Dear Fellow Fodorites,

I am planning an 11 day tour of Ireland and Scotland with my boyfriend in late August 2006. The first leg of the trip will be a self-drive tour of southern Ireland (Shannon to Dublin). We will have 5 days/4 nights to do this in (quite a task I have discovered as there is SO much we will want to see and do). We plan on ending our Emerald Isle adventure in Dublin for 2 nights before flying to Edinburgh for part two of the vacation. There we will spend 2 days/2nights in Edinburgh enjoying the city and festivals. From Edinburgh we will be taking the Haggis Scotland Isle of Skye 3 day/2 night tour. Finally we will return to Edinburgh for one final night there before flying back to Dublin the following morning for our flight back to Boston.

Trip dates are 08/17-08/28. We are in our mid twenties and generally like visiting places with local charm and stearing clear of tourists traps at ALL causes (unless it is something spectacular). We love hiking and the outdoors in general, visiting castles and historical sights, and will want to catch some local music, local food, and a guinness or two at a pub in the evening. We are budget travelers.

Any general advice conerning our trip would be very much appreciated as this will be my first trip to Ireland since college and the first trip to Scotland for both of us.

However, I do have some specific questions:

Although I haven't done alot of extensive itinerary research for the 5 day/4 night drive from Shannon to Dublin here is a list of possible stops. Any reccommendations for particularly nice towns, scenic drives, places for a hike/walk, great B&Bs, castles, historical sights, pubs, or other sights people have found interesting along this route would be MUCH appreciated.


Galway
The Burren
Cliffs of Moher
Doolin (good tradiational music)
Dingle Penninsula (hiking?)
Killarney National Park
Ring of Beara
Kinsale town (or another charming seaside town)
Castle at Cashir
Rock of Cashel
Kilkenny town
Kilkenny Castle
Hiking Wicklow Mtns
Glenalough

As a side note (and this may be obvious) we are not looking for a particularly slow-paced vacation. We are young and usually like alot of activity (especially when we are in place with so much to see and do. However, we don't want to be so pushed for time we are burnt out by Dublin.

My suggestion is to cross about two-thirds of the places off your list. Do you just want to drive or do you actually want to see some things? Decide what is most important and ditch the rest.

For accommodation
www.premierguesthouses.com
www.townandcountry.ie
For Bar music
www.irishmusicbars.com
For Ireland in general:
www.ireland.ie/getting_around.asp
www.goireland.ie
For Dublin:
www.visitdublin.com
And finally for that present you forgot to get your loved ones back home:
www.airportshopping.ie
enjoy.

I wouldn't say your hit list is "active," I'd say it's spending all your time in the car. You're looking at a minimum of 5-7 hrs a day in the car WITH NO STOPS to do your wish list.

I'd call it the green blur tour, but since you will also have to drive into the night, you won't even get all green.

I'd go for (and this is still covering a lot of ground):
Day 1 Doolin, Cliffs & Burren
Day 2 Dingle
Day 3 Cashel, Cahir, Kilkenny
Day 4 Wicklow, Glendalough, Dublin
Day 5 Dublin

Another option is to book your first and last nights in Ireland and just see where you end up each night in between. That would allow for maximum flexibility and allow you to determine your travel capabilities as you go.

I'd have to agree with yesiree100 we were in Ireland for 14 nights and did everything on your list plus went to Conemare region and Arans. You only have 4 nights! We went a rigourous pace yet it was still enjoing. If we had to do it again we would spend 2-3 nights in each area while visiting. You will be in your car way too much to enjoy and will not have time to hike or just explore on foot. I like the IT that yesiree offered. Rock of Cashel(that is all that is there) and the monastic ruins in Glendalough were two of my favorite places. At the ruins you can hike to the lower and upper lakes(will take you a 1-2 hours).

I would skip Doolin(yes good music) but you will find good music in any town. I prefer Dingle check out Emlaugh Lodge 35E/person. Do the Connor pass and Slea head and visit the Bee hive huts.

Kinsale is a beautiful seaside town-considered culinary capitol of Ireland you can do a day trip out to Mizen Head Pen from there and also visit the Forte.

Cobh is also a town you might want to consider as is Kenmare. From Kenmare I believe you could do the Gap of Dunloe(Hike or pony trek) and also visit Killarney national park.

Its best to pick 2 areas and do day trips. Maybe visit Cashel or Glendalough on your way to dublin.

From Dublin you could always day trip to the wicklow mountain area.

I agree! I've been to Ireland twice (third time this summer) and have learned that you don't really SEE the country you are driving THROUGH. You have 5 days -- I could easily spend this in County Kerry alone. If you are leaving from Dublin, give Dublin at least one day. I would say either two days in Kilkenny and two out west, either Killarney or Ennis, for instance, or perhaps Galway. Remember, just because something is 100 miles away, does NOT mean you can get there in 2 hours like you can in the States. Driving is about 30-35 mph average, even for those of us with lead feet. It's not the distance, it's the condition and windiness of the roads... and sometimes it's the sheeps on the roads... and the towns the roads wind through, with people parked on both sides of a one lane road... you think I 'm joking, ha!

I love Ireland, and would hate for you to miss it's spirit because you tried to do too much.

Always visit with the assumption you will come back, and you will be able to enjoy the parts you see.

a second vote for mizenhead and crookhaven. my favorite spot of ireland!

Thank you all for your very helpful critiques of my proposed itinerary. In planning this adventures (and it is still early in the planning stages) I was concerned we would end up being burnt out and be too rushed. I can see from your posts we may have to do a bit more research and knock a few places out. It seems as much as I'd like to do Galway and Kinsale, I thing they are somewhat out of the way in relations to the rest of my wish list stops. Would others agree? And just to clarify, we will have 5 full days to explore before reaching Dublin where we will have 2 nights and 1 full day. So, please keep up with initerary suggestions and such as I will continue to work on whittling the list down. Again, thank you all!

You're on the right track now. Narrow it down to two areas to stay in and split your five nights in those two places.

It seems to make sense to pick a place in the west or southwest, then pick a second area on your way to Dublin.

I'd pick Dingle over County Clare for a place in the west. Then you could move east and stay somewhere that will give you access to the Rock of Cashel and Glendalough. We haven't visited that part of Ireland yet, but I wonder if Kilkenny might be a decent base?

5 days in Ireland will be tough. I used to live in Limerick. From Shannon, I would go straight to Doolin. It is young and fun. You'll feel like a local. I could stay for a week but you'll probably be bored after two nights. The cliffs are sensational and can not be missed. You can stop to see them on your way to Galway. Galway is a young vibrant city. You will definitely love it. From Galway I would go to the Aran Islands and stay a night. You can rent bikes and cycle around. Spectacular. You will absolutely love it. My suggestions are based upon the reactions that visiting friends and family had to the different places on your list. I would take Kilkenny off of your list. I was never impressed by Wicklow either.I love the entire country but in five days, you need to go to the places that will give you the best taste of the country.

Glad to see you've started zeroing in on a more focused itinerary. You'll have a much better experience. Good luck as you continue the process.

Keep us updated on your plans.

Well...after considering each of your suggestions I have decided to spend an extra day touring from Shannon to Dublin. So that gives us 6 days and five nights before reaching Dublin-still not enough time but better than only 5 days. Since I know we want to fit in some hiking and not feel too rushed, we may go from the Shannon airport directly to Dingle. We will miss the Cliffs, but I realize we can't see everything! Then we can spend nearly 3 days exploring the southwest Kerry area. I know we will want to hike in Killarney as well as Dingle. Can anyone recommend any good day hikes in those areas or others? We will also want to do the Ring of Beara drive. From there we will hopefully head to Kinsale for a night and then to Kilkenny for our final night. I'd like to go a good hike in Wicklow Mts. as well on our last day and stop by Glendalough/St. Kevin's before heading to Dublin.

How does this sound...

Dingle 1 night
Kenmare 2 nights
Kinsale 1 night
Kilkenny 1 night

We are open to suggestions so please keep them coming. Thanks!

Looks pretty good. The tourist offices and B&B hosts are usually pretty good about suggesting hikes...although the definition of a hike can range from a park-like stroll to hardcore trek.

Sounds like you're keeping you options open which will allow you to add some things whenever possible and provide a little extra adventure.

You're welcome to download my Walking Kilkenny tour at
http://www.knockahopple.com/downloadkilkenny.html

Looks like a much better plan

In Kilkenny, I really enjoyed eating at Breathnachs, just over the bridge and down a block from the castle.

I also loved Jerpoint Abbey, about a half hour drive south of Kilkenny.

You will love Glendalough, it's one of the best places in Ireland, IMHO!

You might be able to catch the Rock of Cashel and/or Cahir Castle/Swiss Cottage on your trip to Kilkenny (we're planning on that this June).

Hello All,

Well, I can't thank you all enough for you advice concerning our trip. To update everyone we will have a total of 7 days in Ireland (the last in Dublin). For the remaining 6 days we are still in planning stages (which is where you all come in.) FYI: The only accommodations I have actually booked are in Dublin and Edinburgh): Fire away!

Still Rough Itinerary....
DAY 1: Arrive SNN. Tour Galway (?), Burren, Cliffs.
Overnight in Doolin at Daly's House.
DAY 2: Drive to Dingle. Hike around Dingle (not sure of specifics concerning hike yet). Overnight at Emlagh Lodge in Dingle.
Day 3: Drive to Kenmare via Killarney National Park. Do a hike (again, not sure of hike yet). Tour Ross Castle/Muckross House. Overnight at Virginia's Guesthouse in Kenmare.
Day 4: Drive Ring of Beara en route to Kinsale. Overnight at Friar's Lodge in Kinsale.
Day 5: Drive to Kilkenny via Castle at Cahir and Rock of Cashel. Overnight at Alcantra B&B in Kilkenny town.
Day 6: Drive to Dublin via Wicklow Mtns./Glendalough. Do a hike. Visit monastery. Overnight at Harding Hotel in Dublin.
Day 7: Tour Dublin. Overnight at Harding Hotel.
Day 8-11: Edinburgh.


My biggest decision right now is deciding if we should head straight to Dingle from Shannon on the first day and then probably stay in Kenmare for 2 nights after one night in Dingle. Or, go with the current plan of touring county Clare/maybe Galway on the first day to minimize driving all the way to Dingle with jetlag. Regardless, I want to have enough time in Kerry to do at least a hike in Killarney Natn'l Park and Dingle and have time to enjoy the Ring of Beara and other scenic drives in area. Again, any imput will be very appreciated as I want to start book B&Bs soon.

Many Thanks!

Much better, though its still a lot of driving every day. Doable, but unless you have lots of energy, rather tiring.

The day after your arrival, if you are flying trans-atlantic, don't MAKE yourself drive a lot. Give yourself enough flexibility to be able to drive if you can, but you can stay close if you can't.

Any reason you are staying in a different place every night? For instance, Kenmare and Dingle aren't that far apart -- staying in one or the other wouldn't make a bad base for both sets of siteseeing.

Have fun!

GreenDragon--Thanks for the info. I guess the main reason for staying a different place every night is that since I only have 6 days to tour Shannon to Dublin, I want to keep moving in a forward motion to limit/eliminte any backtracking. But I do realize it will feel rushed to keep moving the entire time. I would actually love to spend an extra night in Dingle or Kenmare--but that would mean rearranging my itinerary some--which at this point I am definitely open to.

If I were to double up in either Dingle or Kenmare, which would you all recommend? And would you sacrifice either a night in Doolin/Cliffs/Burren and/or a night in Kinsale for more time in Dingle or Kenmare? One reason I thought to stay in Kinsale for a night was becasue I have read exploring Mizen Head on the way is fantastic.

I basically want to take in some good hiking and maybe even biking and not constantly hear the clock ticking in my head while in the SW region especially.

So, I guess from my itinerary proposed above what would you all leave out/add? Please advise.

The Burren itself will take you a full day, and lots of hiking/biking opportunities throughout. Then there's the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher, etc. Dingle would get my vote for that.

However, Kenmare is a beautiful place, and more than enough to occupy a week, as well!!!

This is a hard decision, but try to remember what I always tell myself -- you WILL go back some day, so don't try to see it ALL or you will MISS it all

This is what I would do:
DAY1 Fly into SNN(hopefully your flight gets in early)-skip touring galway and the Burren(too mch to do after your flight) Head straight for the Cliffs. If feeling up for the drive head to Dingle after the Cliffs. Spend two nights there. I say this because it is early in your trip and you will be tired fom jet lagg maybe its best to stay in one place. But you other option of staying in Kenmare two nights would work as well-just depends on your mood/energy. They are both great.

Although the salt Hill area in Galway is a bit different than the city center I'm thinking you are touring galway city which is very young and lots of college kids and bars and restaurants/shops. Its a great happening place but you seem to be more interested in outdoor type activities(hiking exploring). The Burren is interesting but I think the Cliffs are too spectacular to miss.

We found lots of little brown signs that indicated hiking trails all over Ireland. However after venturing on a few-none of the paths were well marked. I'm not sure if there is something like a "Hiking guide to ireland"-but we wished things were marked more clearly.

While in Kenmare(I think) you can "hike" the Gap of Dunloe which will take you a few hours or "Hike" around Killarney national park. But this is not rugged hiking more like walking on paved surfaces.

We also hiked something called Brendans Mtn a bit I forget where it was but it was a pilgrimage path.

Day 4-The Beara Peninsula is just outside of Kenmare-wake up early and do that then head to Mizenhead(stop in Crookhaven for a sandwhich and guinness) The views at Mizen Head are spectacular. Then head to kinsale.

Okay, here is yet ANOTHER revision thanks to more research and your helpful comments. Since I want to reserve B&B's soon, the overnight stops need to be fairly solid, fairly soon. With 2 nights in Kenmare the trip will feel less like a marathon.

Is the general consensus this is still too much to feel like a "vacation"...or could people see themselves doing this?


DAY 1 (TH): Arrive early AM SNN. Drive to Burren. Hike/explore. Drive to Cliffs of Moher. Overnight in Doolin.

DAY 2 (F): Depart Doolin for Dingle via 10 am or 11 am Ferry. Drive to Dingle town via Connor's Pass (if weather permits.
Explore Dingle/walking/hiking. Retreat back to Dingle town. Overnight in Dingle town.

DAY 3 (SA): Depart Dingle town in AM. Drive to Killarney National Park on way to Kenmare. Spend most of day there--plan a hike/bike ride/horseback. Check out Ross Castle. Kenmare for the night.

DAY 4 (SU): If good weather-this will be the day to do either Beara Penninsula and/or Sheep's Head Penninsula. We could potentially bike some of either of these. If we drive Beara we should try to do Healy Pass on the loop back. Spend another night in Kenmare.

DAY 5 (M): Depart Kenmare in early AM for Kilkenny. On way we can stop at the Castle at Cahir and Rock of Cashel. Arrive in Kilkenny. Overnight in Kilkenny.

DAY 6 (T): Tour Kilkenny Castle in AM. Depart Kilkenny for Dublin via Glendalough/Wicklow Mtns. Visit St. Kevin's. Have time to do a hike in Wicklow Mtns. Finally arrive in Dublin. Stay next 2 nights.

Day 7 (W): Tour Dublin.

Day 8 (TH) : Depart for Edinburgh

Thanks!