Twiggers, since your husband is disabled do you require a room on the ground floor if staying in a B&B? If so, that would change some of my recommendations.

Actually....my big thing first is to decide which day we are leaving the US!!! I may be able to add an extra day somewhere if I can skip out early.

Maybe in Kinsale or Kilkenny :-)

I have to put together my summer teaching schedule and figure out if we can go a day earlier. It means I'll be grading exams the entire flight over :-)

I would have Ennis as a two night stay. Send me an email near the dates and I might pop down for a pint with you in Brogans.

jaja - No, he would be OK going up one or two flights. He just can't stand/walk for more than a few minutes at a time (diabetic neuropathy).

Thanks Tony! That makes sense. I found out that my grades are due on Sunday night, so I may cancel the last day of class and leave on Friday July 6, which might give us an extra day.

Airfare is just so darn expensive right now *sigh* A face of life now.

Thanks for the offer Tony :-)

OK, a few things....

Trying to figure out a Dublin hotel for night 1. I'd like to stay around 100 euros for a double. Hotel needs a TV and en suite bathroom.

Preferably centrally located.

For the two of us to get to/from airport (we need to go back and pick up the car on day 2) what would be the best mode of transportation? Keeping in mind that we'll be jetlagged on day 1!!!

Lynams on O'Connell St is about as central as you can get or the North Star just by Busarás the main Bus station. I like the Maldron at Smithfield a little out of the centre but still with easy access.

Cost and availability will depend on your day of arrival.

http://lynamsdublinhotel.com/
http://www.northstarhotel.ie/
http://www.maldronhotelsmithfield.com/

Thank you Tony! I will look at those.

I have a reservation booked with Hertz. AutoEurope wasn't any cheaper and I don't think it is advantageous to have a middle man. Any thoughts on that?

I checked Dooley and they were MUCH higher for all the same features.

I have the airline tickets on hold....waiting/hoping for a price drop.

Once I figure out the Dublin hotel, I'll figure out transportation and sites.

OK, Lynam's comes in at 139 with free wifi. Northstar comes in at 152.10 with free wifi and breakfast. They also have a shuttle to the airport for 4.5 per person. We could use this to get back to the airport to pick up the rental car.

Both hotels have middle of the road ratings on Tripadvisor.

What do you think about the Hilton at this location: Charlemont Place, Dublin 2, Ireland

I can use points and money and only pay $70...which is appealing to me to save about $100. But no free internet :-(

Just outside of Sligo at Rosses Point I can highly recommend Iorras B&B (pronounced air-us; not at all the way I was pronouncing it before I got there).
http://www.sligoiorrasbandb.com/ TV in the rooms!

Tony has his favorites in Ennis, but I like Eden Hill House, on a working farm and almost a straight shot to the airport on your departure morning. Sad to say, their website has disappeared but they can be booked through the tourist booking agencies. Just put "eden hill house+kilmorane" into your search engine.

In Kenmare we liked Caha's B&B http://www.cahaskenmare.com/ .

Since you will be in Dublin in July, have you thought about staying at Trinity College?
http://www.tcd.ie/accommodationandcatering/

Hilton is fine and makes sense to use any discounts you have. Trip Advisor ratings have the power of the god's but the only ones I believe are written by me (12) or written by people I either know or trust.

Rosses Point is a nice area for Sligo, never stayed there but any personal recommendation on forums is better than 20 reviews on any web site.

Eden hill House outside Ennis is good (bit awkward to find)..But I like to take in a bit of craic and walk 5 minutes back to the lodgings so would not say it fits a 2 night town stay.

Thanks for putting in JaJa (and others) I was beginning to think I had hijacked this thread!

Thank you Jaja!

Tony - I appreciate it!! I think I am going to go with North Star for Dublin. The price is right, dinner is included, free wifi, and it's close to the city.

Due to DH's disability, I think we will do the Hop On/Hop Off bus in Dublin.

Thank you Nadya! I'm working on Belfast right now...

----
Question re Belfast:

The big draw for me is the sectarian neighborhoods. I am concerned about how much I can see from our own car. Can we stop along Falls Road/Shankhill and get out and wander around?

We'll be in Belfast on a Sunday. Will traffic be better inside the city so that we can drive around ourselves?

It seems a shame to pay for a bus tour/taxi tour when we have the car. However, if the bus/taxi can provide a better experience, then I'll pay for it.

I would take one of the Black Cab tours rather than drive yourselves you will get far more history from the driver than just looking. These are housing estates and not easy to navigate. I personally wouldn't walk around but then I have not been in these areas for 30years.

If you are going to do the Titanic exhibition then the grand staircase is open on Sundays. Remember tickets must be pre-booked for the exhibition.

Tony - Thank you! Do you have any recommendations for any taxi tour companies? I'd like one that does both Falls Rd and Shankhill Rd.

The open top bus had stops up and down both streets. Apparently there is a combo ticket for 21 pounds (Dublin & Belfast).

Another question:

I have the car pick-up set for 10 AM (might change it to a little earlier) to drive to Belfast.

I would like to stop at Newgrange. Keeping in mind this is a Sunday, does anyone know how long of a wait we would have? DH has no interest, and I don't want him waiting forever. It looks like Newgrange is just off the M highway.

Also, a friend recommended Trim Castle. This looks a little further out of the way. I'm willing to sacrifice this if I'll run across other castles later in the trip.

I'd like to be in Belfast by 1-2 PM. Drop off things at the hotel and then spend the late afternoon touring around the city.

I'm realizing that Carrickfergus will need to wait until the next day.

This has all become very confusing... sometimes asking for advice can do that. You said in your initial post that you wanted to be flexible and wing it, so I think you should just go back to that thought. Pick a few key places that you know you want to see, and then drive and stop as you please. Buy a good map and take a few chances on some back roads. Everything above sounds like you will be moving alot, and unless you are huge tourist, this really isn't any fun. And remember, there are beautiful vistas of "cliffs" anywhere along the coastline so you don't need to see them all. They can all pretty much start to look the same. A friend and I did this 10 years ago. We knew we wanted to fly into Dublin and out of Shannon so we had a hotel in Dublin the first night and a hotel in Shannon the night before we left. We rented a car and knew we wanted to get to Waterford because we had friends there. We would get the map out every day and our trusty guide book and just start driving. We would use the Tourist/Information offices. We had a wonderful adventure without feeling like we had to be a prisoner to a clock.

The first time I did the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry, on a bus tour, I didn't see either of them. I have a photo of a sign saying "The Scarriff Inn: The Best View in Ireland" and you can barely see it through the fog. The second time, on the other hand, the weather was absolutely perfect. We started from Kenmare (we liked Virginia's Guesthouse very much), got out to Portmagee before the tour buses came around (they all start in Killarney about the same time and go counter-clockwise)and caught one of the last boats out to Skellig Michael. That was one of the top highlights of that or any other trip we've made. But the weather was unusually gorgeous. After two hours on the island, we went back to the mainland, picked up our car, and by then all the tour buses had gone by, so we went on to Dingle without any traffic. Expect bad weather--there is a reason why Ireland has 40 shades of green. We lucked out on that last trip (June-July 2006) and in 12 days only got rained on twice. Unfortunately, those days we were outdoors touring gardens (Powerscourt and Garanish) and got drenched. Driving is fine if you're not the nervous sort (narrow, winding roads, with locals going the too-high speed limit).

This post on another forum gives some pointers from a real NI expert. I would suggest you either message them on their profile page or post your NI questions on that forum.

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-...n-Ireland.html

Oh, and just outside of Spiddal is An Caladh Gearr Thatch Cottage. She doesn't have a website, but you can look at it here: http://tinyurl.com/c24oyg .

She has only 3 rooms and in September '93 we had the entire place to ourselves....fond memories of sitting in the lounge in our jammies in front of a turf fire and drinking Bailey's.

Thanks zor!

Kass - that was my original thought, but in July I can't risk not having places to stay. And I really am more of a planner....I am realizing that I can't just wing it. But I will pick a few key sites that are must sees, and if I don't make it to the rest, then no big deal.

Tony - thank you for the link! I'll check that out :-)

Jana - thank you!

Well, maybe I need to abandon Newgrange since it seems like you need to get there early. Perhaps I can see how the itinerary comes together and maybe add it at the end....it's slightly north of the city, but may be worth it!

Sorry to be a bother. Any other recommendations for being in the heart of Dublin. Something with free wifi and a lift. I'd like to add some option to Lyman's and North Star, just to compare.

An easy walk to one of the Hop On/Hop Off bus stops would be great!

Sorry! I just grabbed the Merrion Hotel for a really good price for our one night. Great ratings and free wifi. Seems like a good location too.

Now on to Belfast :-)

That's Dublin Sorted then. The Journey Starts..

Yes!!! I am excited. Plane tickets jumped up $100 tonight, but I have them on hold at a lower price and I think I'll jump on them :-)

I looked into the Premier Inn in Belfast, but apparently the parking costs negate the savings. I stumbled on the Tara Inn, which has free breakfast and parking and is $140 USD.

Plane tickets booked!!! Hope to spend some more time this weekend booking hotels :-)

OK, here is how things are coming together. I've got as far as Day 2 LOL

Flight - Arrived 7/7 early AM

Day 1 Saturday 7/7 - Overnight at The Merrion in Dublin

- Taxi to hotel to drop off bags
- Hop on Hop off tour (possibly if DH wants to visit sites)
Trinity for Book of Kells
Museum of Archaeology
Dublin Castle
Christ Church
St. Patrick's
Wander around Grafton St., Temple Bar, St. Stephen's, Merrion Square


Day 2: Sunday 7/8 Overnight at Tara Lodge in Belfast

Hertz rental p/u at airport @ 10 AM - taxi to airport?

Drive to Belfast. Plan to arrive early afternoon.

Sights to see:
Sectarian neighborhoods (possibly black taxi tour or hop on/hop off bus)
City Hall (outside only)
Generally wandering around city and relaxing


Day 3: Monday 7/9 Coastal drive. Overnight in Derry (need hotel)

Early departure (need to check on hotel breakfast times)!
Carrickfergus

Antrim coast (Giants Causeway, Dunluce, rope bridge)

Arrive in Derry. Self walk of city walls and bogside murals.

Day 4: Derry to Donegal (stop & explore) to Sligo. Overnight in Sligo.

Day 5: Connemara. Overnight in Clifden.

Day 6: Connemara/Cong. Overnight in Clifden.

Day 7: Drive down to Cliffs & Burren. Stop in Galway to sightsee. Overnight in Ennis.

Day 8: Explore more of Clare. Possible day cruise out of Doolin. Overnight in Ennis.

Day 9: Drive to Dingle peninsula. Conway pass? Overnight in Dingle.

Day 10: Slea Head/explore Dingle. Overnight in Dingle.

Day 11: Drive to Kenmare. Stop in Killarney/Muckross House. Overnight in Kenmare.

Day 12: Ring of Kerry drive. Overnight in Kenmare.

Day 13: Beara Peninsula, Blarney. Overnight in Kinsale?

Day 14: Rock of Cashel. Overnight in Kilkenny.

Day 15: Glendalough/Wicklow mountains. Likely spend evening near airport.

Day 16 - Drop off car (or possibly the night before). Depart 10 AM flight from DUB.

Hi all,

We booked our Derry B&B at Rose Park (thanks Tony).

Working on figuring out what to see/do on our drive from Derry to Sligo. I know we will stop in Donegal, but that is all! Any suggestions? We would like to be in Sligo by the afternoon.

Trying to decide on accommodations for Sligo...whether to give hubby the break and do the Clarion with the bigger bed or go for the B&B.

Hubby is a big guy...so the two of us on a double is going to be tight!

If you plan to leave Derry first thing in the morning, you have time to go out to Glenveagh National Park. Or head down toward Donegal Bay and take in the Slieve League sea cliffs.

Lots to do in the more immediate Sligo area, and you could slide back over to NI in Belleek and tour the factory. I never get tired of that.

You could ask at a B&B for two twins or a twin and a double. I spent many years sleeping on a double with a man I dearly love but now don't want to ever give up our king and go back to that much togetherness. Iorras has tv in the rooms, too!

Thank you for the suggestion jaja. I just looked closer at Rose Park and it says it is a king size! I just sent an email to confirm.

I am also working on Clifden and going to see if their double room is a king or smaller, or if we can switch to a room with 2 beds.

I will check what Iorras has :-)

Oh, and thank you so much for the suggestions! I will jot those all down ;-) I did find some interesting things around Sligo and have emailed Iorras and Iona to inquire about the bed situation.

I love my husband too, but a double is just too cozy for two of us.
----
We do have an extra day (I think)....so I'm trying to figure out where to put it. A friend is pushing for Inishmore because they loved it. I'm just not sure....any suggestions?


Day 1 Saturday 7/7 - Overnight at The Merrion in Dublin

Day 2: Sunday 7/8 Overnight at Tara Lodge in Belfast

Day 3: Monday 7/9 Overnight at Rose Park in Derry

Day 4: Tuesday 7/10 Derry to Donegal (stop & explore) to Sligo. Overnight in Sligo.

Day 5: Wednesday 7/11 Connemara. Overnight in Clifden.

Day 6: Thursday 7/12 Connemara/Cong. Overnight in Clifden.

Day 7: Friday 7/13 Drive down to Cliffs & Burren. Stop in Galway to sightsee. Overnight in Ennis.

Day 8: Saturday 7/14 Explore more of Clare. Possible day cruise out of Doolin. Overnight in Ennis.

Day 9: Sunday 7/15 Drive to Dingle peninsula. Conway pass? Overnight in Dingle.

Day 10: Monday 7/16 Slea Head/explore Dingle. Overnight in Dingle.

Day 11: Tuesday 7/17 Drive to Kenmare. Stop in Killarney/Muckross House. Overnight in Kenmare.

Day 12: Wednesday 7/18 Ring of Kerry drive. Overnight in Kenmare.

Day 13: Thursday 7/19 Beara Peninsula, Blarney. Overnight in Kinsale?

Day 14: Friday 7/20 Rock of Cashel. Overnight in Kilkenny.

Day 15: Saturday 7/21 Glendalough/Wicklow mountains. Where to stay?

Day 16 - Sunday 7/22 - Overnighting at airport (likely Premier Inn)

Day 17: Monday 7/23 - Depart early AM

Near Glendalough I am looking to stay at Riversdale House:
http://www.glendalough.eu.com/ . I haven't stayed there yet, but a friend whom I trust did, and was very happy with it. It is also well liked on Trip Advisor.

Thanks jaja!

I booked my sligo B&B and am just waiting for word back from the Clifden B&B.

Then I think I'm going to start from the end and work back to the middle while I figure out what I'm doing with that extra day.

We now have Clifden booked. I think I need to go backwards now to figure out the extra day we have on the ground...I guess the debate is whether to add in Inishmore or leave a day at the end near Dublin and do Newgrange.

Any thoughts?

This would impact day 7 where I guess we would go from Clifden to the ferry. Do Aran Islands and then drive to Galway and overnight there.

Day 8 would then be Cliffs/Buren and the overnighting in Ennis.

I guess I'm just wondering whether Inishmore is worth it? How frequent do the ferries run?

Would we just be better off adding a day somewhere else to slow things down and skip Inishmore?

Leave InnisMor until the day and see what the weather is going to be like. There are plenty of options to fill the day if the weather is a bit off (wind rain rough sea's).

Which B&B in Clifden?

Aran Ferries timetable

http://www.aranislandferries.com/times_mor.php

Couple comments - if weather is bad Dingle is almost not worth it. So flexibility if possible is a plus. If weather is good Dingle is fantastic. The little boat tour out of the harbour was excellent.
Dublin is very compact hop/onhop off bus convenient- MUST see the jail-excellent tour, Guiness tour is worth it just for the amazing view of the city

Tony - For Clifden we went for the Dun Ri guesthouse, per your recommendations :-)

Travel - Thanks! We're planning on a few days on the Dingle Peninsula...so hopefully we'll get a good day!

I was almost thinking of throwing the extra day over in the southeast area....give us a little more leisurely time to explore that area.

One day I would like to bring my father back....so I can always see anything I miss on another trip :-)

Quick question:

Day 10: Monday 7/16 Slea Head/explore Dingle. Overnight in Dingle.

Day 11: Tuesday 7/17 Drive to Kenmare. Stop in Killarney/Muckross House. Overnight in Kenmare.

Day 12: Wednesday 7/18 Ring of Kerry drive. Overnight in Kenmare.

Day 13: Thursday 7/19 Beara Peninsula. Overnight in Kinsale?

Day 14: Friday 7/20 Blarney, Rock of Cashel. Overnight in Kilkenny.


Should we move to Kinsale after the Beara peninsula drive and to be set up for day 14? Or stay in Kenmare and do Beara and return to Kenmare?

It seemed to make sense to move to Kinsale....drive along the coast and be close to Cork, and then the next day make the drive up to Cashel.

Any thoughts? Am I shortchanging myself at all? I know RoK will be a LONG day....is Beara also a really long day? Too long to drive Beara and make it to Kinsale?

I'm getting ready to contact places in Kenmare (Caha's and Abbey Court) and need to decide on 2 vs. 3 nights.

No harm heading to Kinsale as the next step rather than back to Kenmare.

Beara..http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-...unty_Cork.html

Day 14 fine.

Thanks Tony!!! That is a very detailed read :-)

Does anyone have any recommendations for Kinsale?

Bryno over on TA is the guru for the Cork/Kinsale area pop him a message over there.

Thanks Tony....I posted something earlier today.

Snagged the Pax House for Dingle. A little pricey, but hopefully worth it.