How far from Shannon should one go after the long overnite trip from usa? I will land at 8am--is Doolin a easy drive? How about return--I leave Shannon at 12:45 and wondered how early to be at airport and how close to stay to airport....thanks for all the tips with my last posting--it is very helpful!!

It is usually recommended not to drive more then two hours. More can be done if you have multiple drivers and make lots of stops. Doolin is about an hour and a half and would be a good first night. You could hit the cliffs of Moher and later possibly a drive around the Burren.

As far as return, I usually plan on 3 hrs before so that I can return my car, get in some duty free shopping and turn in VAT forms. Since you would need to be at the airport relatively early I would stay in either Ennis or Bunratty so you can enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast before heading out.

We arrived at about the same time and drove to Galway. No problem for me, but I routinely have to work 24-36 hours without sleep, so the 1.5-2 h drive to Galway was okay and on main roads (read: wide one lane highway with some "dual carriage ways&quot. But if you're not used to driving on the left or on back roads, you might find the narrow winding roads to some of the smaller towns difficult to maneuver when you're tired.

On the way home, we stayed at the Great Southern in the airport for about $90 US. If you're not up to driving when you get in, it would be a good place to stay. Not the most glamorous or luxurious, but solid and comfortable and decently clean.

thanks for info--can someone tell me how long trip from kenmare to shannon?

Kenmare to Shannon is just about 100 miles, so I'd figure on about 2 1/2 hours or so if you drive straight through.

Personally, I am so pumped up when I arrive that I have a lot of energy and begin touring right away. With that said, I have traveled to Doolin and I have traveled to West Cork(which I will do again next week), the mornings'I have arrived and definitely recommend to stay within a two hour radius, if you are new to Ireland and the driving. Doolin is an excellent start allowing for sightseeing and resting, as would Dingle. Enjoy yourselves!!!

Definitely get to the airport 2.5 or 3 hrs early. ( you may be able to request a better seat on the plane if you are there early - we did.) I would stay in Bunratty the night before - only 10-15 min from the airport - maybe take in the Medieval banquet or barn party.

On your arrival day - it all depends on how well you travel and adjust to the driving on the left. My first trip we went from Shannon to Galway -and I was wiped out by the time we got there ( around 3 or 4 hrs IIRC) , This last trip we drove to Doolin (just under 2 hrs) for the night. Much more relaxing and we found some grand music at O'conners later that night.

Someone suggested drive from Shannon to the Cliffs of Moher. We are arriving at Shannon Airport in early November and have the afternoon free after checking into our hotel. The following day we travel east to Dublin and south to Cork for 5 days before returning to Shannon Airport. Is an afternoon trip to the Cliffs of Moher from Shannon in November's weather worth the effort? This would be our our only opportunity to visit western Ireland during our week's visit?

Unless the weather is terrible, I'd say the trip to the Cliffs is worth it if you have the time. It's about a 90 minute drive from Shannon. The west coast is quite different from the other areas you'll be visiting, so I hope you'll get a little taste.

Livingston,

I think the trip to the cliffs would be worth it as well. As a matter of fact, the afternoon, to me, would be the preferable time of day.

With the sun setting out over the ocean, the cliffs are lit much more clearly than in the morning shadow.

It shouldn't take long to get there, but try to wind through the Burren area if you have time. A really interesting area where you wouldn't *have* to pause at to enjoy seeing.

An additional thought though. Keep in mind that in Nov, afternoon concludes very earlier and it's pretty dark by 6-7pm.