Need Advice: First Trip to Ireland
 

My family and I are travelling to Ireland in late July/early August. We are flying into Dublin and plan on renting a car and staying in B&B's. We need advice on where to go, stay or see. We will be there for 8 days.

I really liked the towns of Galway and Killarney. Can't remember where we stayed cause it was years ago, but those places stick out as the ones I liked best.

Jennifer,

I would recommend flying in/out of Shannon, but if that's not an option, spend the first night in Dublin, drive to Galway, south to Doolin (Cliffs of Moher), Lahinch on the way to the Killmer Ferry, on to Dingle, Killarney, Kinsale, and Waterford if you are so inclined to see how crystal is made, and back up to Dublin to fly out.

Time in each place will be dependent upon what your interests are. The scenery is GREAT in the Southwestern portions of Ireland.

If you can fly in/out of Shannon, I would recommend Doolin, Dingle, Killarney, Kinsale, and Cashel/Cahir on the way back to Shannon -- overnight in Bunratty the night before flying out of Shannon. This itinerary would entail less driving, and you could stay in let's say Dingle, Killarney, and/or Kinsale for more than one day.

We've never been to Dublin. We are going in May for the 3rd time and our itinerary will keep us as far away from Dublin as possible, not that there is anything wrong with Dublin -- I think it is just another big city with a few nice places to see.

I hope I have been of some help. ((b))

Jennifer,

Also, since you are going in July/August, there will be a lot of tourists that timeframe. I would call the Irish Tourist Board in NY and ask them for their B&B Book, Farmhouse B&B Book, and Guesthouse Book. They will send them to you.

Some B&B's are nicer than others. You can get some good recommendations from this board by doing a search on the towns. Since you are a "family," you might need more than one room. A lot of B&B's have websites and/or e-mail. I would recommend booking well in advance at some of the B&B's in places where you want to stay. ((b))

Jennifer,

Why not post (or email) a list of places or attractions you want to see? Some people like slower, more detailed trips while others want to hit all the major sites.

I agree with Budman -- go into/out of Shannon if it's your first trip.

BTW, not many B&Bs in downtown Dublin so you may want to opt for a hotel. Perhaps pickup the car the day you leave Dublin?

Cheers,
Christopher
http://www.EnchantingIreland.com

Unfortunately, we booked to fly into Dublin and it can't be changed. We are a family of adults, so we do not have to worry about any children....
We really want to see all that we can. It is my parents first trip to Europe. I heard that one should only spend one day in Dublin and spend the rest of the time elsewhere. Is Waterford a must see? My father wants to see Cork, but other than that we are "clueless."
Thank you for your earlier advice.

Hi Jennifer,

If you wnat to stay some where central for your time in Dublin you might consider a guest house that I always recommend to friends when coming to Dublin. It is called the Pembroke Town house and it is right slap bang in the middle of Dublin 15 minutes walk from St. Stephen's green. It is a guest house so costs a little more then a B&B, but as someone else remarked B&Bs in Dublin city are hard to come across. I think that the room rate is 80 euro. It of course includes a first rate breakfast. It is a little more expensive but the location and standard of accomadaition is excellent. Their address is www.pembroketownhouse.com They over special rates especially if you book early.

If this is a bit too expensive I would try to get hold of the Board Failte accomadation guide book. They will detail B&bs outside of Dublin city. Try and base yourself somewhere on the southside of Dublin close to a DART train line as driving in Dublin can be a hassle. I would recommend looking at locations such as Dalkey or Killinney. Or on the North side maybe Howth.

Hope this helps, enjoy!

Paul

Waterford is not a "must see" in my opinion. The crystal tour was interesting but not a "must see."

If you must go to Cork, I would recommend staying in Kinsale and taking a half-day trip into Cork. We drove thru Cork, and the stench is pretty bad coming from the Murphy's brewery.

From there you could head to Killarney, Dingle, Doolin, Galway, and back to Dublin. Since you only have a short time, I would skip the Ring of Kerry but definitely to the Dingle Peninsula. Be sure to enter toward Dingle by way of Tralee, to Castlegregory, and over the Connor Pass.

Grab a map and use this link to get approximate driving times (you will need to add about 25% to what they approximate). You don't want to spend a lot of time in the car.

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/((b))

It all depends on how much you want to drive. Some people like driving all day, stopping to see sights, and others want to stay in one or two locations and do short trips out from there. I live in Northern Ireland, and to me it's really the best part of the island. There are a lot fewer tourists, particuarly in July/August when the Republic is flooded. It's incredibly beautiful and there is a ton to see. It's also very safe. People get the wrong idea about Northern Ireland.

Also, it's an easy drive from Dublin up north. And a good excuse to stop at Newgrange.

If this is something you want to consider, do a search. I, and many other posters, have posted a lot of info on the north.

Hi Ann, hadn't seen you in a while.

Jennifer: Ann is absolutely correct about crowds. The end of July and August will be a mad house in towns like Killarney, Kinsale and Doolin. Galway is probably a little better able to handle the crowds. The Cliffs of Moher will be tour bus central and if you wanted to do a castle banquet, you'd probably have to make your reservations today, particularly for a weekend.

The SW of Ireland is as beautiful as it gets, but Ireland's tourism has increased 10 fold in the last decade or so and the infrastructure hasn't really grown enough to accommodate it. You probably would love to see all the big hits of Ireland, but you'll have to enjoy crowds if you want to do so.

If I were going to the SW, I'd try to spend more time on the Mizen, Sheepshead and Beara Peninsulas. They get less tourism there but are truly beautiful.

Ann's suggestion of NI is a good one and there is plenty to see there. I would also suggest with that, Co Donegal, which is arguably as spectacular as any place on the island.

Look at some options and decide how comfortable you are with crowds. The one town I would stay away from at that time would be Killarney. It?s packed in May, I can?t imagine how bad it is in August.

Bill

My son went to a Hurly match!
He plays hockey and he had never seen anything like it!

I have made three trips to Ireland in the last ten years, twice with friends and once alone, always staying in B and B's.
It does not matter where you go, which direction out of Dublin -- if you have an Irish heart and a good guide book, you are going to see some wonderful sites and have a wonderful time. Don't try to crowd too much driving into one day. Loaf along. Stop at a small village pub for lunch. Roam around an old castle ruins. Enjoy, even if you don't get 50 miles away from your last night's stay.
In fact, I would pick three B and B's before I left home in whatever part of the country I wanted to see, and stay 2 to 3 nights in each and just travel around the immediate vicinity.
I chanced upon a farmhouse B and B one time, strictly by accident. They raised show ponies and the kids showed them. I spent hours watching them put their ponies through their paces. In back of their house was an old road that had been there from prehistoric times -=- their cattle kept it beaten down. I walked it for several miles.
Outside of Limerick I found a place on the River Shannon banks. Spent several hours down by the river, watching the swans and the fishermen.
What I am saying -- Ireland is to enjoy, to savor. Don't try to pack in places just because they are in the guide books. Leave something to see for your next trip.
love
joan

P.S. And if you are Irish from way back, spend a little time in the Family History Center in the county of your ancestors. You might find family!!!!