Advice for 6 days in Ireland?
 

My husband and I are leaving the kids behind for a trip to Ireland in November. I know the timing is not great, and we will only have 6 days to spend there, so we were hoping to get some advice on the highlights of what to see and where to stay. We are hoping to fly into Shannon and fly out of Dublin. Our last two nights need to be in Dublin, but we have no other plans yet. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Does the 6 days include your travel days to/from - or do you have 8 days total (2 travel day and 6 days in Ireland)

Makes a big difference re what you can manage.

That's a great point. Thanks. We will have just about 6 full days there - we'll arrive Sunday morning and are flying out the following Saturday morning.

Okay,

that gives you 6 days and 7 nights, with the last 2 nights (Thurs and Fri) in Dublin. I suggest working your way to Dublin via a south/east route.

How many places you stay in depends on how much you like to drive and move around, versus setting up somewhere and soaking in the ambience. Unless you want to be on the road a lot (and in November, the days are short--you don't want to be driving at night), I'd pick two places to stay, 3 nights and 2 nights. Or possibly do a 2/1/2.

If you want to maximize the geography you see, you could easily get to Kenmare from Shannon for your first night and stay two nights there. Then head east through the wonderful Beara Peninsula and stay either in or near Cork City for one or two nights. Then head toward Dublin via Kilkenny City (as an overnight stop).

Caveat: I have not been east of the Beara peninsula, so I am suggesting the places there above based on what I've read and heard. Others with more knowledge might suggest alternatives.

One thing I am pretty certain about is limiting your time on the road and not planning a lot of one-night stays.

Good luck!

Although I like Kenmare a lot in Nov. I think they will have rolled up the sidewalks there. Many things in Kenmare close for the season including B&Bs and restaurants. A better alternative for the SW would be Killarney. I know that Killarney is always dissed on this forum and in some guide books but in Nov. it will not be crowded, restaurants are all open, more pubs, more accommodations, shopping, etc. Take a look at a map to see that it is very central to sightseeing in the SW.

I like beach dweller's idea of Kilkenny. There will be more there (as in Killarney) than the smaller towns and villages. It all depends on what you want to see and do as well as your traveling style.

This is very helpful. Thank you both! I notice on this forum that people speak very highly of Dingle but neither of you suggested it here. Is Dingle not as popular in November or do you just not recommend it for this short a trip? I'm just curious because it was one of places I was getting excited about. Again, your advice and opinions are very much appreciated.

My parents just returned from Ireland last week.. they did the reverse route- into Dublin, out of Shannon. They loved Dingle... also stayed in County Wexford which they really liked alot and it was an easy drive (as easy as driving can be in Ireland!) to Dublin from there... they also stopped in County Carlow.. if you are interested I can see if I could walk mom through the posting process...

With your short time you will have to make decisions on what to see. You can do Dingle as a day trip from Killarney. Just as Kenmare will have rolled up the sidewalks, Dingle will also be very quiet in November. If the weather is nice I would suggest you do Dingle. If the weather is real bad skip it. You go to Dingle for the scenery.