try this website for routes: http://www.aaireland.ie/routes/

The VisitDublin website will give you many sightseeing ideas: www.visitdublin.com

For transportation from Dublin Airport to the city: http://www.dublinairport.com/to-and-from/by-bus/

Enjoy!

Michele

shashie50 · Veteran Member

1. Stop at the ATM 2. You can buy the spiral-bound Ordnance Survey Atlas at the airport -- we found that it was helpful to have a flat folding map too. 3. There is an airport shuttle bus from the airport into Dublin. When we arrived too early to check in, we left our luggage in their holding area and bought tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus. It gives you a nice look around town, and you can get off to have breakfast, again for tea, lunch, Guinness. It keeps the jetlag from overwhelming you, too -- if the weather is good you can sit up top.

If you go from Killarney toward Tralee to Tarbert, you can take the ferry across the Shannon and you will be set to follow a route along the coast to the Cliffs then through the Burren.

I would not leave O'Hare -- just too much risk of being late getting back. Plus, the loop is not very lively on Sunday afternoon. There is a hotel at the airport if you want to get a nicer meal. I'm sure there are places in the terminals too, but it is my "home" airport, so I've never had layover time to kill there.

Have a GREAT time!
Marsha