Ireland - by bus or car in Oct?
 

Any suggestions for a 5 night trip to Ireland in Oct whether to go by tour or DIY and what are the best places to visit

Hi Lib_Jeremy

You will wish to check the Europe forum for Europe experts rather than the United States forum for info on Ireland. (This site is organized by where you're travelling to, rather than by country of origin of the poster. Others have made the same mistake.)

I've never been but based on friends' experience, I'm sure you'll have a great time in Ireland! DAN

My wife and I honeymooned in Ireland almost fifteen years ago and we traveled by car. I highly recommend renting a car but also warn that you are not going to make nearly the same times between towns that you do in America. Especially in the rugged west of Ireland, you will be lucky to average thirty-five miles per hour due to winding roads and the many small towns that you must pass through. Many of these rural roads are very narrow and you will be driving right up close to walls and hedges and the like.

As for places to visit, I recommend the Ring of Kerry and the Doolin area, which my wife and I visited, and the Dingle Peninsula, which we did not. Doolin is home to several folk pubs and is near to the Cliffs of Moher, the Burrens and nearby the Aran Islands.

Skip the bus and do it yourself. The roads are all very well marked, and the maps are excellent. By doing it yourself, you can go where you want, stop when you want, and stay where you want. If you see a pub that looks fun, pull over and check it out!

Memories... I did a horse trek in Ireland in 2002, and my fellow riders and I all laughed whenever a bus tour stopped to take our pictures while we were riding. Mind you, there was not ONE Irish person in the group!! Our guide was actually German, and the rest of us riders were American, English, Italian, Dutch, and German. Most of the bus tours I saw were full of senior citizens who appeared too elderly to drive themselves...

My husband and I were in Ireland for our honeymoon last year and travelled by car. This allowed us to make unplanned stops when we saw something interesting or to admire really great view (there's lots of them in Ireland).

Our favorite area was the Dingle peninsula. We stayed at Greenmount House and would highly recommend it. Nice big rooms and a great breakfast!

We did the West coast of Ireland by car 2 years ago, flew in and out of Shannon, & drove a total of 800 miles in 8 days.

If you rent a car, get a good one. In addition to driving on the wrong (left) side, the roads are very narrow & curving. Just fyi, all road signs are now posted only in Gaelic - when we were there they were in Gaelic & English.

I envy you - it was our best vacation ever!