Itinery for 2 weeks in Ireland
 

We are planning to visit Ireland for the first time and have 2 weeks in hand in October.My plan was to see the Dublin, Cliffs of Moher and Dingle among other places.I would Like to rent I self catering flats in two different places ,a week in each and go round the places of interest.We are flying from Heathrow so can land in any airport you suggest and rent a car from the airport.
Can you suggest an itinery and places to stay

Good Day,

There are some good sites if you are looking at renting a place for a week, try www.airbnb.com,www.holiday-rentals.co.uk are two that you can look at. I rented a car and drove to the various places to see, driving it quite easy to get a handled on. I flew into Shannon and out of Dublin using Ryanair and Aer Lingus, I would suggest Britishairways as well, but Ryanair was a scetchy, so use as a last resort.

Rent a car online, but be aware I thought I was getting a towncar, but when I arrived at the airport in Shannon, there are no large cars due to the narrow roads, but the drive can be beautiful.
Make sure you have a good mape that has the English and Gaelic street names and towns, it can be confusing, especially at roundabouts.
Have a great trip. Rember to kiss the Blarney Stone.

We plan to fly into Snannon and rent a car.Is it possible to stay in self catering houses or cottages near Galway city and Dingle a week in each place and do day trips to cover Connemara,Cliffs of Moher,Ring of Kerry and Dingle peninsula?

I intend to spend a week each in each location in self catering accomodation and do day trips.We have chosen Doolin as one such.I am confused regarding the second one. I have a choice between Dingle and Inch. Which do you recommend.

Dingle (town) and Inch are pretty close to each other on the Dingle Peninsula. Dingle is a relatively "large" town (not that big, but does have restaurants, pubs, shops, etc). So if you would like to be close to those services, Dingle could be a better choice. If not, they're both lovely.

Doolin itself is very small - just want you to be aware. That may be what you're looking for.

I wanted to stay near Galway and Cliffs of Moher and Connemara.Hence the choice of Doolin.Can you suggest a better alternative to Doolin ?

Doolin is a very small town, while Dingle is much larger, but still a town, as Jent said. Westport is a great spot for exploring Connemara, Galway, the Aran Islands, and Dingle is best for the more southerly things - Dingle, Ring of Kerry, etc. The Burren, the Cliffs of Moher, and Doolin can be seen on the way - perhaps do a week in Westport or Galway (Galway is a rather large city for Ireland), a night in Doolin, and then another week in Dingle? Remember, you'll probably have an extra night if you arrive on Saturday and leave on a Sunday two weeks later.

GreenDragon
Plan to spend a week in each area.It appears as you suggest Westport and Dingle will be ideal.A night in Doolin may not be possible as we are renting a self catering accomodation for a weekin each location.
Can you give an idea how long it takes to drive from Dingle to Westport and from Westport to Shannon Airport?

It's a long days' drive, which is why I suggested breaking it up... and that long drive won't give you much time to explore the great sites on the way. If you use a mapping site like www.viamichelin.com, ignore the hours, and take the miles, estimating about 35mph. There will be times you'll go faster, and times you'll go slower - due to tractors, sheep, winding, twisty, narrow parts, etc. Remember lunch breaks, exploration breaks. The Burren is a fascinating place full of stuff to see. Should be over 6 hours WITHOUT any stops.

And, while it may be rented for a week, you could always leave a day early from Westport, (though you will likely still have to pay for it - but ask, they may give you a day's discount), stay the night in Doolin, and then the full week in Dingle.

Just as a note, I've rented self-catering places in both Ireland and Scotland for less than the full week. One was for 3 days, oen for 4 days. For both, they gave me a prorated rate. They normally wont' advertise the 'short break' prices, but sometimes they can be talked into it.

GreenDragon
Is it possible to do Ring of Kerry and Killarney and Skellig Island all as day trips while staying in Dingle or Inch?
Or should I base Killarney and do Ring Of Kerry and Dingle peninsula as day trips.

October is definitely not high season -- so most self catering cottages will rent for short breaks -- typically 3, 4 or 5 days. Seldom less than 3 days - though some will.

So instead of two full week rentals -- I'd pick three locations for 4 or 5 nights each.By October the days are starting to get just a bit shorter so you can't go quite as afar afield on day trips from a single base. So picking 3 bases -- one sort of NW, one on the west side and one down in the SW will let you see LOTS of the most scenic parts.

The kicker is Dublin - which is all the way across the country. If it was me - I'd skip Dublin this trip -- OR -- if Dublin is a must for you, include the city and skip some of the gorgeous west.

Good points from Janisj. I've rented the 3/4 day bits in June, both times, so even high/shoulder season has them :)

It is a VERY long day from Dingle around the RIng of Kerry and back, even without Killarney and Skellig. Dingle is a shorter drive, so if you had to choose, I'd base myself closer to Killarney. Killarney itself is a bit bustly and touristy, but close to everything. Kenmare, which sits on one 'end' of the Ring of Kerry, is also a smaller option.

GreenDragon,
I agree Killarney is better location wise.Our flight to Shannon touches at 4.30PM.
Would be wise to spend the first night near the airport or Limerick and start for Killarney next morning?
Your thoughts.

Viamichelin shows that as about 2 hours drive. At that time of year, you won't have to worry about it being dark until after midnight, but it really depends on how you handle jet lag. I've done longer drives, after a flight - and regretted it. Like Dublin to Kilkenny, or London to Nottingham.

The roads are mostly decent between Shannon and Killarney, so it shouldn't be too bad. Just be careful. I wouldn't go any longer than that after an overnight flight.

Just re-read - are you originating from Heathrow? Or from somewhere in the US? If it's not a flight from the US, then you'll be fine, just fine, driving to Killarney. I make the assumption that anyone going to Ireland is coming from the US, and that's just nation-centric of me :)

GreenDragon
Not US but India!Calcutta-Bombay-Heathrow-Shannon.A 16 to 18 hour haul.

Aha! OK, so you still have to deal with jet lag. Definitely think carefully about driving to Killarney that day, then. You might want to play it by ear - plan to stay near Shannon, rent your place in Killarney for the next night, and IF you feel up to it, drive and stay somewhere for a night in Killarney, and then move into your more permanent rental. But 18 hours - yeah, I'd plan on Shannon. We only have a 9 hour flight from the US, but usually broken up into two or three segments, with 3-4 hours between. each. It's not unusual for us to start traveling 2pm one day, and stop 2pm the next - less 5 hours for time difference, of course.

Shannon or Limerick?