Itinerary Suggestions for Ireland
 

Hello, fellow travelers!

We will be traveling to Ireland for the first time, arriving on the morning of May 9th and leaving on the afternoon of May 15th. This should give us 6+ days. At this point we are flexible as to our point of entry (will be flying in from London) but our departure flight is from Dublin. Would it make sense to fly into Cork and then do the South East in 4 or so days on our way to Dublin? Should we include Killarney? Our interests are diverse - castles, nature, smaller cities... Any ideas/suggestions will be sincerely appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Cork is an excellent entry airport -- small, personable and easy exit, particularly if heading West from the airport. If you are coming from London rested (not after an overnight flight INTO London, you could do a nice, moderately long, but liesurely and EXTREMELY scenic drive to Killarney out through Bantry, Glenngarriff and Kenmare, with or without an overnight stop. Or, if the SW isn't that interesting to you, driving the 'direct' route through Macroom should get you to Killarney in three hours (or less, without stops).

What places do you want to see/visit in the South East? That would impact the routing recommendations.

Are you a 'nester' -- wanting to park-and-tour from 1-2 locations, or a 'keep moving forward', new night/new bed type?

Do you want to spend time IN Dublin, or are you just going there to catch your plane?

Bob

Bob,

Thanks for your reply. We'll be well rested after a few days in London and are planning to rent a car and hit the road as soon as we land. We also don't mind spending each night in a different hotel if that translates into shorter driving distances. Finally, we do want to spend a day or two (or three?) in Dublin before going back home. Thanks again.

You'll want to spend Sat and Sun night in Dublin, then, at a minimum. That will give you one full day in the city, plus whatever time (if any) that you have available on Monday. Two evenings and one day is enough for a good OVERVIEW. If you want more than that, then you'll need to arrive Fri night. Regardless, you should book those nights PRONTO -- weekends book up fast in City Center.
You won't need the car while you are in Dublin.
If you leave Cork in the AM, heading West-ish, you could 'swing by' Blarney Castle for an hour or so, or opt to drop into Kinsale, before heading on toward Bantry. Along the way are numerous sights worth visiting -- Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Mizen Head and Sheep's Head, to name a few. The drive from Bantry to Glegarriff runs along the bay and is gorgeous. From there to Kenmare, the N71 road passes through the Caha Pass, or you could swing down part-way onto the Bearra and drive through Healy Pass. The drive from Kenmare to Killarney drives through part of the National Park, past / through Moll's Gap, Ladies View and Torc Falls.
Departing Killarney, you could drive the N72 east, to Cashel and Cahir. From there, you could "bee-line" into Dublin, or head toward Kilkenney and Glenndalough first.
Obviously, you can't see/do ALL this in one, two, or even, three days. You'll have to pick and choose and budget your time accordingly. If you want to be in Dublin on Friday evening, you could do one night in Glengarriff, one in Killarney, one in Cashel or Cahir and one in Kilkenney or Wicklow, for instance, which would afford you time to explore SOME of the sights, at a less than frentic pace.
This ISN'T a recommended itinerary, just a 'guideline' EXAMPLE of what's available.
Bob

Thanks, Bob! You're a great source of information! I'll give it some more thought, come up with a better defined itinerary and run it by you again (if you don't mind).

Question on a somewhat different topic. Per your advice, I won't need a car in Dublin. What's the best location to drop my car off if we'll be staying in the center? Should I do it before entering the center of Dublin (at the airport?)? Thanks again.

If you are staying IN the city center, general consensus opinion is to drop it at the airport and take a taxi or shuttle bus (CityLink, or others)in. They go by most of the major hotels, etc. Runs 7 - 8 Euro per person. Taxi is probable about 30 Euro, or so, depending upon amount of luggage, traffic, etc.

Bob

Bob,

Another question for THE expert. Like some other people on this board, we are having trouble deciding between the ROK and Dingle. Is it possible to do both on the same day? (in our case, leaving from Glengarriff in the mourning and spending the next night in Killarney). My guess is it's doable but makes little sense. Am I right?

ROK is an all-day affair. You can tour Slea Head in three or four hours, ONCE YOU GET THERE. Given the amount of time you have available, you MIGHT be able to do ONE, in a day, and then POSITION yourself to do the other the next day.
If you drive ROK Clockwise from Kenmare to Killorglin, and then turn north, you could spend the night between there and Dingle town, and then tour Slea Head the next morning.
Bob