Feedback on 2 week Itinerary Please!

Paradox91 · Newbie

Feedback on 2 week Itinerary Please!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Christina,

I know I answered everyone's questions but yours. It is confusing and I'm going to have to sleep on it. I will answer when I have more time to contemplate all the permutations.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

Christina,

If your flight arrives early enough into Dublin, you might consider taking an open-top bus tour, which allows you to get on & off at your leisure, providing a narrated tour of all the main sites in Dublin. That would leave you the option of taking a bus tour to New Grange on Day two. These bus tours are fabulous, as thy also take in the Hill of Tara and other sites that you might miss because you are trying to do New Grange at the end. Two tours for you to look at would be the Irish Rover Tour & Newgrange Tours. If you are adventurous, you might enjoy the Causey Experience where you "become Irish" for a day.

That would allow you to pace out your trip a bit better. I might suggest:

Day 1 & 2 - Dublin, as planned

Day 3 & 4 - Kilkenny (You really need two nights here to explore this fantastic city) Enroute See Glendalough, Wicklow and Powerscourt (Especially in late May)

Spend Day 4 exploring Kilkenny

Day 5 & 6 Dingle enroute, explore the Rock of Cashel

Day 6 explore Dingle Peninsula

Day 7 & 8 Galway (take the Killimer/Tarbert Ferry to shave 85 miles off your route) once off the ferry follow the coast road to Galway, visit Cliffs of Moher, Lunch at McGann's in Doolin, through the Burren and in to Galway

Day 8 Day Trip to Inis Mor

The longest drives you are really looking at occur at this point. If you took the Connemara route through Clifden and up, you are looking at 6 hours, but it would allow you some fantastic scenery along the coast. Galway to Donegal through Sligo would be the shorter route at 3 hours. I would recommend the Sligo Route and taking the time to lunch and explore in Sligo.

Day 9 Donegal

Day 10 - 13 Belfast (Donegal to Londonderry and then follow the Antrim Coast road around to Belfast) sites along the way Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Bridge) with stops, this is a full day (Michele might have another suggestion, but I loved my stay at Windmere Guesthouse)

Day 11 Take a Black Taxi Tour of Belfast & spend the afternoon exploring Belfast

Day 12 Glens of Antrim

Day 13 Malahide Treat yourself to a relaxing stay at Beechwood Country House

Day 14 Home

That will give you something to mull over. Michele will have some tweaks and excellent ideas, as well.

Have an excellent adventure!

Slan Agus Beannacht,

Bit Devine

Michele Erdvig · Host

Christina,

Excellent advice from Bit. As she suggested you really need two days in Kilkenny if you want to see anything of the castle and city. Because of the amount of territory you are covering you will be moving right along most of the time. If you prefer a more relaxed pace you might consider skipping a few things. But I know it is difficult to cut out things you really want to see.

If you went north first you might be able to fit in a visit to Newgrange.

Since you prefer staying in the country you could do Belfast as a day trip or on your way south.

Michele

Paradox91 · Newbie

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I am leaning towards what you are suggesting, with some tweaks. Sorry for another long post here . . .

A few more questions as we iron things out:

1) Since we'll be seeing so much scenery in the North and West, I'm thinking of just a drive through Killarney en route from Killkenny to Dingle; so a stop in Cashel & short stop to stretch legs in Killarney Park to break up the drive and enjoy a scenic drive. Is that reasonable?

2) Is it too much to drive from Dingle to Galway in a day? Extra day in Killkenny could be replaced with an overnight somewhere close to Moher or Burren, then to Galway for 2 nights. Kilkenny sounds wonderful, but I wonder about the trade-off to cut extra day in Kilkenny to make the West/ North seem a little less rushed?

3) The day in Donnegal -- I'm thinking of a northern bay tour? Seems like the drive between Galway and Donnegal shouldn't be too much so a day trip would be doable?

4) Seems like there is a choice of days: One extra day for Kilkenny, Cliffs of Moher area (to shorten drive between Dingle and Galway), or Donnegal north bay. Which would you choose?

5) We don't leave until 2:30 on our last day, so I feel comfortable, if it makes sense to give the N. another day, driving from the North to the airport. Or is Malahide a worthwhile destination in and of itself? And is North to Dublin airport in a morning too optimistic?

6) How disappointed should I be if we miss Newgrange? I'm thinking it might be just too much . . . .

So here is a revised itinerary, taking into account comments received:

1,2 Dublin

3 – sleep kilkenny (powerscourt, glendalough en route) (or add extra day in Kilkenny, trading a day around Cliffs of Moher or Donnegal)

4-5 – sleep Dingle

4- Cashel, drive through Killarney

5- Dingle drive/ bike

6— sleep Ballyvaughn, cliffs of moher en route (or cut to give extra day in Kilkenny)

7 -8 -sleep Galway

7 – Burren, Galway

8 –Aaran Islands

9-10 – sleep Donegal

9 – sligo, baleek

10 – Donnegal bay drive (or cut to give extra day in Kilkenny, or extra day to N. Ireland sites)

11-12 - sleep Ballycastle (I'd prefer to sleep outside of the city)

11 – Bushmills, Dunlance, Derry??

12 – Giant’s Causeway, Antrim Coast, Bridge

13 - sleep South of Belfast

13 – Glens of Antrim, depart day 14

I never realized how much there is to see and do in Ireland!!

Thanks again for all of your help. I feel like I'm getting closer (although the more I read to narrow things down, the more I want to see :)

Christina

-- Edited by Paradox91 at 23:35, 2007-01-13

Michele Erdvig · Host

Christina,

Since you are covering so much area in Ireland -- from the very tippy-top to the little corners at the very the bottom -- you will be bypassing a whole lot. Choices must be made and they are yours to decide. Once you decide on what you "must see" you will never miss what you did not see. I will answer specifics below.

1) Since we'll be seeing so much scenery in the North and West, I'm thinking of just a drive through Killarney en route from Killkenny to Dingle; so a stop in Cashel & short stop to stretch legs in Killarney Park to break up the drive and enjoy a scenic drive. Is that reasonable? * It will be a long day from Kilkenny to Dingle. You will probably want a couple of hours in Cashel. Cahir Castle would also be a good stop. Killarney has a lot to do and see buy I'm sure you have read up and know what is there so are comfortable leaving it out of your itinerary. I suggest departing Kilkenny by around 9 am.

2) Is it too much to drive from Dingle to Galway in a day? Extra day in Killkenny could be replaced with an overnight somewhere close to Moher or Burren, then to Galway for 2 nights. Kilkenny sounds wonderful, but I wonder about the trade-off to cut extra day in Kilkenny to make the West/ North seem a little less rushed? * You can drive to Galway in a day. I suggest you take the ferry across the Shannon and drive up the coast. You can see the cliffs and will drive through the Burren on the way.

3) The day in Donnegal -- I'm thinking of a northern bay tour? Seems like the drive between Galway and Donnegal shouldn't be too much so a day trip would be doable? * In your outline below you are stopping in Sligo and at Belleek. Depending on what you see and do and how much time you spend at both places you can decide if you want to take a drive along Donegal Bay in the late afternoon or evening. Play it by ear.

4) Seems like there is a choice of days: One extra day for Kilkenny, Cliffs of Moher area (to shorten drive between Dingle and Galway), or Donnegal north bay. Which would you choose? * I am not sure what you mean by "Donegal north bay". But it sure would be a shame to just sleep in Kilkenny without seeing anything there.

5) We don't leave until 2:30 on our last day, so I feel comfortable, if it makes sense to give the N. another day, driving from the North to the airport. Or is Malahide a worthwhile destination in and of itself? And is North to Dublin airport in a morning too optimistic? * You need to be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight. You need time to return the car and turn in your VAT forms. How early are you willing to get started? I much prefer to be closer to the airport for departure but that is just me.

6) How disappointed should I be if we miss Newgrange? I'm thinking it might be just too much . . . . * As I said above, you will not miss what you leave out. You will just enjoy what you choose to see.

Michele