Ireland Travel Forum

Hi guys,

Need your help again.
Please let me know your thoughts & comments on my below itinerary.
(Recommendations for B&B for the overnights would also be highly appreciated).

Day 1 - Arrival to Dublin (late evening).Day 2 - Tour & overnight in Dublin.
Day 3 - Morning - leave for Galway. Tour & overnight in Galway.
Day 4 - Morning drive to Connemara NP & Clifden. Overnight in Galway.
Day 5 - Morning drive to The Burren & Cliffs of Moher. Overnight in Doolin.
Day 6 - Morning drive to Bunratty via Ennis. Evening - Bunratty Castle Banquet. Overnight in Adare.
Day 7 - Morning drive to Dingle Peninsula. Tour & overnight in Dingle.
Day 8 - Morning drive to Killarney. Tour Killarney & Lakes. Overnight near Killarney.
Day 9 - Morning drive to Kenmare. Tour Kenmare & Beara Peninsula. Overnight in Kenmare.
Day 10 - Morning drive to Kilkenny via Cahir & Cashel. Overnight in Kilkenny.
Day 11 - Tour Kilkenny. Overnight in Kilkenny.
Day 12 - Morning - leave for Glendalough & Powerscourt (via Kildare). Overnight in Bray.
Day 13 - Tour Bray & Howth. Evening leave for Dublin A/P (flight at 22:30).

B&B near Galway City - A really nice place with beautiful bedrooms and views of Connemara Bay. It's called Son Amar. (Photo on my Galway page)

Sounds doable, but a lot of driving... Personally I would drop Kilkenny (sorry, but haven't been there) and use the 1-2 day extra as "overtime" in the southwest, for example for a more relaxed tour or hike of Beara. or leave Bray and Houth to be more flexible towards the end (and have more time in Dublin).
If you leave in Clifden: don't miss the coral strand ! It's about 10 miles to the south, on the Roundstone road, and has a fair amount of ancient coralpieces washed ashore.
For B&B's around Kenmare: try www.neidin.net (for the town) or www.tuosist.com (for northern Beara). In Kenmare town I can recommend the Rosegarden and the Wander Inn. In Dingle I stayed in a small B&B called "An Eolain"(I hope I spelled it right), but I don't know the website for that and other areas.
But if you stay there outside the main holiday season (july/august) you won't have any problem finding a B&B "on the drive", and even in season you will mostly be fine.
Enjoy the planning and trip!
P.

Hi!

For Dingle I can recommend Emlagh Lodge B&B. It's located directly at the sea and is very friendly and new. They served gorgeous Bagels for breakfast (but a "full irish" too of course ;)

Website is www.emlaghlodge.com

Enjoy your trip !
Sabs

Good itinerary if you don't mind driving. I would however drop Bunratty, it is a ghastly tourist trap.

Also I would drop the Bray/Howth bit at the end. For a start they are at opposite ends of the city of Dublin and secondly I think the time would be better spent chilling out in some place you like along the way.

Either way - enjoy.

Thank you all for your inputs and good advices.

The reason for choosing to be in Bray & Howth on the last day:
I was looking for a nice place - as close as possible to Dublin A/P -
so that there's no rush and worries about missing our flight, due to some sheep-traffic-jam or because we've lost our way...

Am I a too pessimist ?

One more comment about dropping Kilkenny:
I thought that since it is, anyway, on the way back from Kenmare to Glendalough & Powerscourt, we might as well stop there, as it is one of the most recommended spots.
Would it be wiser to go straight from Kenmare to Glendalough & Powerscourt, withought stopping on the way ? Isn't it a too long drive for one day ?

I think driving in one day could be done, and you could try taking in more of the southcoast that way, and/or stick to big roads from near Cork. Even if it is (said to be) a nice town, I just would spend a whole day in Kilkenny when there is so much to see in the other locations!

sorry, would NOT spend a whole day in Kilkenny...