panzee

My daughter (16) and I are planning to go to Ireland for about 2 weeks in June and would like to see as much as we can. I'm nervous about driving and don't want to be stressed, but I also don't think we would like to be on an escorted tour with lots of others.
Can we do this without a car? Any suggestions on time spent in each area? We like to walk and hike and love the countryside. Ideas?

NEDSIRELAND

I visit Ireland quite often and I don't drive there. I rely heavily on BusEireann and 'hitching' rides. The latter wouldn't be an option for you:

If your entry point is Dublin, go to BusAras and buy an Expressway Bus Timetable. You could take IrishRail for long haul trips (Dublin - Galway, Cork, or Limerick) and supplement it with BusEireann.

Once, with 2-other people I toured west Clare by Taxi. James (aka Sheamus) Woods gave us a great tour. But he would be 80 now, so I'm not sure if he is still driving. His son, Tony, owns a taxi service in Ennis.

Both BusEireann and Irish Rail have web sites that you may wish to use for planning.

Tiptoe

Hey Panzee. Drive why don't you? The roads are not busy at all. I went some years ago as my good lady's family come from the south originally. Landed in Dublin got the car n off we went, no worries. Ok I'm from the U.K. but I drive in the U.S. & in Europe so I understand about being on the wrong side of the road etc. if you worry about directions, try to get a car with Sat Nav, n stress no more...P.S. I hate public transport, It never ever runs at a time I want. Have a good trip.

Itallian_Chauffer

Do a search of suspire or look at the thread: "Ireland Trip Report: September '05", written by one non-driving member.

Danna

We had a lovely visit to Ireland traveling by coach (the bus) and once used a taxi to get to a park. While we have had cars on recent trips bu we will still take a bus when possible. I don't think you will have any problem. My experience is that we met many more people on the bus than we did driving. Have a grand time!

GeoffHamer

I've been to Ireland several times using trains and buses. You will learn a lot more about the country and get to meet more people. It's a sparsely populated country, so services are not frequent, but Bus Eireann serves towns and most villages. Some services in tourist areas run only in summer, so there are more options then. Check schedules on www.buseireann.ie and www.irishrail.ie.

panzee

Thanks to everyone who replied. I'm thinking that the desire to see the country on our terms and schedule is worth a bit of stress about driving.

I still have to decide on a plan and which city to fly in and out of.

I will continue to read all the posts and make a plan.

Thanks again for your comments.

Itallian_Chauffer

I strongly recommend / urge you do an into Dublin / out of Shannon (or the other way around) to save needless 'backtracking'. It usually costs no more and is sometimes even LESS than a straight in/out of the same city. Generally, there are no 'drop off fees' on rental cars, either (airport-to-airport). You could even do a week without a car and then one with one, in order to better enjoy the West, especially.
Only words of caution on the 'multi-city' ticketing, is to choose your arrival day and departure day carefully. Many airlines depart Shannon direct to the US or Dublin, only on certain days and the other days, the "hop" to the other city BEFORE leaving for the States.

panzee

Thanks for the tip about the flight days. I'm thinking we will likely fly into Shannon and out of Dublin. I also think we will only stay in Dublin 2 days as we are less interested in the city than in the countryside.
I am still trying to sort though all the info I am reading to plan an itinerary. If we fly into Shannon,how many days should we plan to spend seeing Galway sites, Aran Islands, Connemara, Burren, Clifts of Moher? After that area I think maybe 4 days in Dingle area and then how much time between Dingle and Dublin would you suggest?
We would like lots of breaks from the car to enjoy long walks/hikes. I would love to hear suggestions. The more I read, the more confused I become.