lyntay

Hi there,
I'd love some feedback about our tentative itinerary. We have 14 days on the ground during the last two weeks of March, early April. Those days do not include air travel time. What do I need to consider? I do realize it is an ambitious schedule, but what is just crazy to attempt? Would you forego time in one place and add on to another? We will be in the dingle area on Easter Sunday. Anything I need to consider around that? Always appreciated, Cathy

Here we go:

Saturday, March 19 arrive in Belfast

Tuesday, March 22 leave Belfast, arrive in portrush
See carrickfergus, dark hedges, giants causeway on route to port-rush

Wed, March 23 leave portrush, arrive in Westport
On route, half day in Derry, ballina and ceide fields

Thursday, March 24 leave Westport, arrive either in ballyvaughn or doolin
Burren, cliffs of moher and area

Sunday, March 27 leave doolin/ballyvaughn, arrive dingle

Wednesday, March 30 leave dingle, arrive Dublin
See cashel
See limerick?

Wednesday, March 30 Dublin
Day trip to Kilkenny
Day trip to glendalough
Day trip to Meath
Dublin

Leave April 4 for home.

northie

With al the day trips out of Dublin I assume you don't to see Dublin???

lyntay

Ya, I was thinking that as I wrote that. how would you work it then after dingle?

flpab

Are you driving and renting a car in Belfast? I am not sure you can return said car in Dublin.

I would give myself another night and day in Westport or Clifden. You can go to Clare Island or to Inishmor where the cliffs are unspoiled.
Give yourself more time there than in Doolin.

Don't short change yourself in Dublin. There are easy day trips from there but enjoy what the city has to offer also.

Tony2phones

At the risk of being lambasted by Dinglites, you are going from Portrush on the Antrim coast in 3 days so you can spend 3 days in a town near the end of a peninsula that covers 0.4%of the island and has regular tours that take 4 hours to cover it.

This 10 day road trip is a push and doesn't even get to Dingle. You might find some points of interest linked on it.

You might be better arriving at Dublin Airport and driving straight north to Belfast rather than paying to repatriate a UK car to the north if you drop it in the Republic.

Tony2phones

Forgot the Link https://goo.gl/xrDQtD

dingle999

"At the risk of being lambasted by Dinglites, "
from somebody living in Loughrea Co Galway.. that is funny ...

you will have a lot of driving ..
and yes leave out Limerick .. and that is from somebody who was reared there

"Day trip to Kilkenny
Day trip to glendalough
Day trip to Meath"
Leave them out and enjoy what Dublin has to offer ...

"Thursday, March 24 leave Westport, arrive either in ballyvaughn or doolin
Burren, cliffs of moher and area

Sunday, March 27 leave doolin/ballyvaughn, arrive dingle

Wednesday, March 30 leave dingle, arrive Dublin"

Overall a sensible / rational plan

ESW

The point about hiring a car made by Tony2phones is very relevant as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Eire are two different countries. If it is possible to pick up in Belfast and drop off in Dublin, the cost may be prohibitive. It does make sense to fly into Dublin and then head to Belfast. It is 100 miles on good roads. Depending on where you are coming from and jet lag, you may want to split your time in Dublin and spend a couple of nights here first to recover from jet lag and see the city. You can always combine Meath (what are your expectations here) with the drive to Belfast.

Saturday 19th
Arrive Dublin. Hit the highlights of the city. Also consider a trip to Newgrange, possibly the best neolithic monument in Ireland.
http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/b...age/newgrange/
Spend a day round Meath, or else do this on the way to Belfast.

Tuesday or Wednesday 23rd.
Arrive in Belfast

Friday 25th
for I am intrigued as to why the Dark Hedges.... If you are intending to visit here I am assuming you are thinking of taking the inland route to Portrush via Ballymena and Ballymoney. Although the shorter route, it is the less inspiring route compared with the coastal route which really is quite dramatic in places with some nice villages (Cushendahl and Cushendun). It also means you miss out on the Antrim Glens. Glenariff is the best and if you have time, the waterfall walk is one of the best short walks in Northern Ireland.
http://www.walkni.com/walks/197/glen...aterfalls-walk
If time allows also try and visit Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.



Saturday 26th
This is a very ambitious day if you are planning to spend a half day doing Derry. Using the AA route finder, the drive is 230 miles and is going to take nearly 6 hours and that is without stops... Driving in Ireland is slow, much slower than you might expect. I’m also wondering if Ceide Fields is a good investment of time as to be honest, you don’t actually see a lot as most of the settlement is covered with peat. It is an amazing site covering a vast area but all you see are a few excavated bits of stone wall. Have a look at our pictures beginning here:
http://wasleys.org.uk/britain_exhp_m...e-html/01.html
Visits are by guided tour and take bout an hour, so you need to be there by 4pm at the very latest.

Sunday 27th
Doable day. However this doesn’t give you any time to see anything of Galway and Connemara. Have you thought about trickling down along the coast through Clifden, doing the Sky Drive, which on a good day must be one of the best short drives in the world.
https://www.irishcarrentals.com/skyroad.php
Continue to the delightful small settlement of Roundstone with one of the best views of the mountains of Connemara before heading to Galway and your overnight stop. Again take the coastal route N67 from Kinvarra - have you thought of the Medieval banquet in Dunguaire Castle?
https://www.irishcarrentals.com/skyroad.php

Monday 28th
Spend today seeing the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Are you planning on a boat trip? They are more dramatic when seen from below.

Tuesday 29th
On your way to Dingle, think about taking the small ferry from Kilrush to Tarbert rather than flogging down through Ennis and Limerick (leave out as dingle999 recommends).
http://www.shannonferries.com/page/ferry-timetable/7

Wednesday and Thursday 30th &31st
Spend exploring Dingle.

Friday 1st April
Drive form Dingle to Killkenny via Cashel

Saturday 2nd April
Drive to Dublin via Glendalough.

Dublin until leave on 4th April.

lyntay

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the advice. Tony2phones, we have checked and we'll save about 300 cdn renting a car in Dublin and dropping it in Dublin (also a little on the airfare too). I will take a look at the other suggestions and most likely revamp. Again, I appreciate your time

Padraig

Tony wrote: "At the risk of being lambasted by Dinglites...
This 10 day road trip is a push and doesn't even get to Dingle...".

Don Quixote had his battle with windmills; Tony has his battle with Dingle. Now he has a new word for those whose views differ from his: Dinglite.

His suggested itinerary is interesting in that it gives Dingle a wide berth, and lumps in lots of places that lyntay didn't put into the first draft. It looks like a cordon sanitaire: don't go to Dingle; don't even go near Dingle in case you are tempted. I must be a hopeless case, because I was in Dingle last week, enjoying the experience yet again.

My personal view is that two full days in Belfast is one too many. Cutting to two nights there could take pressure off the rest of the program.

I like ESW's suggestion of taking a coastal route from Westport towards, perhaps, Ballyvaughan. It's a scenic drive, so I suggest that you start early in the day so as to have time to stop and look at things. If you have shaved a day off Belfast, you might use it to give Connemara something closer to the time that I think it is worth.

The big warning about Easter in Dingle is that lots of people will be there (including lots of Irish people who think it a great place) so you might need to book your accommodation well in advance.

Tony2phones

Strange how despite being dyslexic I can actually read what has been written, where some folk can only pick out niggley bits of things I write.

The Map covers areas which are on the OP itinerary and was a route put together for an Australian couple, to meet the specification that they wanted. It was later adapted for a UK couple.

I have put together routes for 10 days that include the south east, south west and never get above the Shannon estuary. I advise people to go to Dingle or at least round the peninsula on many occasions. I wouldn't do that for Easter though.

I also have a link I regularly give for Dingle http://goo.gl/LYj3pM written by a Dinglite I have a lot of respect for.

Padraig

Cut out the nonsense, Tony. OP drafted a proposed itinerary that included 3 nights in Dingle, and you proposed an alternative that doesn't go near Dingle.

Regulars here will know that you consistently try to lead people away from Dingle, and that your Plan B is to reduce the visit to a drive-by between Killarney and Ennis, a treatment that does not enable a visitor to savour the experience.

HarveyIreland, the poster you link, does "get" Dingle.

lyntay

Hello again,

We've revamped our itinerary based on your feedback. Of course, any further feedback is greatly appreciated. Too much time, not enough time, etc. Here is the newest version:

March 19 - Arrive Dublin
March 22 - Leave Dublin, arrive Belfast - see Newgrange on way

March 24 - Depart Belfast, arrive Derry - see Glenariff, Bushmills, Giants Causeway

March 25 - Derry in the morning - see Sligo Town (Carrowmore Megalithic) - arrive Westport

March 27 - Depart Westport, arrive Ennis - while in Ennis, see Cliffs of Moher, Burren Nat'l Park, Aran Islands - we were looking at the two loops that Tony2phones suggested in another post)

March 29 - Depart Ennis, Arrive Dingle area - Where should we stay? In Dingle itself or another town?

March 30 - Depart Dingle area, arrive Kenmare - drive Ring of Kerry on way to Kenmare - see Killarney Nat'l park while in Kenmare

April 1 - Depart Kenmare, arrive Kilkenny - on way to Kilkenny see Blarney, Cashel. Do we have time for Cork?

April 3 - Depart Kilkenny, Arrive Dublin - see Glendalough on way back to Dublin

Tony2phones

There is the danger you might find Ireland larger on the ground than on the map so be selective about the must see v want to see locations around the loop.

Dingle is actually the only town of any size at the western end of the peninsula with Ventry the next largest point, the town has geared to cater for tourism over the past 33 years and does it well. At the eastern end of the peninsula Castlegregory is a great location on Tralee Bay and Kilorglin is the southern crossing point.

I am not sure what you want to see/do in Cork itself and time will be tight enough just fitting Blarney and Cashel en route to Kilkenny.

flpab

You know there are waits to see Newgrange so be first in line. We are going to Westport for five nights. I think it is a great base. Glad you are doing NI.

Mary300

Great itinerary, it was good to adjust the itinerary as the second itinerary is much more doable. I always feel you can only do your best when composing an itinerary. Anything you don't see you can always plan in another trip. Its hard to fit everything in! Have a great time

ESW

Plan to be at Newgrange when the visitor centre opens and book your place straight away to avoid delays. Entry is by bus and guided tour and there is a limit to the number of people on each tour. If possible, also do Nowth as well as Newgrange. It is completely different as there are smaller satelite 'humps' around the main tumulus. There are also amazing neolithic stone carvings round the base of the outside. There's more information here.
http://www.knowth.com/knowth.htm

On April 1st I don't think you have time to see Cork as well as Blarney, Cashel and Kilkenny.

lyntay

@flpab where are you staying in Westport?

Thanks again for your feedback and suggestions. It's because of the Fodors community that my husband and I have had such great success on our holidays.

C