skibunnyjan

HELP!!! I am so confused!!! Where to go what to see!! We arrive & depart from Ireland in July. We have 12 days, arriving Dublin 1/7/2010 around noon from Heathrow & must depart 13/7/2010 in morning in order to catch our connecting flight to Hong Kong in the evening. Have booked a car already. Want to expereince Ireland and see as much as possible without driving each other into the ground.

Would like to spend around 3/4 days in Dublin( possibly at end) using one day to travel to Belfast by train and catchi ng a bus tour to Giant's Causeway so that my husband can experience the views etc.

Would like to stay somewhere special on 7th July ( special birthday).

We welcome suggestions.

GreenDragon

Tell us what you like, and we can suggest more. You have a decent start to the plan, let us help you fill it out.

Do you like shopping, night life, old ruined abbeys, castles, scenery, archealogy, pubs, gardens? Fast-paced or slow? B&Bs or hotels? It helps to know what age bracket you and your husband are in, as suggestions for a 20-something couple will be different than those for someone in their 70s.

JOHNOD

If you really want a nice night on the 7th book into Dromoland or Ashford Castle. A bit pricey but you will be pampered. Have fun

skibunnyjan

Green dragon

We are 59 & 60. We enjoy viewing old churches, castles ( however not all of them!!!) scenery, shopping ( why do you think we are going home via HK?)want to experience the Irish pubs & music, but will not be staying out all night. Medium paced would be great as we will have already been tripping round Britain for a month. Don't mind whether it's B&B or hotel as long as we have own ensuite, clean & comfy bed ( have had too many hard asian beds) Wouldn't mind a side trip to Aran Is if poss.

djkbooks

About the shopping, I was somewhat astonished at the prevalence of "dynamic currency conversion" in Ireland. Shop clerks would tell people "you receive a more favorable exchange rate this way" (a BIG FAT LIE).

Whenever you are asked if you'd like to pay in US Dollars (or whatever your home currency) or Euros, ALWAYS pay in Euros.

skibunnyjan

djkbooks thanks for the tip. Think we will leave our shopping until HK where our Aussie dollar will be better.

GreenDragon

For July 7th, the castle suggestion is a great idea. For the rest, I'd go with B&Bs, as they are charming and very Irish

Spend some time in the Boyne Valley Region - there are countless neolithic sites, abbeys, castles in that area. Newgrange, Hill of Tara, Slane Abbey, Knowth/Dowth, Malahide, Trim, Kells Abbey. A couple nights around there wouldn't go amiss.

How about this as a suggestion: When you arrive in Dublin, take about 2 days scoping the place out. Take the hop-on/hop-off tour, decide where you want to spend more time.

Then, on day 3, head up to the Boyne. Spend 3 nights there exploring that region.

On Day 6, Go on up to the Antrim coast, and drive along that beautiful area. Stay in a small village, like Cushendall. Explore the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Dunluce castle. Maybe 2-3 nights there. Ballygally castle takes overnight visitors, and is in that area, so that's around the 7th.

Day 9, come back through the glens of Antrim towards Dublin. Maybe visit the Ulster Folk Park, and then anything else you missed the first time through the Boyne. If you go quickly, you can spend the last couple nights in Dublin, exploring some more. If slowly, you can spend a couple nights in different areas around there.

skibunnyjan

Thanks Green Dragon. What about the south of Ireland - any ideas?

GreenDragon

With 12 days, I would take any 3 of these:

North of Ireland/Antrim Coast
Dublin
Newgrange/Boyne area
West/County Clare/Killarney/Kerry
South/Cork
Northwest/Donegal

If they are long distances apart, I'd only take 2. 3 if they are near each other.