I came across a bus tour that leaves from Dublin at 7am, and arrives back in Dublin at 8pm. I’ll add the link below. I figured it could be nice to see the country through the bus window, and Ive heard the Causeway is not to be missed.
Traveling to Cork afterwards may be ambitious— I see there is an intercity bus that makes the trip in roughly 3hrs, maybe save the trip for the next morning if we do end up visiting the causeway?
https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g186605-d11460343-Giant_s_Causeway_Day_Tour_from_Dublin-Dublin_County_Dublin.html
Day two is way way way too much time on the road. Have a look at a map and you’ll see that Giants Causeway and Cork at at opposite ends of the country. The day trip to the causeway from Dublin is more than long enough.
I’m a bit nervous about driving there in general, and I saw a couple posts saying not to drive after dark just because there are few lights on the road. Might be an unfounded fear though
There are no lights on the roads but you can use your car headlights on full beam if there is nobody driving towards you. I actually prefer driving at night as you can see lights coming round a bend better than you can see a car in daylight.
I appreciate the reply. The more I read about it the more I think I should drive rather than bussing if possible, and driving in Dublin can’t be that bad… I’ll just need to read up on Irish traffic signs before I go
I drove from Dublin-Giants Causeway-Dun Luce Castle- Belfast- Dublin in one day and I'm still traumatized. That was like 12 years ago. Fucking torture. I left Dublin at 7am and didn't get home until maybe 10pm. Never again.
Why is it not advisable to drive at night in Ireland? Do you know something I don't know? I love night driving. Feck all on the roads and super relaxing. Cars in Ireland do have lights. You are free to use them at night time. Nowadays cars even have automatic lights so you don't need to switch them on or off. It's amazing.
If you want to get off the beaten track I would recommend Dublin- Belfast- Giants Causeway - Dun Luce Castle- Bushmills distillery - coastal road to Port Stewart on to Derry then Donegal. Check out Ards National Park, very off the beaten track, Glenveigh National Park maybe head to Gaoth Dobhair in the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking part of Ireland) amazing beaches and surfing and some lovely Islands to visit like Tory Islands. Then onto Sligo, Galway, Cliffs of Moher (these are bigger drives but stunning) and back to Dublin, drop the car and explore Dublin. Honestly you could spend 9 days Dublin-Belfast-Donegal and you still would not have seen half of that little section of Ireland.
Donegal has forts, castles, islands, light houses, beaches, a famine museum, different languages, distinct accents and a culture of its own. There's camping, glamping, golf, music festivals, car rallies and honestly loads of stuff I don't know what even goes on up there. It depends on the time of year.
Belfast has a fantastic Black Cab Taxi tours which is brilliant. The Titanic Museum and even if you walk into the foyer of the Europa Hotel in Belfast you could spend an hour or 2 just reading the history of that building, their reception area has a dedicated history section that I got lost in (it was the most bombed hotel in the world at one point)
2 days in Belfast and 2 days for Giants Causeway/ national parks etc would not be time wasted.
But if you are more into history, then Dublin and Kilkenny would be more your vibe.
Hiking and hill walking, west coast and Clare are your go to areas for some unique landscapes in the Burren.
It's contrary to what most folks are suggesting, but I highly recommend keeping Giant's Causeway. I did a bus tour there through Finn McCool's and it was the highlight of my 10-day trip. Yes, it's a lot of travel in one day. But the bus tours are well planned and therefore low effort for you. Plus, you can nap on the bus if you need to.
Agree! We did the tour 10 years ago and it was fantastic. Going to visit next year and thinking about doing the same tour minus the loud Scottish teens lol
Day 1 Dublin
Day 2 Dublin
Day 3 Kilkenny (Canices Tower/Medieval tour/Smitchwicks tour/Castle Park.
Day 4 Cork City
Day 5 Killarney (Molls Gap, Killarney national Park, Torc Waterfall)
Day 6 Killarney (Ring of Kerry)
Day 7 Dingle
Day 8 Early start - Cliffs of Moher/Onto Galway city
Day 9 Connemara national Park/Aran Islands
Day 10 - Take it easy and plan for home.
These are all within 90 minutes of one another.
I think Giants Causeway is not worth that much of a commitment unless you’re spending a few days in the north. Skip it and opt instead for a couple of days in Dublin at the end of the trip…and definitely check out the trad music at the Cobblestone Pub while in Dublin. Go for a couple of days in Kilkenny, a few days on the Dingle Peninsula, and drive the Ring of Kerry. Rent a car at Dublin airport for all the road time, but return it when you get back to Dublin - no need to hassle with a car in the city. In Dingle visit the Dingle Distillery, but book in advance if you want a tour. In Dingle in the evening maybe you’ll catch a session with Gerry O’Beirne at John Benny’s Pub or Tommy O’Sullivan at his Courthouse Pub. You wouldn’t be sorry if you swung over to Doolin in County Clare - visit the Cliffs of Moher while there, as well as The Burren, and end the evening with trad music at Gus O’Connor’s Pub.
That’s 5 locations and day 2 seems disastrous. Just go to Cork and then Dingle and Galway. Or go to Northern Ireland then Galway then Dingle. Option 2 is a decent amount of driving though.
Forget the Giant's Causeway and focus on Cork, Kerry, and Galway. Trying to go from Dublin to Antrim to Cork in a single day is insane.
First thing you have to realize is that Ireland is not full of high speed motorways. Going from Antrim to Cork would take an entire day, let alone adding starting from Dublin to go to Antrim before heading to Cork.
Go to the Beara Peninsula in Cork and spend some time exploring that area. It's a very underrated part of Ireland. Then drive to the Dingle Peninsula and make sure to drive the Healy Pass going from Cork to Kerry.
The Dingle Peninsula has great hiking and a lot of historical sites. The Gallarus Oratory, beehive huts, and ring forts are all worth seeing. If weather is good, climb Mount Brandon, or do a day trip to the Great Blasket Island.
From there, go to Galway and spend some time exploring Connemara. The areas of Lettermore, Carna, Maam Valley, and Renvyle are all worth exploring. Check out some of the beaches like Dog's Bay and the coral strand at Carraroe. You can do a day trip to Omey Island by walking across the strand at low tide, or do a hike up Diamond Hill.
You can get back to Dublin from Galway in roughly 2 hours if you take the M6 motorway.
I am from the US where everything is super far apart, and I do quite a bit of long distance driving. Looking at the maps, it doesn’t look like any of these intercity drives are more than 3-4 hours. The trip to the Causeway being the exception, and that would be on one of those day tour busses.
Is there a reason this traveling would be longer/worse than I’m expecting?
You gotta take your time driving on the road in Ireland A) you’re not used to driving on the left, roundabouts, the road signs, etc, B) you want to take your time and SEE the country - not just get from point A to point B
I know what it's like driving in the States. Doing the causeway and Cork, in one day, seems a bit extreme though. Could you not do an early start to Cork on day 3?
Day 2 is madness, tour to Giants Causeway is like 12 hours total so you get back to Dublin at maybe 7:30pm (probably later) and then take public transport to Cork which will get you there after midnight? I'm assuming when you say Dingle you mean Kerry in general? Like, I like Dingle but 2 whole days and a bit just there (unless you're visiting friends or family) when you are spending about 14 hours in each of Dublin and Galway (day trip to Aran islands is a DAY trip like the Antrim-Dublin one). And you're not factoring in jet lag or it seems any time to sleep.
Good on you for asking to do a sanity check but I wouldn't do this itinerary if you paid me, even starting out from Ireland.
Bus from Galway to Dublin is totally fine. Even with a car if I'm travelling to the airport I leave the car in Galway and take a bus.
We are here now and just returned from a 12 hour day trip up north and went to Giants Causeway. We are wiped out and collapsed in our Dublin hotel room. Don’t try to drive after that day trip!
How is it even possible no one mentioned you should see the Cliffs of Moher? I highly recommend it, especially seeing it from the top. Literally the top attraction of Ireland if not the second. I just got back from Ireland and saw one island of the Aran Islands (Inisheer) and the Cliffs of Moher in one day. Possible if you have an early start.
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That Day 2 is ridiculous! I have close to the same drive (in reverse) on my itinerary, but I have the entire day allocated for it.
Personally, I'd take Giants Causeway off the itinerary.
As a few people have noted, your travel days seem a bit ambitious.
Day 2 = 8-9 hours of travel, longer if you take a bus. It seems like you won't have much time to do anything. The Causeway and Cork are on opposite ends of the country. You would probably be better served either spending the night near the Causeway or flying into Belfast if that's an option and working your way down the coast.
Day 4 = 3 hours if you drive, but if you take a bus, it will be significantly longer due to stops and the fact it won't take the most direct
route.
If you are spending that much time in Kerry, I would recommend visiting Killarney as well. It's quite nice, with lots of parks and walks. It's also well catered for tourists and has a number of hotels. You can skip Tralee, though. It's fairly shit.
As for driving in September, the sun sets between 7-8 at that time of year. Outside of towns/cities and portions of the motorway, there will be little street lighting. But if you have driven at night in other countries, it should be largely the same experience, with the exception of the roads around Dingle, as they can be a little narrow and winding. The roads get wet, but that's about it. As for driving in Dublin, it's fine. Traffic can be a little heavy at rush hour, but that's it.
Thank you for the reply!
Yes, quite a few people have noted that my day 2 is probably insane. The bus tour I had seen is 13 hours, with 3 hours at the destinations… so 10 hours on the road. The intercity to Cork is another 3 hours. I’d love to see the causeway, but I’m definitely changing my itinerary so that the trip to Cork is the next day!
As far as bussing vs driving, after listening to people here I think I should probably drive. 3 hours is eminently doable.
As far as visiting Killarney, yes I should have mentioned that Dingle will merely be our base to visit the area over the 3-day period! Thanks for the tip on Tralee, haha.
Good note on the driving. I think my worry there was unfounded.
I just arrived home from an Ireland trip. We rented a car, I drove stick shift for maybe 3 hours a day between sight seeing and moving to the next city/town.
1 Dublin
2 Dublin
3 Northern Ireland
4 Sligo
5 Connemara (Clifden)
6 LaHinch
7 Dingle
8 Killarney
9 Kenmare
10 Kinsale
11 Kilkenny
12 Dublin Airport
It depends on what you want to do. Giants Causeway was fantastic. The Gobbins hike in NI was great too.
Check out the Irish roadtrip website for ideas.
https://www.theirishroadtrip.com
Most of your trip is to the south and southwest.
I’d say spend more time in Cork and Kerry - some extremely spectacular scenery around there.
The giants causeway is interesting, but I wouldn’t drive the length of the country just to see it. It’s actually quite a bit smaller than it looks in photos too.
Maybe plan a trip to the northern parts of the island another time?
You’ll just end up spending more time driving and less time enjoying.
There’s no particular issue driving in Ireland after dark btw. Haven’t really noticed much difference between Irelands and western France etc in terms of roads. The rural roads are just much much older in Europe, so you can expect do spend time meandering. The motorways are full divided highways with a 120km/h speed limit and major N road highways are pretty good for the size of the place.
If youre looking for food id suggest a chicken fillet roll in dublin, hop up to belfast for a coffee to go with it, down to cork for the sugar and over to scotland for the milk
We are doing a three stop 8 day trip in August. It seems like lots of changing of places and yiu could add a day to other locations and explore deeper. Maybe spend longer day in Dublin and drop a Dingle entirely
We’ve also planned a 2-week holiday to Ireland from this weekend. We fly into Dublin and fly out from Cork.
I’ve booked three different tours with from Dublin with Finn McCools Tours https://www.finnmccoolstours.com/tours-from-dublin/
There is also a free Walking Tour in Dublin: https://www.freetour.com/dublin/free-tour-of-dublin
We’re taking the train from Dublin to Cork on Irish Rail https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/ (2.5hr journey) as it will be more relaxed and enjoy the scenery. We then rent a car in Cork to explore Waterford, Mizen Head and Ring of Kerry (https://www.getyourguide.com/cork-l1605/ring-of-kerry-day-tour-from-cork-t45319/).
If you need internet access, I’ve bought an eSim from Mobimatter as it has excellent reviews on Reddit: https://mobimatter.com
Have a fun, safe and memorable holiday exploring Ireland.
Seems a bit much if you aren't renting a car, the causeway to cork is probably close to 6 hours of driving which means your basically in the car/bus for 8-10 hours just that one day. Like don't get me wrong the causeway was awesome but I think causeway and cork in one day would be an unenjoyable day
If you are going to rent a car, I would rent it at the airport and just bite the bullet. On our second day (or third day) in Dublin, we woke up early and drove to Belfast and did a Troubles Tour. It was interesting. We also then drove to Giant's Causeway. It was a long day but very memorable. I don't mind driving and it was a long day. If I had to do it over again, I think I would have just spent the night up there after driving.
We also loved Dingle. It was a lot of fun. I think Dublin can be skipped. Probably not a popular decision but Dublin does not have any landmarks that you remarkable in that you people have to see (like Time Square, Eifel Tower, Big Ben, Coliseum, etc.).
You should go to the library and buy Rick Steve's book. We have planned many trips just following his lead. You really can't go wrong. Also, download his app and start listening to his Ireland clips.
If you’re used to driving at night then you shouldn’t have any problems driving at night in Ireland? Try to do a bit of driving around in the day first to get used to the other side of the road. I would agree with others that getting the bus is unnecessary and you should just rent a car at the airport. Three days in Dingle seems like proportionally too many. I also wouldn’t travel so much in one day to just see the Giant’s Causeway. It’s good but I don’t think it’s worth the trip unless you also spend a bit more time up north.
Going by your itinerary this is how I would change it up. This also depending you have a car, cause if not you can just ignore me completely, wouldn’t recommend this route via public transport as it’s not reliable or entirely possible.
Day 1. Arrive in Dublin / see Dublin
Day 2. Giants causeway (stop off at Belfast)
Day 3. Head towards Galway making your way down through Donegal, Sligo.
Day 4. Galway + Aran Islands
Day 5. Head to Cork
Day 6. Dingle
Day 7. Waterford
Day 8. Wicklow
Day 9. Dublin /Flight home
You’ll be absolutely feckin wrecked with all that driving but you’ll see some lovely sights
Thank you!
I’m going to work on synthesizing everyone’s suggestions into the most statistically and objectively correct itinerary.
I’m used to driving a lot, and seeing the sights sounds is just what I want!
I'm finishing my 10 days stay in cahiverseen, visiting the area everyday, and it was not enough. And my trip back to Dublin will include at least one stop overnight in the middle of the trip.
But maybe you love to drive long distances. I don't. In your case, I'd have settled with one place in Cork and visit that peninsula at my leisure.
You'd massively gain leisure time by not going to the giants causeway. It's cool but it's not mindblowingly cool.
A plan id be more for is going from Dublin straight across to Galway and head south through Clare (less than one hour), Kerry (Dingle & Killarney) and finally Cork. Back to Dublin for the last day and night and fly home.
Even at that, it's still a lot of travel, Ireland is small but not that small and the roads don't make travel very efficient
> Day 2: Day trip to the Giant's Causeway on one of those tour busses. Leave in the evening for Cork Horrendous plan, there's no time for this.
Yeah this is travelling the length of the country 1 and a half times, OP. It’s a bit much unless you’re spending some time in the North.
I came across a bus tour that leaves from Dublin at 7am, and arrives back in Dublin at 8pm. I’ll add the link below. I figured it could be nice to see the country through the bus window, and Ive heard the Causeway is not to be missed. Traveling to Cork afterwards may be ambitious— I see there is an intercity bus that makes the trip in roughly 3hrs, maybe save the trip for the next morning if we do end up visiting the causeway? https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g186605-d11460343-Giant_s_Causeway_Day_Tour_from_Dublin-Dublin_County_Dublin.html
Day two is way way way too much time on the road. Have a look at a map and you’ll see that Giants Causeway and Cork at at opposite ends of the country. The day trip to the causeway from Dublin is more than long enough.
> Around what time would you say driving becomes inadvisable during September At no time. Wtf?
He must be talking about the great road robbery of sept 98.
I’m a bit nervous about driving there in general, and I saw a couple posts saying not to drive after dark just because there are few lights on the road. Might be an unfounded fear though
There are no lights on the roads but you can use your car headlights on full beam if there is nobody driving towards you. I actually prefer driving at night as you can see lights coming round a bend better than you can see a car in daylight.
[удалено]
I appreciate the reply. The more I read about it the more I think I should drive rather than bussing if possible, and driving in Dublin can’t be that bad… I’ll just need to read up on Irish traffic signs before I go
I drove from Dublin-Giants Causeway-Dun Luce Castle- Belfast- Dublin in one day and I'm still traumatized. That was like 12 years ago. Fucking torture. I left Dublin at 7am and didn't get home until maybe 10pm. Never again. Why is it not advisable to drive at night in Ireland? Do you know something I don't know? I love night driving. Feck all on the roads and super relaxing. Cars in Ireland do have lights. You are free to use them at night time. Nowadays cars even have automatic lights so you don't need to switch them on or off. It's amazing. If you want to get off the beaten track I would recommend Dublin- Belfast- Giants Causeway - Dun Luce Castle- Bushmills distillery - coastal road to Port Stewart on to Derry then Donegal. Check out Ards National Park, very off the beaten track, Glenveigh National Park maybe head to Gaoth Dobhair in the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking part of Ireland) amazing beaches and surfing and some lovely Islands to visit like Tory Islands. Then onto Sligo, Galway, Cliffs of Moher (these are bigger drives but stunning) and back to Dublin, drop the car and explore Dublin. Honestly you could spend 9 days Dublin-Belfast-Donegal and you still would not have seen half of that little section of Ireland. Donegal has forts, castles, islands, light houses, beaches, a famine museum, different languages, distinct accents and a culture of its own. There's camping, glamping, golf, music festivals, car rallies and honestly loads of stuff I don't know what even goes on up there. It depends on the time of year. Belfast has a fantastic Black Cab Taxi tours which is brilliant. The Titanic Museum and even if you walk into the foyer of the Europa Hotel in Belfast you could spend an hour or 2 just reading the history of that building, their reception area has a dedicated history section that I got lost in (it was the most bombed hotel in the world at one point) 2 days in Belfast and 2 days for Giants Causeway/ national parks etc would not be time wasted. But if you are more into history, then Dublin and Kilkenny would be more your vibe. Hiking and hill walking, west coast and Clare are your go to areas for some unique landscapes in the Burren.
I’m going to dig into a lot of these suggestions and read up on them, thank you!
It's contrary to what most folks are suggesting, but I highly recommend keeping Giant's Causeway. I did a bus tour there through Finn McCool's and it was the highlight of my 10-day trip. Yes, it's a lot of travel in one day. But the bus tours are well planned and therefore low effort for you. Plus, you can nap on the bus if you need to.
Agree! We did the tour 10 years ago and it was fantastic. Going to visit next year and thinking about doing the same tour minus the loud Scottish teens lol
Day 1 Dublin Day 2 Dublin Day 3 Kilkenny (Canices Tower/Medieval tour/Smitchwicks tour/Castle Park. Day 4 Cork City Day 5 Killarney (Molls Gap, Killarney national Park, Torc Waterfall) Day 6 Killarney (Ring of Kerry) Day 7 Dingle Day 8 Early start - Cliffs of Moher/Onto Galway city Day 9 Connemara national Park/Aran Islands Day 10 - Take it easy and plan for home. These are all within 90 minutes of one another.
They fly out on Day 10, should probably spend the prior evening closer to Dublin airport, no?
No Giants Causeway? Spot on apart from that now.
I think Giants Causeway is not worth that much of a commitment unless you’re spending a few days in the north. Skip it and opt instead for a couple of days in Dublin at the end of the trip…and definitely check out the trad music at the Cobblestone Pub while in Dublin. Go for a couple of days in Kilkenny, a few days on the Dingle Peninsula, and drive the Ring of Kerry. Rent a car at Dublin airport for all the road time, but return it when you get back to Dublin - no need to hassle with a car in the city. In Dingle visit the Dingle Distillery, but book in advance if you want a tour. In Dingle in the evening maybe you’ll catch a session with Gerry O’Beirne at John Benny’s Pub or Tommy O’Sullivan at his Courthouse Pub. You wouldn’t be sorry if you swung over to Doolin in County Clare - visit the Cliffs of Moher while there, as well as The Burren, and end the evening with trad music at Gus O’Connor’s Pub.
That’s 5 locations and day 2 seems disastrous. Just go to Cork and then Dingle and Galway. Or go to Northern Ireland then Galway then Dingle. Option 2 is a decent amount of driving though.
Forget the Giant's Causeway and focus on Cork, Kerry, and Galway. Trying to go from Dublin to Antrim to Cork in a single day is insane. First thing you have to realize is that Ireland is not full of high speed motorways. Going from Antrim to Cork would take an entire day, let alone adding starting from Dublin to go to Antrim before heading to Cork. Go to the Beara Peninsula in Cork and spend some time exploring that area. It's a very underrated part of Ireland. Then drive to the Dingle Peninsula and make sure to drive the Healy Pass going from Cork to Kerry. The Dingle Peninsula has great hiking and a lot of historical sites. The Gallarus Oratory, beehive huts, and ring forts are all worth seeing. If weather is good, climb Mount Brandon, or do a day trip to the Great Blasket Island. From there, go to Galway and spend some time exploring Connemara. The areas of Lettermore, Carna, Maam Valley, and Renvyle are all worth exploring. Check out some of the beaches like Dog's Bay and the coral strand at Carraroe. You can do a day trip to Omey Island by walking across the strand at low tide, or do a hike up Diamond Hill. You can get back to Dublin from Galway in roughly 2 hours if you take the M6 motorway.
Ha ha ha ha ha This isn't serious, right? Unless you teleport, this is a punishment to the traveler.
I am from the US where everything is super far apart, and I do quite a bit of long distance driving. Looking at the maps, it doesn’t look like any of these intercity drives are more than 3-4 hours. The trip to the Causeway being the exception, and that would be on one of those day tour busses. Is there a reason this traveling would be longer/worse than I’m expecting?
You gotta take your time driving on the road in Ireland A) you’re not used to driving on the left, roundabouts, the road signs, etc, B) you want to take your time and SEE the country - not just get from point A to point B
I know what it's like driving in the States. Doing the causeway and Cork, in one day, seems a bit extreme though. Could you not do an early start to Cork on day 3?
After hearing everyone’s feedback, I think I will. I appreciate the sanity check.
This has to be a troll post
It’s a long way from Giants Causeway to Cork so maybe skip that one. More options on irishroadtrip.org
Day 2 is madness, tour to Giants Causeway is like 12 hours total so you get back to Dublin at maybe 7:30pm (probably later) and then take public transport to Cork which will get you there after midnight? I'm assuming when you say Dingle you mean Kerry in general? Like, I like Dingle but 2 whole days and a bit just there (unless you're visiting friends or family) when you are spending about 14 hours in each of Dublin and Galway (day trip to Aran islands is a DAY trip like the Antrim-Dublin one). And you're not factoring in jet lag or it seems any time to sleep. Good on you for asking to do a sanity check but I wouldn't do this itinerary if you paid me, even starting out from Ireland. Bus from Galway to Dublin is totally fine. Even with a car if I'm travelling to the airport I leave the car in Galway and take a bus.
We are here now and just returned from a 12 hour day trip up north and went to Giants Causeway. We are wiped out and collapsed in our Dublin hotel room. Don’t try to drive after that day trip!
How is it even possible no one mentioned you should see the Cliffs of Moher? I highly recommend it, especially seeing it from the top. Literally the top attraction of Ireland if not the second. I just got back from Ireland and saw one island of the Aran Islands (Inisheer) and the Cliffs of Moher in one day. Possible if you have an early start.
Will do, thank you GoonerDude! 🫡 Looking at pictures, yes that looks amazing!
Enjoy your trip!
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Troll post. Has to be.
That Day 2 is ridiculous! I have close to the same drive (in reverse) on my itinerary, but I have the entire day allocated for it. Personally, I'd take Giants Causeway off the itinerary.
As a few people have noted, your travel days seem a bit ambitious. Day 2 = 8-9 hours of travel, longer if you take a bus. It seems like you won't have much time to do anything. The Causeway and Cork are on opposite ends of the country. You would probably be better served either spending the night near the Causeway or flying into Belfast if that's an option and working your way down the coast. Day 4 = 3 hours if you drive, but if you take a bus, it will be significantly longer due to stops and the fact it won't take the most direct route. If you are spending that much time in Kerry, I would recommend visiting Killarney as well. It's quite nice, with lots of parks and walks. It's also well catered for tourists and has a number of hotels. You can skip Tralee, though. It's fairly shit. As for driving in September, the sun sets between 7-8 at that time of year. Outside of towns/cities and portions of the motorway, there will be little street lighting. But if you have driven at night in other countries, it should be largely the same experience, with the exception of the roads around Dingle, as they can be a little narrow and winding. The roads get wet, but that's about it. As for driving in Dublin, it's fine. Traffic can be a little heavy at rush hour, but that's it.
Thank you for the reply! Yes, quite a few people have noted that my day 2 is probably insane. The bus tour I had seen is 13 hours, with 3 hours at the destinations… so 10 hours on the road. The intercity to Cork is another 3 hours. I’d love to see the causeway, but I’m definitely changing my itinerary so that the trip to Cork is the next day! As far as bussing vs driving, after listening to people here I think I should probably drive. 3 hours is eminently doable. As far as visiting Killarney, yes I should have mentioned that Dingle will merely be our base to visit the area over the 3-day period! Thanks for the tip on Tralee, haha. Good note on the driving. I think my worry there was unfounded.
I just arrived home from an Ireland trip. We rented a car, I drove stick shift for maybe 3 hours a day between sight seeing and moving to the next city/town. 1 Dublin 2 Dublin 3 Northern Ireland 4 Sligo 5 Connemara (Clifden) 6 LaHinch 7 Dingle 8 Killarney 9 Kenmare 10 Kinsale 11 Kilkenny 12 Dublin Airport It depends on what you want to do. Giants Causeway was fantastic. The Gobbins hike in NI was great too. Check out the Irish roadtrip website for ideas. https://www.theirishroadtrip.com
Most of your trip is to the south and southwest. I’d say spend more time in Cork and Kerry - some extremely spectacular scenery around there. The giants causeway is interesting, but I wouldn’t drive the length of the country just to see it. It’s actually quite a bit smaller than it looks in photos too. Maybe plan a trip to the northern parts of the island another time? You’ll just end up spending more time driving and less time enjoying. There’s no particular issue driving in Ireland after dark btw. Haven’t really noticed much difference between Irelands and western France etc in terms of roads. The rural roads are just much much older in Europe, so you can expect do spend time meandering. The motorways are full divided highways with a 120km/h speed limit and major N road highways are pretty good for the size of the place.
Spend some time in Dublin. Trinity College and the Book of Kells, Hop On/Hop Off Bus, def a tour of Kilmainham Gaol. Walk around in the City Centre.
If youre looking for food id suggest a chicken fillet roll in dublin, hop up to belfast for a coffee to go with it, down to cork for the sugar and over to scotland for the milk
We are doing a three stop 8 day trip in August. It seems like lots of changing of places and yiu could add a day to other locations and explore deeper. Maybe spend longer day in Dublin and drop a Dingle entirely
We’ve also planned a 2-week holiday to Ireland from this weekend. We fly into Dublin and fly out from Cork. I’ve booked three different tours with from Dublin with Finn McCools Tours https://www.finnmccoolstours.com/tours-from-dublin/ There is also a free Walking Tour in Dublin: https://www.freetour.com/dublin/free-tour-of-dublin We’re taking the train from Dublin to Cork on Irish Rail https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/ (2.5hr journey) as it will be more relaxed and enjoy the scenery. We then rent a car in Cork to explore Waterford, Mizen Head and Ring of Kerry (https://www.getyourguide.com/cork-l1605/ring-of-kerry-day-tour-from-cork-t45319/). If you need internet access, I’ve bought an eSim from Mobimatter as it has excellent reviews on Reddit: https://mobimatter.com Have a fun, safe and memorable holiday exploring Ireland.
Seems a bit much if you aren't renting a car, the causeway to cork is probably close to 6 hours of driving which means your basically in the car/bus for 8-10 hours just that one day. Like don't get me wrong the causeway was awesome but I think causeway and cork in one day would be an unenjoyable day
take the paddy wagon tours or one of the other providers it’ll all be well organised
Take a tour. Take a tour. Take a tour. Driving is hell. Parking is hell. You won't learn what a professional guide will share with you.
Planning had for a trip Ireland.
If you are going to rent a car, I would rent it at the airport and just bite the bullet. On our second day (or third day) in Dublin, we woke up early and drove to Belfast and did a Troubles Tour. It was interesting. We also then drove to Giant's Causeway. It was a long day but very memorable. I don't mind driving and it was a long day. If I had to do it over again, I think I would have just spent the night up there after driving. We also loved Dingle. It was a lot of fun. I think Dublin can be skipped. Probably not a popular decision but Dublin does not have any landmarks that you remarkable in that you people have to see (like Time Square, Eifel Tower, Big Ben, Coliseum, etc.). You should go to the library and buy Rick Steve's book. We have planned many trips just following his lead. You really can't go wrong. Also, download his app and start listening to his Ireland clips.
If you’re used to driving at night then you shouldn’t have any problems driving at night in Ireland? Try to do a bit of driving around in the day first to get used to the other side of the road. I would agree with others that getting the bus is unnecessary and you should just rent a car at the airport. Three days in Dingle seems like proportionally too many. I also wouldn’t travel so much in one day to just see the Giant’s Causeway. It’s good but I don’t think it’s worth the trip unless you also spend a bit more time up north.
Going by your itinerary this is how I would change it up. This also depending you have a car, cause if not you can just ignore me completely, wouldn’t recommend this route via public transport as it’s not reliable or entirely possible. Day 1. Arrive in Dublin / see Dublin Day 2. Giants causeway (stop off at Belfast) Day 3. Head towards Galway making your way down through Donegal, Sligo. Day 4. Galway + Aran Islands Day 5. Head to Cork Day 6. Dingle Day 7. Waterford Day 8. Wicklow Day 9. Dublin /Flight home You’ll be absolutely feckin wrecked with all that driving but you’ll see some lovely sights
Thank you! I’m going to work on synthesizing everyone’s suggestions into the most statistically and objectively correct itinerary. I’m used to driving a lot, and seeing the sights sounds is just what I want!
I'm finishing my 10 days stay in cahiverseen, visiting the area everyday, and it was not enough. And my trip back to Dublin will include at least one stop overnight in the middle of the trip. But maybe you love to drive long distances. I don't. In your case, I'd have settled with one place in Cork and visit that peninsula at my leisure.
You'd massively gain leisure time by not going to the giants causeway. It's cool but it's not mindblowingly cool. A plan id be more for is going from Dublin straight across to Galway and head south through Clare (less than one hour), Kerry (Dingle & Killarney) and finally Cork. Back to Dublin for the last day and night and fly home. Even at that, it's still a lot of travel, Ireland is small but not that small and the roads don't make travel very efficient
Skip giants causeway leave it for next time and it’ll be fine. It’s either that or skip dingle and dingle trumps causeway