garyincary

We plan to spend 2 or 3 days in the Cork area. Do you recommend Cork or Kinsale as our base? We like quaint, charming and cute, but with enough activity going on to keep us busy. We also want to see Killarney and Dingle Peninsula. Would you stay in Killarney, Dingle, or Tralee? Is Killarney overrun with tourists, or is there still some charm there? Thanks for any help you can give us in planning our dream trip.

Rastaguytoday

tony2 can answer this better than I can.

My plan is to go to Dingle from Limerick, skip the Ring of Kerry, and take the coastal road from Kenmare along the coast to Cork.

Everything I've read says that I'll get about the same experience along this road as I would taking the Ring.

HappyTrvlr

We really enjoyed Kinsale, good dining, charming town. I would chose Kinsale over Cork.

Tony2phones

I can answer this Better???
No I am just not afraid of saying Dingle is not the centre of the universe when it come to Ireland...

It depends what you want to do in Cork?? If you want scenery and the western peninsula's then stay out west, Bantry, Glengarriff, Kenmare.

To be honest I would say one night in Kinsale is more than enough, nice place to visit and reputably the only place in Ireland worth having a meal? but not to my taste for an evening with the locals.

Then move to Kenmare for a couple of nights, quieter than Killarney but still enough options and handy for Beara, Muckross and the Killarney National Park.

Dingle has Slea Head, a couple of Good beaches, a tourist busy former fishing town complete with dolphin and the Connor Pass which is almost as good as the Healy Pass on Beara. If you have to spend the night there then fine, if not move on past Tralee to either Listowel which ticks my box as possibly one of the bet Heritage towns or Adare which has the Biscuit Box charm of a typical UK Cotswold village.

Beara, Sheeps Head and the Mizen peninsulas are thankfully not tourist bus friendly so retain some of the charm many places in Ireland have forgotten or just put on in summer.

Think that has up set enough people for now, but honesty is seldom well received.

allisonm

Gary, why don't you post a rough itinerary? I know you are going to be in Dublin for a couple of days, so maybe you don't need to stay in another city.

I agree with Tony about Kinsale. It's a sweet little town but a night will be enough. If you end up in Cork, don't miss the English Market. Every time we walk through, we wish we were self catering so we could cook some of the delicious fish and pork they have. We usually buy fruit tarts and eat them as we wander around.

The coast road through West Cork is a great drive; stop in Skibereen for lunch. Then end up in Kenmare, which we prefer over Killarney. For such a small town there is great variety in dining, pubs and B&Bs.

And I agree with Tony about the Penninsulas with the exception of Dingle, which I think is worth a night. We are not fans of the ROK, but people have to see for themselves. I would take a drive out to the light at Mizen Head any day over ROK. That place is really awesome.

Good luck. You may have to plan a second trip because you can't see it all the first time.

garyincary

Thanks to AllisonM for suggesting that I post a rough itinerary. We plan to arrive in Dublin August 22, and spend 3 nights there. We were thinking of driving to Cork/Kinsale, and spending 3 nights there, which could include a day trip to Killarney. We are spending one night in a castle in Tralee, and then were thinking of spending a couple of nights in Dingle. We then were going to drive to Galway, and spend 3/4 nights there. Places we definitely want to experience include Killarney National Park, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands. We also want to leave time for wandering around towns and villages. We want to avoid changing where we sleep every day or two, so we thought that Dublin, Cork or Kinsale, Dingle or Tralee, and then somewhere in Galway area would let us see what we want to see. Your comments are very much welcome and appreciated.

marirose

The Ring of Kerry is a beauty and so is the Dingle. In both places you can avoid the crowds. I know the Ring area well now as I live here, and this week have explored Dingle Peninsula. Conor in the snow was awesome

NB Rastaguy; you are mistaken! I know both and the Ring is far better. try both before proclaiming please.

Easy to forget the impact of these places to newcomers who see the beauty afresh. Everyone I meet is so appreciative of the Ring etc. and rapt at the scenery in the Dingle pena

So please ignore world weary advice!

Tralee is built up; if you are planning B and B or small hotel, think re Sneem maybe but abundant places in Dingle area also. Nearer the Ring also



Will not be here much but enjoy; new to Ireland is a wonderful thing

Tony2phones

Rastaguy..You are well advised skipping the Ring as a route between Dingle and Kenmare you need a fairly full day to get any justice out of the Inveragh and better to just see Muckross and a bit of national park from Kenmare rather than rush round.
marirose has a point but is probably talking the Iveragh as a whole rather than the "Ring of Kerry" tourist bus route..

If you get the chance to do a little of Beara even if its only the Heally Pass (far superior to the Connor which has a few good bits).

Tony2phones

Just a point anyone wanting to see some of the "Ring" could get some guidance from Day 5 of http://farmerstravel.wordpress.com/