West Ireland 8 day trip?
 

We're planning a short trip for Sept 1, 2005 and wanted feedback please. We like seeing the highlights on our 1st trip somewhere and we'll get a car.

9/2 arrive @ SNN 7:40 AM and drive to Kinsale

9/3 drive around coastline to Kenmare

9/4,5 Dingle

9/6,7 Doolin

9/8 Bunratty

9/9 Back to DFW

We could stay longer but I thought this might be enough to start unless we're missing something big.

We've gotten great info on this site for all our Europe trips-THANKS!

Don

If you would like you can look at our story "Craig and Robbyns adventures in Ireland". We got back last week and went pretty much to the same places you are planning on visting.

One last final recommdnation might be to revisit staying in Bunratty for the lat night. I know it is clsoe to Shannon but it is not a nice last day memory of a trip.

We ended up staying in Doolin the the last night and were glad we did. It took us a little over an hour to drive from Doolin to the hertz lot at Shannon. We left Doolin at 7:30 with plenty of time to make a 11 am flight.

Have a great time

OK, good info then, I appreciate it and will look at your posts.

I like your itinerary. I'd probably subtract one night from Doolin, though, and add it to your time around Kenmare. One night in Doolin tends to be plenty for me.

You might think about changing the order. 1st. Cliff and Doolin. (one night is plenty). Doolin to Dingle via the Tarbert ferry. Dingle to Kenmare driving through Killarney Nat. Park and over the Mts. on the N-71 (Great Mt. Views) Stay on the n-71 to Kinsale with a stop in Clonkilty for the Mick Collins musuem and then Kinsale to Bunratty. A drive to Kinsale on day one is going to be a push after a long flight from DFW. In any event your packing a lot of driving into 9 days. I think you are going to regret not staying two nights in Dingle and Kinsale. Have fun

Good input-thanks everyone.

JohnOD...I was thinking of reversing it anyway so that's probably a good move. And btw, our drive time is under 3 hours a day and that's great with us. We like to see lots of things and be on the move a lot.

If you do have more time, (and like scenery without cities) the Connemara area west of Galway is beautiful.

Bantry Bay and Glengariff are also spectacular but a bit out of the way to get to. Although you can take the coast road from Kinsale through Skibbereen.

Marlie, I'm returning to NY from SNN in three weeks. Aer Lingus' website recommends arriving at least 3 hours before departure. How was your experience? Thanks.

New York Traveler,

We flew American Airlines. We got to the Airport 2 hours ahead of time. We had no issues.

I don't know if there would be anything different with Aer Lingus. Doesn't anyone else have any experience with this?

Allowing time to return the rental car, hit the tax-back and check in, which includes the pre-customs paperwork, three hours is about right. You CAN do it in two, but it's a bit of a rush, though Dublin is worse.
Flown AL twice - other than a really rough take off from Boston last summer, I have no complaints.