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Thinking of driving around Ireland for a week.
Posted on 6/27/25 at 5:36 pm
Posted on 6/27/25 at 5:36 pm
Like thread says just early thinking. I want to do a 7-9 day road trip. Been wanting to knock out Ireland for a while. Would fly into and out of Dublin. But the tip to tip is a 5 hour drive so the entire country seems easily driveable. Don't really think I'll go up to Belfast. Mainly do East to west and loop back around.
Any must see places places not worth bothering with?
Any must see places places not worth bothering with?
17
Posted on 6/27/25 at 7:10 pm to Napoleon
From Dublin, drive the coast down to Wexford and waterford.. cute little towns and the spot where st. Patrick landed... and then got pelted with rocks.
Finish the day drive in Cork. Fantastic town with some legit food.
Next day head to blarney then Kilkenny. There are a few peninsula choices to drive.. none are bad..
I would head to Dingle. Stop where you can. Eat where you want. Enjoy the views.
Head up to limerick. Spend the night.
Next day head to the cliffs of moher. You will get there earlier than all the tour busses from dublin.
From there galway. You can chill there or hit another peninsula.
Then back to Dublin.
I will look up the restaurants and recommend later.
Driving tips:
The roads are tiny.
Rent a tiny car.
After a while you will realize you can be more aggressive in the middle and the locals will move over a bit.
Google will mess you up in some of the cities, just take the time to see the views.
Look for spots to pull over. They are usually for tour busses and have pretty nice picture opportunities
Finish the day drive in Cork. Fantastic town with some legit food.
Next day head to blarney then Kilkenny. There are a few peninsula choices to drive.. none are bad..
I would head to Dingle. Stop where you can. Eat where you want. Enjoy the views.
Head up to limerick. Spend the night.
Next day head to the cliffs of moher. You will get there earlier than all the tour busses from dublin.
From there galway. You can chill there or hit another peninsula.
Then back to Dublin.
I will look up the restaurants and recommend later.
Driving tips:
The roads are tiny.
Rent a tiny car.
After a while you will realize you can be more aggressive in the middle and the locals will move over a bit.
Google will mess you up in some of the cities, just take the time to see the views.
Look for spots to pull over. They are usually for tour busses and have pretty nice picture opportunities
Posted on 6/28/25 at 11:37 am to vilma4prez
I agree with much of vilma. Avoid kissing blarney stone-waste of time. There's an old Abbey with b&b on South drive from Dublin, very pretty area, will follow up with name. We went up to NW Coast after Cliffs out to Belmullet, mainly for golf but much to see anyway. I would look for any signs denoting Wild Atlantic Way and check those roads out.
Posted on 6/28/25 at 11:58 am to vilma4prez
Abbey House Jerpoint in County Kilkenny. Also fair proximity to Rock of Cashel-touristy but worth it, IMO
Posted on 6/28/25 at 8:13 pm to Napoleon
Do it i the opposite direction the tour buses do around the Ring of Kerry.
Rock of Cashel, Black Abbey, Cliffs of Moher are required. I always flew into SNN.
There is so much random shite (Roman forts, etc.) that isn't on the map, you can have a picnic almost anywhere. Hit a Tesco for chow, and be prepared to find some rando place with a great view, and just eat in the back of the hatchback.
Try to sit on the left side of the plane on the way into DUB, the green is alien like. And be warned, if the speed limits say 100km, especially as you go towards the hills, that really means you should slow to 40km to go around this corner.
There were roads the NIssan Micra I rented barely made it through. But it's a rush. And watch for sheep as you go North. You're going to have good craic.
Rock of Cashel, Black Abbey, Cliffs of Moher are required. I always flew into SNN.
There is so much random shite (Roman forts, etc.) that isn't on the map, you can have a picnic almost anywhere. Hit a Tesco for chow, and be prepared to find some rando place with a great view, and just eat in the back of the hatchback.
Try to sit on the left side of the plane on the way into DUB, the green is alien like. And be warned, if the speed limits say 100km, especially as you go towards the hills, that really means you should slow to 40km to go around this corner.
There were roads the NIssan Micra I rented barely made it through. But it's a rush. And watch for sheep as you go North. You're going to have good craic.
Posted on 6/28/25 at 8:28 pm to Napoleon
quote:
Any must see places
Yeah, Belfast
It was my favorite part of my Ireland trip. A lot of cool things to see a short distance from there.
I think we were in Ireland for 8 days, and one was my sister’s wedding. It’s definitely possible to drive around the country in that amount of time and not rush.
Posted on 6/28/25 at 9:26 pm to RonFNSwanson
The part about Ireland isn't even Roman era ruins, it's the craic. Everyone wants to talk to you, all the time. It's glorious.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 5:54 am to Napoleon
I’d hire a driver.
Scenery would distract me.
Scenery would distract me.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 10:08 am to Napoleon
We visited Ireland a few years ago. Don’t have the itinerary in front of me, but we flew into Dublin, rented a car and drove straight to Galway. We spent 2 nights each in Galway, Dingle, Killarney and Dublin.
Basically travelled the western and southern coast counter clockwise.
Highlights were Cliffs of Moher, Wild Atlantic Way- amazing!, Slea Head Drive, Gap of Dunloe, Guinness Tour in Dublin. We had sunny skies for our drive along the coast, and the green hills against the blue sea was thrilling. The green is just so vibrant there, and I didn’t expect the blue ocean water. I found it to be prettier than Big Sur.
We did kiss the Blarney Stone but it was a bucket list item for me. Not a must stop by any means.
We thoroughly enjoyed Dingle and the surrounding areas. Driving through the countryside, visiting with locals at pubs and restaurants was so much fun. The Irish people are very happy to talk and have a great sense of humor.
Dublin was our least favorite, basically just like any major city. We saw the library at Trinity University and the Book of Kells.
Basically travelled the western and southern coast counter clockwise.
Highlights were Cliffs of Moher, Wild Atlantic Way- amazing!, Slea Head Drive, Gap of Dunloe, Guinness Tour in Dublin. We had sunny skies for our drive along the coast, and the green hills against the blue sea was thrilling. The green is just so vibrant there, and I didn’t expect the blue ocean water. I found it to be prettier than Big Sur.
We did kiss the Blarney Stone but it was a bucket list item for me. Not a must stop by any means.
We thoroughly enjoyed Dingle and the surrounding areas. Driving through the countryside, visiting with locals at pubs and restaurants was so much fun. The Irish people are very happy to talk and have a great sense of humor.
Dublin was our least favorite, basically just like any major city. We saw the library at Trinity University and the Book of Kells.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 11:07 am to Napoleon
Drive the Ring of Kerry and go see the Cliffs of Moher. Drink a ton of Guinness.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 2:47 pm to LemmyLives
Craic? I've heard that before.
People are more talkative than other europeans one heard.
People are more talkative than other europeans one heard.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 6:48 pm to Napoleon
Just did this in April and it was one of the best trips. Drive from Dublin to Galway (Stop at Sean’s Bar in Athlone - oldest bar in the world). Go south to Cliffs (get there before 9am tour buses). Continue south to Dingle. The Slea Head loop has amazing views and was the best part of the trip. Finish in Dublin. Enjoy!!
Posted on 6/30/25 at 7:17 pm to Napoleon
We did this in 2019. Had an absolute blast. Stick shift. Started in cork and ended in Dublin. Hit all the major sights, Killarney, limerick, Guinness store house, Shannon’s ferry, Cliffs.
Posted on 6/30/25 at 10:04 pm to Napoleon
Just got back from an ireland road trip (with a quick Iceland road trip on the way back). Here’s what I did with my two cents thrown in:
Spent arrival day and day 2 in Dublin seeing the sites (and Zach Bryan concert with my two teenagers).
Drove from Dublin to Killarney on day 3, stopping to see castles and ruins in Kilkenny, Cashel, Cahir, and Blarney.
Day 4 drove down to Portmagee and took a boat out to Skellig Michael. Drove to Galway after.
Day 5 visited the cliffs of moher and then took the Doolin Ferry to Inishmore.
Day 6 drove to Dublin and flew to Iceland.
My advice:
Dublin is a great city but touristy and different from the rest of Ireland. If I had to choose, I’d spend more time elsewhere. The West is the real Ireland.
It’s definitely worth spending at least a day in Killarney seeing the gap of dunloe. Driving the ring of Kerry and/or driving the Dingle Peninisula are also worth it.
Our day on Inishmore was our favorite day of the trip. Worth spending several hours there (or even spending the night).
We didn’t do it on this trip, but Connemara and Sligo are worth a day for sure.
Spent arrival day and day 2 in Dublin seeing the sites (and Zach Bryan concert with my two teenagers).
Drove from Dublin to Killarney on day 3, stopping to see castles and ruins in Kilkenny, Cashel, Cahir, and Blarney.
Day 4 drove down to Portmagee and took a boat out to Skellig Michael. Drove to Galway after.
Day 5 visited the cliffs of moher and then took the Doolin Ferry to Inishmore.
Day 6 drove to Dublin and flew to Iceland.
My advice:
Dublin is a great city but touristy and different from the rest of Ireland. If I had to choose, I’d spend more time elsewhere. The West is the real Ireland.
It’s definitely worth spending at least a day in Killarney seeing the gap of dunloe. Driving the ring of Kerry and/or driving the Dingle Peninisula are also worth it.
Our day on Inishmore was our favorite day of the trip. Worth spending several hours there (or even spending the night).
We didn’t do it on this trip, but Connemara and Sligo are worth a day for sure.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 4:13 pm to Napoleon
Contrary to most travel advice, we did this trip earlier this year and loved it:
Land in Dublin and drive to Dingle
2 Nights in Dingle
Drive to Cliffs of Moher (Stay in Doolin)
Drive to Ashford Castle (2 nights)
Drive to Bushmill Inn (Giant's Causeway)
Drive to Dublin with a stop at the Titanic Museum in Belfast
2 nights in Dublin
Honestly, our least favorite was the Cliffs of Moher. Giants Causeway is a much better experience. Doing it again, I would plan another stop between Ashford Castle and Bushmill Inn......either Galway or Sligo.
Land in Dublin and drive to Dingle
2 Nights in Dingle
Drive to Cliffs of Moher (Stay in Doolin)
Drive to Ashford Castle (2 nights)
Drive to Bushmill Inn (Giant's Causeway)
Drive to Dublin with a stop at the Titanic Museum in Belfast
2 nights in Dublin
Honestly, our least favorite was the Cliffs of Moher. Giants Causeway is a much better experience. Doing it again, I would plan another stop between Ashford Castle and Bushmill Inn......either Galway or Sligo.
Posted on 7/1/25 at 10:30 pm to Napoleon
A buddy of mine from FlyerTalk is in the middle of an insanely fun looking one now. He's taking 2 weeks to do it all but it's worth the read.
FlyerTalk Trip Report
FlyerTalk Trip Report
Posted on 7/4/25 at 7:41 am to Napoleon
If you have an interest in nature contact this guy when you are on the western coast. LINK
The scenery is spectacular, but you really need some details about the nature to fully appreciate it. Also, take advantage of local tours to give you a break from driving.
The scenery is spectacular, but you really need some details about the nature to fully appreciate it. Also, take advantage of local tours to give you a break from driving.
Posted on 7/10/25 at 5:01 pm to Napoleon
We did I the east to west and then went north. Northern Ireland has Derry, the Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, and Bushmill’s Distillery, just to name a few.
If you’re not already aware, make sure your credit card provides primary insurance coverage in Ireland (Chase Sapphire and Platinum Amex do). Also make sure that you get a letter from the credit card company saying that it’s covered (they usually have a link to a pdf generator), as some rental agencies will ask for it.
If you’re not already aware, make sure your credit card provides primary insurance coverage in Ireland (Chase Sapphire and Platinum Amex do). Also make sure that you get a letter from the credit card company saying that it’s covered (they usually have a link to a pdf generator), as some rental agencies will ask for it.
Posted on 7/20/25 at 11:35 am to Napoleon
Ok. I've booked most of my trip.
Rented a car. Paid a little more than Enterprise quote. $409 for the week for an Automatic small VW suv. I paid extra for an automatic. The place i booked includes full no deductible insurance and no hidden fees. I can drive stick but haven't in over 15 years except for Mexican jeep rentals. This is my first right hand drive car so I figured worth the extra $150 to not shift.
In flying NOLA to Dallas then Dallas to Dublin.
Getting car. Then meeting my Mom who's flying in from Minnesota. She's going with me on trip.
Neither of us are really interested in Dublin so the plan is to get the car. Then drive west.
Want to stop in Althone and go to Sean's bar and have first pint in the worlds oldest bar. Maybe explore that town. Check local castle. Next day.
Drive to Galway. Staying two days in Galway at a Castle B&B. We'll home base here and check out the Buren and mid west coast. Then head south to the clifs of Moher and end in Dingle. Explore that area. Then next day go to the Ring of Kerry area. Then make way back east. Stop at Rock of Cashel. Before ending back in Dublin. Return car and fly back.
Galway and Dingle are the only places i booked. The other days i plan to use Hotels.com and stay fluid.
Now trying to find places to eat. I'm big on seafood and hear the west coast has great options.
Going to stay mostly south so no Belfast or uK Ireland. Likely no Cork and not much Dublin. From watching videos. Galway, Dingke and the Kerry area are where we want to see the most. Though i did want to see Giants Causeway.
Looks all set now. Thanks for replies.
Rented a car. Paid a little more than Enterprise quote. $409 for the week for an Automatic small VW suv. I paid extra for an automatic. The place i booked includes full no deductible insurance and no hidden fees. I can drive stick but haven't in over 15 years except for Mexican jeep rentals. This is my first right hand drive car so I figured worth the extra $150 to not shift.
In flying NOLA to Dallas then Dallas to Dublin.
Getting car. Then meeting my Mom who's flying in from Minnesota. She's going with me on trip.
Neither of us are really interested in Dublin so the plan is to get the car. Then drive west.
Want to stop in Althone and go to Sean's bar and have first pint in the worlds oldest bar. Maybe explore that town. Check local castle. Next day.
Drive to Galway. Staying two days in Galway at a Castle B&B. We'll home base here and check out the Buren and mid west coast. Then head south to the clifs of Moher and end in Dingle. Explore that area. Then next day go to the Ring of Kerry area. Then make way back east. Stop at Rock of Cashel. Before ending back in Dublin. Return car and fly back.
Galway and Dingle are the only places i booked. The other days i plan to use Hotels.com and stay fluid.
Now trying to find places to eat. I'm big on seafood and hear the west coast has great options.
Going to stay mostly south so no Belfast or uK Ireland. Likely no Cork and not much Dublin. From watching videos. Galway, Dingke and the Kerry area are where we want to see the most. Though i did want to see Giants Causeway.
Looks all set now. Thanks for replies.
This post was edited on 7/20/25 at 11:36 am
Posted on 7/20/25 at 11:37 am to slinger1317
That's pretty much what I'm doing. Going right to Galway, Dingle, Kilarny then back to Dublin
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