Welcome your thoughts, suggestions on trip in October for parents and 3 adult children (hiring a private driver).

Day 1 arrive in Dublin to Kilkenny
Glendalough Monastic Settlement
Jerpoint Abbey
Kilkenny Castle
Stay Kilkenny
(Pembroke Hotel)

Day 2 Kilkenny to Kinsale
Rock of Cashel.
Midleton Distillery
Charles Fort
Stay Kinsale
(cloister B&B, Desmond Hotel)

Day 3 Kinsale to Kenmare
Healy Pass /Beara Peninsula
Stay In Kenmare
(Sallyport House)

Day 4 Kenmare to Dingle
Ring of Kerry....Part between Kenmare to Killarney
Moll's Gap, Ladies View, Muckross House, Ross Castle
Stay in Dingle
(Heaton's Guesthouse)

Day 5 Dingle
Slea Head
Golf ?
Stay in Dingle
(Heaton's Guesthouse)

Day 6 Dingle to Doolin
Cliffs of Moher
Burren
(Cullinan's Guesthouse)

Day 7 Doolin to Clifden
Connemara
Cong
Sky road
Stay Clifden
(Ballynahinch Castle)

Day 8 Clifden to Westport
Kylemore Abbey
Croagh Patrick
Doo Lough valley
Stay in Westport
(Boulavard Guesthouse)

Day 9 Westport to Trim
Clonmacnoise
Newgrange
Stay in Trim
(Trim Castle)

Day 10 Trim to Dublin
Book of kells/trinity college
Guinness tour?
Kilmainham Jail
Hop on hop off City tour
Stay in Dublin
(Wynns)

Day 11 fly home out of Dublin

Here is 2nd option


Day 1
Newgrange
Armaugh
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...d.html#REVIEWS

Day 2
Giant's Causeway
Dunluce Castle
Donegal
Castle Murray House

Day 3
Knock
Westport
Boulavard Guesthouse

Day 4
Dough lough valley
Connemara
Burren
Doolin
Cullinan's

Day 5
Cliffs of Mohr
Ferry to
Dingle
Heaton's

Day 6
Slea Head
Dingle
Heaton's

Day 7
Ross Castle
Muckross House
Killarney Park
Scenic Drive to Kenmare via Ladies View/ Moll's Gap
Kenmare
Sallyport House

Day 8
Beara Peninsula / Healy Pass
Kenmare
Sallyport House

Day 9
Rock of Cashel
Jerpoint Abbey
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny
Pembroke hotel

Day 10
Hop on off tour
Kilmainham Jail
Book of Kells
Guiness tour
Dublin
Wynns Hotel

Day 11 depart

Well, I'm exhausted reading this. Would personally HATE moving every single day but one. Be aware of 2 things, time-wise. It takes time to pack, check out in one establishment and to check in and settle into another. Doing that every day is going to cut into your vacation time more than you think.

But mostly, it takes a LOT longer to drive from place to place in Ireland than it does anywhere else we have ever been. NONE of our estimates for how long we needed to get from point to point were ever right. You can't look at a map of Ireland and say, 'well, it's 100 miles, so maybe 2 hours'. NOT! You say you are hiring a driver. Very good idea. (I know DH would love to have had one on our trips there!) I would definitely discuss this itinerary with the driver before making irrevocable decisions.

I haven't been yet (headed there in September)but agree with Lady that it looks very ambitious to me. We are planning a 15 day trip...our plans are first two nights in Dublin, next two in Kilkenny, one night in Kinsale and then 7 nights based in a cottage on the Dingell Peninsula near Castlegregory....plan to spend three days in a van with a driver from there. Then three "chill" days doing whatever moves us (which may be nothing at all)...then two nights in Trim. Re Dublin, I do have Guinness on the list as a maybe, mostly because of the view from the Gravity Bar. Trinity College, library, Book of Kells, Dublin Castle, and the Jail are our priorities for Dublin.

Glendalough, Cashel, Ring of Kerry, Moher, Burren
Newgrange, Kilmainham Gael, Kells...fond memories indeed. But I do agree this is a bit too much travel. Surely you will want to enjoy a Guinness in various pubs...btw, I'd skip the Guinness tour but there is much in Dublin itself.

Suggestion: take day trips (maybe bus or van tours) from Dublin south and north, same from Limerick or Kilarney or other location in the west. Just see what you can.

Bill in Boston

Thanks...friends want to move every day...at least they think they do.
They have been on group bus tours before so they have experience.
at least with private driver you have some control over stops.
We enjoyed stopping at pubs throughout the day when we had driver on our 2nd trip.

I have been to Ireland 2x, so aware of driving....but also like moving. The thought of 7 days in one place would make me crazy. We are also up early, on the go all day, and out late.

1st trip was Trim, in Galway, outside of Galway, Doolin, Dingle, Dingle, Kenmare, Kenmare, Kinsale, Cashel, Wexford, outside of Dublin, in Dublin

2nd trip: Westport, Westport, southern Donegal, northern Donegal, northern Donegal, Doolin, Dingle, Kenmare, Kenmare, Bunratty

I think your friends are about to learn how much the tour guide and bus driver did on their tour; hauling bags, checking everyone in, checking them out again, hauling bags, booking restaurants, having tickets ready for attractions, etc. These do take time when things are not pre-arranged.

Most of all, though, I hope everyone has a fabulous time!

Have you consulted your driver about his permitted hours?

I'm curious...how much does it cost to have a driver do all of this? Don't mean to pry but wow! I've been to Ireland twice. Once, we drove; the next we used public transportation. Each has it's trade-offs. I do think having a driver would be ideal, if you can afford it. Regarding your itinerary, I think it's way too ambitious, but maybe you're a lot younger than I am and maybe you don't like to enjoy relaxing in the pubs like I do. No matter...have a wonderful time!

Hate to say this but any driver worth good money should also have the skills and knowledge to work directly with you on an itinerary. It looks like you have two plans narrowed down to accommodation level, neither being ideal. Why not bite the bullet and consider visiting some of the island you have not already seen before.

Just want to chime & say that our 8 day trip in Nov 2010 included stay at Ballynahinch Castle & Heaton's Guesthouse & the accomodations were lovely as the areas they were in too. Both Connemara & Dingle (by far) were our favorite places. We're going again this November & looking at Northern route & skipping Dublin completely with exception of 1st & last night accomodations outside of city center. Dublin too crowded, expensive & not exceptionally pretty & not very "irish", very multicultural & completely filled with tourists. I'd skip Guinness Storehouse. It's not even a factory it's tourist trap where you get an overpriced pint & a great view of Dublin (ie rooftops). We went. Regret it. Dublin is a city. The hop on/off bus is ideal way to get around the city if one must go though.

I don't care tuppence whether somebody likes Dublin or not: that's down to personal preferences. But it's a load of ignorant hooey to day that Dublin is not very "irish".

We just got back from a 10 day trip and our itinerary was similar to your option 2 (although we started in belfast and ended in shannon). We had one night stays on most days except for the last 4 days where we split 2 nights in dingle and 2 in killarney. I thought our itinerary worked out great and I did not feel particularly rushed. I have started a trip report on this forum...