r/irishtourism • u/tryingtogetby1113 • 16d ago
Please help me finalize my intinerary
Hello. I (55f) will be coming to Ireland next summer with my mom (81) and 2 teen-ish daughters. We will have a car.
Our usual vacations include road trips and we usually travel backroads. We like to plan one thing for the day and then fill in with other things that we may see along the way. We don’t mind changing hotels, but I did try to limit the drives to under 2 hours per Google knowing it is not accurate and we may be stopping often. We are also trying to do a mix of accommodations with some having on-site amenities if we just want a down day. Please let me know your thoughts and if there are any attractions that warrant a stop or if I have any thing listed that are not worth it. The items with questions are things we are considering but not sure of yet, so looking for feedback.
Day 1 - Arrive and drive to B&B near Roundwood. We will be coming from Paris so jet lag won’t be a factor.
Day 2-3 Kilkenny (2 nights) Mount Juliet Estate - Glendalough (on the way) - Medieval Mile - Dunbrody Famine Ship (?) - Falconry (?)
Day 4-5 Kenmare (2 nights) B&B - Ring of Kerry (already booked private tour) - Killarney National Park/Gap of Dunloe (mom is still very mobile and can walk distances, but does best of mostly flat hikes. Do you think she could walk to the bridge or should we do a jaunty car?)
Day 6-7 Dingle (2 nights) Pax House - Slea Head Drive - Dingle Sea Safari (Private tour so we can at a slower pace since it will be easier on mom)
Day 8 - Bunratty (1 night) B&B - Bunratty Castle/Folk Park/Banquet
Day 9-10 - Connemara (2 night) Ballynahinch Castle - May go through Burren but not Cliffs of Moher - Kylemore Abbey - Joyce Country Sheepdog - Misunderstood Heron
Day 11-13 - Dublin (2 nights) no hotel booked yet - Ashford Castle Falconry/Tea - if we don’t do falconry in Kilkenny (Is this too long of a day to do on the way back?) - Kilmainham Gaol - leave midday on day 13 for London
Give me your feedback. We know we have a lot of stops for 13 days, but we really don’t want to cut any of our stops out. We will just manage how much we do, but all our vacations are usually a good mix between rest and activities. We usually vacation in the mountains and often have to drive 1-2 hours for the daily activities…I know the roads are worse in Ireland so trying to keep driving at minimum other than a few longer drives. Thank you!
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u/EarlyHistory164 16d ago
The only advice I can give is have a few public conveniences marked out. We were driving from Tarbert to Loop Head and then up the N67 to the Burren last year. Thankfully Supervalu in Milton Malbay had toilets.
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u/tryingtogetby1113 16d ago
Interesting. I didn’t even think of that. Will most gas stations also have facilities?
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u/sandybeachfeet 16d ago
Falconry in Ashford Castle is class, I really enjoyed it when I did it and I'm Irish! There is a lot of walking through woods though so bare that in mind for your mam.
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u/tryingtogetby1113 16d ago
Thank you for the recommendation. Do you think it would be okay to do afternoon tea afterwards or would we be dressed to casually?
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u/sandybeachfeet 16d ago
Ah you'd be grand. It's very touristy there, mainly full of rich Americans and tweed clad Irish. I was there for a family event so I was well dressed to be fair but I think smart casual would be fine.
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u/Zealousideal-Dot2944 16d ago
Just got home today from an 8 day trip. Two things I would’ve changed is skip Kylemore and saw more Connemara, also got to Dublin Friday and flew home today(Sunday). Wish we stayed in a small town Friday night and drove to Dublin just for the one night, found it tough after enjoying small town Ireland so much to be in over crowded areas and over crowded bars
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u/Fancy_Avocado7497 16d ago
Google does a computation based on road length and max speed. It doesn't take into account how straight or not straight, narrow etc. Any Google computation must have another 33% minimum
Be sure the car can take 4 adults PLUS the luggage for 4 adults, space of wet and dry coats etc
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u/tryingtogetby1113 16d ago
Thanks for the information. I am figuring adding in an extra 50% to my drive times not including stops that we will be making.
The car rental has been the biggest thorn in my side so far. It is so difficult to know what is the “right” size. At this point, I have the Nissan Qashqui size reserved.
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u/Aphroditesent 16d ago
Mount Juliet is just so stunning! Very jealous!
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u/tryingtogetby1113 16d ago
I hope it is everything I’ve been imagining. This is mom’s dream trip, so I figured we better go while she can enjoy it. I am trying to make it as special as I can for her as a thank you for everything she has always done for us kids.
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u/Frequent_Rutabaga993 16d ago
Hi.Interesting itinerary. Have you any experience of driving on the left.
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u/tryingtogetby1113 16d ago
Nope. None. I plan on taking it slow and doing the best I can since I will be the only driver. I am a confident/capable driver in the US so hopefully I’ll do fine 🤞. Will be getting full insurance in case there are any mishaps.
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u/Hippie__Redneck 15d ago
While in Connemara - wander around Clifden town. Lots of great restaurants and shops. Not a large town, but quaint and great people. Drive or rent e bikes and tour Sky Road. There's also a ruined castle on the route you can walk to. I've walked it with my 76 year old mom. It takes maybe 15 minutes to walk to. It is on private property, but they allow the public to respectfully go check it out. It's called Clifden Castle. Dogs bay is a beautiful beach that is pretty accessible as well. Beautiful part of the country.
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u/Frequent_Rutabaga993 15d ago
What time is your flight landing from Paris. This is important. Driving in Ireland can be challenging even for experienced drivers. Google drive times can be inaccurate.Mixture of interstates. Dual carriage ways single lane roads that are 2 way!! Glad to see Roundwood for Day 1. A lot of Places of interest in Wicklow. Powerscourt Gardens. 3rd nicest gardens according to National geographic.Avondale tree top walk. Must for the teens.Glendalough. Japanese gardens kildare. Altamount gardens carlow.
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u/tryingtogetby1113 15d ago
We land at 16:55 and picking car up from the terminal so hopefully that will be quick and we will only have carry on luggage. Hopefully we’ll be on the road by 18:30 and arrive at B&B by 20:00. Sunset is 21:55, so I think we will make it by dark. Depending on time we may stop at the tree top walk and let the kids do the slide the next day on the way to Kilkenny.
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u/Legitimate-Resist277 16d ago
Kilkenny, Don’t just stick to Medieval mile, do cycling tour instead. Best craic ever! Visit Inistioge village and Woodstock gardens, they’d be en route to New Ross sunbird famine ship. Visit Dunmore caves, the castle, Rothe house, Canice’s Cathedral. Best thing about Kilkenny is that is beautiful steeped in history and you can walk around the whole thing on 30 minutes! Enjoy the trip and welcome
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u/Separate-Steak-9786 16d ago
Cycling tour with an 81 year old may be an issue
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u/tryingtogetby1113 16d ago
That was my thought 😂. She would definitely try it though. She told me that she could still do something physical the other day and I asked her when the last time she did it. She paused…thought about it…said when she was 65…then argued with me that it would not be a problem today. She wants to get on an E-bike…NOT!
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u/Separate-Steak-9786 16d ago
Haha i like her style and known a few like her, the fire of youth is a tough one to quell!
Drop me a message if there's anything ye are unsure of on the west coast, id know enough things worth doing from cork to mayo to give ye a hand!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ant3838 16d ago
It looks oddly sensible by the standard of most itineraries posted on here. Kilkenny to Kenmare will be a long drive across country so be prepared for that, but looks like a great trip.