Melissa

Going to be in Ireland for 4 days in March w/parents who want to cram in as much as possible. Will spend first day/night in Dublin, flying out of Shannon at noon on the 4th day. Any recommended itineraries? (mom wants to see waterford crystal, dad wants to see cliff of moher...!)<BR>Thanks!

bill

That's going to be tough. If you are flying in from the US, you are going to be exhausted on the first day, so you can hang around Dublin for a while and get some sleep. Leaving at noon on the fourth day really only gives you 2 full days. Your fourth day won't allow you any time to do anything but pack up and get to the airport. You need to allow plenty of time for international flights.<BR><BR>Since you are flying out of Shannon, you could easily see the cliffs of moher. It seems like way too much driving to go down to Waterford and do the tour and then go to Shannon. It's an interesting tour, but not worth spending half of your time there. Remember, driving in Ireland is MUCH slower than in the US. Figure that you will average no better than 30-40 mph.<BR><BR>I think what I would do if I wanted to cram a bunch of stuff in, would be to drive to the Shannon area on the second day and get a room for the next two nights. Try the Bunratty Lodge in Buratty. Then tour from there. Half of that second day will be getting to Bunratty, so you could see the cliffs of Moher that day and maybe drive to Dingle and back the next. This is as much as you could cram in and even then, it's excessive. You'll be spending lots of time driving. <BR><BR>Sorry if this is not great news, but despite the fact that it is a small island, there is SO MUCH to do there but getting around is slow. I suggest you relax and try not to cram to much in. <BR><BR>Bill

Melissa

Thanks Bill! Sorry I didn't give much detail. We're actually just flying into Dublin from London & getting in at 8am, so won't be too tired to explore Dublin during the day. Was hoping to maybe stay a bit south of Dublin that night (is Cashel crazy?), next day see Waterford and Blarney (sorry, parents want to see both!), stay over near Blarney. Then up to Cliffs of Moher/Burren, medieval dinner thing at Bunratty and staying at Dromoland so can get to Shannon Airport easily the next morning. Going to Paris from there. Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Is this crazy or can it be done? Thanks for any input!

janis

Totally agree with bill. And even his very limited itinerary is probably too much for 4 days.<BR><BR>You don't say what you are doing prior to Ireland - is this the end of a longer trip and you are just flying from the UK or Continent to Dublin? If so, maybe your jet lag won't be too bad on the first day. But even so - getting to Dublin will be a hassle and then you are driving to opposite ends of the country in only 2 days. Don't count on seeing much if anything on the last day since you have to pack, get to Shannon and check in at least 2 hours prior to your flight.<BR><BR>For only 4 days I would skip Dublin altogether. It is a great city, but there is so much to see elsewhere and Dublin is FAR from everythin else you want to visit. But if you can't change your flights then you will have to drop Waterford.<BR><BR>Aside from the VERY limited motorway system you will be lucky to average 35 MPH and possibly much less in March since the weather can be stormy.

janis

melissa - I was writing while you were posting so now I see your itinerary.<BR><BR>With the new info - Definitely skip Dublin. Fly in the early AM, pick up the rental car and head out. Then you have a chance to get to the places you want - but not with the stay in Dublin.

bill

Ah janis, we are of one mind. And yes, my limited itinerary was too much. I was trying to go with the cram it in philosophy.<BR><BR>Yes Melissa, it is crazy. Don't spend time in Dublin on such a short stay. Since you've just been in London, get out of town. If you must, go to Cashel the first day. This is not a difficult drive. You can easily get down to Cahir Castle on the same day. On the Waterford thing, trust me, Ireland is filled with great crystal manufacturers and many consider Waterford to be second rate. The tour takes a couple of hours as I remember. You are wasting a huge amount of time going there and there is so much more to see. Mom may need to give in on this one or regret it eventually.<BR><BR>From Cashel, get thee to the west coast. If you're going to Bunratty, I wouldn't go to Blarney. Sure they are different, but not different enough to make it worth it with so little time.<BR><BR>By the way, what do you want to see!?<BR><BR>Bill

Melissa

I'm planning to return for a couple weeks with friends next year, so am planning more for my parent's priorities I guess. When I go back I'll do more hiking in the west. I agree, we'll skip Dublin and head straight down to Cashel/Cahir. I'm working on skipping Waterford but will probably still stop at blarney. maybe can then skip bunratty. I've heard good things about Adare?

bill

The reason I suggested Bunratty is that you will be very close to it since you are leaving from Shannon. It's hard to miss it. Cork is a little harder to get around and you could spend some time getting lost there. Many people have. It's better now with the partial "beltway" around it.<BR><BR>Bill