4 nights... where to drive?
 

I have found some very good info on this site, but most of it is for longer itineraries...

If you ONLY had 4 nights in Ireland, arrive SNN, depart DUB....

Where would you spend those 4 days and nights? What are the best driving routes to take in order to hit the "do not miss" spots?... and make the most out of those 4 days?

Thanks!!

ttt

My top spots would be Cliffs of Moher and Sky Road (to the north of Shannon), and then down into Killarney and the Natl Park and scenic drives. Then down to Mizen Head, heading east (so many places to stop along the way)... Then nearing Dublin, there's Glendalough with great walking/hiking, beautiful scenery. Can't say this can all be done in 4 days though.
It sorta depends on what time of year, and when you're arriving/departing SNN and DUB, but I would vote for a day going north to Cliffs of Moher and surroundings, a day to head south into Killarney Natl Park(either this or Dingle Pn which is southwest of Shannon), then a day to head east toward Glendalough and surroundings, and a day in Dublin.
That's me... and I did those things (with more time though) and would say they were a few of the highlights of my trip. There would be a bit of driving, but it would be doable. There's just so much to choose from!

Ok...

We are trying to do this Sep 1.
Arriving SNN on Sep 2, departing DUB 4 days later.

So, for the 1st part of the trip, would you try to drive from SNN to Galway on the 1st (tired) day? Spending the 1st night in Galway?

Then on Day 2, drive south to see Cliffs of Moher and Sky Road, then continue down into Killarney and the Natl Park? (Can this be done in one day?)..... is the Killarney area a good spot to stay for night #2?

Thanks!

Amyprib is right that you can't do all of those things she suggested in four days. Here four day version is possible. If you don't have it booked, consider flying in and out of Shannon. It's going to be hard to hit the don't miss spots.

I hate writing this for fear that someone will come along and tell you that you can do anything in a day, forget what the slow moving fodorites are telling you. Anyway, Galway, to Sky Road to Killarney Nat'l Park is not possible. Could you get in your car first thing in the morning and drive all day and drive by the spots? Possibly, but I don't know that you would have seen them.

If you do have it booked, you have a couple of options. 1st question would be what time of year you are traveling. If in the off season, days can be pretty short Nov_Feb.

From Shannon, the closest major attraction are the Cliffs of Moher which are less than 1.5 hours away depending on your experience at driving on the left and ability to navigate the Irish roads. They are improving slowly. I would consider staying in this area the first day depending. Depending on your jet lag resillinecy, there are lots of things to see in area. You could stay in Doolin or could continue south to someplace like Kilkee. There is a beautiful coastal drive just south of Kilkee.

From there you could head down to the Dingle peninsula for a day, taking the ferry at Killimer. Dingle has more bang for the buck mile for mile, so I would suggest that over the much larger Iveragh (Ring of Kerry) peninsula.

Eventually, you have to make it back to Dublin which is a pretty lengthy drive even if you don't get lost in Limerick. If you want to see much of Dublin, you'll need a full day at a minimum. All of this involves a lot more driving than I like to do. Hitting Glendalough on that day might be tough from Dingle just because there are not major roads from the west that take you there. Yes you could get there, but it would be a VERY full day.

The other option is to see the Cliffs and then head north and see Connemara on the second day. This would leave a much shorter drive to Dublin, but it seems that most put Dingle very high on their don't miss list.

The minimal responses to your thread may have something to do with the fact that what you are trying to do isn't easy. It's hard to recommend an itinerary that you wouldn't do yourself. Ireland is not filled with motorways, and getting around is usually a very slow proposition. Figure 35 MPH is a good average speed (which includes going through a lot of small villages and stopping for livestock in the road) and backroads are slower. It's going to be hard to hit the don't miss spots in 4 days.

I made a four day tour about 6 years ago and it was way too much, but hey, it got me back so it's not all bad.

Bill

Yes it really is difficult to recommend such a short itinerary with so many great things to see.

In my opinion, if you're arriving at 7am in SNN, I would say head up toward Galway the first day, but also see the Cliffs of Moher that day.. Like Wojazz said, SNN is around 1.5hr from Cliffs, and it took us 1hr between Cliffs and Galway. You could also see the Cliffs in the evening perhaps, it was absolutely stunning when we went late June.
You could also possibly drive the Sky Road the first day as well, which is only like a 15mi drive around. (the south side was most spectacular) I don't have my map in front of me, so I don't recall how far it is from Galway or the Cliffs. Although I loved Sky Rd, you could rather spend some actual time in Galway that first day. The first day will depend on how you feel after flying. We drove and site-saw from 9am til 7pm the day we arrived. But that's certainly not for the majority!!!

Then after that, I think maybe you should do a little research on some of the places mentioned and see what strikes your interest, because the smartest thing would be to either go north or south, and then over to Dublin area. I loved Killarney Natl Park and it's scenery, but we only spent 3hrs there and could have easily spent the entire day there. Dingle Pn would also deserve an entire day, which again, we only spent 3-4hrs on it.

Connemara was mentioned, there's also the Burren going north a little...

We were able to average 40-60mph during late June, but by no means should that be the norm. We got extremely lucky with minimal traffic, no animal crossings, good weather, and we were very comfortable driving within 30min of arriving. So the fact that you don't have too much available time there will make it tough for many to make suggestions - also because the overall conditions very greatly (driving time, traffic, weather, personal fatigue, personal interests, etc). Hopefully in September you won't hit too much traffic or terrible weather. I hear it's some people's favorite month to go.

I would say hop online and check out some places mentioned. There's lots on Killarney Natl Park, and Dingle Pn, Connemara and Burren, and Glendalough, Dublin, etc. To go purely from West to East across the country, you'd want to allot at minimum 4hrs drive, depending on where you're at.
I do have pictures of most places mentioned if you'd like to see them. Email me at [email protected] if you're interested.

Ok, Thank you both for taking the time to provide your advice!! This helps me get a better idea of what we can expect!

So, if I fly in AND out of SNN, is it feasible to do the Galway/Cliffs/Sky Road area one day, and Dingle the next? If yes, should we stay over in the Dingle area?

Otherwise, it sounds like if we go in SNN and out DUB, we should choose NOS OR SOS.... not try for both...

hmmmm... :<)

Pick 2 main areas. It is insane to even attempt it all. Dingle is still a far and tough drive so if you want to go make it your main point of the trip. The south west is mnot my experitise as I live on the east coast of Ireland but I would not drive the whole time as you will be exhausted.

S

Personally, even flying in and out of Shannon, I would choose either north or south. Honestly, you won't be missing anything by choosing one over the other.

I think trying to see the Cliffs and the Sky Road on the first day isn't a great idea. I'm not sure where you are coming from in the States, but the further west, the worse off you are. The jet lag issue can be a serious problem for many. I try not to do more than 2 hours of actual driving on the first day. That makes for a relatively safe day without any fear of killing any inocent Irish folk. My thinking is that if you do the Cliffs and Sky Rd in the first day, you are looking at a minimum of four hours, and probably more depending on how easily you get around Galway. Many will tell me I'm a wimp but my goal in traveling is not to check as many things off my list as possible, but rather to try and slow down and enjoy.

Based on choosing "do not miss" spots, it seems that going south would be best. You have Dingle and Killarney National Park. Siobhan is absolutley right about on the notion if you are going to Dingle, make it the focal point.

Suffice it to say, if someone is going to try to sell you a trip to Ireland, they'll probably show you three pictures ... a pub, the Cliffs of Moher and Slea Head at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula. There is so much to see in Ireland, but with just a few days, pick 1 or two places and tour from there.

Bill

Ok... So,... If I stay somewhere between Limerick and Galway for the 1st 2 nights, and focus on seeing the Cliffs and Aillwee Caves,... and maybe drive to visit the Rock Of Cashel....

....is that doable?

If so, Where is a good place to visit on Night #3? ... MUST Be on the way towards Dublin...

We could go North towards Newgrange... or south towards Glendalough.... someone told me Kilkenny was too touristy...?

Would like to find a small village type town but also find a nice hotel? Is that possible..? Or are there only B&Bs?,.....We are not COMPLETELY against them, but would prefer a hotel.

Thanks!!

You could choose the area around Shannon as your first night spot. there are hotels around Bunratty castle, and that might be a nice way to start things off. Fitzpatrick hotel is just a few steps from the castle & folk park, and I've seen posts for great B&Bs in this same area. You might drive the Dingle area your first day, spend the night in Bunratty and do Clare & Galway the next day. After that, there's too many great options! I know what you mean about being tired after the flight. I fly out of LA or San Diego, and I can't even think about trying to drive the first day....

A word or two about B&Bs. I think you need to figure out where you want to go and then look for your lodgings. I don't know if you have stayed in any B&Bs, but there are many lovely homes that are purpose built with large rooms that are very comfortable. You can have as little or as much contact with your hosts as you like. If you base yourself in Kenmare for a night or two, there are some wonderful hotels and lodges. (So I have heard!) That may be a bit further south than you are planning to go, but there's quite a bit to see in the area if you decide to fly in and out of Shannon.

Unfortunately, after having been to Aillwee Caves, I would say that I could have skipped, and I know others have said the same. In no way do I want to discourage you, as it is neat, but seems such a short tour on one path in, it's not as interesting as some caves I've been to in the US.
Unless you're dead set on the Caves, you might think about exploring the Burren areas.

I would also say that if you were going to head to the Rock of Cashel, I'd go there and stay the night, rather than driving back and forth. Then if you stay near the Rock, you can head straight over to Dublin area. I'm not much of a "backtracking" fan, so I like to do things by keeping in one direction (we made a big loop around the Republic), esp for such a short visit, I'd rather not spend unnecessary time driving. If want to see the Rock, you could go there and see a few other things potentially (Cahir castle, Kilkenny or Jerpoint on the way to Dublin). Then the following day head over to Dublin (Glendalough is my choice, since I like outdoor walking/hiking/exploring/scenery - but Newgrange was still quite interesting, but you could end up waiting to get a tour).

Otherwise, if you skip the Rock, spend most of your time up near Galway, Cliffs, Burren, coastal drives, etc just exploring until you're ready to head over to Dublin. You could spend 2 days in the west, and 1.5 days in Dublin.
The more I think about it, and agreeing with others, you should really pick 2 main areas to focus on, rather than trying to site-hop. It'll make for a nicer trip and maybe you can plan another trip back for longer. Let us know what you decide!!
Oh - and BBs, you can get some really good recommendations here, but if you prefer hotels, you can stick with that, though maybe more expensive.

I take it that you are set on flying out of Dublin. In that case, with your western part of the trip based around Co Clare and Co Galway I would consider something with easy access to both. If you main interestin not Galway City, I might chosse something like Oranmore, just south of Galway. Kinvara would be another choice. There are a number of B&Bs that look out on Galway Bay in Oranmore and it's got pretty easy access to to Co. Clare. Getting to Connemara from there is pretty simple.

For another interesting option, you could consider spending a couple of nights at Cregg Castle. I've mentioned this a lot recently. The owners are musicians and they do nightly trad concerts in the great room. It's quite a treat. www.creggcastle.com.

From there, you could make the relatively easy trip back to Dublin, perhaps stopping in Athlone to see the city center or better yet, a trip to Clonmacnoise.

Bill

Thanks!

Yes, at this point we are planning of flying out of Dublin....

We have up-ed the trip to 5 days....

From this board we can tell that we will make a 2nd trip....
So we are thinking of this as our "taste of Ireland" trip.... just to get a feel for which areas we hope to visit on our next trip... :<)... that is pretty much why we are all over the map :<)

I think the Southwest may have to wait this time around,....

We are thinking (now) to spend the 1st 2 days in the Clare area, and the last 2 in Dublin...(to get that out of our system)....
for the middle day.... should we head towards Clonmacnoise and spend the middle night around there? OR head towards Wicklow and spend the night somewhere over there???

.. or is that too far?

IF it were me, which it's not, I'd try to get from the west to east on your middle day and find something to do along the way over, or when you get there, like glendalough, powerscourt, newgrange, even Trim castle, etc. Glendalough will be another hour drive south of Dublin though, so unfortunately maybe not best.

If you're staying near Galway, Clonmacnoise is really only about 50mi or so from there (unless there's another one), so unless you hear of things to do in central Ireland to warrant a whole day/nite, you'd probably want to go farther.
It might take you anywhere between 3-5hrs (being really conservative, it's about 130mi?) to get from Galway to Dublin area, which theoretically would give you some time in the afternoon to do things. Just depends on what.

But surely, if there are good suggestions for places to go along the route between, go for it. We didn't cover that particular central area so I can't say what's there.

Clonmacnoise is pretty close. I've only approached it by water so I can't give you an idea of driving time, but certainly less than two hours. You could also see Athenry Castle just outside of Galway. The fellow that does the tour there has a fabulous sense of humor and will talk your ear off.

Getting into Newgrange late in the day is pretty unlikely. Tours sell out early in the day and you would probably only get to see the visitor center. Interesting, but that's not why you go to Newgrange. I agree that getting to Glendalough would be a challenge, but with an extra day, I would guess it's certainly possible. Others have tried worse.

Bill

We did that in March, 2004: flew Aer Lingus BWI-SNN on a Thursday and SNN-BWI the following Tuesday: spent the whole time in Ennis w/day trips Saturday to Galway and Monday to Doolin, the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher & Lahinch.

Early September is still high season. You should seriously consider a B&B for your first night: they are more likely to give you an early check-in than a Hotel.

If you're flying out of DUB, spend your last night in Dublin. That way you can catch an AirLink bus to the airport. The last time I did that I got the 5:15 AM AirLink on O'Connell Street - I had an early flight out.

Thanks to all of you guys! ... all very good advice...

How does this sound:

2 nights Clare
See the Cliffs, Burren, (maybe skip the caves???) Kinvarra, Ennis...

1 night Kilkenny
Basically just make the drive to Kilkenny in the AM and spend the day and night there. It is my husband's birthday and we have booked that night at Zuni... any feedback on this place? Also would like to have a nice dinner so any recommendations... I know that Zuni has a restaurant...?

2 nights Dublin at Jury's Inn Parnell St.

We will save the southwest, Giant's Causeway, and other interesting places as an excuse to return on a 2nd and 3rd trip...

Sounds like a more relaxed plan...If you have 2 nites in Co Clare, you might consider driving the Loop Head too if you have time.
When you get to Kilkenny, you can even consider taking a quick trip to Jerpoint Abbey if you have time. It's really close. Someone also mentioned in another thread that Browneshill Dolmen is neat. (that's near Carlow).

But make sure you go back some day to see those other parts! :) Have Fun!