Ireland itinerary help?

Question

Hello

I am planning an ireland trip this summer. I have airfare and car rental. Looking for itinerary suggestions. Our dates are 7/26 to 7/31. if you have any packages please suggest. we are a party of 3 adults and 2 children. so far this is what i have:

--land in Dublin and are planning to drive to Belfast the same day.

--Day 2 drive to giants causeway

from here i am not sure how to plan. we want to see Galway, Cliffs of Moher and Ring of Kerry. then spend the last night in Dublin.

Any suggestions please?

thanks

Answer 1

Are you leaving an international location on the 26th ? That would mean that you are arriving on the 27th and would have only 4 days in Ireland. What you are proposing is a complete circle of Ireland. Even 5 days is not enough time. I would recommend that you choose the following route.

Dublin/Belfast/Bushmills(Giants Causeway)/Galway/Dublin

In essence you would circle the top half of Ireland.

Using the AA Route Planner website

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie

And inputting that route

Dublin/Belfast/Bushmills(Giants Causeway)/Galway/Dublin

This circular trip is 504 miles. The estimated driving time is 10 hours 13 mins.

Of course you will be splitting this up in to multiple days.

The following website has a few pre suggested tours.

On "The Tour of Ireland" page. You could do day 5-10. But in reverse order.

http://www.dandooley.com/driving_tours/t...

Also of interest is the "North West Tour"

http://www.dandooley.com/driving_tours/n...

Once you know what you want to see, you can research these more at the following regional tourism websites. You would be visiting in this order.

Northern Ireland Tourism

http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/

Ireland North West

http://www.irelandnorthwest.ie/

Ireland West

http://www.irelandwest.ie/

Dublin

http://www.visitdublin.com/

The rest of Ireland can be seen on your next visit.

Answer 2

The previous post is quite good however I would change it a bit from Galway. Previous poster said "Enjoy Galway and ask for the best way to the Cliffs of Moher (I have always approached them from the South), go tho the Beara peninsula from there and then via Killarney to Cork. From there about 3 hours will get you back to Dublin."

Instead, from the Cliffs of Moher I would drive to Killimer in south Co. Clare, there you can take a 20 minute ferry ride accross the Shannon to Tarbert in north Co. Kerry (saves a h**l of a lot of driving compared to driving to Cork first). You could then stay somewhere in Kerry maybe for the night (e.g. Dingle, Glenbeigh, Killarney, Kenmare) and do the Ring of Kerry (West to East). You could then drive onward to Cork City and spend a day there or something. From Cork it is an approx 3.5/4.5 hour drive to Dublin depending on traffic (avoid the M7 and M50 motorways approaching Dublin if possible during morning and evening rush periods as traffic is insane).

Answer 3

I would drive from the Giant's Causeway to Derry (may show as "Londonderry" on your map), from there to Letterkenny and via Sligo to Galway. It's maybe not the best road, but the one with the most interesting landscape. If you have time you can stop at the Grianan Aillel between Derry and Letterkenny, a bronze age fort with a wonderful view, just 5 minutes off the main road.

Enjoy Galway and ask for the best way to the Cliffs of Moher (I have always approached them from the South), go tho the Beara peninsula from there and then via Killarney to Cork. From there about 3 hours will get you back to Dublin.