We are going to Ireland from May 16-June 1. Although I am starting to have an itinerary come together, I am not sure I want to prebook every night's stay. I thought about booking the first and last nights and then having a list of places to stay in various cities to give us some flexibility. Will we have difficulty finding places to stay if not prebooked?

We are thinking of 5 - 6 nights in Clare, Galway and Mayo -- what two cities would you stay in and why?

Thanks much!

We've been to Ireland 3 times during the same timeframe. If you were going to be staying in the Southwest area, I would tend to say yes. Heading North, you could wing it, but I would definitely have a listing of places handy that you would consider. Also, some B&B's can steer you/call ahead for you to help in booking for your next location. They all seem to know each other. Also keep in mind, some of the better places book up fast.

5-6 days in Clare seems a bit much to me. You might want to consider 3 nights in Dingle, 3 in Clare, then head towards Galway/Mayo.

To answer your first question, this has been asked many times and elicits a variety of opinions. But the consensus usually seems to be that there are definite advantages in pre-booking.

You don't say whether you plan to stay in B&Bs or hotels. But there are lots of B&Bs in Ireland. It's not likely that you'll arrive in a town and not be able to find a room. But you could wind up wasting a lot of your precious time there doing it.

Another consideration is whether you intend to spend time in the pubs in the evenings, either looking for music or just enjoying the wonderful Guinness! If so, you'll want to be staying somewhere that's walking distance to the town center. And those places usually book fast. Believe me, you don't want to be driving the Irish roads after dark when you've had a couple of pints!

As for your question about cities, for County Mayo, my choice would be Westport. We spent two nights there this past March and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you do a search on this forum, you'll find lots of trip reports from others who also really liked Westport.

We also enjoyed our two nights in Galway City. But I've seen posts from others who don't like it as well. So I'd avise you to read up on it as much as possible to get an idea of whether you think it's your cup of tea!

And I'm sure others will have some great suggestions about other places in the area.

June 1 is a Friday and the beginning of a long Bank Holiday weekend. Make reservations for that night. At the time of year you are going it is probably only on Fri/Sat nights that you may have problems especially in a popular place like Galway.

I agree with Budman's advice to have a list of B&Bs you like and to consult with the B&B owners for recommendations as you proceed. A book listing good accommodations is a plus for spontaneous travel. As CAPH52 mentioned searching for accommodations can be time consuming.

The last week of May Ennis (Co. Clare) hosts the Fleadh Nua (Spring Music festival). You will need reservations there even if it's just to spend your last few days in Ireland. It's quite popular!

I've read many posts about Westport (Co. Mayo), but I haven't had the pleasure. My people are from the Barony of Erris area so it's either Belmullet or somewhere thereabouts for me. I also think the Carne Golf Links just outside Belmullet is Golf Heaven.

I have also stayed several times in Ballina: at Crocket's on the Quay.

In Galway, stay at one of the better B&B's in Salthill (Galway's beach) rather than College Rd. or Fr. Griffin.

Finally have a preliminary schedule -- it goes as follows:

May 16 arrive shannon early am get car and meander over to Dingle for the night

May 17 go to blasket islands if weather is good -- drive dingle coast evening in Killarney

May 17 pm - May 21 am -- there is a walking tour mini break that we are thinking about joining. If we do so, then we will be in Killarney and that area for the three full days.

May 21 -- leave Killarney . Maybe stop at Cliffs of Moher. Overnight at Lisdoonvarna.

May 22 Burren walk and Ailwee caves

May 23 -- move to Clifden for 2 nights

May 25 on to Westport for 2 nights

May 27 to Derry and see the walled city

May 28 to Bushmills and see the distillery, giants causeway, antrim coase

May 29 -- another day in Antrim

May 30 down to Newgrange

May 31 Dublin

June 1 Home from Dublin

Does this seem a reasonable itinerary? How should we change it -- should we stop at different places or less places or for a longer period of time somewhere?

Thanks much for your insight.

Personally, I wouldn't go out to the Blaskets. I thought it was a waste of time. Visit the Heritage Center and drive the Slea Head Ring.

During some of my stays in Ireland we sometimes decide to visit an area so go to the local tourist office - with the destination in mind - they come up with accomodation.
If you want to risk it you can book each day from the place you are stayings tourist office or wait till you get somewhere & try that places tourist office or even half way to a place. Overnight you can browse the places & shortlist some for the next day.
I booked accomodation in Arklow from Glendalough tourist office - it was around 4.00 & the tourist offices all close about 5.00. I have also booked a stay in Dublin from where I was in Lietrim. We explained what we wanted & went to the pub for lunch, when we got back we had our booking!
I got accomodation in Clifden - the owners husband lies in wait at the tourist office in the afternoon & directs 'guests' to his house - fortunately it was OK but if they are not in uniform I wouldn't do it again.
Last time in Dingle everywhere was booked out & I raced to get the last room - it wasn't that good a room above a bar where music was being played till after 12.00 but after it quietened down I slept well.
The advantage of not pre booking is that if you like somewhere you stay there & if you really like it stay another night. If you don't then provided there is time you can move on. The tourist office provide the service but you can book it yourself from the guidebook - just make sure you have enough loose change for the phone calls.

Hi johngerard..Goodness! Where did you stay in Clifden? Sounds funny to think of an owner "lying in wait" for tourists at the Tourist Info. Glad it turned out okay...Helen

I would not cross the Blasket Island trip off your list. It was one of the most magical days of a wonderful trip--for me anyway. You do have to bring your own lunch. I just put a smalljuice box, a sandwich, and an apple in my pockets. (just watch out for the donkeys. One of them must have smelled my apple and kept nudging me to get at it. but that was part of the adventure!)

A couple of comments on your itinerary, which overall seems reasonable.
1. The Blasket trip is weather-dependent, so you might or might not manage it. Yes, go if you can. It's a magic place. It's worth preparing for it by reading Joan & Ray Stagles's book "The Blasket Islands: Next Parish America".
2. Access to the tumulus at Newgrange is limited. If you are offered Knowth instead, it's good, even if a different experience. Your chances are generally better if you get there early. Consider overnighting in Drogheda, even though it is not a wonderfully-interesting town, so as to be able to get to Newgrange early.

Wow! Can I come with you? This sounds like a fun itinerary.

The only change I might recommend is to spend 4 nights in Westport so you can have the experience of settling in to a town for a bit. Clifden you can see along the way.

Make sure you get to Newgrange early but if you leave the Antrim Coast early enough you'll be fine. See Knowth and Newgrange - both are amazing.

B&B's - if you have a good itinerary you should really consider making your reservations ahead of time. It frees up so much of your day to more interesting activities. From home it's actually fun to decide where to stay and there's lots of people to help.

The one night for which we had no reservation we went to the tourist bureau to find a place. It took a while and we ended up at a truly terrible B&B.

I'm really curious about your walking tour and would love to hear more.

laoghaire
It was 15 years ago before Clifden ruined itself with all the new houses & buildings. Coming out of Clifden town I turned left up the hill on the N59 past the church, the road bends left round the church and then where it turns to the right there is a clothes shop/b&b where we stayed. The tourist office was an office down some stairs of a building that had accomodation & tourist information painted on the wall - it no longer does & there is now a proper tourist office in the town.

Thanks so much for all your insight. I guess I will have to finalize a schedule and make all the reservations before we go. Ireland overwhelmed me with so many places to go and so little time.

Although we don't want to be on a tour the whole time and we don't want to hike the whole time, we do like walking some and have found that good guides really do enhance the experience.

The tour we are considering can be found at www.govisitireland.com -- they have several week long and long weekend tours -- both guided and independent. We were planning on the Killarney Lakelands mini-break as it was an area we wanted to see and it fit in the schedule. Our dates were set by the frequent flier mile tickets we were able to get.

I wanted to include Donegal in this trip but thought it was too much moving around. And the Southeast sounds really great also but again just not enough time.

The stop at Lisdoonvarna was suggested by someone at Ireland yes -- they said there was a bed and breakfast that has a package -- two nights or three if you want -- that includes a guided walk of the burren so I thought that might be a good thing to do.

I am trying to limit the driving from place to place to no more than 4 hours at a time.

Someone suggested skipping the stop at Clifden and going to Westport for 3 days -- would it be better to spend 3 days in Lisdoonvarna and 3 days in Westport? Is there enough to see in the Lisdoonvarna area -- we would do one day tour of the burren but have the second day for something else.

Thanks so much for your help!

It's down to personal taste. In the west of Ireland I expect and find a visual feast.

For me, if time has to be rationed, two nights at Lisdoonvarna would be enough. The Clare landscape does not do it for me, but the Burren is interesting.

Clifden seems now to be little more than a tourist town, yet I still like it. But the big deal about Clifden is that it is a gateway to some of the loveliest scenery Ireland has to offer -- Roundstone, Ballynahinch, the Inagh Valley, Connemara National Park, the Twelve pins -- I could go on. The journey from Clifden to Westport is wonderful, one of my favourite drives.

Westport is very attractive. Also touristy, but less so than Clifden because it is a little larger and the tourists don't overwhelm it so much.

Don't lose Connemara from your itinerary, but you might consider stopping elsewhere than Clifden. Roundstone is charming, and has some fairly good restaurants.

I would do Lisdoonvarna, Westport and Donegal. I personally didnt care for Galway as I preferred the smaller towns. I also didnt care too much for Clifden and thought Roundstone looked to be a nice place. The drive between Westport and Clifden was nice though.
You will LOVE Westport and Donegal as well. We stayed in Ballyshannon outside of Donegal and made day trips through the area. If you do end up near Donegal do a through N. Donegal around ther Slieve League Peninsula. It is a truly stunning place that IMO rivals the cliffs of Moher. Have fun@!

panhandle --

So would you do two nights lisdoovarna, 3 nights westport, two nights donegal, two nights bushmills stopping in Derry on the way to Bushmills which gives one full day for the antrim coast?

Then we would be spending 2 nights most places with one 4 night stop in Killarney and one 3 night stop in Westport. We would do Connemara from Westport.

Exactly!
Staying two-three nights is really the best way to see Ireland. The anterim coast is wonderful as well though I am not sure if I would stop in Westport but maybe opt for a stop to Bushmills in Omagh and The Ulster American Folk Park Museum. On the Anterim coast dont miss Dunluce Castle as well as Giants Causeway and the Carrickareed rope bridge.
I am very jealous of you by the way... =)

Sorry...didnt mean to say I wouldnt stop in Westport but rather I wouldnt stop in Derry!

Hi Mpkp,
I like your revised revised itinerary very much.

In two trips to Ireland we spent one full day on the Burren - really seeing everything and looking at the little plants in all the crevices. We felt like we'd seen it all. Two nights in Lisdoonvarna should be plenty.

Our family especially loves Derry, because we're Irish-American, and the recent history there is quite palpable. The murals and the memorials are moving. It was one of my son's favorite places.