France, Italy, Ireland ?
 

We will be leaving Cannes, France on 7/5 and must be in Shannon, Ireland on 7/12 for a 6 day bike ride on the east coast of Ireland. We're trying to decide how to spend the 6 days in between.
a) Considering renting a car a traveling through France to Paris, then flying from there to Ireland.
b) An alternative is to rent a car in Cannes and then travel through Cinque a Terre, Italy and depart from Florence to Ireland.
c) Another thought is to fly from France to Dublin and explore Ireland for 6 days and end up in Shannon.
We would appreciate any advice and recommendations you have. We have little or no experience in any of these places.

I would suggest Ireland; six days there should give you time to see some of the country. A drive through France might also be great, but I've never driven through the country, so I can't give much advice. I wouldn't care to go to the Cinque Terre in July, when the five tiny towns are practically sinking under the weight of the tourists.

Are you more interested in countryside or cities? If you haven't been to Paris, you could either fly or train from Nice and spend some time there. I think you'd be better off not driving.

Or do what the other poster suggested and spend time in Ireland.

The drive from Cannes to Paris should be fairly easy; I don't see any reason not to drive. Remember that in Ireland they drive on the left. I don't know if that would be a problem for you. We've driven in both Ireland and Scotland, without particular problems. A good copilot is a great help.

I'd vote for Cannes to Paris too, everything else being equal.

I take it you are flying into Shannon for the West of Ireland, Dublin would be the airport for the East.

Either way you could easily spend 3 days (or more) to see some of Ireland not covered by the cycling tour.

Oops...I must have lost my sense of direction. Our bike ride is on the west coast of Ireland starting in Shannon. So From Nice I would fly to Dublin spend 6 days exploring Ireland and end up in Shannon. Now, for some suggestions of where to go and what to do from Dublin to Shannon?

What are your interests? My own particular suggestions would be to see the Book of Kells while you're in Dublin, to visit Newgrange, and then to head to the west coast.

There I would suggest the Connemara (starting in Westport, a lovely little town), followed by at least one of the Aran islands, Galway, the Burren, and so on.

However, your interests may be different from mine. Just don't try to do too much, because the driving is slow on the narrow roads (although you may be amazed at the speeds reached by the Irish drivers.) A nice slow pace is in keeping with the countryside of Ireland, where nothing is rushed, but nothing is impossible.

Have you read the Eric Newby book on cycling on the west coast.

I'd drive through France, you're giong to see a lot green Ireland in 6 days and the windy side of it too.

There is little point in suggesting a route which overlaps your cycle trip so that knowledge might help a little as would be my other questions asked on your latest request.

Haven't read the Newby book. Will check it out.
Thanks