Initial thoughts about September trip - any suggestions?
 

Original plan was to go to Paris for a week, but I figured that as long as I was flying all that way, why not spend two weeks and also visit someplace new. So, to make a long story short, we're flying in to Dublin on a Thursday morning and flying out of Dublin 16 days later. (It was a LOT less expensive than flying open jaw, even after adding in the cost of flying to and from Paris.) We'll be in Paris for one week during the later part of the trip and flying back to Dublin either the Thursday or Friday before we fly back home.

Since we'll be returning to Dublin at the end of the trip, I was thinking of not spending any time in Dublin at the beginning but directly either driving or taking a train elsewhere. Tending towards staying in southeastern Ireland - Kilkenny sounds nice and considering Dunmore East and Wicklow, and definitely seeing the Rock of Cashel.

I'm thinking of adding another location in between Ireland and and Paris. I have friends who spend part of the year in England and may visit them - but he's having surgery so there's a good chance that won't be happening. London sounds much too large to visit for just a couple days. Edinburgh sounds very nice, but I'm not sure about having enough time. What do you think? A little more time in Ireland or a couple days or so in Edinburgh?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Shanti. Lots of possibilities. But I'm not clear on how many days do you have between arriving in Dublin and flying on to Paris (including your arrival day)??

If it ends up there is a chance to visit your friend in England -- where do they live?

Hi Janis!

I was hoping that I'd hear from you.

My friend usually lives on a sailboat. Seriously. We were best friends in college, her husband is English but has lived and worked in the States for a long time. They recently retired and rented out their house on the east coast. When they go to England, they sail there on their sailboat and stay with his family. But he's due to have back surgery in the States this spring, and the recovery will take up to six months, so it's very unlikely that we'll be getting together in England this fall.

So I was thinking of other options, and Edinburgh sounds lovely. However, I just talked with a friend whose son lives in London. I've known him since he was six months old, but we haven't had that much contact since I moved out to California - although I am going to his wedding (in the US) this summer. So I wasn't going to contact him, but his mother insisted that I send him an e-mail, so there is a possibility that we will be spending some time in the London area after all. Although I'm a little leery of going to London. It seems way to big for visiting just for a few days.

Personally, I don't think London is too big to visit for just a few days as I have done that many times.

However, there is so much just to do in Ireland and September is supposed to be a lovely time of year to visit, so I would recommend just going to Ireland and Paris. I have been to Ireland twice, for 8 days each, and there are still many places that I have not seen.

I suggest you look at a couple of good guidebooks and a map of Ireland and plan a driving trip, reserving Dublin to the end of your trip when you return from Paris. A couple of days in Dublin should be sufficient. The only problem you should have with the remainder of your stay in Ireland is narrowing down what to see and do.

There is never a 'wrong' length of time in London. If I lived on the east coast I'd pop over for a weekend. Can't really manage that w/ overnight flights from the west coast :(

Of course you can't "do" London in a few days. But it is sort of like Paris in that 3 days there is better than NO days there.

If it was me -- I'd either stick to Ireland, or I'd head over to London and then take the Eurostar to Paris.

I absolutely LOVE Edinburgh - but if I was going there, I'd skip Ireland and concentrate on Scotland. But that is just me . . .

Thanks for the input.

So many choices, so little time.