Advice requested - 10 days in Ireland with 3 & 7 year olds
Dec 15th, 2015, 03:41 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Advice requested - 10 days in Ireland with 3 & 7 year olds
Hello!
Looking for recommendations for Ireland with our two young daughters ages 3 & 7. 10 days in August 2016. We will probably fly into/out of Dublin and stay one day/night in Dublin upon arrival and again stay another day/night before departure. Looking for recommendations how to spend our (approximately) 8 days between arrival/departure. Would like to stay in one self-catering house for the whole 8 days and make day trips ....or perhaps two locations for 4 days each. Would prefer not to spend tons of time in the car. We definitely don't need to be focused on activities specifically designed for kids however they will be with us all the time so we will be looking for family-friendly activities. (Eg: in a recent trip to France we all enjoyed a trip to a Fromagerie to learn about the cheese making process and a trip to a artisan boulanger to learn about the traditional bread making process. And we all enjoyed touring big castles and hiking in the beautiful countryside
... so looking for recommendations as far as those sorts of family-friendly activities....and which County(ies) in Ireland do you recommend that we stay in/focus on......?
thank you very much!!
Looking for recommendations for Ireland with our two young daughters ages 3 & 7. 10 days in August 2016. We will probably fly into/out of Dublin and stay one day/night in Dublin upon arrival and again stay another day/night before departure. Looking for recommendations how to spend our (approximately) 8 days between arrival/departure. Would like to stay in one self-catering house for the whole 8 days and make day trips ....or perhaps two locations for 4 days each. Would prefer not to spend tons of time in the car. We definitely don't need to be focused on activities specifically designed for kids however they will be with us all the time so we will be looking for family-friendly activities. (Eg: in a recent trip to France we all enjoyed a trip to a Fromagerie to learn about the cheese making process and a trip to a artisan boulanger to learn about the traditional bread making process. And we all enjoyed touring big castles and hiking in the beautiful countryside
... so looking for recommendations as far as those sorts of family-friendly activities....and which County(ies) in Ireland do you recommend that we stay in/focus on......?thank you very much!!
Dec 15th, 2015, 04:05 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,629
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I lived in Galway for just over a year, the Irish are very family-oriented and welcoming of children every where including meal-serving pubs until around 9:00-- no rule that little ones have to leave but that's when the mood changes often with impromptu music starting up.
To minimize driving, can you fly in to Shannon and out of Dublin or the reverse? I would not split time in Dublin, it's a bit difficult to get in and out so just do it once.
What are your interests? Which areas do you want to see? Two bases are certainly possible but spend time with a guidebook before you decide. You mentioned not wanting to do a lot of driving so keep in mind driving times are generally longer than they would be in the States to cover the same distance.
To minimize driving, can you fly in to Shannon and out of Dublin or the reverse? I would not split time in Dublin, it's a bit difficult to get in and out so just do it once.
What are your interests? Which areas do you want to see? Two bases are certainly possible but spend time with a guidebook before you decide. You mentioned not wanting to do a lot of driving so keep in mind driving times are generally longer than they would be in the States to cover the same distance.
Dec 15th, 2015, 04:35 PM
#3
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Definitely allow more time for driving. Figure no more than 35 mph unless you are on a major highway. the local roads are narrow, twisting, often have limited shoulders or even ditches and there can be sheep anywhere - yes, completely blocking the road at times when they are being moved.
We once had to wait more than 15 minutes when several lambs had escaped under a fence and couldn't figure out how to get back to their mothers - and would not be herded to the side of the road until the farmer and his dog came along.
We once had to wait more than 15 minutes when several lambs had escaped under a fence and couldn't figure out how to get back to their mothers - and would not be herded to the side of the road until the farmer and his dog came along.
Dec 16th, 2015, 09:44 AM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Shannon ~ Dublin option saves no more than a couple of hours these days although can determine where to spend the first and last nights.
The popular tourist vote always goes to Kerry. Somewhere like Kenmare and Kenmare Bay Hotel. http://www.familyfun.ie/the-kenmare-bay-hotel/ (deliberate back door link to the hotel) would be a good base for south Kerry and west Cork. You could have a main base there or just 3 or 4 days then see somewhere else possibly Clare and Galway.
Thing is you should look through some good unbiased guide books, decide where YOU want to go, do, see? and then its easy to add places for the youngsters to your list.
My other advice is that if you pick bases to tour from make these Touring bases and not stuck out on peninsula's or middle of nowhere one road in one road out spots.
The popular tourist vote always goes to Kerry. Somewhere like Kenmare and Kenmare Bay Hotel. http://www.familyfun.ie/the-kenmare-bay-hotel/ (deliberate back door link to the hotel) would be a good base for south Kerry and west Cork. You could have a main base there or just 3 or 4 days then see somewhere else possibly Clare and Galway.
Thing is you should look through some good unbiased guide books, decide where YOU want to go, do, see? and then its easy to add places for the youngsters to your list.
My other advice is that if you pick bases to tour from make these Touring bases and not stuck out on peninsula's or middle of nowhere one road in one road out spots.
Dec 16th, 2015, 11:53 AM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Open Jaw works for an Arc, Dublin works for a loop whereas Shannon might not (waste of car hire days if Dublin is in the middle)
Where Shannon comes into its own is ease of getting through the airport due to its smaller size and more efficient nature, it is also a better location to start driving Irish roads.
Dublin works as a start and or end point when having time in the City although I personally recommend getting out and having all the Dublin time at the back of a trip rather than each end. With young children maybe less so unless the first night is within easy reach of Dublin.
Adults and Children will have a different take on the body clock timing and potential jet lag effects.
Where Shannon comes into its own is ease of getting through the airport due to its smaller size and more efficient nature, it is also a better location to start driving Irish roads.
Dublin works as a start and or end point when having time in the City although I personally recommend getting out and having all the Dublin time at the back of a trip rather than each end. With young children maybe less so unless the first night is within easy reach of Dublin.
Adults and Children will have a different take on the body clock timing and potential jet lag effects.
