What is the best way to tour around Ireland?

Question

We're debating between a tour or trying to drive and book our own hotels. Hopefully rental cars have a GPS navigation system. The places we want to visit are Dublin, Cork, Cliffs of Moher, Achill island, Puffin island.

Answer 1

Rent a car, and try for deals with the hotels. Often you can book on-line two nights bed & breakfast and one evening meal. Just a tip, don't rely on GPS, they are renowned for sending folk up narrow lanes, and dead ends. Get a good map. You will find parking places and public restrooms in short supply. They want you to stop in the towns and spend your money.

However, it is a great place to visit. The places you mention are well worth a visit. Plus in the North. The North Antrim coast, with its Giant's Causeway, and the Carrickareade rope bridge nearby (close during the winter months) outstanding scenery. Enjoy your trip. It is a beautiful friendly country.

Answer 2

Get a decent road map as GPS means that you may miss some of the weirest places. Cliffs of Moher are sooooooooooooo touristy these days. Achill is lovely - go to the end of the island and walk up the ridge - brilliant! Cork is mad but Dublin is not a great place - Galway is lovely as is Derry. Do the Giants Causeway and Bushmills Distillery, travel through the Mourne Mountains - don't just stick to the usual oul routine down south.

Answer 3

Driving yourself is by far the best way to see a new country. I hope you have experience of driving in Britain. Not only will you be able to spend more time doing things that you want to do, it will probably work out cheaper since you will be able to pick out your own hotels. Bed and Breakfast places are cheaper than hotels, and no organised tour will put you up in such places.

Answer 4

Driving is definitely interesting. You should contact the rental agency before hand about GPS systems.  I would recommend buying an atlas at a gas station when you get there and just remember that getting there is a half of the journey. Most roads in Ireland do not have names. Only the main roads have names and roundabouts do not have the road names but rather towns that are in that direction are listed. If you drive, bring a great sense of direction and lots of patience. If you don't want to worry about driving hassles and would like to see more, you may want to book a tour.

Answer 5

i work with a tour company that takes people on a tour of ireland and what we do is stop in one of the main citys or towns along the coast and we do the full tour in around 14 days including a few nights stay in dublin. there is so much more to ireland than the south. the north has a very intersting history and pleanty of amazing sites to see.

driving and booking your own hotels will be better for you if u want to do it more relaxed and you can pick what sort of hotels you would like to stay in. being with a tour group you will have to be up eac moring around 7 am to get breakfast and go on tours and you will have limited time at each destination and limited free time.

if your interested i could easily make you up a trip of what you could do each day, ideal tours and what accomodation. i would happily do this free of charge as i have axcess to all this info at my workplace.

my email address if your interested

Answer 6

By donkey of course....only messing, I live in Dublin and I'd recommend you tour by car, most car hires would have a navigation system you could use, theres plenty of hotels and bed and breakfasts so that wouldn't be a problem, you can park up and take a boat to the islands, I wouldn't recommend you take a tour bus as it's a bit too touristy and you don't get to see the real Ireland, I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy your stay here in Ireland

Answer 7

The best way?  You want my opinion?  That would be drinking champagne with the Swedish Bikini Team in a small chauffeur-driven Merc.