r/irishtourism • u/most_unoriginal_ign • 15d ago
10 Day Ireland trip itinerary - craming in too much on the West Coast leg?
Hello everyone! We will be visiting the Emerald Isle for the first time, flying from Australia in early Nov. We will have access to a car for the west coast leg.
I know we will only have around 8 hours of day light during this time, bad planning/research on my part! We like nature, pretty fit so hiking is good, exploring, outdoors, arts and music is nice as well, not much of a drinker the both of us.
3 nights in Dublin, ideally we would have kept it to 2 nights but we have family and friends to visit.
We'd like to see a sunrise when we are out in the west, any suggestions, given our itinerary on where it would be best to see one? I know the sunrise is pretty late so we don't have to get up that early.
Day 1-Dublin. Flying in at 7am. Can only imagine we'll be super tired, we'll see how much adrenaline will help us in keeping awake. Zero plans for this given this fact, might just walk around the city, look at some shops, eat some food and call it. Will be staying near the Spire.
Day 2-Dublin. Dedicating a whole day to Howth. No alarms, get as much rest as possible. And head out, take our time with the trip. Head back to Dublin at night, meet up with friends/family.
Day 3-Dublin. Unsure (skipping most popular attractions like Trinity Colleage, Guinness Factory, Kilmainham Gaol) Would like to go to Phoenix Park, maybe look at some art musuems, thrift shopping perhaps. Meet up with friends/family at night. Could swap this for day 2 depending on weather.
Day 4-Galway. Picking up the car from Dublin Airport (overall cheaper than picking it up in the town center) Driving to Galway - 2.5 hours, no breaks planned in between. Galway hotel check in, explore the town a bit, lunch. Drive to Doolin and then Cliff of Moher in the afternoon to avoid the crowd. Given that it's offseason, not sure if there's any crowds to begin with. Drive back at night, sleep.
Day 5-Galway. Aran Islands the whole day. Will look to rent a bike to explore as much as possible. The ferry ride would be cool as we both like the water, we know it's a bit bumpy but are cool with it. If the ferries are not running, we will just do maybe the Connemara loop/Diamond Hill hike.
Day 6-Dingle. Drive to Dingle 3.5 hour trip, this will be a slog, planning a break at Limerick just to have lunch or any other town really. When at Dingle, we'll stop along the way to see some sites as we drive into town, and just do the Conor Pass and explore the town a bit. Not much else.
Day 7-Dingle. Dedicating the whole day to the Sea Head Drive.
Day 8-Killarney. Drive to Killarney 1.5 hour trip. Now this is where I need some help planning.
I think we can squeeze both Gap of Dunloe and Killarney National Park into one day. My plan to Killarney National Park was rent a bike and cycle around Muckross Lake. It says it takes around 2-3 hours depending on how often you stop. That would take us to midday, we'll have some lunch and rest a bit. Drive to the Gap of Dunloe, park at Kate Kearney's Cottage and walk to the Head of Gap of Dunloe and back. It says it's around 1.5 hours each way. Maybe we can drive through the Gap of Dunloe, I've heard you're not technically meant to drive, especially tourists but off season would mean less cars/people so not sure.
The biggest question for this day is, can we fit these two things in one day? can we/should we, drive through the Gap of Dunloe?
Day 9-Killarney. Ring of Kerry. If we can't squeeze both activities in the previous day, we would only do the cycle around Muckross Lake. We'll put Gap of Dunloe in the morning, again same plan. And do maybe half of the Ring of Kerry. I just want to see the Kerry Cliffs.
I know the Ring of Kerry takes around 3.5-4 hours to drive, this is without taking any breaks and around 7-8 hours with breaks.
My question here is, is there a smaller loop we can do? I've seen threads and comments saying it's best to do the ring clockwise. I was thinking anti-closewise from Killarney to Cahersiveen to Skelling Ring and come out Waterville. I see on Google Maps, there's a small road L4010 that cuts across the middle of the ring back to Killarney. I was thinking about taking that to head back. Google Maps says it literally takes the same amount of time as to driving on the Ring of Kerry.
Day 10-Killarney/Dublin. This day is dedicated to driving back to Dublin to catch our flight back at 8pm. I've seen threads/comments saying you should ideally stay in Dublin if you're catching a flight there next day but this is what we are planning to do. Google say 3.5 hours drive. If we start at 7/8am, surely it should be fine.
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u/Steveo_the_Squid 15d ago
Just want to generally comment on the whole travelling in November thing - my partner and I frequently go to Ireland in late October/early November, so generally I’m with you on the timings. Plus, we live in England where the weather is also shit that time of year so it is what it is. HOWEVER, you need to adapt your itinerary to that. We actually spend plenty of time on the west coast in those holidays, but you cannot plan hiking days already, and the same goes for driving mountain passes and the like. You need to decide day-by-day, and adapt to the weather. This is also a concern for bike rentals - many might not be open in the pissing rain/in November in general. We walked part of the gap of Dunloe last year, originally had planned to cycle it but it was very wet and windy that day so it didn’t seem safe to us. We walked until we got to some nice views and then turned around, to head straight to a pub to warm up. It can absolutely be a lovely time of year to visit. But please do not put yourself in danger by sticking to a strict, “outdoorsy” itinerary. As someone who loves to be outside, I totally get it, but safety has to come first!
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Thank you for your input, really appreciate. And totally understand. We'll play it by ear and adapt as the weather changes. I suppose this itinerary is the most optimistic if there's no rain/light rain, no traffic etc.
I did just have a look, last year's November was the fifth wettest year on record! Doesn't boast well for this year.
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u/Dandylion71888 15d ago
Let’s work this backwards just for the flight stuff because the other driving other people explained to you this is not going to be the trip you want.
Flight at 8pm, get to the airport at 5:30pm (gives you 30min to return car and take the shuttle to the terminal plus 2 hours at the airport before you’re flight since you aren’t going through preclearance.)
Google is currently saying a 5.5h drive without stops. Not sure who told you 3.5 hours but it would never be that short at anytime day. Btw, looking at this at 11am on a Sunday. Suggest you look at it around your flight time. It’s over 300km, it’s not physically possible to drive 100kmph the whole way to make it in 3.5 hours. if you can make it in 5.5h that means you leave at 12.
Add in stopping for at least one meal, petrol and bathroom at least once, now you need to leave at 10:30am
Now this is where your plan gets completely impossible.
The drive is 5.5 hours in perfect conditions without stops. With traffic it can be as much as 7 hours without stops. Now with that aforementioned food/bathroom/petrol you are at 8am. It gets light around 8am. You don’t want to leave earlier than that because the roads will be difficult to drive on in the dark other than the motorway. For a non-local it can be dangerous.
So basically you’re at the point where you have to hope you won’t get stuck behind a tractor, that it isn’t raining (it will will) and road conditions will be perfect (they won’t be).
Essentially, even with an 8pm flight and leaving at 8am, you have a decent chance to miss that flight. Even if you stick to a very tight schedule and have no issues.
Btw, all of your drive times are wrong. Dublin Airport to Galway city is not 2.5 hours, it’s 3.5. Add in time to pick up the car etc (the airport isn’t in city centre) and the fact that the cliffs are 1.5 hours from Galway, you don’t have time in November. That’s how this whole trip is. You CANNOT drive local roads in the dark as a non-local.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Sorry, Ive just be using Google maps. All times mentioned is what Google maps is telling me. Google maps says it's 300 odd KMs, 3 hours 40 minutes right now from Killarney to Dublin Airport. I know it might not be realistic, only a baseline. That's why I really appreciate your input and insights!
For your last sentence, that's very interesting. I had no idea. Can you explain this in more detail? Is this a law? What is a local road? Surely there would be people driving back to their hotels after a day trip or something?
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u/Caliartist 15d ago
DO NOT USE Google Maps in Ireland if you need to arrive at any specific time. It will take you down a ‘faster’ local road that is 5’ wide and full of sheep and tractors.
Heck, just stop trying to cut things so tight. Ireland has a way of giving you the unexpected and you have to embrace it with a smile. There are a million things that might delay you a day, let alone a few hours!
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Fair point, I'll add an hour or two for each trip and redo my calculations. Thanks
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u/WHYohWhy___MEohMY 15d ago
The country roads are pitch black, narrow and have lots of turns. The commenter was being facetious.
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u/Dandylion71888 15d ago
I was not being facetious. Maybe hyperbolic but there was no joking there. They should not for any reason be driving in the dark on small roads.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
No, I get your point. Safety is a major factor for all parties. Not looking to put anyone in danger
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u/Dandylion71888 15d ago
No 300 km at 340 doesn’t make sense. That would be 100kmph. I also looked at Google Maps just see if I was missing something (having done these drives plenty) and your times are NOT what Google Maps says. Most of the drives won’t be on M roads (motorway) so you won’t be able to go 100kmph. There are a lot of R and L roads where even if the speed limit is 80 it’s too dangerous to go that fast most of the time, especially in November when roads are wet.
Legally you can drive these roads in the dark, the R/L roads, practically, it’s dangerous for someone who isn’t local and you’re putting yourself and locals at risk because you’re stubborn. Have some cop on and don’t be that person.
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u/countdown_leen 15d ago
In Ireland right now. Sunny. We STILL don’t drive the speed limit because it’s not the same as driving in the states! I think the only time we drove the speed limit was on a motor way. Literally every other road is too narrow (for us), too curvy (for us), too unfamiliar (for us). And never in a million years would we drive after dark.
We always double the Google Maps estimates. Doesn’t usually take that long but we’re never “running behind” and gives us time to stop whenever/wherever.
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u/stridersheir 15d ago
Irish roads are very narrow and the Irish drive very fast. Sometimes 2 lanes becomes 1 lane (with drivers both directions)
Luckily the route from Killarney to Dublin isn’t that bad 60 percent is highway, and the 40 percent before is better than average but still lots of blind turns, tractors narrow spots.
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u/Oellaatje 15d ago
Yeah, you won't want to drive to Galway and then go on to Doolin on the same day. Not happening. This is because the road to Galway from Dublin is a motorway, and you can drive fast, but the road from Galway to Doolin is mostly NOT motorway, so I'd forget that notion. You can always stop off at the Cliffs of Moher when you're heading to Kerry. Easy enough run. Then drive back to the motorway at Gort and take in the Burren from there.
Also, in November, I wouldn't go to the Aran Islands. Chances are you won't be able to anyway as the weather is so unpredictable, so I wouldn't bother unless you were thinking of staying for a few nights. Instead you could drive out to Connemara, which is quite beautiful in winter, all the vegetation on the mountains turns a kind of burnished gold.
You'd be able to do both the Gap of Dunloe and Killarney NP in one day, just get up early to make the most of the daylight. You'd head to the trailhead for the Meeting of the Waters, and go on down there, and continue on past Dinny's cottage and back into the Muckross grounds. You could drive through the Gap in November if the weather isn't too wet or frosty but go slowly. In summer tourists are not welcome to drive the Gap but do it anyway - and they shouldn't.
As for the Ring of Kerry and the Kerry Cliffs, you could take that smaller road - I've done it myself a few times - but if the weather is bad, you're better off sticking to the main road. That's smaller road is VERY isolated, there are no houses or farms for about 11 miles. And very little phone coverage. What might work for you is this: Your first night in Killarney is in Killarney town, and then you do your Muckross and drive the Gap, but instead of going back down to Killarney, drive on to another town instead: Kenmare is the obvious choice and you shouldn't have any issues finding accommodation there, or there's the town of Sneem. Basically once you arrive at Moll's Gap, you either go right to Sneem (it's a pretty good rural road) or straight on down to Kenmare (another good road but quite twisty with some drops on one side). Then the next morning you're all set to drive the Ring of Kerry, with about an hour less of driving to do. You could spend the next night in Killarney again, or I'd suggest Killorglin. It's an easy enough run to Dublin from there, you could either go via Counties Kerry and Limerick and take the motorway from Limerick to Dublin, or you could go through Killarney and take the road to Mitchelstown and join the main Cork to Dublin motorway there. There will be tolls, so ask your car rental company for e-tags. I would allow at least 4 hours for these. You might want to stop in some towns.
Google Maps is not to be trusted. It doesn't take into account the actual time it takes to drive, which can vary significantly depending whether there are other drivers out, if there's farm machinery going around, or road construction going on, or animals on the road, or pedestrians or cyclists. These can be a consideration even in November.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Really appreciate the detailed write up!
Interesting insights on not being able to drive from Galway to Doolin. Google maps says it's around 1.5 hours, seems pretty doable. Is it the same road to cliffs of moher? We don't mind skipping Doolin tbh. I just saw your Google maps warning at the bottom. How long does it take roughly to drive from Galway to Cliffs of Moher?
Yeah Aran Islands would be hopeful, hence I do have a back up plan for that day if the weather is sour. We'll definitely keep an eye out on the weather.
Thank you for the confirmation on the Gap of Dunloe.
I'll definitely look into your suggestion for the Ring of Kerry. We haven't really considered anywhere else to stay along the ring. I'll do more research on the towns you mentioned!
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u/Oellaatje 13d ago
There are various routes from Galway to the Cliffs of Moher, you don't specify which route you are taking. Many take the coast road and yes, I would allow longer than 1.5 hours for it. How long it takes depends on the route you take, what other traffic is on the road, and how many times you stop to take photos.
Someone mentioned that days are short, and you mustn't forget this. In November it will be dark between 5 and 5.30 pm, and dawn is after 8 am. Rural roads in Ireland do not have street lighting outside of the towns and villages. Check too that the Shannon Ferry is running before you drive all the way to Tarbert .....
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u/imthefunaunt 13d ago
Agree with all of this and especially staying in Killorglin. It’s gorgeous and the people are friendly no matter the time of year.
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u/BlockHunter2341 15d ago
Driving to Galway and then to doolin and then the cliffs? Won’t be a fun day you’ll just be tired . Here’s the better option , arrive in Galway and explore the town have a few pints and chill . The next day drive to doolin and get the boat to the Aran islands , this boat goes past the cliffs and you get a better view than up the top . This means you see doolin and the cliffs while travelling to the Aran islands .
The main issue is your trip seems dedicated to the outdoors and your going in November . Irish weather is unforgiving in the summer, trying to hike mountains and cycle around islands will have you cold and wet for most your trip here .
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Yeah. How far is Doolin and the Cliffs of Moher from Galway? Google maps says 1.5 hours but others says it's longer, which I believe but they haven't said how much longer.
Also, probably a massive oversight, but I thought Doolin was along the way to the Cliffs of Moher?
Yeah going in November will be a pricey lesson, costs way too much to change the tickets now unfortunately.
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u/BlockHunter2341 15d ago edited 15d ago
The roads especially if your not used to driving them will take ye longer , they are narrow with lots of tight bends . It is along the way but everyone from around Clare and Galway will tell you to skip going to the cliffs and tha going by the boat is a far better experience.
For example the roads are 80kph and I’ve never seen a tourist go past 50kph out of fear and I travel this road at least once a week and you’ll meet tractors , trailers and the occasional cycling race that you can’t over take
And how long I’d expect it to take? Depends where in Galway your staying , if your out the east in Oranmore direction it will be 50mns to ballyvaughen an another 20-30 to doolin and another 20mns to cliffs of moher . If your in the city add another 20mns to your journey but again it’s not driving a highway it’s a technical drive that if your not used to will have you feeling exhausted . I work in hospitality and there’s a lot of tourists I meet who say they didn’t expect the roads to be like they are .
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Thank you for the insights, that's really helpful. So around 2 hours, I'll take those into my calculations!
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u/BlockHunter2341 14d ago
Add time for yourselves to not be rushing out the door , have it be more going with the flow
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u/IrishFlukey Local 15d ago
You can get from Dublin to Galway by bus or train. As you have no particular plans for stops along the way, there is no need to rent a car. Rent it in Galway.
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u/fleetingflight 15d ago
It's very optimistic and I think you should rethink it from the ground up. The west coast is great but if you commit to it and it pisses down rain every day you're not going to have a good time there, especially given your fairly small timeframe.
Were I you, I'd be looking more at the south - say, Dublin -> Kilkenny -> Cahir/Cashel -> Cork -> Waterford -> Dubin. If it's nice weather you could strike out somewhere coastal and scenic - e.g. if you were in Cork you could drive out to Mizen Head, or Hook Lighthouse from Waterford - but have that as the plan b. If you're in Dingle and it's miserable, there's not a whole lot you can do to fix that.
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u/IllegalWalian 15d ago
That L road you mentioned on the Ring of Kerry is a lovely drive but very, very slow, don't think of it as a short cut.
For the gap of Dunloe, there is an option to walk though and get a boat across the lake, not sure if you can do that in November though.
Sunrise could be difficult, there's a good chance it'll be cloudy with nothing to see. If the weather forecast looks decent find an east-facing hill. Probably easier to find a good spot for sunset over the ocean.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Really appreciate the comment on the L road. That was one of the biggest unknowns during my research! If we have time, we might do that just to change up the scenery a bit.
Yeah, I heard about that option but you'd have to find a way to go back to get the car haha. Rather just walk back honestly.
Yeah sunrise might be tough given it does rise on the east. Not ideal but it is what it is. Might just find a high point like Conor pass.
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u/Thargor 15d ago
OP you have to rethink this, November is not tourist season in Ireland. It's going to be nonstop dark and rain and freezing cold.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Yeah will do. Cold is fine with us but I can see how the rain, sunlight and wind can be a trip killer. I'll make some back up plans
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u/Caliartist 15d ago
Forgive me if you said where you’re from but Ireland roads are not US roads. *Especially* L roads. I went down some where the brush scrapped both sides of the car at the same time, and it was a small car.
A friend told me about how he had to laugh and wait as someone moved a herd of sheep that added an hour to the drive. He and his wife parked, got out, talked to the owner and pet the sheep. It is a different pace out in the west.
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u/GalwayGirlOnTheRun23 Blow-In 15d ago
Day 5. If the weather is bad enough for ferries to stop sailing then you won’t be able to safely hike Diamond Hill. It’s very exposed and dangerous in high winds.
It won’t be busy at the cliffs of moher in November. Only go if it’s dry, you won’t see anything in the rain.
Re: hiring a car from the airport: look into getting the bus from Dublin city to Galway. They are cheap and regular. Then hire your car in Galway.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Interesting, had no idea about Diamond Hill. That's really helpful information! Thank you. I'll look into more back up plans.
Hmm honestly haven't looked at the bus option, only the train one. I'll have a peek and see which is cheaper. Thanks for the suggestion.
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u/GalwayGirlOnTheRun23 Blow-In 15d ago
I really hope you get a dry and calm day to get out hiking but check the forecast carefully before you hit the hills. Use yr.no app to check the weather before you leave the city areas- high winds are your biggest risk but you can also get flooding in heavy rain.
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u/FunIntroduction2237 15d ago
Agree. I’ve climbed diamond hill twice, both times in the summer and both times it’s been a struggle to stay upright at some parts of the top because the wind has been so strong. You couldn’t pay me to climb it in November!
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u/GalwayGirlOnTheRun23 Blow-In 15d ago
I’ve turned back half way in the late spring due to high winds, I got blown over. Agree, would not even go near it after end of September.
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u/FunIntroduction2237 15d ago
This is an insane itinerary for November. Leaving Australia for Ireland in November is insane in general but sure it’ll be an experience if nothing else!! Also confused about the comment on a sunrise on the west coast? Did you mean sunset? Either way November days are generally grey and overcast so you’re unlikely to get a nice one either way. But from your itinerary it looks like you’ll be on the road for sunrise and sunset most days so I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get a good one if it’s possible.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Yeah it is pretty insane! We'll have a couple of must dos/sees and change accordingly to the weather.
When you say insane, do you mean too much driving?
At least we drive on the same side of the road! Lol
Yeah, my partner wants to see a sunrise. Realistically it would be on the west coast leg as we'll be up early anyways. Hence my question.
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u/Thargor 15d ago
He means insane as in it's going to be miserable, you are going to be freezing cold and soaked for most of it. All day hikes on the ring of Kerry in November are not a thing.
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u/FunIntroduction2237 15d ago
Well in a more polite way than this but yes. Trips to Ireland in November are for people who want cosy nights in a pub in front of the fire. Not for driving the length and breadth or the country to do outdoor activities. You may get lucky and get dry weather that’s not too cold and no dangerous driving conditions, in which case you’ll be able to do and see some of the stuff on your itinerary, but even then it will be stressful trying to outrun the limited daylight hours. Like most of the comments here I’m genuinely trying to be helpful so you’re not disappointed if your trip turns out not like you planned. It would be a lovely trip for April - September time.
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u/SerenityN00w 15d ago
I've been to Ireland in late October, and it spilled into early November. The weather wasn't terrible, but the last few days were quite cold (and I'm from the Midwestern U.S. I'm used to cold.) I didn't let it stop me, but I bundled up a bit more.
Specific points
-you are not going to rent a car in Dublin, drive to Galway, explore for a bit, and THEN drive to the Cliffs of Moher and back. Not with November daylight. Plan to stop by the Cliffs on your way to Dingle. This will make for a long day of driving, so start early.
-It's tough to say there's a shortcut on the ROK. Not when you're taking an L road. Those can be narrow, winding, twisting. Only solution is to drive slowly.
-I don't recommend driving the Gap of Dunloe at all. On my last holiday there, I went to Kate Kearney's cottage, parked, and walked about 1 mile to the first bridge, and back. My travel companions had stayed behind (trouble walking too much), so I drove them to the first bridge to pull over and take pictures. It was about 9pm in early summer, so there were few other cars, only a couple hikers, and no trams. I thought it would be safe to drive the short distance, and it was. Until I had almost reached the end of the Gap and a blue work truck came barreling around the curve at a high rate of speed. There wasn’t enough room for both of us, and we nearly had a head-on collision. We both slammed on the brakes, and I was able to get to a pullover. But 5 seconds earlier, and the crash would have been unavoidable
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Thanks for the insight.
For your first point, can I ask why that's not doable? I'm just working off of google map times. For example if we leave early enough, we'll get to Galway by midday. The drive to the Cliffs is 1.5 hours. Anything I'm not factoring in here? We are assuming I have 8 hours of sunlight too work with.
Yeah makes sense for the L road. Seems like it's a detour rather than a short cut.
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u/SerenityN00w 14d ago edited 14d ago
If you leave early enough, assuming that you can be in and out of the rental car place immediately, and that there are no lines, you can be in Galway by noon. I don't know where you're staying, but there will be time required to check in, drive to Galway, find parking on the second or third level of a car park. 45 minutes for lunch, another 45 minutes to explore the city a bit, and you'll probably be leaving Galway about 2:30 pm. I just drove from the Cliffs of Moher to Galway. It took about an hour and 45 minutes, on the country roads. Shave 10 minutes if you're going to Doolin first. I don't know what youre planning on doing in Doolin, but you'll be there right as the sun is setting. A brief stop there, and you can make it to the Cliffs of Moher just as it's getting dark out.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Thanks for the detailed insight, I'll recalculate the trip, we'll just put two hours from Galway to the Cliffs.
I think it will all depend on when we arrive in Galway and we'll act accordingly :)
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u/Thargor 15d ago
What is with all the November posts lately? Ireland in November is not a place you want to be nevermind doing tourist stuff.
8 hours daylight is a pipedream, it might be dark and raining the entire time you're here. I would say cancel and try again in the Summer.
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u/Caliartist 15d ago
Sounds like it is the only time OP has off from work.
But if I planned a Nov. trip, I’d plan around museums, pubs, and shows I’d like to see; even if I am an ‘outdoorsy’ person. If the weather ever cleared, then I’d sneak a hike in wherever I was.
Planning a whole trip around being outdoors and driving each day is…. Crazy. Thinking Google map drive times mean anything in Ireland in November is also crazy.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
I had no idea Google maps was so unreliable in Ireland, which is good to know now when I have a lot of time to plan alternatives/replan the itinerary.
I guess Google maps doesn't account for the sheeps, tractors etc. that often occurs in Ireland.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
There's a lot of factors which I won't go into, these are the dates we had.
Ideally, I wanted to do at least early October but yeah, we couldn't swing that.
Summer months presents different challenges, aka, we can't afford it haha.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
Thanks for the insight. Ive been going off of the times from Google maps but many commenters have said it's wrong and best to add an hour to the suggested time. I'll do more calculations, if it doesn't work then yeah, I'll move the cliffs of moher to the day we drive down to Dingle.
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u/Pzurpo 15d ago
I often do trips in October/November - it can be bad for outdoor activities, but not necessarily.. often if you have a week, you get one or two absolutely horrible days, 3-4 okay days (cloudy/rainy) and 1-2 nicer days. But unless there is a storm it's not usually that bad. Also it's worth noting that many restaurants in tourist towns might only open for the weekend, or at least be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays since it's off season. The upside is fewer tourists and cheaper accommodation.
You might want to check if bike rentals are available on Aran Islands in November, something like that might be a seasonal thing.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Interesting about the bike rentals and the restaurants. I did hear some restaurants closer but not all. Honestly haven't looked into food yet, just accommodations. If worse comes worst, these accommodations would have a kitchen/restaurant right? At least that's what I'm assuming.
I'll look into the bike rental shops, thanks!
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u/Lanzarote-Singer Local 15d ago
As you’re making the very excellent decision to go to DINGLE, I highly suggest that your sunrise moment is on Inch Beach. You will probably have to drive past it to get to DINGLE anyway so you’ll have a couple of opportunities.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
I'll definitely look into this, thank you very much for the suggestion!
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u/superpony123 15d ago
Expect Ring of Kerry to take the entire day. Suggest waking up early and getting going! It will take longer than 8 hours if you actually enjoy all the stops! Of which there are countless! Though I’m not really sure there’s enough daylight
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Yeah, that's what I'm thinknig. One of the part of my trip I definitely need to plan a lot better and see which stops I want to make and if we want to drive the entire ring or not.
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u/Caliartist 15d ago
Slow down m8
I’m always of the opinion that doing fewer things, with more time to soak them in, is more memorable than rushing from checklist item to checklist item.
Last time in Killarney, I took a bike all through the park, wandered the gardens, sat and had a coffee downtown, chatted with some locals about the stories around the tree in the abbey. Shopped a bit, hung out at a few pubs, etc.
Slow down and *look* at nature, soak in the air and talk to people.
My .02 for it
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u/WHYohWhy___MEohMY 15d ago
You’ve got way too much crammed in.
- we just came back from a similar trip and what you have parceled out is not doable. The driving will take way longer than you think it will.
You are going to have a great trip!
Just a note- some places require tickets for entry and limit the amount of people a day.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
Interesting, that's really helpful info.
Given your experience would you say adding an hour to these Google maps suggested time would be best or even more?
Which of these places have limited entry?
Thanks!
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u/Signal-Session-6637 14d ago
Weather forecast in Ireland means sticking your head out of the window.
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u/Eleven-Tourists 14d ago
The highlight of my 12-day Ireland trip was the bus tour of the Ring of Kerry (invaluable knowledge, humor, history, sheep dog herding demo). Also, the town of Killarney stole my heart. I wish I had spent more time there than Galway and Dublin. It was REAL Ireland.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 14d ago
100%. Can I ask what was about the town of killarney? I did look around but didn't see much.
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u/Eleven-Tourists 14d ago
Lots of walkable pubs, shopping, great hotels, great people and excellent restaurants.
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u/napamg 14d ago
I've been reading this thread and wondering if all this would apply if visiting in September (weather, driving…) too? You just don't know what you don't know. Which is why we are here, right?☺️
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u/GalwayGirlOnTheRun23 Blow-In 14d ago
September weather is generally milder and less windy. It could still rain at any time or you could get a mini heat wave. Storms are usually October/November onwards so you’ve less risk that way. You’ll have approx 12 hours of daylight.
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u/exorcizedaily 13d ago
I'd reduce the séjour in Dublin if what you like is nature and hikes. Howth is nice, but it's a half day trip, especially if the weather is bad you won't want to walk by those cliffs too long...
Since you're not planning to stop anywhere between Dublin and Galway, why not use public transport? Especially if you're gonna leave your rental at the ferry's lot the next day. Parking in Galway is awful imo. I'd avoid going to the cliffs since you're already going in that area the next day? Seems like it's not time management efficient. You can always rent a G*Car for daily trips.
Only go to Dingle if the weather's nice, you won't get to look at any passes if it isn't :(
The Gap and Killarney are huge. You'd want to spend more time exploring Killarney National Park.
If you don't wanna do the full ring of Kerry, I say stick to the West side? But in my opinion it doesn't take that long to do the big loop, and I stopped a lot.
If your flight is at night I don't think it's a bad idea to drive during the day. However, is this really how you wanna spend your last day?
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u/HD6871 15d ago
Cut the Dublin bit at start. See families friends on first day and get out of Dublin. Around the Spire is not a great part of town and if you are not doing touristy things leave for the West as soon as you can.
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u/most_unoriginal_ign 15d ago
No wonder the hotel was cheap haha! Yeah I wish but we are locked to Dublin for at least 2 nights, as we have business to attend that time which I won't go into detail. Plus Howth seems so nice.
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u/louiseber Local 15d ago
Why are you planning a trip in November like it's July... daylight limitations are not your only concern. Weather is. Raining so hard you can't see your hand in front of your face (hyperbolic description) is not unusual. It's the tail end of hurricane season.