Ireland Itinerary

I'm reworking our post-cruise trip to Ireland next June. I'd originally planned to spend a week in Dublin and do a couple of day trips, but many of you suggested splitting it up, which makes sense.

The new plan is as follows:

Sunday - fly into Dublin from LHR around noon, rent a car and drive straight to Galway. Stay 2 nights.

Monday - Burren, Cliffs of Moher

Tuesday - Galway to Dublin, via Connemara? Any other suggestion? We'd like to get to Dublin by evening.

Wednesday to Saturday - Dublin, with a day trip to Belfast. Flight back to LHR Saturday 6pm.

Would like your suggestions for a B&B in Galway, also a rental company at Dublin airport and where to turn in the car on our return. How about the itinerary, would like to see Corcomroe Abbey, when do I fit it in?

Another option would be to spend an extra night in Galway, that way maybe we could take the ferry to the Aran Islands.

Once again, I welcome your suggestions and comments. Thanks in advance:)

I would suggest more than a day trip to Belfast. One day there for the excellent Black Taxi tour and the Titanic Experience and another day to see the Antrim Coast and Giants Causeway. Personally I think Belfast is delightful and has more to offer than Dublin much less touristy. Also if you want to do Belfast at the end of your stay you can return the car, take the train to Belfast then take the express bus directly back to the Dublin airport from central Belfast. Fast and inexpensive.

I would suggest more than a day trip to Belfast. One day there for the excellent Black Taxi tour and the Titanic Experience and another day to see the Antrim Coast and Giants Causeway. Personally I think Belfast is delightful and has more to offer than Dublin much less touristy. Also if you want to do Belfast at the end of your stay you can return the car, take the train to Belfast then take the express bus directly back to the Dublin airport from central Belfast. Fast and inexpensive.

Thanks for the suggestion. We have six nights in Ireland and if we spend 2-3 nights in the west, that doesn't leave us much time for an overnight in Belfast in addition to Dublin. We'll probably take the train up from Dublin and do the Black Taxi tour as a day trip, we've been to the Giant's Causeway on a previous visit last year. Also not very practical to keep it to the end of our stay since we'd have to figure out what to do with our bags, etc.

Would like suggestions for B&Bs in Galway and help figuring out our itinerary there. Thanks again:)

I think you will have to trust Tripadvisor or one of the others for a B&B. I had a quick look and there does seem to be a good selection, and competition drives up standards.

 

Another option would be to spend an extra night in Galway, that way maybe we could take the ferry to the Aran Islands.

 

Once again, I welcome your suggestions and comments. Thanks in advance:)

I would definitely recommend 3 nights in Galway to include the ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. I don't know if there is an Irish music show currently there, but the one we attended during our day on the island was one of the best we've seen.

Dublin, imho, warrants 2 days most, but there are day trips from there such as to Newgrange and Glendalough/Wicklow Mts/Powerscourt that are well worth a visit. A DART ride to the Howth peninsula makes for a great day.

We had a wonderful walking tour in Belfast that we booked at the information center- http://www.gosstorrs.co.uk. It covered all of the highlights except the Catholic area.

I would definitely recommend 3 nights in Galway to include the ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. I don't know if there is an Irish music show currently there, but the one we attended during our day on the island was one of the best we've seen.

 

Dublin, imho, warrants 2 days most, but there are day trips from there such as to Newgrange and Glendalough/Wicklow Mts/Powerscourt that are well worth a visit. A DART ride to the Howth peninsula makes for a great day.

 

We had a wonderful walking tour in Belfast that we booked at the information center- www.gosstorrs.co.uk. It covered all of the highlights except the Catholic area.

Thanks TMLAalum, I do think we'll plan on three nights in Galway. We've been to Dublin last year and visited the sites nearby, Newgrange, Boyne Valley, Glendalough, Wicklow, etc. We liked the feel of the city and my husband wants to do the Guinness Storehouse visit; it'll be their first visit for my niece and nephew, ages 21 and 24, they want to wander around town and explore the place a bit. So as you say 2 days will be more than enough.

I now need to get cracking on the Galway part, as Bob++ says Trip Advisor is a good place to look. How easy is it to find a pace with parking, hopefully not too hard:D

The Norman Villa guest house in Galway is highly recommended by Ireland's most reputable guide book. I have not stayed there myself.

http://www.normanvilla-accomm.ie/index.php/about-us

Most of the major car rental companies are represented at Dublin airport.

https://www.dublinairport.com/to-from-the-airport/car-rental

The obvious time to see Corcomroe Abbey would be when you are visiting the Burren and Cliffs of Moher.

I agree about taking the Enterprise train from Dublin to Belfast. I am very much in the minority in my view that the Guinness Storehouse is a triumph of marketing over substance.

Personally, if visiting Connemara, I would not drive too far, but go to somewhere like Carraroe on the coast road. Park the car, and then ramble down to the Coral Strand, breathing in the invigorating sea air. This is dependent on the weather being fine.

The Norman Villa guest house in Galway is highly recommended by Ireland's most reputable guide book. I have not stayed there myself.

 

http://www.normanvilla-accomm.ie/index.php/about-us

 

Most of the major car rental companies are represented at Dublin airport.

 

https://www.dublinairport.com/to-from-the-airport/car-rental

 

The obvious time to see Corcomroe Abbey would be when you are visiting the Burren and Cliffs of Moher.

 

I agree about taking the Enterprise train from Dublin to Belfast. I am very much in the minority in my view that the Guinness Storehouse is a triumph of marketing over substance.

 

Personally, if visiting Connemara, I would not drive too far, but go to somewhere like Carraroe on the coast road. Park the car, and then ramble down to the Coral Strand, breathing in the invigorating sea air. This is dependent on the weather being fine.

Thanks a lot, Norman Villa look good, will check it out. We're also considering a place with a family suite/rooms with kitchenette, any suggestions?

Just realised there's no reason I have to fly in and out of Dublin, will fly to Shannon, rent a car and drive to Galway. Then drive to Dublin and return the car, we won't need it for the second part of our stay. Am really silly, I pride myself on planning ahead but sometimes I can't see beyond the tip of my nose:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Thanks TMLAalum, I do think we'll plan on three nights in Galway. We've been to Dublin last year and visited the sites nearby, Newgrange, Boyne Valley, Glendalough, Wicklow, etc. We liked the feel of the city and my husband wants to do the Guinness Storehouse visit; it'll be their first visit for my niece and nephew, ages 21 and 24, they want to wander around town and explore the place a bit. So as you say 2 days will be more than enough.

 

I now need to get cracking on the Galway part, as Bob++ says Trip Advisor is a good place to look. How easy is it to find a pace with parking, hopefully not too hard:D

Near to Galway in Cong, at Ashford Castle, is the Falcon Walk. Our son and family of 3 "kids" in their 20s did this in May and it was a highlight of their visit to Ireland. They stayed in a hotel in Galway that had parking, but IDK the name.

The musical pub crawl in Dublin might interest your nephew & niece too.

Barb

Near to Galway in Cong, at Ashford Castle, is the Falcon Walk. Our son and family of 3 "kids" in their 20s did this in May and it was a highlight of their visit to Ireland. They stayed in a hotel in Galway that had parking, but IDK the name.

 

The musical pub crawl in Dublin might interest your nephew & niece too.

 

Barb

Thanks Barb, we've planned on three evenings in Dublin mainly because my nephew and niece wanted to explore the youth scene and the musical pub crawl sounds ideal. DH, my sister and I will probably do something similar, only a little more sedate perhaps!

I'll be booking a sea view apartment at Jameson Court in Salthill, it's a little away from Galway but we'll have a car, so getting to and fro shouldn't be an issue. Hopefully parking won't be a problem in Galway, but we'll figure it out.

Any suggestions for a car rental company at Shannon, where do you suggest we turn in the car in Dublin? We'll be staying somewhere near Trinity, no sure we want to drive in the city:D

Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions, planning the trip is half the fun!

http://www.jamesonselfcateringgalway.ie/

I would use Budget. http://www.budget.ie/shannonairport.htm

They are very reputable and you can use your own CDW insurance (recommended). They have depots at Shannon and Dublin City Centre.

Thanks Barb, we've planned on three evenings in Dublin mainly because my nephew and niece wanted to explore the youth scene and the musical pub crawl sounds ideal. DH, my sister and I will probably do something similar, only a little more sedate perhaps!

 

I'll be booking a sea view apartment at Jameson Court in Salthill, it's a little away from Galway but we'll have a car, so getting to and fro shouldn't be an issue. Hopefully parking won't be a problem in Galway, but we'll figure it out.

 

Any suggestions for a car rental company at Shannon, where do you suggest we turn in the car in Dublin? We'll be staying somewhere near Trinity, no sure we want to drive in the city:D

 

Thanks again for all the tips and suggestions, planning the trip is half the fun!

 

http://www.jamesonselfcateringgalway.ie/

Hi there,

You have chosen well in Galway. those apts have a great reputation.

If the weather is ok it is a short walk into town via Whitestrand Rd and Fr Griffen Road. this walk brings you in the the best side of the city. The Spanish Arch.Keys Street area are where its all happening in Galway City.

A few recommendations are

Da Robertas Italian Restaurant is located directly across from the Church in Salthill ( 2 mins from your apt) and it is excellent.

For a tasty and very good value lunch try out 'The Burito Bar' at Spainish Arch.

Don't miss the Fish and chips at Naughtons at the botton of Keys Streed.

there is Naughtons pub a few doors up at the intersection of Keys Street and Cross street...one of the bests pubs in the world!!!!!

Drive out to "The Twelve' in Barna for great food also.http://www.thetwelvehotel.ie . you can walk down toe the pier after dinner and look over Galwway Bay.

Blakes is also great http://brasseriegalway.com and it is located in the middle of the city.

You are spoiled for choice in galway with food and things to see/do.

Its the best little city in the world.

Try and pick a good day to do Connemara. The scenery is wild and magical. This is a good route but you will need the full day. http://www.goconnemara.com

For traditional Irish music go to The Crane Bar. Its a bit of a dive but great Guinness and musichttp://www.thecranebar.com

All Galway people walk 'The Prom' out in Salthill and kick the wall when you reach the end at the Blackrock Diving boards ( you can't miss them). You won't have 'done' Galway unless you 'walk the prom'

Have a great trip.

I would use Budget. http://www.budget.ie/shannonairport.htm

 

They are very reputable and you can use your own CDW insurance (recommended). They have depots at Shannon and Dublin City Centre.

Thanks Bob, will price them. We've found that our CC gives the best insurance coverage, so will stay with it.

Hi there,

 

You have chosen well in Galway. those apts have a great reputation.

If the weather is ok it is a short walk into town via Whitestrand Rd and Fr Griffen Road. this walk brings you in the the best side of the city. The Spanish Arch.Keys Street area are where its all happening in Galway City.

A few recommendations are

Da Robertas Italian Restaurant is located directly across from the Church in Salthill ( 2 mins from your apt) and it is excellent.

For a tasty and very good value lunch try out 'The Burito Bar' at Spainish Arch.

Don't miss the Fish and chips at Naughtons at the botton of Keys Streed.

there is Naughtons pub a few doors up at the intersection of Keys Street and Cross street...one of the bests pubs in the world!!!!!

Drive out to "The Twelve' in Barna for great food also.http://www.thetwelvehotel.ie . you can walk down toe the pier after dinner and look over Galwway Bay.

Blakes is also great http://brasseriegalway.com and it is located in the middle of the city.

You are spoiled for choice in galway with food and things to see/do.

Its the best little city in the world.

 

Try and pick a good day to do Connemara. The scenery is wild and magical. This is a good route but you will need the full day. http://www.goconnemara.com

 

For traditional Irish music go to The Crane Bar. Its a bit of a dive but great Guinness and musichttp://www.thecranebar.com

 

All Galway people walk 'The Prom' out in Salthill and kick the wall when you reach the end at the Blackrock Diving boards ( you can't miss them). You won't have 'done' Galway unless you 'walk the prom'

 

Have a great trip.

Dexysgirl, thanks a ton for all that useful info! I'm not a huge fan of fish and chips but my sister and her kids love it, they'll be grateful for the tip. Will check out the pubs too, we also want to listen to some Irish music.

We have two full days and two half days in Galway, we're not going to try and "do" everything, just drink in the views and the enjoy the little towns and villages. Hopefully the weather will cooperate:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Hi Prish,

I live in Galway and I think the Jameson Apartments are a good choice in terms of location and also the apartments themselves which are reputed to be very nice. I don't think there is a basement car park under the apartments but there is free parking along the "prom" and there are a couple of free car parks nearby also. Parking on the main street in front of the apartments is very hard to come by and must be paid for.

There is a fantastic café/bakery right beside the Jameson Apartments - the Gourmet Tart. You can buy wonderful bread, cakes and pastries to take back to the apartment - their brown bread is the best ever (totally different to the usual Irish soda bread though). Or you can have a really nice breakfast, lunch or early dinner http://www.gourmettartco.com/cafe_restaurant_salthill_galway.php. I highly recommend their "Full Irish" breakfast, very tasty and it'll fill you up for the day!

I wouldn't bother driving into the city from your accommodation as it's a very short drive and you'd have to pay for parking. It's a 15 minute walk to the "Latin Quarter" of Galway which is the part most worth seeing, I think. It's a mostly pedestrianised area full of old buildings with lots of restaurants and shops http://thelatinquarter.ie/. The Galway City Museum is close by too. There's a nice old church too which has a market running outside on Saturdays and Sundays http://www.stnicholas.ie/. Just so you know, shops and restaurants tend not to close here on a Sunday, most places are open 7 days a week.

In terms of what to do whilst you are here, I have a few suggestions. I have to say, going to Connemara on the way to Dublin is really not a great option as the road network does not lend itself to such an itinerary. I would be more inclined to go the Cliffs of Moher on the way to Dublin. Note, it's not on the way, as such, but at least you would be on the "right" side of Galway for the trip to Dublin. Alternatively, you could do the Cliffs of Moher on the way from Shannon airport to Galway. Or, spend a whole day doing the Cliffs and other nice spots on the way.

On the day you arrive in Galway (a Sunday I think?), you could pop into the city, an afternoon would really be all you need. If you'd rather not walk, you can get a bus across the road from the apartment,every 20-30 minutes. It is a nice walk though if the weather is good. Speaking of which, we often have our best weather in June so hopefully you'll get to experience that. It's generally much better than July or August. If such things interest you, you could go to a show in Salthill that night - "Trad on the Prom" which is a variety show of traditional Irish music, dancing etc. Anyone I know who's seen it says it's very enjoyable. It's only on a few nights a week but was on every Sunday night this year http://www.tradontheprom.com/.

You would really need a full day for Connemara and Kylemore Abbey http://www.kylemoreabbey.com/. There are lots of pretty towns and villages to see. Clifden is a lovely town and the Sky Road is well worth a look. The sea views are incredible - as the saying goes, "next parish Boston"! The Sky Road is part of the Wild Atlantic Way http://www.wildatlanticway.com/home.

If you wanted to visit the Aran Islands, that would take a whole day. You need to get a shuttle bus out the to the ferry port, the bus drives along the Prom so you could probably catch it from there http://lallytours.com/galway/.

Just so you know, I notice the Jameson apartments website mentions they are close to the Tourist office in Salthill but unfortunately this closed down a number of years ago. There is a tourist office in the centre of the city, near Eyre Square. Luckily it's so easy to find information online these days.

In regards to Dublin (my hometown), you mentioned you would be staying near Trinity so I recommend that you have a look around there, maybe check out the Book of Kells. You might then enjoy a walk up Grafton Street and a stroll around Stephens Green.

Day trips from Dublin worth considering are to Powerscourt or get the train out to the fishing village of Howth. In the city itself, the Guinness Hopstore is said to be worth a visit and the Viking Splash tour is great fun http://vikingsplash.com/.

You did say you weren't going to try to do everything, a sentiment I totally agree with. It's nice to take it easy and soak up the atmosphere. Let me know if there is anything more you need to know.

Eloise

Eloise, how lucky can I get, tips from someone who actually lives in Galway - thank you ever so much for all these wonderful suggestions, will certainly take you up on them!

We will be picking up our rental car from Shannon and want to drive to Salthill via parts of the Burren and the Cliffs if the weather is good. If not we go straight to Jameson Apartments to check in and drop off our bags, then head out to Galway.

We plan a day each for the Aran islands and Connemara and the Sky Road, though the former will depend on how calm or otherwise the sea is. Three of us, including myself, get very queasy on small ferries and we'll take a call once we get there. We'll always find something else to do, so that's not an issue.

We have 3 full days and 4 nights in Dublin and I'm still looking at options for accommodation. Ideally I'd like to stay at Trinity College itself, but apparently there's no TV in the rooms and I need to run it by DH. Anyway, Trinity College bookings open only in January, so I still have time, though I'll probably book something else also for now, with the option to cancel later.

We were in Dublin last year, so have seen the Book of Kells, Kilmainham Gaol, etc, so we may check out some of the museums and cathedrals. Music is definitely on the agenda, both in Galway as well as Dublin, DH wants to do the Guinness storehouse experience. We will be taking the train up to Belfast one day and maybe a half day tour to Glendalough.

I hope you're right in June being the best weather-wise. We were in Dublin and the south in August of last year and had glorious weather everywhere. It was quite windy in the Boyne Valley/Slane Hill area but clear skies and wonderful views everywhere. Fingers crossed for more of the same next year too!

Thanks again for taking the time to write such a detailed post, I really do appreciate it:)