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Going to Ring of Kerry from Dublin - input?

Going to Ring of Kerry from Dublin - input?

Old Jun 19th, 2007, 01:10 PM
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Going to Ring of Kerry from Dublin - input?

Hi, I just posted another thread but wanted some suggestions since this board has been so helpful to me in the past. Normally, I'm so "organized" about our travels but since I'm actually living here for a while, I can't seem to make up my mind on things and find myself overwhelmed with the options I have, it's strange. Here is what I am thinking for the upcoming weekend:

I'd like to drive the Ring of Kerry. We'd be coming from Dublin and would probably start the "drive" at Kenmare. Any suggestions on the below are welcome:

1) we'd be leaving on Friday night and returning Sunday. I'm pretty open as to things-to-do in between (I thought about staying in Tipperary Fri night, and do Cashel Sat morning?). I'm looking for a hotel, probably not a B&B since I've never done that before here and I imagine a crying baby (though he rarely cries, but does for about 5 minutes before 8PM bedtime) is probably not desired in that setting

2) what are my best travel options? if driving over, we'd need to leave ~5pm (rush hour) in Dublin. or would you take the train and then rent car?

3) is the drive a "treacherous" one, i.e. one-lane roads with buses barreling down at you, etc? How bad is it? (You can see my other recent Ireland post on my driving, though it went well last weekend but was an easy drive).

Just fishing for suggestions since I think I've decided this is what we'll do and not much time to plan!

Thanks.
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Old Jun 19th, 2007, 02:07 PM
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jumper, I just do not think you have the time to do the Ring of Kerry justice. The ring takes a whole day itself. Plus a 6+ hour drive just to get there. Maybe if you had another day you could do it. You would just be in the car all day and night with your baby.

Instead, why not stay in Cashel? You could see the Rock & Cahir Castle. There are a couple of scenic drives in the area. The Vee from just south of Cahir to Lismore (gardens there) and the drive through the Glen of Aherlow.

Some B&Bs will be fine for a baby. I stayed at Joys Rockside and they had a crib (cot) in the room. Obviously they accept children and cater for them. It was a great location.
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Old Jun 19th, 2007, 02:49 PM
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Your problems start in trying to get out of Dublin on a Friday evening: it's hell on wheels, and the trains will be full.

I don't think the Ring is worth the hassle it would cost you.

If you must do it, check out flights to Farranfore or even Cork, and see if you can hire a car locally.

Or go to Connemara instead: that's verging on the manageable.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 12:40 AM
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Great, that's the kind of info I was hoping for. I will put off the Ring until another weekend when my husband is able to take off on a Friday so we'll have a good 3 days to fit everything in.

I like the Cashel suggestion and am looking into trains (and then to rent a car once there) but I'm having trouble finding returns on Sunday from the smaller stations. We shall see.

Connemara is a great suggestion as well, perhaps I could get the train to Limerick and go from there.

I'm trying to do weekend trips now that are more west/far away from Dublin as I will likely do the east coast stuff once our visitors arrive in a month, since it's more convenient for everyone.

Off to rethink the weekend!

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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 01:07 AM
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Train to Galway for Connemara!

Same challenge getting out of Dublin, and Friday evening trains are always extremely crowded. Because of the child, I suggest that you hire a car in Dublin and suffer the traffic stoically.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 01:42 AM
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Okay, Galway, thanks for the tip. Let me ask you - it looks like there is one at 16:50 leaving Heuston that has premium (which I assume first class) seats. If I bought 3 premium seats, that would guarantee a seat for all 3 of us, correct? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad on the train then, and I could just rent a car once in Galway?
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 03:20 AM
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Travelling from Dublin to Cashel is one of the easiest drives in Ireland. It is motorway from Dublin to Portlaise, then main roads through 3 towns and then you arrive in Cashel. Even for a beginner driver this is an easy route. There is no train station to Cashel, so bus is your only public transport option, probably not suitable for you and a baby, considering luggage,buggy etc. The drive should take about 2.5hrs. Yes the traffic is heavy Friday nights but if you leave it until 7pm or 8pm to leave you will have missed most of it. It's only getting out of Dublin onto the motorway that's usually where the traffic is slow. I would recommend Cashel for a weekend, it's a small town but the castle is lovely and so is the surrounding countryside. Re Galway/Connemara for the price of the train tickets I'm sure you would have paid for the rental car. The drive again is very straightforward, motorway most of the way. Re Kerry or Cork trips fly to Kerry or Cork, then rent a car. The flights are only 1hr long and will be easier for the baby than a 5hr drive. Check out www.ryanair.com and www.aerarann.ie for cheap internal flights.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 03:45 AM
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Thanks re: the tips on driving to Cashel. Price isn't a huge issue for the train, and I've been working on Galway details all morning so I do think I'll be doing Connemara this weekend instead (I only have a finite amount of time to plan this stuff while baby sleeps, LOL) but certainly am going to plan Cashel for another weekend soon.

That being said, it looks like we will arrive by train to Galway Fri night. Spend the night there at a hotel, and pick up the rental car Sat morning to do something similar to the Connemara drive recommended in my Fodor's guide book (a circle between Oughterard, Clifden and back).

Now I'm trying to decide what to do Sat night - it seems like we should get a hotel somewhere in the Clifden-ish area and then drive back up to Galway Sunday to catch an early evening train back to Dublin. At least, that's where my mind is right now as I work on the details.

Comments/suggestions welcome for Sat/Sun.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 04:07 AM
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jumper22: First class tickets give you guaranteed seats. Sometimes on crowded trains you have to assert your claim, as people can take liberties. Possession of a child under 1 year old confers a great moral advantage!

Consider the possibility of spending your two nights in Oughterard.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 04:26 AM
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Jumper - I get the train to Galway fairly frequently with my 8 month old baby. Just to let you know there are no changing facilities so it can be a bit tricky (the train to Cork by comparison is fantastic with big toilets and baby change areas).

You don't necessarily have to pay for a separate seat for the baby but maybe you knew that. What I usually do is book one premium class ticket so I am guaranteed a seat no matter what, and if all comes to all I can sit in premium with baby on my lap. Premium is usually full of businessmen and their laptops so I get a bit jumpy if we actually have to sit there - the last guy we sat beside left with bits of babyfood stuck to his tie!!

I then turn up early enough for the train and usually find 2 seats to seat myself and baby outside the premium area. Even though we take up 2 seats there is no charge for a baby under 2. And we always have the fallback that if the train is full by the time we get there we can try premium area with her on my knee. Last time I sat in the premium area as it happened we got 2 seats together even though I had only reserved one - often people will miss the train and seats free up.

By contrast if you want to book 2 premium seats you will have to pay for 2 even if one of them is occupied by an under 2.

Totally confused now? I thought so. Sorry! just trying to help...
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 05:02 AM
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Thanks, it looks like the idea of Connemara this weekend is coming together smoothly. (and good to know re: the train, esp the changing table issue!!)

We'll definitely be staying in Galway Friday night since our train arrives later and I'll want to settle in because of the baby. I'm debating between a B&B (Almara House) and a regular hotel (Kings Valley), both which have availability and good reviews. Not sure which would be better considering we have a child.

Sat night is the question:
1) I could drive the whole loop, spending that night in Oughterard. Not sure what I'd do all day Sunday though in that case, since we wouldn't have to take the Galway train back to Dublin til fairly late in the afternoon/early evening.

2) or, I could stay in Clifden (another poster said there was hardly a tourist, which is nice. then again, larger towns seem to have more options re: eating out & having a baby with us, etc).

That's where I'm at in the decision-making process right now. Once I have more time I'll try to read up on other options that might be good for us given our weekend and timeframe.

p.s. another poster said the Connemara roads could be nail-biting. Am I crazy to be considering driving this with a baby in the car? I drove for the first time last weekend and had no problems at all - though I realize driving to Kilkenny is a bit different than this trip! I'd have an automatic again, and a very small compact car.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 06:00 AM
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I had a look on the internet for the two accommodations you mentioned and both are in the same area, more or less. Do you know you they are not in the city centre and you will be dependent on car/taxi to go out at night. May not be an issue for you.

Clifden will definitely have facilities for kids - plenty of restaurants with high chairs so no need to worry about that. Roundstone / Cashel and Cong, if you venture further north, are also good places to break up the loop.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 06:06 AM
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Driving in Connemara is fine provided that you are not in a hurry. Just trundle along at a speed that is comfortable for you and co-operate with faster drivers who want to overtake.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 09:31 AM
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I dide not find anything treacherous about the drive. I did drive counter clockwise which they say is the way the tour buses go so you don't have to meet them head on.

Not nearly as bad as Amalfi coast, road to hana, or oak creek canyon
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 11:19 AM
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bigtyke, I think you are talking about the Ring of Kerry. We have moved on to Connemara.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 12:18 PM
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Thanks everyone for the quick replies. I think I have things pretty much narrowed down.

Arriving via train in Galway, does anyone know if it's more convenient to rent a car in city centre or airport? I'm leaning towards city centre since it is usually a bit cheaper/less hassle. I wish I could figure out where the rental location is but can't find it anywhere on the Argus website.

I'm having trouble finding a hotel city-centre in Galway at a decent price (thanks littlejane for pointing that out) but since we are just going directly to the hotel to put our son to sleep I suppose it's not a big deal to take a cab somewhere.

Booking so last-minute has its advantages and disadvantages. Most places are sold out, but then again rates are good for some of the more upscale places.

For Galway, hotel choices Fri night are down to a B&B (the owner seems VERY friendly via email) at Almara House, or the Westwood House hotel which says is just on the edge of city centre. I've never stayed at a B&B...

For Connemara, a few hotels pique my interest and I'm willing to spend a bit more. I'm seriously thinking about the Zetland Country House on Cashel Bay. I realize it's in the middle of nowhere, but that's not a bad thing IMO. Any drawbacks to staying here in your opinions?
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 12:21 PM
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I think as i have said before the Ring Of kerry is over rated, this is just s just my thoughts and everyone is different.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 12:37 PM
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A quick train question, too:

There is a 4:15 return train from Galway back to Dublin on Sunday that I would prefer, but it lists as a "rail car" and buying a preferred ticket is not an option. I assume this means (since I see it is a bit longer of a commute) that it makes all the stops? My question: wondering if I can get away with taking this train and whether it would assure satisfactory seating for me, husband and baby boy? Or if I should definitely get preferred tix and stick to the "intercity" train schedules.

Sorry, this if my first time dealing with the Irish rail going out of Dublin.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 12:38 PM
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Maybe it's time to experience a B&B.

The Westwood is good, and is on the edge of the city, a walk rather than a stroll from the centre.

Zetland House is in the middle of nowhere, but it's rather a good nowhere. Ballynahinch Castle is in an even better piece of nowhere.

The weather forecast is lousy. Herself and I were planning to spend the weekend in Connemara, but have changed our minds.
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Old Jun 20th, 2007, 12:47 PM
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Enter "connemara weekend" (with quotes) in the search box.
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