MHolloway

Hello all,

Looking to finalize my Ireland itinerary and of course would love the advice from all of you as you always help so much!

My husband and I are heading to Europe in late October, we are in our 30's, active (up early, walk/explore a ton during the day), love to be outside (walks/hikes) and appreciate exploring food/drinks! We will have a car and have mapped out the below route, but would love input.

Thursday Afternoon: Arrive Cork and get rental car and drive directly to Kenmare (pending time see Blarney Castle but understand days are shorter so may need to just begin drive). Sleep: Kenmare

Friday: Explore Ring of Kerry, Ballycarbery Castle, Gap of Dunloe. Sleep: Kenmare

Saturday: Depart early, drive to Cliffs of Moher (is stop on Dingle Penn something we should consider? I know this is a long drive in itself. If not, other stops?). Sleep: Near Ballyvaughan or to Galway

Sunday: Exploring day ideas but not solidified: Burren, Ballyvaughan. Advice/tips? Sleep: Ballyvaughan or to Galway

Monday: Depart early via train or driving to Dublin. Half day Dublin. Sleep: Dublin

Tuesday: Full day Dublin. Sleep: Dublin

Wednesday: Depart Dublin in late afternoon

Thank you for any advice and help!
Megan

Tony2phones

If you want Ballycarbery Castle there are a couple of Ring Forts close by, not sure if the Valentia ferry will still be running in October but take in as much of the Skellig loop as you can. And do the ring Counter Clockwise.

I do a tour from Ennis to Killarney taking in the Dingle peninsula. Kenmare to Ballyvaughan could be pushing it if you take in the Dingle figure of eight, especially with the shorter days and unknown weather. Slea Head can be an awful place on a wet windy day and the Conner Pass could well be clouded in. see what the weather is like then decide on that option. If you do Dingle stay South of Moher if you don't then try the Cliffs on the way past to Ballyvaughan or Kinvara

Where do you plan on dropping the rental car if not driving to Dublin? only Budget have a city centre (close to the station) depot.

paulg

Friday: depending on what you plan to do on the RoK (and Skellig loop, as Tony mentions), I would plan on a full day for that. Not sure you'll have time for the Gap also. We spent a full 11 hours on the two rings. But certainly if you plan ahead for it I guess you can make time but you may miss some stuff on the Ring.

Tony is much more of an expert than I, but our B&B owner in Killarney advised us to do the ring Clockwise rather than CC, and it worked out beautifully. We got on to the Skellig Ring, where tour buses are not allowed to drive due to the narrow roads, before the tour buses got around the RoK, and then they were all past before we exited the Skellig Ring. So we encounted only 2 or 3 over the entire 11 hours and didn't have any slow lines of traffic or harrowing on-coming traffic issues. But to each their own ... I've seen 50/50 advice on the topic.

MHolloway

Hello Tony2phones! Thank you for the great advice. I agree with paulg that I have heard varying advice on the route clockwise vs counter clockwise! Does starting from Kenmare make a difference in the route we take? Thank you for the advice re: Skellig loop.

Tony2phones I like your idea of seeing how the weather is on day of travel from Kenmare to Cliffs to decide on stop in Dingle Penninsula. I am still in the process of researching the exact driving routes to take. What is the best driving route to take from Kenmare to Cliffs if we do not stop in Dingle? Obviously plugging the locations in online show routes, but wasn't sure if there was any specific route with a couple stops we may consider that you could suggest? Thank you again!

MHolloway

Tony2phones - sorry did not address the rental car question. My husband had found Enterprise outside of Galway with the thought of dropping our luggage at our hotel, then dropping the car off and taxing back. Is this crazy? We still haven't decided on train vs drive to Dublin so could be that we keep the car until Dublin. Thank you!!

Tony2phones

Enterprise isn't far outside the centre so dropping there and getting a cab back makes sense, order the cab for when you need it because you are aiming for an industrial area by Ballybrit (Enterprise might give you a lift back or collect the car but don't quote me on that?)

The ring of Kerry is recommended by the tourist board as counterclockwise so that non natives don't come face on to heavy traffic. Not that many tour bus's running in October but I have been stuck in a jam where a rental car came face on to a tour bus and blocked the road for almost an hour. Taking in the Skellig loop is a great way to avoid most of the tour bus traffic that sticks to the main road.

PavelChianoroshvili

The cities are great in ireland,Dublin is the best city in the world, i was there for a week and the nightlife and the shopping was great the people are so friendly, i used RoutePerfect to plan my trip and made it all easier have a great time