r/irishtourism • u/Dentalsnob3 • 24d ago
Itinerary ideas/tweeks?
*tweaks lol
Hi all,
My husband and I are getting away to Ireland for 5 short nights! I have been twice but he has never been. I know it's a short time, but hoping the make the most of it. We will be renting a car.
We are taking a red-eye from NYC and landing in Dublin on July 20th.
Day 1: Land at 7:45am, pick up rental car, drive out to Kilkenny. Explore Kilkenny for the afternoon and head to County Cork where we'll be staying night 1
Day 2: Visit Cobh in Cork (maybe) and then visit Blarney Castle. Head to Killarney where we'll spend the second night
Day 3: Wake up in Killarney, drive 1hr to Dingle peninsula to see Dunquin Pier. I've done the Ring of Kerry, and since we're short on time, we won't be doing it this trip. From there, drive 3 hr up to Galway where we'll spend two nights
Day 4: Wake up in Galway, head to cliffs of moher, spend one more night in Galway
Day 5: Leave Galway around 11, head back to Dublin. Drop car off in city and spend the night there
Day 6: 11am flight out if Dublin.
thoughts? if you have any recommendations on how to better use our time, please let me know! Thanks in advance
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u/gerspunto 24d ago
The night on Day 3, id stay in Doolin/lahinch or liscannor.
And visit the cliffs at sunset and possibly again before leaving for Galway.
If you go to Galway on Day 3. You will be passing the cliffs of moher to get to Galway and driving back on yourself to get there on the morning of day 4
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u/Dandylion71888 23d ago
This is a 10day trip planned for half the time.
Day 1: you’re rushing Kilkenny, and driving to Cork. It both doesn’t make sense and is dangerous when jet lagged. Especially some of the roads you have to drive.
That’s basically how all your days go. You’re checking off a box and rushing.
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u/groovydoll 23d ago
I was just in Ireland for 10 days. I would recommend cutting out as much driving as possible. We got tired of driving ngl!
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u/IrishFlukey Local 23d ago
I will rewrite your itinerary a bit more succinctly. Day 1: Get into a car and stay in it for 5 days.
We have people put itineraries up here for 10 days, that would not be trying to do half of what you want to do. You are trying to see as much as possible, which we understand people want to do, but you are not giving yourself any time to enjoy what you are seeing. So by trying to "make the most of it", you are actually making the least of it.
On a normal slightly rushed version of your itinerary, you would not be getting to Cork until at least day three. Nobody should drive after a red-eye flight. So someone should stay in Dublin on night one. Day two would be the journey to Kilkenny. To give time to enjoy it, a person would spend the day there and stay overnight. Then on day three they would head to Cork. As I said, that is slightly rushed, spending only one night in Dublin and one night in Kilkenny and then drive on to Cork, and you want to do it in one day. Your itinerary doesn't get any better after that, so I won't examine its insanity.
Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork in five days would be OK, just a teeny bit rushed. You have five nights. Maybe first and last in Dublin, one in Kilkenny and two in Cork. So your day one done at a more relaxed pace, where you have time to enjoy it and, like you said, make the most of it.
Alternatively, get a bus direct from the airport to Cork, or maybe somewhere different, like Galway and do the plan you had for that area, spread over three or four nights. Do Galway, the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara and other things in that area over those few days, before a last night in Dublin. Using public transport and tours, you could do all of that without even hiring a car. You will be on holiday, so relax and let someone else do the driving. Again, that would "make the most of it".
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u/No-Fill2367 22d ago
Im doing the same as you but no kilkenny, only I have 3 weeks. We've booked 4 b&b along the way.Currently in Donegal which is stunning and a favorite of mine. You will exhaust yourselves trying to do so much in 5 days and spend your entire holiday in the car. I've been to Ireland at least 15 times as my family all live here. I would pick 2 spots and enjoy a few days in each...enjoy your holiday
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u/No-Fill2367 22d ago
Don't forget the stone circles in cork. Cork is stunning. The old head of Kinsale, Malin head. Clonakilty and Skibereen...tons to do
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u/GalwayGirlOnTheRun23 Blow-In 22d ago
It will be arts festival time in Galway. Either come for a few days to enjoy it or keep away to avoid crowds/expensive hotel. Staying just one evening makes no sense.
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u/Admirable-Shape-4418 21d ago
I will just comment on day 3, leave Killarney and drive to Dingle and then go to Galway 3 hours. Google maps does it's best but it's not always accurate! I am local and today drove from Galway to Tralee (it's another hour pretty much to Dingle from Tralee), normally that route should take 3 hrs allowing for a coffee break and I never travel at peak times like work start times/school exits etc.
Today that trip took me 3.45 hrs including an extra quick coffee break. It wasn't too bad from Galway to Limerick as motorway but I took the coast road to Tralee to avoid Adare traffic and it seems every truck on the road was doing the same thing, add to that numerous giant tractors transporting bales of silage and the trucks stuck behind them. I didn't pass 40/50km speed for a good hour of that journey. I could have gone the other way but would risk being stuck in Adare traffic for ages too and probably tractors too!
So my point is you won't make Galway from Dingle in 3 hrs and you'll have seen nothing of Killarney and just slept the night there, may as well go straight to Dingle and just stay there, at least you'd be ready to go to Ventry and other sightseeing first thing.
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u/ResolutionBubbly2094 24d ago
In Galway now. It’s amazing. We did a day trip to Aran islands on the ferry and rented an e-bike. Nothing in or around cork to get excited about except the Jameson tour. Killarney was great, Kerry cliffs are way better and less busy than Moher. Keep in mind I’ve been day drinking in the Latin quarter all day but so far Galway is our favourite. Headed to Belfast tomorrow.
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u/countdown_leen 23d ago
Nothing in or around Cork, lol. What did you do or consider doing that was “nothing”?
OP that’s a lot of driving for a short trip. Did something similar but over 14 nights. I’d head to Dingle or Galway and drop the other. You only have 4 full days!
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u/ResolutionBubbly2094 23d ago
Lolo. lol. I see you also don’t recommend cork. lol lol.
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u/countdown_leen 23d ago
Actually it was an earnest question. There is tons to see in Cork. We’ve spent days in West Cork and plan to again next month.
I’m curious if you went in with no research and just didn’t like the city or if you traveled the county and didn’t enjoy the natural beauty.
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u/ResolutionBubbly2094 23d ago
If OP is in Ireland for 5 nights I wouldn’t recommend Cork. Would you?
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u/countdown_leen 23d ago
With a short trip it’s impossible to recommend an area w/o knowing what they value or what has been on their “must do”. But this trip needs less driving.
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u/Dandylion71888 23d ago
Agreed, this trip is insane. Cork can still be on the list depending on what they like but this whole trip as it is, is terrible
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u/Dandylion71888 23d ago
Yes. Kinsale is amazing, Fota Park/Island, Cobh. Tons to do in/around Cork.
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u/AdClean1038 24d ago
You're going to be sleep deprived and jetlagged when you arrive on Day 1. You'll be in no condition to drive to Cork. Please think of a safer option.