Hello Fodorites,

Been a while since I am posting here for advice on trip planning (but I do lurk all the time, promise).

So we’re planning a 16 day trip to Ireland, starting mid-May. I think we’ve got a fair bit of it sorted - the way I like to approach this is the get the main travel points finalized (with just enough research), and then go a bit deeper to fine tune.

So far, we’ve got the following:

May 15: Arrive Dublin, bus/train to Kilkenny for 2 nights;

May 17: Pick up rental car, drive to Cork - 3 nights in Cork/Kinsale;

May 21: Drive to Kenmare, 6 nights in Kenmare (Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Killarney, Skelig Michael, etc.);

May 27: Drive to Galway, 4 nights in Galway (Cliffs of Moher, Aran islands, Connemara);

May 31: Drive to Dublin, 2 nights in Dublin.

June 2: flight back home.

That’s the basic plan. I thought of it as basically basing ourselves in 3 “hubs”: Cork, Kenmare and Galway - and while there, explore the city/town + surrounding areas.

I chose Kilkenny to bus/train to to pick up the car - because while I have driven on the left side extensively, the last time was 20 years ago and I didn’t have white hair. I thought this might be easy on the nerves instead of driving out on Day 1 on to busy streets or Dublin and the highways.

We do like slow travel, take in the sights and sounds, plus the youthful energy is long gone - takes hours in the morning for both of to get out and about and do like to get back and settle down in a pub/restaurant in the evening.

Questions:

1. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Would welcome suggestions to add/delete/edit; and
2. What about doing this in reverse (train to Galway and then drive to Kenmare>Cork>Kilkenny>Dublin. Any pros and cons?

I look forward to your suggestions - with many thanks in advance.

Looks like a very nice plan. I honestly don't think it makes much difference if you do Galway first or Kilkenny first. I know there is at least a Europcar location in Kilkenny. Galway, being larger probably has more rental options. I'd use autoeurope to check out one-way rentals from either town to DUB. Dropping at the airport is easiest -- then you can take a bus or taxi into the city centre.

great plan, don't drive on day one, you owe that to other drivers

@janisj how wonderful to hear from you. You likely don’t remember this, but you were an immense help during our trip planning to Scotland/England back in 2007, I am forever in your debt. You will be delighted to learn that my daughter has became quite the perpetual wayfarer (and now in fact based in Edinburgh for the past few years) - and will likely join us on this trip.

Thanks both. 2 follow-on questions:

1) The Kilkenny plan: I’m getting the feeling that 2 nights might be too much there (since the main idea is really to get my bearings and start driving after that plus stop at the Rock of Cashel on the way out). Would it make sense to skip Kilkenny altogether and train straight to Cork instead and rent the car from there?

2) Focusing on the 6 nights in Kenmare specifically, there’s a lot do and see, but I want to be able to do this in a way that there is no more than 2 hours of driving daily (other than whatever ground we cover on the Ring of Kerry) and that we are able to settle down at a pub/restaurant in the evening. So if it means we are coming back to Kenmare every night, that would obviate being able to do that in Dingle or any other spot. So, I’m thinking to split those 6 nights between Kenmare and Dingle (and could also steal 1 or both nights from Kilkenny and make it longer in this area if need be). Thoughts on this? And if yes, how would split it?

Hi, no, at first I didn't remember but I looked up your trip report and it brougt it all back. You put so much thought into planning that trip back in 2007. Your daughter is all grown up now so nice she still like to travel with you.

I think splitting the time between Dingle & Kenmare (or any other nearby villages) is good. They wouldn't be one-night stops and would let you enjoy leisurely(perhaps boozy ) evenings in both places

I personally wouldn'y mind 2 nights in Kilkenny sine some of you may be a bit jet lagged/tired after the flights (not the daughter of course)

First, let me applaud you for your common sense! You will come home having experienced Ireland, rather than doing check-off lists and gathering an iphone of pictures that probably could have been taken off the internet.

I could go either way on your stay in Kilkenny. Renting the car from Cork does make sense because you can do quite a few things in the Cork area just using local transport before you pick up the car.

Having stayed in both, although Kenmare was our guided cycling base a decade ago and in a way doesn't really count, I would for SURE split between Kenmare and Dingle. Dingle not only has not-to-be-missed scenic beauty in the area but some fabulous under-the-surface culture that day tourism misses.

Kudos again for your travel forethought.

AZ

Thank you!

I have split the Kenmare/Dingle days to 2 and 4 respectively.

I personally like the Kilkenny plan - but there's only one thing bothering me about it: seems like there is only 1 rental company there (Enterprise) that will have an automatic car and one that I can drop off in Galway or Dublin. So, if for some reason they don't have the car I pre-book when I arrive and only have a manual - well that's not going to be fun. I could do it, but will need to draw from very deep recesses of muscle memory.

Cork, on the other hand, has plenty of options - so I might skip Kilkenny and train to Cork instead as the holiday start.

Am I overthinking this? I do like the original plan, primarily because we get to see Kilkenny, ease into it all and by the time we arrive in Cork (per original plan), I will have rested and be comfortable with the car/driving.

Automatics are never guaranteed (though becoming a lot more common) Maybe take your original plan and reverse it starting from Galway instead of Kilkenny. I did a quck check and Galway has several rental agencies including Budget, EuropCar and Enterprise - maybe more??

Hi folks - finally made the flight bookings. A bit of change from the original itinerary, this is what we have narrowed this down to:

May 15: Arrive Dublin early morning - 3 Nights in Dublin. Our daughter will fly in from Edinburgh to join us on the 16th.
May 18: Train to Cork - 3 nights in Cork.
May 21: Pickup rental car in Cork (earlier - will explore surrounding area by car), drive to Kenmare - 3 nights in Kenmare.
May 24: Drive to Dingle - 4 nights in Dingle.
May 28: Drive to Galway - 4 nights in Galway
May 31: Train or drive to Dublin, flight to Edinburgh
June 6: flight back home from Edinburgh

Would love your thoughts on this.

One issue I am having is accommodation in Dingle - I’m late to this, so not surprising that a lot of places are booked. My original thought was to stay in town (for evening activity - pubs/restaurants that we can walk to). But I am seeing more interesting places a bit farther out - the question is: if we choose to be farther out, what is the taxi scene like - Can we reliably get them to get back in the evening/night?

Also - would love your recommendations for accommodation in (and around - assuming there are taxis!) Dingle. Any recommendations for Kenmare and Cork would be highly appreciated as well, but it’s mainly Dingle that I am a bit anxious about.

Many thanks again.

Honestly, solid plan - those 3 hubs make sense. I’d stick with your current order though, easing into driving outside Dublin first is a smart move.

Re: Dingle. Not sure how far out you are looking at. We stayed at Pax House and walked into town every evening for dinner, about 15 minutes. They provide high visibility vests.

If you have a place in mind, your best bet is to email them about options to get into town. Dingle is lovely; I hope you find somewhere that works for you.

Sorry that I didn't see your last question immediately.

Our driver service from Galway to Dingle and then Dingle over to Killarney was from Begley's Tours/Dingle Shuttle Bus and Taxi Service.
Email [email protected].
Phone: 087 250 4767
The main owner was our driver from Galway, one of the sons was a contact mid journey, a lovely employee was our driver from Dingle to Killarney, and the ex-wife, Dolores, was the lovely person who booked all the services for us.

Yes, they do tours, airport transfers, and luggage transfers, but they also do local transport.

I see they now offer a pub crawl of sorts, too, which might just be perfect for you if you need to be free to explore the nightlife your first night, but I'm sure who ever picks you up and takes you to a pub will be giving you advice even if you don't ask for it! They're lovely people.

Your accommodation will probably provide you with a list of other local services, too.

I'm so excited for you!

AZ

This sounds like a very well-balanced Ireland itinerary, especially for the kind of slower travel you enjoy. I actually really like the idea of using Cork/Kinsale, Kenmare, and Galway as your main hubs rather than changing hotels every night.The only thing I would suggest is being realistic about Skellig Michael in May, as weather and sea conditions can affect sailings.

Doing it in reverse is possible, but I honestly think your current route is better because it starts gently and builds up beautifully. Ending with Galway and then Dublin also gives a nice final contrast between scenery and city.

Thank you so much everyone - you guys are amazing.

A few more little tweaks, mainly to account for hotel availability dates and driving times, but mostly done now (just have to finalise the Dublin and Edinburgh hotels). Also am still thinking about just picking the car at Dublin airport on the 18th and driving it back from Galway instead of train to Cork and from Galway back. But anyway, this is what it is looking like now with confirmed bookings:

May 15: Arrive Dublin. 3 nights in Dublin (daughter joins us on the 16th from Edinburgh).

May 18: Train to Cork, pick up rental car. 2 nights at The Pier House Kinsale.

May 20: Drive to Kenmare. 3 nights at Kenmare Bay Hotel & Resort

May 23: Drive to Dingle. 4 nights at The BASE Dingle.

May 27: Drive to Doolin. 1 night at Daly’s House B&B

May 28: Drive to Galway. 3 nights at The Harbour Hotel.

May 31: Train to Dublin, flight to Edinburgh. 6 nights in Edinburgh

June 6: Flight back home from Edinburgh.

Try to stop in Cobh before heading off to Kinsale. It's a quaint small town with a cathedral on the hilltop and small shops all along the port.

The current structure respects both the landscape and your pace, moving from the medieval intimacy of Kilkenny toward the Atlantic's scale. Starting in Kilkenny it allows you to find your feet on the left side of the road in a town that operates at a human scale before you ever face a major motorway. Six nights in Kenmare is particularly wise; it is a town that reveals its charm to those who linger, a far gentler anchor than the tourist-heavy bustle of Killarney.



The plan is highly functional. However, three nights in Cork City can feel heavy if you prefer the "settle down" pace. Consider shifting your base entirely to Kinsale for those three nights. It offers that immediate "evening in a pub" intimacy you’re after, with the harbor air as a backdrop, and Cork City remains a simple 30-minute excursion away. Also, for the Skellig Michael leg, ensure you book the landing tour months in advance; the sea is the ultimate editor of those plans, and a backup day in Kenmare is a necessity. Doing the loop in reverse, Dublin to Galway first, changes the trip.

Pros: You get the longest drive (Dublin to Galway) out of the way on the first day via a straight, modern motorway, which is mentally easier than the winding coastal roads of the South. You also hit the rugged, quiet North-West when your energy is highest.

Cons: You’d be dropping into the most complex driving environments (West Cork and the Ring of Kerry) later in the trip when "travel fatigue" might set in. More importantly, the clockwise route (Kilkenny first) allows the scenery of pastoral green to the jagged limestone of the Burren and the Atlantic cliffs.

Stick to the original direction. There is a psychological ease in starting with the manageable streets of Kilkenny. It's a "soft open" for your driving, and by the time you reach the hairpins of the Healy Pass or the Dingle Peninsula, you'll be after finding your rhythm with the car.

ahmedhaff,
As they would say in Eire, "You're grand."
Your revised plan is brilliant. For a first-time visitor, you caught the plot.
Our first visits were more or less driven by our cycle companies, and we had fewer decisions to make. But we loved every single second there, even in rain (or on a few of our trips, unrelenting sun). Hence, we returned over and over and over again.
As we always tell people, what you don't see the first time doesn't matter--you'll be back anyway.
No plan is perfect because that just does not exist in any universe.
Allowing time to EXPERIENCE instead of just marking off some required checklist is the perfect part of any travel. And I think your plan allows for that.
AZ
PS--We had a walking tour in Kinsale I loved 20+ years ago. The lovely old codger who led it is probably in his grave, but the colorful history of the town itself made that walking tour fun. I adore Kinsale.