Honeymoon in Ireland!
 

Hey guys, my fiance and i will be honeymooning in Ireland the last week in October. With the resarch ive done, i know that the days will be shorter. Having never been to Ireland, we are really trying to maximize our week there. We will be flying and staying in Dublin the first day or two. Does anyone have any sugesstions on what to do out of Dublin?

My first suggestion when you don't know much about your target country's sights is to get a guidebook.

I would not stay in Dublin. I'd rent a car and drive various places.

Firstly Congratulations

Secondly some honesty..A week isn't long.. you are not going to tick every box on a list gathered from a guide book so you will have to prioritise.. If you get a map mark places and sights you will get an impression of where you might be better going. Remember you will only cover 35miles an hour off the few motorways.

Not knowing what this October is going to be like (we had 17 days without rain in March/April and in the middle of a heat wave at the moment, who knows what the weather will be?) I would be tempted to wing it a little and leave any booking until closer to the time.

First of all - congratulations!

Your time could coincide with the Halloween Bank Holiday weekend and therefore mid-term for all schools. I think the Bank Holiday is Monday 28th October this year and the mid-term will also be that week. Remember too that the hour will change on the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend so the days will be shorter from then on.

Many families travel over mid-term so if you have your heart set on a certain area/hotel/B and B then I wouldn't dream of winging it and would make sure to book in advance.

Also, if you are staying in hotels, be sure to say when booking that you are honeymooners. You may well be upgraded if there are rooms available!

If you're based in Dublin then good day trips would be to Glendalough (google St Kevin's bus for details) or Newgrange (unmissable IMO). If you are thinking further afield then you'll have to give us some more details before we can come up with suggestions!

Schools close on Friday the 25th October and reopen Monday 4th November. Its not a big take a break type holiday here, its more saving up time for Christmas for most families. Overseas visitor numbers will be well down but lots of B&B's will be closed or geared down and there will be lots of great Hotel deals to be had nearer the time.

If nervous about holding back, and I do understand that many people are, then book for the Bank Holiday Sat,Sun,Mon. after that the grown ups will be back at work.

Wow! Thank you so much for reading and replying! To be more specific, we plan to leave the US on Sunday, October 27, to arrive early in Dublin on Monday the 28th. We know we will be staying in Dublin that night. My future mother in law is from Killenny, so we want to stop there on our drive to Cork. I would really like to see the cliffs in Gallway, but don't know how realistic it is. Other than that, we're not really sure of the "must see's." we're set to fly out of Dublin on Saturday, the 2nd! We really appreciate all the advice!

A young couple (26 and 29) just came back from Ireland and said they had a good time and saw a lot but wished they had taken their 6 nights more slowly--maybe three nights in two places. You only have five nights so need to think your itinerary carefully especially since you are flying into and out of Dublin.

Think about what you like to do. Are you city or countryside people? Museums or hikes?

Kilkenny is an easy train ride from Dublin and could be done (down and back) in a day.

Maybe spend Monday, Tuesday, Wed nights in Dublin with perhaps a day trip to Newgrange (awesome, in the old meaning of the word!) Thursday, pick up a rental car and leave early for Kilkenny. Stop on the way to visit Glendalough, one of my favorite spots in Ireland. Friday morning take a leisurely return and spend the night in Malahide or one of the towns near the airport. Saturday, if time before flight, explore a little bit of that area.

Enjoy!

5 days on the ground, I would drive to Kilkenny on arrival leave Dublin to the last 2 days. That leaves 2 days, Cork and Moher can't be done in comfort given that time scale..

Being honest I would consider just Dublin and Kilkenny..

What is the draw of Cork?

Moher in October wouldn't be guaranteed worth the travelling. I only live under an hours drive away and wouldn't set off unless I knew the weather over there.

I always heard Cork is beautiful... No real connection there other than I heard its a "must see"

I was going to recommend to you the Ritz Carlton which is just outside Dublin for a night or two on your honeymoon. It is really a beautiful place and would definitely be a romantic spot. It is close to the Powerscourt gardens, a stunning place to visit.

But I just read some news that they will not be a Ritz Carlton after Oct. 1, but instead another sort of high end Marriott property. I stayed 2 nights last summer (on Marriott points) and the room was huge and insanely comfortable. We also enjoyed the pub and desserts at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant. It could be a good first stop coming from the airport so you can recover a little from the journey.

(If you know anyone with a lot of Marriott points... maybe ask them for a "gift" :)

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Proper...rt/Default.htm

West Cork Beara, Sheeps Head and Mizen are great locations but spending a day getting there and a day getting back leaves little if any time for experiencing.. does make a refreshing change though its usually Dingle that gets the must see from never been here before folk. Kilkenny and Wicklow/Wexford/Waterford are also beautiful so sticking to the east with your limited time could be a more rewarding experience, The east also gets the better of the winter weather to a small degree.

You haven't given us any idea of your budget - but if I was on honeymoon (and - I admit it - money was no object), here's what I'd do. Land in Dublin, drive to Kilkenny, stay here - www.lyrath.com - and do some gentle sightseeing in Kilkenny city. Drive to Ardmore in Waterford, and stay here - www.thecliffhousehotel.com/ - and just take in the gorgeous Waterford and East Cork coastline. Drive to Wexford and stay here - www.monart.ie - to completely chill out, and then drive back to Dublin through Wicklow taking in Glendalough.

You could stay at the Ritz-Carlton at this point as rialtogirl suggested, or you could save two nights for Dublin.
My sister and her husband stayed here recently for their 1st wedding anniversary (they got an upgrade to a suite) and they really liked it - www.themorgan.com . It's within walking distance of everywhere, and although it's in the heart of Temple Bar they said that noise wasn't a problem.

None of the drives are particularly arduous. You'll get a good mixture of the countryside and some historical sites, but you won't be killing yourselves with long journeys.

Just don't send me your credit card bill.