Please help with driving itinerary in Ireland
 

Please help with this 3 city, 6 day driving itinerary.

Arrive Thursday 6:00 am ( Shannon ) and drive to the Cliffs of Mohr early
in the morning.
Then Burren Smokehouse
Followed by Ennis ( Walking tour 11:00 ) ???
Town Hall Cafe or Brogans or O'Briens Room for lunch

Staying at the Strand Hotel ( Shannon) and will walk to dinner
Freddy Bistro/ The Cornstore

Friday - Cahir Castle/ Rock of Cashel / Lunch Chez Hans
2:30 Limerick- Angela Ashes Walking Tour
Evening- Dolans, Harris Bar
or Moll Darby/ Wild Geese ????

Saturday Morning- >Limerick Milk Market- Farmer's Market
Drive to Galway City
Walking tour- Lunch at McCormicks,Conlons or O'Grady's on the Pier
Drive to Castlebar- Stay at Breaffy House

Sunday- Mass at Ballintuber Abbey
Westport House
Drive to Ashleigh Falls
Croagh Patrick
Dinner- Bosh Bar/ Dannollas Fish & Chips

Monday- we drive to Dublin staying at the Regency
Guinness Tour/ hop on off bus/
Dublin Writers tour and Howth Beach Oar House

Is this too much driving at any one time ??
I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on the restaurants or tours.
Thanks so much,
Christina
I shortened this and reposted.

I don't know the distances between any of these places but all I can say is, unless you plan to do all your driving on main highways, be sure to allow for plenty of driving time b/c the scenic roads are rather slow. You might even find yourself creeping along behind a tractor or two.

I failed to account for that when I rented a car in Ireland a few years back and wound up not getting to some of the places I'd planned to see.

I'm only going to comment about your first day to give you an idea about reconsidering some things.

Arrive 6:00 am, drive to the Cliffs of Moher, then Burren Smokehouse, followed by Ennis walking tour @ 11:00, Town Hall Cafe or Brogans or O'Briens Room for lunch.

You expect to arrive, clear immigration, collect your bags, arrange rental car, drive to the Cliffs, visit the Smokehouse, and to a walking tour of Ennis --- all BEFORE lunchtime?

W/ a 0600 arrival don't expect to have your car and on the road until maybe 0800 if you are <u>lucky</u>. Then it is about 90 min drive to the Cliffs of Moher. At least an hour there and then its about 30 mins to Lisdoonvarna. Say another 45 mins at the Smokehouse - Then about 45 min drive to Ennis. It will be after lunch by the time you get to Ennis and that 1100 tour will have ended before you get anywhere near Ennis.

The driving will take longer than you are figuring . . .

Thanks so much for the estimated driving time. I was using
the aa.com website for mileage and I can see by your
information, we will need to plan on the driving taking a lot
more time than we expected. THANKS
We will skip the walking tour in Ennis and just plan on
arriving some time in the afternoon.
Can anyone advise on the other itineraries ?
I appreciate any and all suggestions.
Thanks again
Christina

I'm tired just thinking of your first day. Maybe rest a little in Shannon if your hotel is free and it's still kind of a big trip up to the Cliffs, which are wonderful. Everything is pokey in that part of Ireland, and the Cliffs are a wonderful place to hang out and relax. I'd give yourself a little more time to rest up early on. Lisdoonvarna, charming town....but given that you need to get over to Ennis, I might skip it. Would you consider staying somewhere like Doolin your first night instead of circling back to Shannon?

Hi Fitznj
I would love to be able to stay in Doolin, but we
are on an air lingus package vacation and we don't
have the ability to change any of the hotels.
I noted that the Shannon airport was closer to the
Cliffs so thought we could do that first and then
loop back to the hotel. We don't need to go to Ennis.
I just thought it looked like a nice place to have lunch.
We could visit the cliffs take our time and then decide on
either Lisdoonvarna or Ennis. Which one would you visit ?
Thanks !!!! Christina

"<i>I was using the aa.com website for mileage</i>"

For any of the route planning sites -- you really have to add 30% - 40% to the time calculations. Plan on averaging about 35 mph -- 30mph in some places

It is really preferable to drive very little (or none at all) on your arrival day. The jetlag, "wrong" side of the road, the confusing road signs w/ Irish and English words, but <u>especially</u> the jet lag -- all mean that day 1 is best spent low key and acclimating

Christina, I went to Lisdoonvarna and I was sort of underwhelmed. It's a nice little town, very pretty, but very quiet. I know they have big festivals there but not when I was there in August. Anyway, I like Ennis, you can get a nice meal and shop a bit if you are into that. Janis is correct, add at least 1/3 onto whatever you think the drive will take.