Traveling to Edinburgh & Dublin this summer and looking for some day/extended tours from these two cities. We are not too keen on renting a car because every time we do we spend half of our trip arguing about where we are [it's a gender thing] and the other half getting dizzy doing a 'Chevy Chase' on roundabouts...so to help us out...your ideas are most welcome. We enjoy historical and scenic excursions...and frequent stops...not point a to b type tours. Thanks.

Have the same problem with DH.

The bus service is very good in both cities( also trains from Edin.) you can visit Glasgow or Stirling ( an hour each) and most of Ireland . When in Dublin ,take the DART ( fast suburban train)to lovely Howt, Monktown and Sandy Cove on Dublin Bay - only 15-20 minutes ride , totally different than Dublin and much more enjoyable)

From Dublin an easy day trip is Glendalough in Wicklow for scenery or Newgrange in Meath for history. Check https://www.buseireann.ie/asp/TourList.asp for details.

Hmm, nimbus109, I don't recognize that email address, but you certainly SOUND like my dear wife! Though I dispute the "gender thing" analysis; my wife simply cannot see reason, and unreasonably objects to my bouncing into the curb every couple of seconds, with the windshield wipers on, death-gripping the wheel and cursing like a sailor.

We'll be taking trains and planes and boats on our next trip as well.

I hear good things about cars with GPS, like it saves marriages. So if you really want to drive, that's an option.

IMHO - the best stuff in Ireland is in the west. Depends how much time you have but if you are not driving you should take the train to Galway City. 2 - 2 1/2 hours from Dublin Heuston Station. Stay in Galway at least overnight - I would stay for a few nights. Galway itself is fantastic, but there are many day trips you can do from there.....1. the Cliffs of Moher 2. Connemarra 3. Aran Islands by ferry. Once you get to Galway you can walk everywhere right from the train station - pubs, restaurants, hotels. 99% of the hotels are in walking distance as is the tourist board. You can get buses to day trips right outside the tourist board - 100 yards to the right outside of the train station.

Dublin is awesome, I lived there for a few months and I do love it. But Galway is the best. And the rugged west coast is where Irelands true beauty lies. If you had 4 days I would spend 1 in Dublin and 3 in Galway doing trips from there.

If you don't want venture that far: From Dublin Wicklow mountains is a great day trip or you can head to Dun Laoghaire (Leery) and Dalky for cool seaside areas.

visited Galway last July; it was so crowded, one could not walk around, we took a small plain to visit Inish More ( a great day trip) Could not wait to get out of Galway ( after one night).
We liked Edinb. much better than Dublin.
Try to visit Edinb. before the Festival ( again, the crowds are impossible)

Take the train to Stirling. Great castle.

nbujic - you probably visited Galway during a festival. Either the Galway Races or the Galway Arts Festival which are both in July. It gets super crowded those two weeks. Because its such a compact city people all congretate on the Shop/Quay street area for the pubs and restaurants. And for those festivals it gets crazy.

Much like the Edinb. Festival crowds. And also much like Temple Bar all summer. The English come to Temple Bar in Dublin for their stag parties and Dubliners go to Galway for theirs.

Ask people in Ireland, even Dubliners, what the best city in Ireland is and most will tell you Galway.

FYI nimbus - Inish Mor is one of the Aran Islands which you can reach by ferry. The ferry ride itself is great and you often see dolphins riding the boats wake. There is a fantastic ancient fort on sheer cliffs on Inish Mor - Dun Aengus fort.

I completely agree with Naplo999! The ferry ride to the Aran Islands is absolutely beautiful! It's definitely worth taking...