Day Tours out of Dublin
 

Hello,

My husband and I are honeymooning in Ireland. We are staying in Dublin and plan to take a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. What other day trips can we take?

Also, anyone have reviews of Aer Lingus? I have heard mixed reviews and am hoping to get some more opinions.

Thanks!

That's a long day trip out of Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher, are you sure you want to do that? I'd relocate out to the west coast and see more than the cliffs if that's what you're interested in.

I love Aer Lingus. Have flown them over a dozen times in the last 11 years, never a problem, always on time, never lost my luggage. Good service, friendly staff.

The Hill of Tara is delightful if you are at all interested in the ancient history of the High Kings. Very beautiful too. This is what Gerald O'Hara named his plantation after in Gone with the Wind.

Newgrange is also near Dublin and amazing to see and learn about.

Thanks for the suggestions. We've already booked our hotel through a package so relocating is not an option. With travel time and seeing the Cliffs, it's a total of 14 hours, departing Dublin at 7 am and returning around 9 pm.

The Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough are always good day trips, along with Newgrange.

I don't like Aer Lingus personally, but at the end of the day, it's only a few hours out of your life. If they are the cheapest and most convenient, fly with them.

The Cliffs of Moher as a day trip from Dublin is pretty unrealistic. If you are planning to drive, it's going to be 5+ hours each way. You would want to stay on the west coast. Also, having a car in Dublin is probably more trouble than it is worth. Parking is a pain and the city center area is pretty compact.

There are a number of one day bus tours from Dublin that are pretty popular. Newgrange (megalithic tomb)is one of the most frequently visited and is certainly impressive. That is north of the city. South of the city is Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains and the town of Kilkenny, all worthy of a visit.

The best way to see the countryside is to get out of town and stay. Not sure what your accommodation situation is in Dublin, but if it is flexible and you want to see both city and country, spend a couple nights in the city and then stay in Bed and Breakfasts in the country. There are thousands of them in Ireland and they provide a great place to stay and get a more personal feel for the country.

Again, though there are some who like the long duration travel idea, I personally wouldn't consider the Cliffs of Moher as a day trip. There is also so much to see along the way and certainly Co. Clare could fill up a couple of days of sightseeing. Let us know what you decide to do.

Bill

I just read your previous note. With a 14 hour day, the bulk of which will be driving and if you have never driven in Ireland before (or on the left) it may be even longer. It's pretty easy to get lost from time to time in Ireland. If you are on a tight budget, it might not work, but another option would be to just waste one night at the hotel and get a B&B. Rooms run about E55-70 per night which I would think would be well worth it.

It seems you folks are enjoy "power" traveling 14 hours in a day may be your cup of tea. None-the-less, keep in mind, driving in Ireland is nothing like driving in the States and it requires pretty much constant focus on the road, especially if you are new to driving there. Although not terribly stressful, I do find it much more tiring. The motorways are few and far between and straight stretches of road are a rarity.

I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter what you do and standard Fodors advice is always to slow down which I am frequently guilty of giving. I'm merely suggesting that for me, spending an extra $80 to break up 10-12 hours of driving Ireland's narrow roads would be money well spent.

Bill

Contratulations,

I spent 4 days in Dublin solo in November and wanted yo do a day tour. I did a day rail tour to Burren, Galway Bay and Cliffs of Moher. I really enjoyed it even though the weather was cool. It was sunny and the viewing excellent.

I left at 7am from Heusten Station, then we boarded a bus for the tour and returned by train to Dublin arriving about 9:30pm. It was a long day but not stressful at all. It was 80 euros. The website is http://www.celtour.ie/ireland.htm

There were several day train tours and I had a hard time choosing. I definitely would do another train day tour from Dublin. This was a great way to see the countryside without the trouble of a car or moving about since I was there for a short time and alone.

Happy travels.

Hello again, sorry for the typos but you get the gist I hope. I will just add a note to stress it was really easy to sit back on the train and bus and let someone else do the driving. I enjoyed the information provided by the guide/driver also.

Thanks for all of the tips! Like ggnga we're planning do to a rail tour to the Cliffs. Since we're on our honeymoon, I certainly don't want to deal with the stress of driving!

We are heading over in September. A former Dubliner has recommended that we take a day-trip to Powerscourt, on the #44 bus, which you apparently can catch at a stop in Temple Bar. Can't remember the name of the Quay. anyway, my guidebook shows Powerscourt as an absolutely spectacular home and garden estate. I can't wait to spend a day there.

Alison