Hi, my friend and I (2 women late twenties) are going to Ireland for 7 days (six nights) and we have a car rental. I would like to split the time between country and city without feeling rushed. We land in Shannon at 6:30am and fly out of Dublin.

My plan is to drive to Dingle on the first day to start off in the country. Stay there two nights to relax and see the scenery and antiquities. Is this too much time in one location? Is Dingle too touristy to get the feel or is it completely dead in February? Might there be a better place perhaps the Beara Penninsula or is that too far?

We plan to land in Galway on the fourth day to start our city leg of the trip. We have one night I would like to spend on the way to Galway. I have been looking at Doolin or Ennis, any suggestions?

Galway on the fourth night , any suggestions here?

Then off to the Dublin area for the last two nights. We are staying outiside Howth and plan to take the DART into the city. We leave 11am from dublin on the last day, that is why I plan two nights. At least we will have one full day to cover the city.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. We would like to stay away from very touristy activites.

Well, to cover Dublin in one day will be very difficult. It would take at lest 3 days to do it any sort of justice - more than that with day trips to Newgrange etc. Overall it looks like you're trying to cover an awful lot of territory in only a few days. If your Dublin/Shannon flights are not fixed I would recommend focusing either on the east or west coast only.

Unfortuantely they are fixed flights. I was in Dublin last year and did day trips, Newgrange, Hill of Tara. This time I only plan to stay in the city during the day. Probably just do the museum. Any must sees?

cazk writes: "Message: Hi, my friend and I (2 women late twenties) are going to Ireland for 7 days (six nights) and we have a car rental. I would like to split the time between country and city without feeling rushed."

Check the weather before you leave: http://www.met.ie
Today they're talking about icy conditions and that's the last thing you want to encounter if you're new to driving on the left.

I couldn't handle driving to Tralee after a TransAtlantic flight. I'm a senior - There's a place called Killeline Leisure Park about 1km south of NewcastleWest off the N-21. Keep an eye open for it after you pass Rathkeale. Hang a left as you pass a B&B sign (entering NewcastleWest) just before you get to the Courtenay Lodge, go across a 1-lane bridge and take the Old Cork Rd. (right at the service station). Killeline is a good place to catch your breath with a fully equipped Spa and 20m heated indoor swimming pool.

I like Ennis! There's some kind of Irish step-dancing competitions there the first week of February (World championships??) We'll be in Ennis for the last weekend of February. We'll daytrip to Galway Saturday, 28 Feb.

I have only covered the west coast of Ireland, and am leaving again next week for there, but it sounds like a decent plan. Dingle is perfect for the two days, you'll be recovering on the first day and the second take the tour around the penninsula. I was there last February and there was quite a bit to do, some things were closed though. The drive to Galway is not too long, I would spend two nights there, it's a college town and the pubs are a blast. Especially after the small town of Dingle, the "big" city of Galway is quite refreshing.