Andrea

Is it possible to travel the entire coastline of Ireland in 10 days and still enjoy it? We have seen a wide range of drive time estimates. We're trying to decide between a bus tour trip or getting around on our own. I would like to see some of the sites in N. Ireland too..Beleek, Bushmills, Giants' Causeway, Hills of Tara and Newgrange. Is it safe to go though Belfast? We plan to travel the first week of June to meet relatives in the Kenmare and Inchegeelagh, near Cork.Any favorite festivals for that time of year? Any and all input appreciated! Thank you!

Bill

Andrea:<BR><BR>The entire coastline circling north and then down to Kenmare in 10 days?...Or are you going to Kenmare first? Either way, you probably would spend too much time driving with very little time relaxing.<BR><BR>Most importantly, I strongly recommend self drive to a bus tour. Otherwise, you are just traveling with other tourists. <BR><BR>I've never traveled into Belfast City but I understand it is not particularly dangerous. I, would none-the-less, probably avoid it to see more of the countryside. It's still just a city.<BR><BR>If you want some travel suggestions, why not post where you'll be flying in, when you have to be in Kenmare and more specific places you want to see? I've been there three times which doesn't by any means make me an expert, but would be happy to take a shot at a possible route. Just remember, Giants Causeway and Kenmare are almost as far away from each other as you can get in Ireland.<BR><BR>Let us know.<BR><BR>Bill<BR>

Ann

Driving through Belfast is not a problem. It's a great city (I lived there for awhile), and worth a visit. However, it sounds like you're just planning a drive through.<BR><BR>Actually, I should add that you might encounter some difficulty if you're driving through Belfast around July 12. I would avoid the city that week.

Andrea

Thanks Bill!I'd like to see the countryside,trad. music, dance, song & storytelling,a castle,some history & a bit of Dublin. Hard to choose but I'd give up seeing, Donegal Bay, most of N. Ireland, the Lakelands and Midlands for this first trip. I've been comparing suggested 6-10 day itineraries from the Ireland tourism site,Fodor's guide & some bus tour cos. Then I've been trying to decide about bus tour pkgs. vs. self drive so your input helps us to decide. I just didn't want to work so hard at the driving that we miss all the great sights. We have never driven on the left of the road so I hope its something we'd get used to quickly. If I have to limit my trip, it would be to see the southeast (to see relatives) and the west(to see less settled/tamed areas and the gaeltacht ,trad. music, etc. I don't need to meet relatives on any particular date.Since I am leaning toward a self drive trip at this point, I could fly into Dublin and fly out of Shannon to shorten drive time across the middle back to an airport.. Here's a plan that acc. to some web map sites is approx.1150 miles total In this plan, I give up seeing most of N. Ireland but keep the rest: DAY 1- Arr.in AM DUBLIN.( DAY 2 DUBLIN to CORK. If coastal route there really is not more than est.5-1/2 hours, I would stop in Wexford for Nat'l Heritage Mus. and a trad. Storytelling site there.Optional breaks considering:Waterford and short scenic drive in Youghal and a bit of Cobh. Version 2 of DAY 2: DUBLIN-Newgrange- Cashel-CORK I'd give up SE coast for 1 hr. side trip N from Dublin to Hills of Tara and Newgrange before heading more directly SW to Cork by way of Kilkenny or Cashel. DAY 3-CORK to KENMARE. See Blarney Stone, the Castle, Wool Mills. From Macroom, follow the River Lee area to Inchigeelagh ( see family) then on to Kenmare. DAY 4 KENMARE See family there then Ring of Kerry, Muckross House, Killarney or find a singing pub in Dingle. Stay in Kenmare or Dingle area. DAY 5 KENMARE or DINGLE -LIMERICK or ENNIS. Dingle Peninsula, Gaeltacht and Music, Adare, Bunratty Folk Park ( worth seeing?). Perhaps see a castle here... Dromoland or wait till Ashford Castle in Cong up past Galway?...Or I could possibly skip Wexford and seen castles in Kilkenny/Cashel on way down to Waterford on Day 2) DAY 6 ENNIS-CLIFDEN. See Cliffs of Moher and Burren and Galway. DAY 7 CLIFDEN-DONEGAL. See Connemare Nat'l Park, bogs, horses, Kylemore Abbey nr.Letterfrack or take route across lakes to Cong. See Donegal Bay, Aran tweeds and sweaters.Perhaps some of northern Donegal area- Dunfanaghy. DAY 8 DONEGAL-GALWAY. Visit Beleek and its'China in N. Ireland. Continue to Galway. DAY 9 GALWAY- LIMERICK Visit Aran Islands if feasible<BR>DAY 10 Depart LIMERICK/SHANNON to USA<BR><BR>or** DAY 8 Version 2 DONEGAL to DUBLIN Looks like a 4 hr drive if I come via Cavan. This way I could stop near Slane and see the Hills of Tara and Newgrange at this end. DAY 9 DUBLIN or more of something within about 1 hour's drive...perhaps a peek at the Wicklow Mtns? DAY 10 DUBLIN to US. Of this plan, cutting out the trip north to Donegal seems to be the way to cut the most time. Let me know what you think. Is the driving much more than the estimates so far? I figure we might lose some time getting lost but hopefully see something nice while are lost!

Andrea

Thanks Ann: I thought about seeing the Giant's Causeway, just a little of Derry and downtown Belfast. I would try to see the Mourne Mtns & then NewGrange, Hills of Tara and back to Dublin. That looked like it could be 4-5 hours of driving to me.

xxx

Andrea:<BR>Just let me tell you in Oct I did a bus tour and we took in 1107 miles in 9 days. And he knew how to drive that bus and where to put it. Seems to me if you drive your taking in a lot of miles in a short time. Hope you have a good navigator while one does the driving?!!!

Andrea

Your note said you traveled about 1100 miles in 9 days. Do you remember about how many hours of car time that was per day on average? Was it enjoyable at that rate...or only when you got on out of the bus/car? We are working on limiting our distance now in order to keep drive time to 3 hours a day or less. So now we are looking at covering Kerry to Galway/Connemara or possibly Kerry, Galway & up to Donegal unless we can getaway for more than 10 days. I met someone from Donegal last night (here in Boston) and I just don't want to give up seeing that area!<BR>Thanks!

xxx

We usually left about 8:30 or so and got to our next hotel by about 5pm. We left Shannon and our first nite was in Tralee. Stopped at Adare an on to hotel.Next day to Blennerville on to Dingle, back to hotel. next day took in muckross house, out to ring of kerry took in sheep farm,and then to Kenmare for the nite. Next day to Blarney mills etc and on to waterford city for the nite. Next day kilkenny castle, crystal factory, Natl irish stud farm, japanese gardens, and onto Dublin. 2 nites there, then to Sligo. Stopped at sites along the way.Stayed nite in B&B in Drumcliffe. Next day visited Cong, Lock Corrib, celtic crystal factory and onto Galway for the nite.. Next day to <BR>Spiddal, the burren, Cliffs of Mohr (a must see).and to Ennis for the nite. From there we came home. Hope you could follow all this, but for me the beauty was in the countryside. And with the tour bus we were high enough to see over the hedgerow fences all along the way. Now I would like to go and just tour in a car the southwest portion.

Andrea

Thanks again for all the great info!

Barry

Andrea -<BR><BR>We did a 10 day self driving tour of Ireland a couple of years ago. We put about 1200 miles on the car. Came into Shannon and went directly to Galway (great buys at the crystal factory there... better than at the duty free shop at the airport). The farthest north we got was Donegal. We covered the western coast going back down from there. Driving through the Connemarra (sp) was a real trip. Driving the Ring of Kerry was great. The farthest south east we went was Cork then back up through Kilkenny (more great crystal buys) and back into Dublin. It is hard for me to imagine doing Northern Ireland and the east coast on a 10 day trip and really see much.<BR><BR>One word here... many of the raods have hedgerows and stone fences beside them so there are great distances where you can't see a darn thing from the road.<BR><BR>I will also say that of the 51 countries we have traveled to that Ireland was the most disappointing. (watch out... here comes the flack for saying that!) Maybe we just had it too built up in our minds beforehand. Or maybe it's because we had done two such trips to Scotland and 2 to England previously and Ireland is nothing like them at all... more like some of the 3rd world countries we have been to. (Incoming flack!) But, things "like everyone singing and having a big time in the pubs" we were in a minimum of 2 pubs a day (for lunch and afternoon Guiness break) and probably hit more than 30 in all. No singing in any of them... just people sitting quietly drinking their pints and smoking their heads off!<BR><BR>Now, not to say we wouldn't go back.... but there are many, many, many more places I'd go back to first! (Like Scotland, England and Wales for example).<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Barry

Andrea

Thanks for all the details.Your route somes similar to what we'd like to cover. Yeah...I have heard about the hedgerows. A few people have told me that they liked being able to see over them from their bus tour seats but we are sticking with driving ourselves for the flexibility. To cover 1200 miles, would you say that was 3-4 hours driving per day on average or more/less? I know driving speeds are much lower there so it's hard to get a sense of how many hours of driving that would be. I am guessing that I can cover a max. of 100 miles for every 3 hours of driving. I know some days may be more or less and there are always things like bad weather or getting lost that slows things down. I know we won't enjoy being in the car all day esp. if we can't see over hedgerows. I haven't made it to 51 countries - that probably is a factor for you. However I do appreciate your honest opinion. We all connect with different places and people. Nothing will keep me from having a great time. I haven't been on a trip I didn't like yet! Thanks again.

xxx

YOU GO GIRL. Wish I could tag along..

Ann

Andrea-<BR>The route you're talking about (just the part from Dublin to the North and back) will take a few hours more. Dublin to Belfast will take you about 2 hours, possibly 2.5. So just that part is a 4-5 hour drive. Then add at least an hour to get to Giant's Causeway (more if you stop off at sights on the way). If you still plan to do this section, leave a full day for it, and leave Dublin early in the morning.<BR><BR>If I had to drive 1,100 miles in Ireland, I'd kill myself! I love the Irish countryside, but driving there is hard work. 3-4 hours a day will take you roughly 100-150 miles. It really varies depending on where you are driving.<BR><BR>

Ryn

By "Donegal" do you mean the county, or Donegal Town? There is a large difference between one end of the county and the other. The drive from Letterkenny to Donegal Town took about 3 hours non-stop the last time we did it. I drive that stretch often going from my father's family to to mother's family (Down the coast and then swing inland to Roscommon from Sligo town) the whole thing takes about 6 hours.<BR><BR>I myself would definitely NOT try to drive the entire coast in that length of time. Pick 2-3 choice coastal drives, then cut across on the best roads between them. Personally, I find the coastal scenery in the North and N. Donegal to be the most striking.<BR>

Patrick

I enjoyed Belfast and spent two nights there. Other than a few damaged buildings and some barbed wire areas, there were no signs of danger or troubles. <BR>Loved Giant's Causeway and spent the better part of a day there hiking.<BR>Stayed two nights at the delightful Bushmill's Inn. It poured rain all day, so we went to the Bushmill's Distillery. I was chosen as an "official taster". The rest of my stay in Bushmills is a blur.<BR>Despite the many posts about difficult driving and poor road conditions in Ireland, you will be amazed at the quality of the roads in Northern Ireland -- they are like night and day from the Republic.

Bill

Andrea:<BR><BR>I just looked at your itinerary and need a little more time to decipher it. I like to try to average less than 100 miles a day. Some days will be slightly longer because you will be on good roads and some will be less.<BR><BR>I agree with Barry that he's probably going to get some flack and actually, I found England to be the most disappointing in the British Isles area. But I'm not into big industrialized areas. I more enjoy the rural atmosphere. As for third world, I would say Ireland is more old world, small towns, wonderful people always willing to help and always with something friendly to say. <BR><BR>If you want to find music, you need reserch it just a bit. But you will RARELY find it if you are looking around lunch time or mid afternoon. Most music starts after 9:00 PM, so it is not surprising that Barry never found everybody sitting around the bar and singing and dancing. You have to stay up past sunset to catch the great music.<BR><BR>Lastly, yes, there are areas where it's hard to see over some of the hedgerows (just like England), but Ireland is not meant to be enjoyed from the car! (nor should any other country for that matter)...Get out and take a walk along some cliffs or wander through some shops in a small Irish viilage....and breathe the Irish air.<BR><BR>Barry was almost right, he didn't expect too much but rather, he expected fairy tale Ireland. Something out of an animated Ireland cartoon, where at anytime of the day you can see anything you want and little guys skip down the road with an Irish tin whistle singing merrily. You'll love it if you research it (like you are) and take your time....and then you'll start planning your next trip.<BR><BR>I'll look at your itinerary again and see if I can make some suggestions...but it does seem a bit drive heavy...not way too much, but maybe a bit.<BR><BR>Bill

Ann

The north coast of County Donegal is the most spectacular scenery in Ireland, as Ryn says. The Inishowen Penisula and Malin Head (the most northern point in Ireland) are beyond words. Don't miss.<BR><BR>I love the Antrim coast, too, but if I had to rank them, I'd put Donegal first.