We have 11 days in Ireland. My plan is the following - any glaring problems jump out? It isn't slow travel, but we are taking 2 grandkids(19yr & 16 yr)and hitting some highlights.

Day one, arrive Dublin, drive to Galway. I will be renting an automatic as this is my first time driving on the left side.
Two nights in Galway, then drive to Knock to see friends for two nights, and back to Galway for one more night.
Drive from Galway to Killarney via Cliffs of Mohr.
Three nights in Killarney. One day a tour of Ring of Kerry, one day scenic driving/sightseeing near Killarney.
Drive from Killarney to Kilkenny via Blarney.One night in Kilkenny. Next day Kilkenny to Dublin for two nights.

Our flights are confirmed in/out of Dublin. I used my frequent flyer miles and couldn't get into or out of Shannon with them.

Thanks for any suggestions. My biggest question is the Galway/Cliffs of Mohr/Killarney day. Does anyone think it is too much? too far? too long?

Doris, I think some of the "slower" Slow Travellers on here might comment that you are trying to do/see too much but I think, myself, this is a good itinerary.

The day going to the Cliffs of Moher will be quite a long day, but perfectly doable. I see tour parties organizing days such as this and including a stop in Listowel, birthplace of J B Keane on the way. You can cut out a lot of mileage by crossing the Shannon here by ferry.

You don't say what time of year you are going and of course there is a big difference in the length of the actual days, depending on the season.

Thanks, Felicity. We are going mid June.

I appreciate the ferry link! I don't mind the long day, because I will then be in one place for three days.

You're welcome, Doris.

June is a lovely month although I think, unless there is a very late Spring, you will just miss the best display of the wild flowers in the Burren but it will still be a beautiful and unique place to visit. Flowers of the Burren

I worry about that arrival day, picking up a car and driving for the first time on the other side of the road, while being jetlagged. Is there a public transportation option - to go from the airport to Galway? Then you could pickup the car as you are leaving Galway.

We were last in Ireland in 1992, but I remember that drive from Dublin to Galway was slow and long (we had been in London for a few days so had not just arrived).

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We were last in Ireland in 1992, but I remember that drive from Dublin to Galway was slow and long

Not now with the new motorway although it hasn't quite gone all the way yet!

However, I agree with Pauline about being tired and facing a drive on the wrong side of the road straight away and it might be sensible to get a coach to Galway if you are staying in the centre of the city. There are now Express coaches going from Dublin airport to Galway but I think they go into Dublin first which might make the journey quite long.

That is probably the sensible option but I think I would opt for the driving myself as I hate being at the mercy of public transport. I would advise that you take plenty of nice breaks along the way. If you are returning the car to Dublin then there would probably be a premium to pay picking up in Galway and leaving back in Dublin.

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Originally posted by felicity:
If you are returning the car to Dublin then there would probably be a premium to pay picking up in Galway and leaving back in Dublin.

Sometimes it is cheaper to pickup at a city location because you avoid the airport surcharge (and you don't pay it if dropping off an an airport).

Good to know there is a new motorway! I remember a roundabout every 5 miles (or so it seemed).

Thank you for your replies - I am hoping to use my RCI points for my car rental - that is my next research.

I think I will try the drive from Dublin airport to Galway - but will certainly keep in mind the need to stop along the way.

I have also included the ferry crossing in our route, and may just wander a bit more that day and stop at a B&B who-knows-where for a night, before continuing on to Killarney.

So, one more question - how easy will it be to find an economic B&B ($40-50 Euros PP) in mid-June without a reservation? Most likely between Galway and Killarney.

Thanks

Doris, if you're still looking for comments- IMHO you are asking for a nasty day to try to arrive in Dublin (jetlagged with two teens) then rent a car and deal with the huge challenge it is to navigate out of Dublin on the other side of the road all the way across to Galway. There are no super highways so you're talking about doing a tremendous amount of map and sign reading while navigating on roads that are very, very challenging, for a very long time. For Pete's Sake, take a train or bus from Dublin to Galway and rent a car in Galway. This way, you get to Galway on the day you want to arrive and can snooze on the train or bus while someone else navigates for you. My daughter (21 at the time) did this from Doolin near the Cliffs to Dublin and it was well worth the bus trip. We had no worries, no arguments about where we were, saw lots of sweet, small towns, and arrived in Dublin in one, happy piece. We stayed overnight in Dublin (meant to be just a quick trip) then headed back by bus again to Doolin. We found the bus drivers to be very, very friendly and helpful and would do it again. My husband and son did the same thing the following year and also would recommend bussing or training it across the country.

Doris, I agree with Karrie that getting off a plane, tired and driving on the other side of the road could be challenging but feel I should point out that you do not drive into Dublin in order to drive West!

You pick up the M50 (toll) motorway very near the airport which links to the N4 (and the the new tolled motorway section M4) to Kinnegad. I did central Dublin to Kinnegad in one hour on Friday. The road to Galway is very good (very recently upgraded) as far as Moate and the road improvements will have extended further by the time you arrive next year. I do not think it would take you much more than three hours to Galway and it is well signed all the way. I think perhaps that Karrie has not been to Ireland very recently (in the last two years)? The pace of change is swift and many little towns and villages on this particular route are now bypassed.

Thanks for the update Felicity.

I agree that it will be a long trip over (PHX-JFK-DUB). BUT, I plan on sleeping as much as I can JFK-DUB. We are traveling Business and it is easier to relax and sleep a bit in Business class. I can't quite seem to figure out how to do the city rental efficiently. I would have to taxi/bus into Dublin, get a train to Galway, taxi to B&B (or pick up a car). Then drive around southwest Ireland for 10 days ending in Dublin (2 nights). We are currently staying near the airport unless I find something economical closer in to the city. Then I would have to return the car to someplace in Dublin - where I certainly DO NOT want to drive! Then taxi back to airport hotel. Am I crazy to want to bite the bullet and drive Dublin airport to Galway?

Can you tell me what I need for the toll roads? Coinage? costs? Would like to have it ready when I leave the airport!

Thanks.

I hesitate to give you costs, Doris, because I can't remember but I expect one can look it up on the internet. I remember paying €2.50 on one little section and they will take cash or cards and are always manned (I think.... )

If it were me, arriving somewhere in America where I have never driven before, I would go for a car at the airport I landed at, every time, rather than dealing with several different transport systems. I just like to put myself, my luggage and my family in our very own little transport system. That is me and I know some people like to be driven but I hate lugging stuff around and waiting for things. I don't think you are crazy at all!

I don't know how many there are of you or where you are staying or your budget but if you are looking for a budget hotel that is quite central - have you looked at Bewley's in Ballsbridge? You can have up to three children under 16 in a family room for no extra charge. I have stayed there. The rooms are not what I would call luxurious, but clean and everything worked and who cares when you just want a base in a nice area. There is parking (extra)and the bus to the centre is right outside the door(or you can take a nice walk through Georgian streets to the Stephen's Green area - about 25 mins). The restaurant is excellent for all meals but not that 'budget'.

Thanks again, Felicity. My granddaughters are 15 and 19 - so we will need two rooms wherever we go. The Bewley's hotel looks good - I will keep it in mind!

Merry Christmas!

Doris, I meant to say also that the blue 'Aircoach' bus stops directly outside the hotel so you could leave your car back at the airport and then take the coach straight to the hotel OR if it is a Hertz rental, there is a drop off place only about a mile away (Leeson Street) and it is actually directly on your route in from the West to that hotel. I can give you detailed directions if that is what you decide to do. Just let me know if I can help

I have driven in many strange and terrifying places on the wrong side of road (lost in the back streets of Brindisi at midnight for starters...) so I know what it is like when you don't know a place!
Happy Christmas.

I now have my itinerary a bit more firm. Thanks everyone for your input.
We will drive from Dublin to Galway on day one.
3 nights in Galway, then through the Burren, Cliffs of Mohr, to Kilrush for one night. Then to Killarney for two nights. Next night is still up in the air, and then on to Kilkenny for two nights and finish off in Dublin for 2 nights before boarding the plane for home.
I have booked B&B's everywhere but Dublin (hotel near airport).I am very excited about this trip! Time for wandering slowly (except the first day!) and meeting folks in all sorts of B&B's. In Kilrush we are staying at a pub on the central square! I will be sure to pack earplugs.
My next project is to research the best way to get a cell phone for our stay.

Doris - that all sounds great, but at risk of sounding bossy , I would never choose to stay near the airport unless it was a short one night stop and I was literally changing planes. It is horrible/souless out there and you will have to go back into the airport complex to pick up a decent bus into town. There are a number of good hotels right on the airport blue coach route from the midrange (The Old Schoolhouse on Northumberland Road) to the expensive (The Four Seasons in Ballsbridge). The one I mentioned before, Bewleys,(more 'budget'category but still not cheap) is the only one I have stayed in. There are also lots of places to stay (more B and B type I think but they look nice) on Lesson Street which is extremely handy for the Grafton Street Area. All of these hotels are right by the stops for the airport coach which goes every 15 mins from about 5 in the morning to midnight (hourly, from midnight to 5) so you have 'door to door' travelling which you won't have at an airport hotel - plus, of course, you are much nearer to the things you want to see for the day you are there.

I hope you don't mind me criticising your plan. If you have booked at Bewleys at the airport they are extremely easy about cancelling/changing but perhaps you have already fixed with somewhere else...

I second Felicity's comments about the Dublin hotel. If you are staying just to fly in/out, then stay at the airport, by all means. If you are trying to see Dublin, IMHO you'll be happier - and get to do more, see more, and enjoy more - if you stay in or very near the city-centre. Haven't stayed there since 2001, but Jury's Christchurch is a decent "nothing fancy" place, and has a location that can't be beat. Don't be surprised if they are already fully booked for June, but it might be worth checking into.

6 different locations for 11 nights total - it is an ambitious itinerary, though I sympathize with wanting to show your grandchildren as much as possible in the time you have. Please do keep in mind that much of the driving you will be doing will be on smaller roads, and you cannot look at a map and say "it's 100 miles, we'll be there in 2 hours." It's more like "it's 100 miles, and we might be there in 4 hours, if we don't take detours, stop to look at anything, or get lost." Of course, all of those are part of the fun, too! Keeping your plans a bit flexible can help with that.

On our first trip to Ireland 10 years ago, we booked all our rooms in advance, and were not yet acquainted with the differing travel times there, so ended up not reaching our destination until 10:00 pm on a couple of days. We'll be doing a similarly ambitious itinerary with some friends soon, with the difference that we have booked our B&B in Dublin, but will book the rest of the hotels/B&Bs on the fly, so we can stop earlier or keep going on any given day, depending on how the day goes. With a B&B guide and a phone card in hand, that's not difficult to do, unless you require a specific hotel/B&B, or a large number of rooms, or are trying to stay in a very small place. I know we're taking a small risk, but we've done this successfully before, and it worked out well.

Whatever you decide, you will have a great time in Ireland. Enjoy!

Again, Felicity and Kim C, thanks for your thoughts! I do appreciate them.

I also am unsure how long it will take me to drive from place to place in Ireland. I am open to changing plans if I have to as I go along. Most of my reservations ask for 24 hours notice, and if I am changing to a day later I hope it will work out.

Dublin is not an important stop for us. My husband and I have already been there. I could easily add an extra night somewhere if I need to, and then just stay near the airport the night before we fly out.

Felicity, you do not seem at all bossy - just well informed and helpful!

God Bless Delta! There was an itinerary change that had us leaving home over 4 hours earlier. Because of that, a supervisor was willing to rebook us PHX-ATL-SNN! My previous itinerary was PHX-JFK-DUB, but that was all I could get using my frequent flier miles. I am quite relieved that we land in Shannon - much easier to get to Galway that first night! We still fly home from Dublin, but that is fine as we will circle the Southeast and back up to Dublin. The only thing I haven't settled is Dublin. I am still hoping to make a connection with some "friends of friends", and then the hotel question will be moot. I am seriously looking at Bewleys/Ballbridge because the Airport coach is so convenient. My concern is that means I would go to the airport, turn in the car, lug suitcases to Dublin, lug them back to airport. I originally booked near the airport because I expect to get to Dublin fairly late in the day (coming from Kilkenny),spend the night, take bus/taxi to Dublin next day and taxi home that evening, fly home next morning.

Thanks everyone for all your help and advice!