19 nights in Ireland Itinerary help
 

Our family of 4 will be traveling to Ireland for 19 nights. We will arrive in Dublin about 1pm (not from an international flight) and want to rent a car right away to start our trip. We need to leave Dublin for the end of our trip because we will be attending a concert 3 days before our departure. So far my itinerary looks like this:

DAY 1 - KILKENNY - Glendalough
DAY 2 - KILKENNY - Rock of Cashel
DAY 3 - WATERFORD - Explore Waterford/Wexford
DAY 4 - KINSALE - Blarney Castle
DAY 5 - KINSALE - Explore Kinsale
DAY 6 - KENMARE - Killarney National Park
DAY 7 - DINGLE - Ring of Kerry
DAY 8 - DINGLE - Take a tour of Dingle Peninsula
DAY 9 - DINGLE - Explore Dingle
DAY 10 - GALWAY - Cliffs of Moher
DAY 11 - GALWAY - Aran Islands
DAY 12 - WESTPORT - Connemara
DAY 13 - DERRY
DAY 14 - DERRY
DAY 15 - BELFAST
DAY 16 - DUBLIN - need to return car today
DAY 17 - DUBLIN - Concert (will take bus to concert venue)
DAY 18 - DUBLIN
DAY 19 - DUBLIN
DAY 20 - DEPARTURE DAY @ 3:45 pm

I am not sure of Days 13-15. Should we should leave Northern Ireland for another trip? I have not booked any accommodations so I am flexible on moving things around if this looks too crazy to do. We enjoy hiking and good food. Any input is greatly appreciated!

I would skip NI and spend more time in Westport. Claire Island is great for a day trip. You could return the car early and take the bus to Belfast for the night. No car needed there.

Thanks for your reply. I will look into Claire Island. Would you add more time anywhere else? We are traveling with our 2 young adults and would like to see as much as possible since this is our first trip to Ireland. We don't mind a couple of long driving days but would like some down time in between those days. Again, thank you for reading and for your input.

Some observations:

• I would add another night to Kenmare / Killarney area in order to do the Ring of Kerry....best done from one of these towns, not Dingle
• I would add more time in Westport - see Achill Island, Clare Island, Croagh Patrick
• Although you are based in Galway for two days, you don't seem to have any time to see the sights of Galway City. (If you depart Dingle, visit the Cliffs on the way to Galway, you will not arrive until late afternoon)
• You mentioned you enjoyed hiking. You might consider walking the Gap of Dunloe (near Killarney); we have visited Ireland over a dozen times and this still stands out as one of our favorite days

Good luck with your planning.

We were planning to do the ROK from Kenmare and end up in Dingle for the night. Would it be better to do the ROK from Killarney and add another night there? Also, clockwise or counterclockwise for the ROK? The Gap of Dunloe looks amazing! I see my plan for Galway is lacking. So I could add a day to Killarney area, one to Galway and one to Westport and skip Northern Ireland. Does that sound like a better plan?

I'm planning on going to Ireland for the first time this summer with my teenage daughter. I am putting our itinerary together now too. I am surprised you aren't spending more than 1 day in Belfast? That is a fascinating city; and as a Titanic buff, an exciting place to explore among many other sites within the city. Belfast is only a 3 hour bus ride from Dublin (we don't rent cars, but rather rely on local transportation) so it's totally do-able. Have a great trip!

2.5 hours to Belfast from Dublin. Try and climb Crough Patrick, just rent or bring hiking sticks. The pubs and music are very good in Westport.

This itinerary looks great and seems to flow much better. It's like you read my mind! Thank you so much! If anyone has any restaurant recommendations those would be greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone for your replies. I can't wait for our trip!

I like your revised plan!

We always have done the ROK counter-clockwise. If you do it clockwise the big tour buses are coming right at you! What month is this? Sorry if I missed it above.

This will be end of May into June this year. I am in the process of booking our accommodations. Should we stay in Killarney then instead of Kenmare to do the ROK counter clockwise? Not sure where the tour buses depart from. Thanks!

You can do the ROK from either Killarney or Kenmare. Killarney has more tour buses. Kenmare is quieter in the evening. We have stayed in both multiple times and enjoy both. The Gap of Dunloe is closer to Killarney and, of course, Muckross House is in Killarney. You can't go wrong with either one.

In Killarney we had a great stay at Killarney Lodge:
https://killarneylodge.ie/

In Kenmare, we enjoyed Sea Shore Farm Guesthouse:
https://www.seashorekenmare.com/

Bette is right on. You can drive the ROK from Killarney or Kenmare. In fact you can drive the ROK counter clockwise from Kenmare.
https://goo.gl/maps/HRwmbj1sLen
https://goo.gl/maps/XEsw771jogQ2

As to where to base. Killarney is a better location for your day trips to the NP and the GAP. Killarney is a tourist center. More hotels, Restaurants, pubs, etc. 1.1 million tourists per year.
But some people like to spend the night in the quainter, quieter location of Kenmare.
Populations: Killarney-14,500, Kenmare-2,376, Dingle-2,018.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/killarney-1541871

http://kenmare.com/

Almost done booking all of our accommodations. We ended up switching to Killarney instead of Kenmare. I am now looking at rental cars and can't get over how expensive they are but it seems the one I'm looking at includes all of the insurance...so I guess sticker shock now instead of the rental counter. Thanks again for your replies!

How much are they quoting you for car? Yes to Westport. I really liked it there.

€886 for a compact and €1036 for an intermediate. Manual transmission with all insurance included.

Wow, feel better about my public transportation cost now. We have two friends coming with us who don't travel light like us and we would have to have a bigger car just for their luggage. We can manage with a compact but not with four.

Yes, when I called the car rental company to ask about what size vehicle would work for 4 people with a carryon each he was surprised that we would not have any checked luggage. I think we talked about that and launderettes more than the car! He said we could fit in a compact but would be more comfortable in the intermediate. We will probably go with the intermediate because I'm worried about the leg room for those sitting in the backseat.

Good choice on staying in Killarney. I always stay there for the convenience. Car rentals. Get a hatchback for workable storage. Try Conn,s ireland car rentals (Hertz). Honest people.
https://www.connsirelandcarrental.com/home

That is the company I have been in contact with via phone and email. Seems like the best one of the bunch. So would you go with the compact VW Golf or the VW Jetta for 4 adults? We will have 3 Ebags motherlode backpacks and one small rolling carryon. I was thinking Jetta for the legroom?

For 4 people, I'd get the Jetta. We noticed a lot of Golfs on the road and I think it would be tight for a lot of driving with 4 people. We had actually reserved a Golf thru Hertz for just the two of us thinking the smaller size would be better and more fuel efficient. But they upgraded us to a good sized Renault sedan since they had no Golfs on hand at the time. It was certainly comfortable but overkill for just 2 people.

I live in Paris but go to Ireland often. Dublin is my second favorite city in Europe. One of the many things I like about Dublin is the great commuter rail system (DART). Rail transportation is not nearly as good elsewhere in the Republic of Ireland.A nice day trip from Dublin is to take the DART to Bray (about 40 minutes). Bray has a spectacular beach and a great hiking trail high above the sea and the railroad where you can walk to the town of Greystones. Nice way to spend the day, If you want to spend a night in Bray you can not beat "The Strand Hotel" onetime home of Oscar Wilde. It is located right on the sea and was just remodeled and reopened last June 2018. I have been to all your other destinations except Belfast. All good choices.

LJM

You should go to your local VW Dealer and compare the Golf and the Jetta. They are both built on the same chassis. Both are compacts. I like the trunk on the Jetta. Make sure your luggage fits in the trunk. Leg room in the back seat is about the same, maybe 2 inches in favor of the Jetta. They always give you that or equivalent when you rent a car.

If you have a Capital One MAstercard they should cover the insurance. Check. YOu will need to present a letter from Capital One saying that you do have insurance coverage. This has to be dated so that it covers the time period you are renting - usually 60 days.

If you are accustomed to driving on the left side of the road and a stick shift, then get the manual transmission. But if it is your first time, get an automatic trans so you can focus more on the road. Also, ask if possible for a diesel vehicle to save money.

Keep re-checking rental prices. I find they can vary from one week to the next. Rebook to save money.
AutoEurope requires pre-payment but will refund if you cancel far enough ahead.

Hmmmmm....I'm getting a rental car (picking up/dropping off in Dublin) for 11 days, and the total cost is a shade under 80 Euros - less than 10% of what you're being charged!

I'm not taking the insurance, but I am getting a "VW Jetta or similar." Just a week or two before your rental. I booked directly through Hertz online.

Check again!

Not my experience. The big buses go both ways.

FYI, Ring of Kerry: Rick Steves' guidebook recommends driving CLOCKWISE from Kenmare leaving at 8:30....after a few stops you'll get to Waterville before noon...shortly after that leave the main Ring for the Skellig Ring (it's too narrow for tour buses)...have lunch there as a picnic on the beach at St. Finian's Bay or in Portmagee...by the time you rejoin the main route, the big buses have gone by.

However, Frommer's guidebook recommends the opposite: :-) I'm going with Steve's approach.

I have visited on numerous occasions and have done the ROK several times. The majority of the buses go counter clockwise. It is much easier to travel in the same direction as the buses. While I am a fan of Rick S you will find that his Ireland book is frowned upon by many frequent Irish visitors and the locals. He is often bashed for his clockwise recommendation. Also, clockwise puts you on the outer edge of the road with buses coming at you and no guardrail.

Whichever way you go, enjoy the day. It is a beautiful area.

Wow, that's a big difference. I just checked directly with Hertz and their quote for 16 days is 621€ without any insurance.

What? Skip Northern Ireland and miss some of the most beautiful scenery in Ireland?
That would be crazy. The Antrim Coast is a rare treasure and a beautiful, beautiful drive. Beats anywhere in the south.

Bette, I defer to you...Counter Clockwise, it is!

Regarding car rental (if you have not already booked). We generally go with Dan Dooley. Their all-inclusive price typically is in line with other agencies. We tend to add full insurance and an extra driver, for example.
https://www.dan-dooley.ie/

Often, tourists damage the side mirror or damage the tires on the left (not used to the narrow roads). We got hit while the car was parked at the Cliffs of Moher parking lot and we very glad we had the extra insurance. Might be worth chatting with the Dooley folks.

We are also heading to Ireland in Sept and will have a car for a week. However, we are picking up in Cork and dropping in Galway a week later. Price for a mid-size SUV w/ Europcar is $263. I thought that was a bargain and our credit card (Chase Sapphire Reserve) is primary insurance on car rentals (few cc's off that). I'm not completely sure about Europcar but I booked this early as I thought the price was good. I typically will periodically check car rentals up until we leave for a trip and at least in the US I often find lower rates than what I originally book.

I hope most people know this, but in case they don't, if your credit card covers car rental insurance worldwide (which I believe most do) they most likely will not cover you in Ireland. It will be written in the fine print on your benefits page. If they do cover Ireland, you will need to call the credit card company and have them send you a letter to show the rental agency that they do cover your insurance in Ireland. Otherwise the rental agency will make you take their insurance. Additionally, there is a non-negotiable €7 charge that they will add to your contract when you use your credit card insurance.

We have a number of different credit cards and the only one that covered Ireland was our AA card through Citibank. So please double check before you arrive in country.