squisha

My husband & I are planning a trip to ireland. the purpose is to visit friends in dublin. we are arriving in shannon on 12th sept & departing dublin 19th sept.
we are torn between the dingle peninsula & portrush - 2 or 3 nights in either place & then 3 nights in dublin & then it's time to go home. any advice? north or south? accommodations around $100-150/night? do we even need a car?
thx in advance!!

Ardfert

If you are flying into Shannon then going to Portrush is not easy-it is at the other end of the country and there is nothing much to it,except Giants Causeway nearby which I think is good but not great.Many of those who fly to Shannon take a car and go to Cliffs of Moher,Dingle,Killarney,Kenmare,Ring of Kerry,Blarney Castle,Rock of Cashel,Dublin.

squisha

thanks love.....you just solved todays' argument ;o)
have a great one.

jkrigney

I'd go for the Dingle Peninsula. There's plenty to see and experience there. One of the dangers for the visitor to Ireland is to look at the map, conclude that it's a small place and that one can cover the whole island in a week or two. Roads are narrow, and driving can be a very interesting experience indeed, so take your time.

The place is thick with good B&Bs, which can give the visitor a more personal experience of Ireland than any hotel. A good room for two, en suite, will run you about 50-70 euro per night. There are so many that reservations should not be necessary in September, unless there is a festival nearby. Besides, weather may determine the nature of your travels, so you want to be flexible.

Public transportation exists, but if time is limited, a car is an absolute necessity. A further reason to avoid the cover everything in one trip marathon is that, given the fact that driving requires such attention, the driver will be pretty much left out of the experience. Stop a lot. Take it all in in small bits. Remember, you WILL go back.

The Ordinance Survey Discovery series maps offer good detail. If you want to do a bit of out of the way driving, a small GPS receiver can be a godsend. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, there is no detailed map software covering Ireland (please, please correct me if I am wrong), so you will have to work with paper maps. Some websites, "Megalithic Ireland" among them, give the map coordinates of sites; very helpful.

I'll be missing you by two days (arrive Shannon 14 Sept.). Enjoy your trip.

squisha

well aren't you super knowledgeable. this is my 2nd trip to ireland, 1st for my husband so i figure we'll do the traditional ireland.
if you hurry...you may be able to catch-up with us
looks like we will just being driving shannon to dingle then to dublin to visit friends and dropping the car on arrival to the BiG city.

Danna

There is a lot to see in the North beyond the Giant's Causeway. I'd list the Glenariff Forest Park and the Glens of Antrim far ahead of the Causeway.

Secondly, it's quite possible to get around quite nicely using the bus (coach) and then taxis for specific locales. Our first trip was all by bus and taxi and we spent ALOT less money than latter trips with cars and trains.

jkringa is right to suggest that it is important to not try to see everything. Just make sure to take time to simply be there.

Have a grand time!