Taking a group to Southwest Ireland
 

This year, I'll be taking my adult Swiss students to Southwest Ireland. We'll be hiring a bus, a bus driver and a German-speaking tour guide. Because Zürich only offers direct flights to Dublin, that's where we will start and finish. Hotels will be organised by a tour company.

This is a private tour and is subject to our wishes. We'll be about 25 people and will be travelling by bus. I've put together the following itinerary and would be very grateful for any recommendations, criticism or comments in general.

Day 1: Zürich - Dublin - Galway
- leave Dublin airport immediately and drive to Galway
- Visit Galway town
Day 2: Galway - Dingle
- See Doolin and Cliffs of Mohar
Day 3: Dingle
- See Slea Head Peninsula
Day 4: Dingle - Kenmare
- See Ring of Kerry
Day 5: Kenmare - Dublin
- See Cashel Rock
- See Kilkenny
Day 6: Dublin - Zürich

Thanks for your input!

If our bus driver is willing, I'd also considering touring the Ring of Beara instead of the Ring of Kerry.

Busy schedule...You might not get a 25seater round Beara. I would drop one night from Dingle and break the trip down from Galway. Day 5 is also a long day.

Thanks. I'm confused as how you'd break down the trip from Galway to Dingle. Any suggestions?

There is a lot to do on the Burren & possibly a trip to the Arans/Cliffs cruise? Ennis would be a good spot to break the Trip. Would also allow a couple of hours for Bunratty? It would depend on the time of year and the educational aspect of your trip?

Your point has been taken so I'll do some more research. Thanks.

In my opinion, you should organise bus tours so as to minimise time in the bus. In general, about four hours actual travel is plenty for the typical day, with perhaps one big travel day in the week (which would appear to be the return to Dublin).

Why are you going to Galway? The city has an amount of charm, but its main attraction for me is that it is the gateway to Connemara, and that's not on your programme.

I agree with Tony about the transfer from Galway to Dingle. While doing it in one go is possible, it involves more time in the bus than most people would like. Bunratty Folk park and Craggaunowen might be good enough reasons to overnight in or near Ennis.

Dingle is a good base for -- well, Dingle and the Slea Head drive. If you want to start the Ring of Kerry from Dingle, you need to travel for more than an hour to get on to it. And if you then finish at Kenmare, you are leaving out the best bit of the circuit, the road between Kenmare and Killarney.

The Beara circuit is not suitable for buses.

You could go to Doolin instead of Galway. There are many nice B&Bs close to pubs. Doolin is close to the Cliffs and the Burren, they have great music and it is a bit closer to Dingle for your drive the next day. You could have your driver stop at Clonmcnoise on the way, very educational.

Thanks for your ideas. I'll be taking them all into consideration and will revamp my itinerary.

Just wondering where you could put 25 people together at one time on a given date in Doolin..or other locations. I know this is a problem for the tour company but the type of accommodation you require might influence where to base your over-nights... the more information, the better the planning, the better the result.

Yes, 25 people are a lot. I don't think Doolin would be suitable for our needs, however Ennis should work. If we went to Ennis instead of Dingle from Galway, I'm hoping we could fit in one of the Aran Islands. They sound positively dreamy.

Still considering dropping Ring of Kerry and substituting it with Killarney National Park.

Thanks again.

I guess you know all this but you need to warn any likely restaurants/pubs that you are coming. I can just see some little Irish pub being faced with 25 people.....

Well, we have done it twice with Pub tour group of 25. Two sisters have B&Bs next door to each other, Dalys and Churchfields. They are close to McDermotts and McGanns. We all had dinner at McDermotts one night and McGanns the other and recently stopped on a day trip with 40 people and had lunch at Gus O'Connors. There is a nice lodge http://www.doolinlodge.com/ that can accommodate many more.
Doolin is a great village.

You can take a ferry to the Aran Islands from Doolin. I have done a trip from there and one from north of Galway. I loved the ferry ride that takes you up to the cliffs, great view from that side. Taking a group to a village such as Doolin or any other takes a lot of planning and our Pub owner did her work and we had great places to stay. Couples would get a double room and some of the single men and women had rooms for four. We had a coach from Butler's coaches in Cork. I am not sure if they have any German speaking guides though.

Thaks flpab!

After careful consideration and much attention to your comments (as well as getting some great support here in Switzerland), we've changed the itinerary as follows. Please not we'll be about 20-25 adults and will probably hire a 15 seater bus with driver and rent a 7 seater mini-van as well.

Day 1: Zürich - Dublin - Galway
- leave Dublin airport immediately and drive to Galway
- Stop at Clonmacnoise and possibly Lockes Distillery
- Visit Galway town

Day 2: Galway - Ennis
- See Visit Aran Islands (the big island)
- Drive through Burren to Ennis

Day 3: Ennis - Dingle
- Take fastest way
- See Slea Head Peninsula

Day 4: Dingle - Kenmare
- Visit Killarney area

Day 5: Kenmare - Dublin
- See Cashel Rock
- See Kilkenny

Day 6: Dublin - Zürich

Thanks for all your input. It was really valuable!

Correction: Please NOTE we'll be 20 - 25 people, depending on the availability of transportation.

You might find it better logisticaly and financially to just hire One bus and driver for the trip. Other than that you look to have sorted things.

Thanks Tony. I'm a bit concerned about the Doolin ferry to Inishmor. I've read it's a 90 min. trip because they stop at another island first. That would be 3 hours on the boat going both ways. That's a lot of time. What was your experience?

I just do the Inis Oirr and Cliffs combination cruise from Doolin, Inis Mor is best done from Rossaveal west of Galway so would make for a long day either way I suppose. To be honest I prefer the smaller Island because it it easier to get around and I am not stuck over there as long. The best way to see the Big island is to have an overnight but with the size of your party this might be difficult.

If the waves are too big, the ferry from Doolin to the Aran Islands doesn't run so it would be safer to depart from Rossaveal. However, with your limited time I don't think it is practical to go to the islands at all.

For Ennis-Dingle take the shortest route which includes a ferry ride across the Shannon River from Killimer to Tarbert. See www.shannonferries.com.

I suggest that you skip Galway and give yourselves a second night in Dublin before flying home.

Thanks guys.

The Aran Islands are on our list. It's not often that the Swiss get to visit such an island in the sea. Will debate changing Galway to two nights to include a ferry ride from Rossaveal.

My group has done Dublin already so that's why it's not high on our list of priorities.

Thanks again!

Tim S...the shortest/quickest route from Ennis to Dingle is via the Shannon Tunnel which opened last year, also costs €1.80 for a car compared to €18 for the scenic route by ferry.

Thanks all for your replies:

Here's the program
2 nights Galway
3 nights Tralee
1 night Dublin

Day 1: Dublin - Galway
- Fly into Dublin. We have arranged a bus, bus driver and a German-speaking tour guide for the duration of the trip.
- Stop at Clonmacnoise and possibly Lockes Distillery
- Visit Galway town
- Spend the night in Galway

Day 2: Aran Islands
- Visit the biggest island
- spend the night in Galway

Day 3: Burren, Cliffs of Moher and drive to Tralee
- Spend the night in Tralee

Day 4: Dingle
- Spend the night in Tralee

Day 5: Killarny - National Forest - Kenmare
- Spend the night in Tralee

Day 6: Dublin
- Cashel Rock
- Kilkenny
-Spend the night in Tralee

Day 7: Fly back to Zürich

Thanks for all your help!

Thanks again for your help. I've got 23 people in my group and we're all looking forward to Ireland.

Take care and enjoy your stay. Remember that most of us locals don't bite so no harm in having a chat.

Are you a local Tony? I try to organise a meet up with the locals for my group. We've met quite a few nice people from this forum, including the late CW and the world-famous Lobo. Would you be interested in meeting a group of Swiss?

In many years of forum chat I have only managed one meeting (by accident) I live in East Galway so you will pass above me between Clonmacnoise and Galway. If you want to message me with your dates I will get back to you, [email protected].