Itinerary and Hotel Recs for SW Ireland
 

Wife and I are considering 5-6 days in SW Ireland. Airfare out of Kansas City to Shannon seems reasonable. Would really like to see Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, etc. Have read that Killarny is rather touristy but we're not too concerned about that. We do tend to be more outdoorsy and the scenery, coastline, lakes and mountains interest us. My wife also likes history, castles, art, etc.

What are your recommendations for 5-6 full days (not incl travel) in this area? Looking for possible itineraries and hotels. Hotel rate around $100 US would be ideal.

Gotta bump this back to the top for some help. Thanks

You will probably do better in Bed & Breakfasts, which will cost you less and give you more of a feel for the country. B&Bs typically run around E35-E40 per person, and you get a huge Irish Breakfast with the deal.

Is this your first trip to Ireland? What time of the year are you going? Does that 5-6 days include your first/last day when you are flying?

IMHO, the SW of Ireland is one of the garden spots of the world - incredibly beautiful, unspoiled, and friendly to a fault. If you are outdoorsy, a day dedicated to the Killarney National Park is a must - including Torc Waterfall, Muckross House, perhaps some bike riding or hikes up the mountains, Ladies' View, and Gap of Dunloe.

Another day could be dedicated to the RIng of Kerry, and make sure to go by Valentia Island. The vistas all around are breathtaking

And yet another day for the Dingle Peninsula. Check out the beehive huts, Gallerus Oratory, Conor Pass, and Sleat Head.

For the 4th day, definitely do the Burren, as there are wonderful landscapes, ancient forts and abbeys, incredibly delicate flowers, and just great space. There are the Ailwee Caves, Caherconnel Fort, Poulnabrone Dolmen, Kilnaboy Church, Ballyvaughn for some lunch at Monk's Pub, and then drive back down the coast towards Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher. If there is time, stop at the Smokehouse for some great smoked salmon and cheese :)

Thanks for the suggestions! We're planning for the last week of May (over Memorial Day), this will be our first time to Ireland, and the 5-6 days does not include travel time so we're looking at a 7 or 8 day trip total.

The B&B idea sounds fantastic. Are there any in particular we should take a look at?

Just thought of another question regarding B&Bs.
Is there a central town that is within moderate driving distance to all these sites?
If not, would it be best to book rooms at B&Bs as we go along, or try to book ahead based on the towns we plan to stay in? (hope that makes sense)

ttt

When we went, we stayed at a B&B in Ennis. It was comfortable, clean, not too far from city centre - not spectacular, but certainly nice.

Ennis is a good central point for the Burren, Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, etc. I'd probably stay 2-3 nights there, and then find a B&B in Dingle or near Killarney for the other 3 nights. I know there are lots of great recommendations on this board for Dingle B&Bs and restaurants. If you want to see my trip report from this area (we did 4 nights in Ennis, 4 in a farmhouse 1/2 hour east of Killarney) it's here, complete with pics:


http://www.greendragonartist.com/BItripreports2006.htm

Well, the good news is we've decided to make the trek to Ireland. Now it's time to get serious about planning especially since the trip is few short months away. The advice on this thread has been very helpful but I could use some additional help. My head is kinda spinning after spending a good amount of time on here, Michelle Erdvigs website etc. The plan as it stands now is to fly into and out of Shannon. Arrival in Shannon the morning of May 26th with departure Saturday morning June 2nd (7 nights total). How does this plan sound?

Day 1: arrive in Shannon & drive to Tralee, Killarny or stay close to Shannon (could use some recommendations here). Stay the night to be determined. Maybe Bunratty?

Days 2-3 /Sun & Mon: the Dingle Peninula

Days 4-5 /Tues & Wed: Killarney

Day 6 / Thursday: Burren area- maybe stay in Ennis?

Day 7 / Friday: Burren area - stay in Shannon


Since we will be leaving on an early morning flight out of Shannon it is probably best for us to spend the last night in Shannon. Green Dragon had a nice itinerary but we'll now have a couple of extra days. Maybe we could spend an extra night in the Dingle area (3 nights instead of 2) and only devote one day to the Burren area or one day to the Killarney area.

How are we doing in terms of booking our accommodations? Will a lot of the good B&B already be booked? Stupid question but for our stay in the Dingle area, would we stay at the same B&B all of our nights or 1 night in one town on the Peninsula and then the next night at another town on the Peninsula? Clarification on this, thoughts on the itinerary and recommendations for accommodations are appreciated! Thanks!

The itinerary looks fine - I would find a couple good B&Bs in each area, and inquire as to whether they are likely to fill up soon. I've heard the Shores (I think that's the name) in Dingle is to die for - great location, wonderful food, very remote.