Carole

Hi, Spending nine nights, eight days in Ireland and really need comments on this itinerary.<BR>Day 1 Arrive Dublin 5 p.m. Using b&amp;bs. <BR>Day 2 City tour and Gunness tour<BR>Day 3 Leave Dublin and drive down to Kilkenny or take the coastal route going through Wicklow down to Waterford. Night in Kilkenny or Waterford?<BR>Day 4 Drive to Cashel or drive down to Cork? Would like to stay overnight in Cashel and the rock lit at night or do we stay in Cork and do Blarney Castle and Jameson's?<BR>Day 5 Stay in Killarney or Kenmare? Do Ring of Kerry.<BR>Day 6 Stay in Limerick - see Cliffs of Moher, Ailwee Cave<BR>Day 7 Stay in Limerick and see Bunratty Castle, Durty Nellies and Adare<BR>Day 8 Stay in Galway and visit Connemara and Clifden. Doing one night at Dromoland Castle and don't want it to be the last night due to next morning early flight.<BR>Day 9 Galway to Ennis - See Doolin, The Burren and Cliffs of Moher. Stay where tonight since we have a 7:20 a.m. flight tomorrow?<BR>Day 10 Depart Shannon at 7:20 a.m.<BR>I would really appreciate your comments. Does anyone have suggestions for b&amp;bs? The more I read the more confused I am getting. Thanks for your help!

Debbie

Carole - <BR> What time of year are you going? That will make a difference on how much you can do in a day.<BR><BR>Also - do you realize you have the cliffs listed twice? As much as I love them , once is enough. <BR><BR>You could probably combine days 3 &amp; 4, and stay in Cashel both nights , but still see Kilkenny &amp; Waterford as a day trip.<BR><BR>If you are looking to do the Ring of Kerry - I would stay in Killarney, I personally liked doing the Ring on the Bus tour - gave the driver a day to actually see the countryside and not worry about the roads. <BR><BR>Days 6, 7 , 8 - Since Drumoland Castle is just on the other side of Shannon- use one of your Limerick days for it. ( the Bunratty castle/ durty nellies day) Then head up to Galway from there. <BR>Although - you will only get one night there , and have to spend a good portion of your day up &amp; back driving. I would probaly skip Galway this trip, OR<BR> Do Drumoland on Day 6<BR> skip limerick<BR> spend days 7 &amp; 8 in Galway<BR> then day 9 in Ennis ( or Bunratty to be close to the airport) . <BR><BR>Good Luck.

itsmlf

I wouldnt waste a lot of time in Limerick its a dark boring town. Stay your last night in Ennis...at Kilmoon House on Kildysart Rd if its open. Have a wonderful time

doc

Blow off Limerick!! Adare is close by or just continue up to Ennis.

myles

dont bother staying in blarney or cork instead try and stay in kinsale that night. it is the gourmet capital of ireland pretty harbour lots of bars<BR>or try Ballycotton or for a real treat stay at ballymaloe house near ballycotton is excellent

Mike

Yes. Another vote for Kinsale -- a delightful place. We liked it so much, we changed our plans and stayed an extra day.

Carole

Hi,<BR>Debbie: We will be arriving on Feb. 16th at 5 p.m. so we lose that day. We depart on Feb. 25th to return home. I realize we won't have a lot of daylight but this is the time we have to go. That was a typo on the Cliffs of Moher. Your suggestions really make a lot of sense. Back to the drawing board. Itsmlf and doc I like the idea of Ennis. Will look into Kilmoon House. Thanks for the suggestion. Myles and Mike -Kinsdale - I will look into that. Now mind you I do have to take a look at the map and see where all these places are and then re-work the itinerary. <BR><BR>When we leave Dublin what do you think is better - taking the coast down or driving to Kilkenny down to Waterford? Thanks all for your help! Will keep you posted on the revised agenda. Everyone: have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Krista

As for Limerick, drive through it, and go. It wasn't worth much of anything except for the McDonalds. <BR><BR>Bunratty is a great place to go when you first get off the plane. Stay at Dromoland that night, go drop your stuff off at the Castle then head back for Bunratty. <BR><BR>There are a lot of things you can do in one day. My husband and I went to Blarney Castle, stayed in Blarney (I had a lot of fun in that town.) Make sure you go to their Blarney Woolen Mills. The next morning we did the Jameson's distillery tour then Waterford tour the same day and drove on up to Kilkenny that night. <BR><BR>Next morning we saw Kilkenny Castle then went on to Cashel and stayed at the Cashel Palace Hotel (It was a close 2nd behind Dromoland).<BR><BR>You can see the Cliffs of Moher on your way to or from Galway, you don't need a full day for it. You can see The Cliffs of Moher, Ailwee Cave (you can't see this at all depending on what time of year it is), and the Portal Tomb right near there in less than a half a day.

buzzee

Carole,<BR>Dublin is a magical little city - are you sure you want to race away from there so quickly? The ambience is quite lively and young and literate. Tons of cultural events and the history of the city itself is pretty amazing.<BR><BR>Your trip is fairly aggressive. Depending on the time of year you go it is likely you won't need reservations. Just make sure you get your B&amp;B by 5 or 6 oclock. Things get a little bit iffy when it comes to 9 pm in a strange town at night and all the rooms are taken.<BR><BR>Stay in Kilkenny for the night. Go to a pub. Hang out. Relax. See the castle. Buy some tourist stuff.<BR><BR>Be advised that driving places will take longer than you think. <BR><BR>Enjoy the journey through Ireland as the land and villages are interlocked together and sometimes the house walls are actually road walls so be careful driving through the country.<BR><BR>Galway has excellent seafood restaurants. B&amp;B's are plentiful, although pretty standard and can be a bit chilly right on the coast. Usually you have to turn the heaters on.<BR><BR>Be warned: I ran into a raucous group of golfing American dermatologists at the Quays in Galway. It was pretty funny as I heard their accents above the fray.<BR><BR> If you have time get to the Islands, they are special also. Buy sweaters from the island ladies!<BR><BR>Buzzee<BR><BR>

Mike

We went to the Aran Islands in late May. I fell in love with a sweater vest but it was not my size. I ordered one from a lady who knitted them, paid for it with my credit card, and forgot all about it. I live in New Jersey, and came home from work one day in early September, and found this strange box delivered by the postmaster. Much to my surprise, it was the sweather I had ordered in May.<BR><BR>I just Love Ireland!!!!!

Pittsburgher

The other thing you MUST understand about traveling in Ireland is that you can actually only drive about 40-50 miles a day . . . Even if you start early each day, you'll be deterred by so many side trips (and lazy lunches and pub and/or tea-and-scones stops) that you'll never get to all the places you thought you'd see. So pick the four or five places you most want to be (and I would leave Dublin for another time - it's wonderful, but there are many more interesting places in the countryside). For instance, skip Ring of Kerry and do Dingle Peninsula and Connor Pass instead. You really need to find someplace VERY close to airport for such an early flight, since it can be a little confusing in the dark and you'll need to be there by 6 a.m.!) Based on my several trips, I would do Kilkenny, Kinsale, Dingle Peninsula/Connor Pass, Doolin (for music!), Cashel, Cliffs, Dromoland, Burren. Bunratty is somewhat interesting, but Nellie's is just another tourist thing.<BR><BR>On our first trip, we drove 1,000 miles in 13 days - and that doesn't include the 3 days we spent with our Irish priest driving us around his home turf (Roscommon), or taking the train to Dublin. If you slow down a little, you'll enjoy the trip much more, and have time to actually meet some people if you're not in the car all the time!<BR><BR>

csr

Carole,<BR>Go to this web-site and run your itinerary by Pat.<BR>http://www.irelandexpert.com/

bill

The trip looks like a bit too much area to cover. Though I think 40-50<BR><BR>The Guinness tour isn't really a tour, but more of a beer museum. You won't see any beer being made, but (weather permitting) you'll have a nice view of Dublin while you sip your beer at the end of the &quot;tour&quot;. That said, I wouldn't spend a day in Dublin on this trip unless you have been to Ireland in the past. One day really isn't enough and with only 8 days to see Ireland, I would skip Dublin for now.<BR><BR>You can do Kilkenny on your way to Cashel and as Debbie says, stay there for a couple of nights. Waterford, aside from the crystal, doesn't seem that interesting. I wouldn't stay there. <BR><BR>Kinsale is a much better option to Cork. <BR><BR>I would take Kenmare over Killarney any day. You will be traveling during low season, so I don't really think a bus tour of the Ring of Kerry is important. The roads are not that bad. Drive them counterclockwise and you won't get stuck behind a bus.<BR><BR>Again, don't stay in Limerick. There are tons of fine B&amp;Bs in Bunratty and you don't have to deal with terrible traffic. Ennis is another good choice.<BR><BR>It appears that you are spending three days in CO Clare, one day in Kerry and none in Dingle. I think I might take a day off of the Co Clare. That time of year may make the weather kind of spotty, so be sure to have lots of alternate plans. I have never been to Ailwee Caves but I have heard there are not anything special. They will be dry if it's raining though. I would think you could see the Burren and the Cliffs in the same day if you weren't going to do extensive exploring in the Burren. You can hit Adare on the way to Bunratty (Limerick). As others have said, do Dromoland on the Limerick days.<BR><BR>Durty Nellie's is a tourists pub. It's OK, but nothing special. At least when you are there it shouldn't be very busy. Stay away from it on weekends. That's when all the tours land. Try to spend some time in pubs that aren't specifically designed for tourists. Durty Nellie's is certainly not a place that I would schedule a day around. <BR><BR>It's hard for me to comment on an itinerary like this because I know there are some things you are dying to do, and they are wonderful, but I would leave out just to spend more time for other places. In your case, it would be the Connemara. You will spend the whole day driving around it and if the weather isn't very good, most of it will be not much fun. I would spend more time in the SW and not do the Connemara at all. You could see more of Dingle, Killarney Nat'l Park and the Ring. It's a long way out tof the way to go all the way to Clifden.<BR><BR>My suggestions:<BR><BR>Day 1: Stay in Dublin (but stay in the outskirts)<BR>Days 2&amp;3: Cashel or Cahir and do day trips<BR>Day 4: Kenmare: You could hit Blarney Castle on the way (if you must). <BR>Day 5: Kenmare: Ring of Kerry or Beara<BR>Day 6&amp;7: Dingle: Tons to see and do on the Peninsula. Take your time and enjoy. Sleep in late for instance<BR>Day 8: Dromoland<BR>Day 9: Bunratty. I would suggest Bunratty over Ennis just because it is a little closer to the airport. 7:20 is a VERY early departure and if you have bought a bunch of things, you'll need some time to deal with all the tax stuff.<BR>Day 10: Leave<BR><BR>Ok, I started this about 6 hours ago, and I'm just going to send it. It's unorganized, but I hope it helps.<BR><BR>Bill

Kerry

Well to each his own. We spent a September day in 2001 driving around Connemara in not so good weather and absolutely loved it. My spouse wants to go back there. We saw Leenane, Kylemore, Ballynahinch, Recess and spots in between whose names I've currently forgotten. Don't pay to go through Kylemore Abbey however, as they only let you in 2 rooms.

Krista

Bill has a good trip, just stay at Dromoland on your last night. They will call your airlines to check on your flight and are sooo wonderful. It took up 15 min to get to the airport from Dromoland so, it's not a long drive. <BR> <BR>Use Day 8 to stay in Galway or Doolin and see the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren that day. <BR><BR>Also don't drive Ring of Kerry yourself. It's 100 miles of hard driving and the driver never gets to see anything. There are tons of tour companys that just do the ring and take you around for a small fee. Much better way of going and you both can see everything.

Mike

I would forget the ring of Kerry and do Dingle and the Connor Pass. You won't regret it.

Carole

Thank you all for your very valuable input. I am in the midst of getting ready for Thanksgiving and company for a week so I am printing this forum and I will digest it (not with the turkey) next week. Bill you really put in a lot of time and I thank you for that suggested itinerary. A lot of good points. Krista I can't stay at Dromoland the last night due to a very early 7:20 a.m. flight out of Shannon the next day. I would like to spend some time there the next morning. Will be back next week. Thanks again everyone and have a great Thanksgiving!

gigi

Bill, I think you ment to say do the Ring of Kerry clockwise. The busses go counter-clockwise.

John

Hi Carole,<BR><BR>Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day. Lots of interesting comments. Here are my two cents - some of which is based on the time of year.<BR><BR>Day 1/2 - consider Trinity Lodge in Dublin. It is super and has the best location in Dublin for short stays. (I disagree with others, a couple of days in Dublin is worth doing). Would not rent a car in Dublin until the morning of departure.<BR><BR>Day 3 - Wicklow is great, but Waterford is skipable unless you really like industrial towns. Kilkenny hands down.<BR><BR>Day 4 - You can do both Cork and Cashel if you limit Cork to Blarney Castle and Jameson's (perhaps skip Jameson's if you to Guinness in Dublin). Cork for the day and then head to Cashel to stay overnight.<BR><BR>Day 5 - I vote for Kenmare. Would not do the entire Ring of Kerry. The good part is the lakes area - skip the rest and head for Dingle. Consider the Greenmount House B&amp;B. Do Sley Head drive and Conner pass and then head for Doolin (take the ferry).<BR><BR>Day 6 - See Cliffs of Moher, Ailwee Cave (disappointing) and the Burren. Drive on to Galway City.<BR><BR>Day 7 - Connemara is a lot of rock, rock, rock and Clifden is not very exciting, but don't miss Cong.<BR><BR>Day 8/9 - Ennis, Dromoland Castle, Bunratty and the Shannon airport are all veeerrry close, Adare is a short drive away. Limerick and Shannon are zero's. Dromoland Castle is the best hotel in Ireland. Personally I would stay there two nights or if you are nervous about the flight there is a good hotel two miles from the airport (name escapes me, but email me if you want the name).<BR><BR>This itinerary is based upon your original notes and some good advice from other posters. It hits your high points without backtracking (maximizing your quality time). You should be aware there is a lot of driving time included in your trip; which scares off a bunch of folks, but is the way I like to travel to get a flavor of an area of a country. Consider this when reviewing comments of other posters. Consider in your plans, driving in Ireland is slow relative to the U.S. - allow not more than 35 - 40 miles per hour on average. And last but not least, you WILL encounter rain/fog this time of year - plan on it.<BR><BR>Have a great time, you will love Ireland. <BR><BR>

bill

Gigi:<BR><BR>Ooops, you are right. I meant to say Clockwise. Also, If you get an early start, you won't see a bus for quite a while.<BR><BR>Bill