waterlily252

I feel like I have played with our itinerary forever!

We leave in 3 weeks and I wanted to get a critique on our final itinerary and ask a few last minute questions!

We fly into Dublin and out of Shannon and have 14 nights of fun! Other than our reservations in Dublin we haven't made any reservations (I have a sheet with our top 5 B&B picks for each town we want to stay in...but we don't want to reserve in case we change our minds!).

Dublin - 2 nights
Kilkenny - 1 night
Kinsale - 2 nights
Kenmare - 1 night
Dingle - 3 nights
Doolin - 2 nights
Derry - 1 night
Clifden - 2 nights

I know that the Doolin to Derry to Clifden is backtracking and a lot of driving but we are interested in seeing some of Northern Ireland! If we want to spend an extra day somewhere else then it is the first thing we will drop!!

How does it look?

Questions:
1. We are planning on wearing jeans with a light cotton shirt and sweater (as well as light jackets or rain coats). Is this appropriate for the weather? Any other suggestions?

2. Although it will be freezing at the beach we both love to take photographs of different beaches around the world......any specific gorgeous beaches that we should not miss?

3. In regards to not making reservations ahead of time - Is there any area where you might foresee us having a problem? I've tried to make sure there are no "big events" in any of the towns while we plan on being there but I could have missed something!

Thanks!

Padraig

Cut Derry from the programme right now. It's excessive, and you are including it for a reason that I am sure you will agree is trivial. And, before you know where you are, we may have people weighing in with bits to add to your itinerary, like Donegal.

Beaches: some of the most interesting are those west of Dingle. Ventry for its great crescent sweep, Wine Strand for its setting, and Couminole just because it is magic.

I would not expect a problem with accommodation at that time of year.

kelliebellie

I would suggest you put some waterproof spray on whatever shoes you are taking. When we went a few years ago in late July, I threw in a pair of closed toed shoes at the last minute. I wore them the whole time. And this was July! You don't want to be spending the whole day with wet feet.

pittpurple

There's an absolutely stunning beach on the Dingle Peninsula - I can't remember the name but my mom knew it from a movie called Ryan's Daughter I think? It's on all the maps for Dingle Peninsula - our favourite pictures of our entire trip are from there.

Absolutely make sure you have waterproof shoes (my favourite are hiking sneakers I have with gore-tex lining, they're perfect for wandering around rain-lashed beaches!)

CindyW

Okay, I'm one of those people who is always pushing to see just one more thing, and I am thinking that the night in Kerry won't work. HOWEVER, we did something similar, 14 nights, with Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Killarney, Dingle, Doolin, and then 3 nights near Donegal, 1 on Malin Head and a couple in Belfast. So it's not that you can't fit in Northern Ireland, it's just a matter of what you want to do down south.

I have to tell you that the Ring of Kerry pales (completely) to the coast drives in Donegal. But to just drive up to Kerry for one night won't be worth it. If you really want to go there, you could do one night in Kinsale, or two in Doolin. We didn't make it to Kerry, but the route to Donegal and around there (Bundoran, Slieve League Cliffs, etc.) was just spectacular.

Have fun!

Timlin

We were over in mid-September and the one thing we found was that some B&B's were closed for the season. You will be glad you have 4 or 5 listed for each place so you can move on. We had no trouble finding room in the B&B's that were still open. It's a great way to travel Ireland.

chip

you truly will only wear yourself out driving up to derry...not have time to see/enjoy anything...and come back.

add the day to kenmare (take a day to do beara peninsula/healy pass)

you may also want to consider taking a day from doolin and adding at the end to stay in bunratty...you will want to be closer to the airport for departure the next day

if you rerouted trip to see some of north...you would have to give up something in the south...and if you did, I would do it to see giant's causeway over derry (the bog murals are interesting...took a good tour there)

nytraveler

Even if you don;t want to make reservations I would contact a few B&Bs in each place to make sure

1) they are open

2) they're not fully booked by some special local event

It won;t take long and will give a greater sense of security.

LindaBrinck

My friend and I just got back on Sept 18 from a fly/drive for 6 days. We are both photographers.

There has been a lot of rain this summer in Ireland. I brought "duck shoes" - these are rubber moccasins. LL BEan sells them. My friend had a higher pair that covered her ankles. They were great for pulling over on the side of the road. It was always wet.

Bring camera protection if you have a good camera. For our digital SLR's we had "Shutter Hats". Porters also sells a plastic sleeve rain protector that worked well.

3 nights in Dingle and 2 nights in CLifden sounds like a lot. I can't imagine staying anywhere in Ireland for 3 nights. The towns are so small. I think it is better to stay a night or 2 and keep moving.

Try to visit the town of Cong where they filmed the movie "The Quiet Man".

We drove 1000 miles (1600 km) in 5 days.

Our itinerary included, Dingle, Connemara region and Achill Island - very remote but beautiful.

Things are really closer than they appear on the maps. We used a Mapquest type website to help determine distances.

Be sure to have a good map. AAA maps were not enough detail and our GPS system would not work as we arrived in DUblin. We were lost for hours driving in circles. ALSO - the GPS will bring you on every tiny little road in order to save a few Km's. On my next trip, I will buy a road atlas in a gas station.

We had an automatic car - important if this is your first time driving on the left side since that will occupy a lot of your attention for the first 3 days.

The jeans are fine with t-shirts. But be preapred for cooler weather. It is cooler in Ireland than it was in Connecticut where I come from.

FOr your anniversary, it would be really cool to stay in a castle - check out Adare Manor or Ashford Castle. Some hotels like Bunratty Castle Hotel are across from a castle - not actually in a castle.

THe town of Clifden has a great sweater shop on the same side of the road as Mannion's Pub. I am soooo sorry I didn't buy sweaters to bring home for everyone.

Be sure to drive up on the Conor Pass in Dingle and to take the Sleade Head drive.
There is a place where there is an ancient fort. Doesn't sound like much - 5 euros to get in - but the views are absoultely incredible.

Have a great time.

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

Linda

P.S. I had such a great time, I already have my FF tickets booked for next April.

Padraig

LindaBrinck wrote: "3 nights in Dingle and 2 nights in CLifden sounds like a lot."

Not to me, it doesn't! And it's not so much a matter of how many nights, but how many days you spend in an area.

Rain is always a possibility here. We have had plenty this year -- our annual quota has already been delivered to us, and we are now in bonus territory. But you are not guaranteed rain.

GeorgeW

My wife and I honeymooned in Ireland 17 years ago and we both are firmly on the side of cutting back road travel when possible. Thus, I agree with Padraig that Derry should be tossed from your itinerary. Rural roads in Ireland are pretty rough and winding; it is hard to average more than 35 miles per hour, especially when you are going through a town every ten miles or so.

We never did tour Dingle- maybe for a 20th Anniversary. I'd love to visit the South Pole Pub in Annascaul, hometown of Tom Crean, one of the heroes of the Shackleton expedition of 1914-16.

crckwc1

Waterproof shoes, waterproof rain jacket, umbrella are musts. I would take a cotton knit turtleneck, a light pullover sweater, and a cardigan in addition to the jacket in case the weather turns quite chilly. In fact this is exactly what I wore more than once in September in Ireland.

crckwc1

Oops! Just re-read the OP and you're either there or back. Hope it was a great trip.

GeorgeW

Hah, we'll have to remember asking waterlilly whether she had a good time!!!!!

Padraig

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