tiffanyjs1

Hello, I'm interested in a trip to Ireland by rail the first week and a half of September. I've never been to Ireland before and I'm very excited!!

I'm choosing rail because I don't want to go on a long bus tour, and I also really don't want to rent a car- I'm scared to death of driving on the other side of the road.

Here's my tentative itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Shannon Airport from USA
Day 2: Limerick & day trip to Cliffs of Moher
Day 3: Travel to Galway
Day 4: Galway & day trip to Connemara
Day 5: Travel to Killarney
Day 6: Killarney & day trip Ring of Kerry
Day 7: Travel to Cork & Blarney Castle
Day 8: Travel to Dublin
Day 9: Dublin
Day 10: Depart Dublin for USA

All the intercity travel to be done by rail, and the day trips by bus tour out of the cities. My questions are:

1. Is this itinerary doable? I looked at the train map online and it seemed potentially possible, but I'm not sure: http://www.irishrail.ie/travel-infor...and-route-maps

2. Should I just buy an "Explorer Pass" for 5 days of unlimited travel (our of 15 consecutive days)? Will this take me everywhere on my itinerary? Or is there a more cost effective option? http://www.irishrail.ie/fares-and-ti...d#type-tourist

3. Do I need to schedule the day trips ahead of time or can we sign up when we get to the city?

4. Will one medium suitcase per person be ok for the trains?

5. How is that time of year for traveling and tourism?

Thanks very much!

PalenQ

Buses are also very useful in Ireland where there is a skeletal train line but all your trains are certainly doable and yes the Explorer Pass would seem to be a great deal for your plans.

For lots of good info on Irish trains check out www.seat61.com; www.ricksteve.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Again do not stick only to rail lines but also take buses, like from Killarney to Dingel, a neat base town for tours of the Dingle Peninsula by bus - to me was the highlight of Ireland. Dingel Bay is known for being the home of Fungi the playful Dolphin - a cottage industry has grown to take tourist out ot meet and greet and play with Fungi!

Tony2phones

Bus rather than Rail in Ireland... especially in the west as Irish rail uses Dublin in the east as its Hub..

I would suggest Ennis as a base rather than Limerick but only for my personal preference. But Whichever I would head to Galway direct from SNN rather than going down to go up to go down again?

Dingle by public transport is a day wasted! take a tour from Killarney if you want to see the peninsula but wasting a day so you can spend a night in certain town makes no sense unless driving yourself.. that goes for any town with only 3 bus's a day, not just Dingle.

tiffanyjs1

So why bus rather than rail? Is rail impossible? I thought it seemed possible to get to all these cities by rail. Or is bus just more picturesque? Honestly I don't much care to travel by bus for more than an hour or so... I get motion sickness. :/

I hadn't planned to overnight in any towns besides the major ones I listed- all the rural tours would be day trips.

I chose Limerick as a starting point because that was the only western city with a major airport, and it seemed inefficient to leave immediately only to just come back in two days.

BigRuss

Go check the route map on the irish rail site again = you need a bus from Shannon to Limerick but you're doing the early part of your trip bass ackwards.

Go to Galway first, then Limerick, then Killarney, then Cork, then Dublin.

You're saying one medium suitcase per person and use the term "we" - do you have a travel companion who can drive? If so, driving will be more convenient.

It's not that hard - the order of which side to drive on becomes natural because of where the steering wheel is. But you will flip on the windshield wipers when trying to signal a turn.

<<5. How is that time of year for traveling and tourism?>>

What are you asking? If there are trains and buses and tours, it's fine. If you're wondering about the weather, it's a crapshoot because: Ireland.

BigRuss

<<Bus rather than Rail in Ireland... especially in the west as Irish rail uses Dublin in the east as its Hub..>>

This is inaccurate. You can go from Galway to Limerick to Killarney to Cork on intercity rail without hitting Dublin. Irish rail has a limited hub and spoke system, but one hub is Limerick Junction and it connects the western lines.

That said, rail availability may be limited. You're not dealing with England, France, Germany or Japan and their highly saturated rail routes.

janisj

tiffany: Using trains isn't really practical for the rural parts of western Ireland -- simply isn't. So you'll either have to use mostly buses (and bear w/ the motion sickness) - or you'll waste a lot of time because you'll need to fit your itinerary into the rail routes - or you'll need to have a car.

Tony2phones

Yes the Galway Limerick line has reopened last week after being under 8 ft of water in March.
Limerick to Killarney requires a change at Limerick Junction to meet the Dublin to Killarney train or Limerick junction and Mallow.. the limerick Killarney bus is direct.
Mallow is also the change point for most Killarney to Cork trains where the bus is direct.

tiffanyjs1

Ok, that's helpful. Maybe a bus from SNN to Galway; then train from Galway to Limerick (direct route), bus from Limerick to Killarney, and train the rest of the way? It seems like Killarney-> Cork and Cork->Dublin are relatively direct routes, with one change from Killarney to Cork.

Oh, and my companion is just as scared of driving on the left as I am.

Tony2phones

What time do you land in SNN?

BigRuss

Really, the best way to do this trip is to suck it up and rent a car. Unless you teetotalled in college, you've driven on the wrong side of the road before. At least this time you'll have some control.

tiffanyjs1

Haha, I guess I was a teetotaler then!! I just remember in London someone else was driving and I had no sense of where to look for oncoming traffic, where to turn, etc. That scares me and a wreck would ruin the vacation or worse. Not worth it to me. Plus my insurance doesn't cover damage to rental cars in Ireland for some reason. The distance between the cities really doesn't seem bad- no more than 2-3 hours. I'm from Texas, where every major city is at least 3-4 hours away from each other, so these distances seem short in comparison. Also I like trains.

My flight is getting into SNN at 6AM on a Sunday. >_<

Tony2phones

That could be the problem.. 1st bus to Galway isn't until 5 to 8.. (Cork to Galway). There are local bus's to Limerick and the early train if you got a taxi to Sixmilebridge but they don't run on Sundays, 1st bus towards Limerick isn't until 10 to 9 on a Sunday..

Did I say I love Ennis?

tiffanyjs1

Hmm good to know. Well, maybe it would be best to stay in Limerick the first two days then, go up to Galway, and then directly to Killarney from there?

Wouldn't Ennis be just as difficult to get to as Galway from SNN?

janisj

>>I just remember in London someone else was driving and I had no sense of where to look for oncoming traffic, where to turn, etc. <<

No one would EVER recommend you drive in London. That would be like the difference between driving in New York City vs. driving in Texas Hill Country. In one you don't need nor want to drive. The other would be much easier by car.

PalenQ

So why bus rather than rail? Is rail impossible? I thought it seemed possible to get to all these cities by rail. Or is bus just more picturesque? Honestly I don't much care to travel by bus for more than an hour or so... I get motion sickness. :/

Yes all those rail trips are fine and trains on mainlines OK but not up to IME general European quality and not up to speed either but useful for what you want to do - to get to Cliffs of Mohair, Ring of Kerry, etc of course you'll have to do by public bus - iffy at times or bus excursions.

Driving outside of Dublin or Cork is not a horror - once when I first drove around the whole country had a lot of potholes but later it seems with the Celtic Tiger days the roads were on par with most of Europe and in rural areas not congested.

It takes about 5 minutes to get the hang of the 'wrong side of the road' and you could drive along the West Coast from Galway to Killarney areas - and around the Dingle Peninsula, the most whatever place I've been in Ireland - remote and gorgeous and basically de-populated after the 1800s Potato Famine they said here, with lots of ancient - really ancient relics scattered - about.

And you can stay in neat B&Bs in remote areas - I still recall one near the Cliffs of Mohair - there were so so many stars out at night in this area lacking city lights, etc. And in the pubs and shops they still speak Gaellic - of course and English too.

But you miss out on so much if not driving say thru the fabled Burren, by the Cliffs of Mohair, Dingle Peninsula, Ring of Kerry, etc.

You can drive by Blarney Castle just before Cork rather than having to take a train or bus there, etc.

Accommodations in neat old cottage B&Bs which you do not find by traveling by train would be the reason I would drive as well as driving thru remote Gaellecht (sp?) - Gaelic-speaking areas.

Tony2phones

The options are.. wait for the 1st bus at the times given above,, or Taxi.. Limerick/Ennis €35 - Galway €125

To be honest and stupid as it is its cheaper, and as easy to get to Galway earlier from DUB that time on a Sunday morning.. SNN really need to sort out their transport links if they are going to flourish..