Visiting Southern Ireland
Start your trip in Dublin to explore the bustling capital city. Chances are, your flight lands at the Dublin Airport (DUB), which makes it a great starting and ending point for your trip. It’s a bit harder to navigate with a car, so plan on exploring it on day 1 before picking up your rental or on day 7 after you’ve dropped your rental back off. While you’re there, here are some places of interest you may want to check out: The Guinness Brewery Christ Church Cathedral Irish Whiskey Museum Dublin Castle Book of Kells St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Enjoy the offerings of Galway and Doolin on the next day of your trip. Drive about 2.5 hours from Dublin to get to Galway to grab something to eat at a local pub and walk the quaint Quay street. From there, drive along the Wild Atlantic Way to the Cliffs of Moher to enjoy the spectacular views of Ireland. End your day in Doolin, a small village that is just 10 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher. Take your time traveling from destination to destination. Get out of your car and walk along the cliffs or stop along the way for a meal.
Head to Dingle to explore the pubs, shops, and walkable streets. Dingle is a 3-hour drive from Doolin, but there are a lot of small towns you can stop and visit along the way. You may want to spend 1-2 days in Dingle, as there are lots of great shops, breweries, distilleries, and tours you can enjoy. Stop at Lisdoonvarna, the “matchmaking town," on your way out of Doolin for a quaint breakfast. Dingle has over 50 pubs despite having a population of fewer than 2,000 residents.
Visit Killarney and Cork to explore the national park and a beautiful city. Killarney is a 1-hour drive from Dingle and boasts the beautiful national park, including Ross Castle and the Torc Waterfall. From there, drive another hour to get to the university city of Cork. Cork is a great place to walk around and visit pubs before spending the night. Make sure to visit Blarney Castle, located just outside of Cork. There are beautiful grounds you can walk around and explore.
Drive back to Dublin to drop off your rental car. Depending on how you arranged your trip, you may have time to explore the city some more before catching your flight back home. It’ll take you about 3 hours to drive to Dublin from Cork. If you have time, check out The Temple Bar, have a drink at The Church, visit the Spire of Dublin, and take a walk over the Ha’penny Bridge.
Touring Northern Ireland
Fly into Belfast to start your week-long trip to Northern Ireland. Visit the Cathedral Quarter, the Titanic Quarter, and make your way to the city of Derry (also called Londonderry). Make sure to visit the Peace Bridge and stop in at some of their great museums and art exhibits. If you drive about 20 minutes from Derry, you can visit Benone Beach, which has some of the biggest dunes in the area. Northern Ireland is full of beautiful landscapes and outdoor adventures. If you’re more interested in going to shops and having lots of entertainment and food options, southern Ireland might be more your flavor.
Drive to Dunluce Castle and visit the Roe Valley Country Park. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, you’ll love getting to walk around the grounds of Dunluce Castle. Make sure to visit the Mermaid Cave, too, and plan on spending most of your day walking around outdoors. If you’re into libraries, make sure to visit Mussenden Temple, which was built by Frederick Augustus Hervey to serve as his library during the summers. Make sure to bring waterproof gear with you, as you may experience inclement weather.
Spend a day in Bushmills and Ballintoy Harbor. It will take about 1 hour to drive from Dunluce Castle to Bushmills, and along the way you can drive along the Giant’s Causeway, which boasts magnificent views. Take a tour of the famous Bushmill’s distillery before stopping at Ballintoy Harbor for dinner and drinks at a local pub. If you like adventure, make sure to visit Carrick-a-Rede, a small island that you have to cross a 30-foot rope bridge to access.
Head inland to experience the Dark Hedges and Glens of Antrim. Make sure to stop in the town of Cushendun after exploring outdoors all day. The village is almost in its original condition and is home to the famous Knocknacarry Bridge. If the weather is nice, you could even go sailing or enjoy the beaches in Antrim.
Take a hike along the cliffs of Islandmagee to see the beautiful shores. This is also often referred to at The Gobbins, and it’s about a 30-minute drive from Cushendun. If you’re interested in this activity, it’s recommended that you book a guided tour for the safest experience. Bring your rain jacket and hiking boots for this part of your trip, as it’s often windy and rainy on the cliffs.
Visit Carrickfergus Castle on your way back to Belfast. This is a great seaside town in which you can spend the day exploring and enjoying local food and drink. Don’t miss out on Norman castle or the fresh seafood that’s offered in this quaint seaside town. It only takes about 30 minutes to get back to Belfast from Carrickfergus, so based on your appetite, you could spend more time in the small village and trek back to the big city for more entertainment options.
Taking Care of Logistics
Buy your plane tickets about 2 months before your trip. Dublin is the most popular choice if you’re planning on exploring southern Ireland, but you could also fly into Belfast if you are touring Northern Ireland. Check out Expedia, Kayak, and Trip Advisor to compare prices from different airlines. The closer you are to your travel date, the more expensive the tickets will be. Sometimes there are great last-minute deals, but they’re not guaranteed. Travel in spring, fall, and winter for less-expensive tickets and fewer crowds at tourist destinations.
Reserve lodging for 1-2 nights in each city you plan on visiting. You can book a hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel, or apartment for each location. Check out Trip Advisor, Expedia, and Airbnb to compare options. Print off your reservation confirmation so you can show it even if you don’t have access to your email.
Book a car rental so you can freely explore as you travel. Ireland is a relatively small country and has a beautiful landscape. To get the most out of your trip, plan on driving yourself so you can make as many stops along the way as you want. You’ll need a valid driver’s license to rent a car. Most vehicles are manual transmission, though you may be able to rent an automatic car if you book far enough in advance. If you don’t want to drive, you can take a train on the Irish Rail to most major cities. You could also book a seat on a Megabus to get from place to place inexpensively.About Maps and GPS: Because you’ll be driving around so much, it’s highly recommended that you have a map. You can often pay an extra fee to have GPS in your rental car, or you can download maps on your phone so you can access them even when you don’t have data or WiFi. You may also want to have a hardcopy of a map, just in case something goes wrong with your technology.
Pack multiple layers so you can adjust your outfit based on the weather. Even during the summer, you can expect cooler temperatures and inclement weather. Since you’re going for a week, try to fit everything into one bag or suitcase so you don’t have to check bags or carry around too much luggage. For your trip, consider packing the following basics: 3 pairs of pants 4-5 shirts 2 sweaters or lightweight jackets 1 waterproof jacket Scarf and gloves if you’re traveling in winter
Bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a backup pair of shoes. In case you get stuck out in the rain, having a second pair of shoes will save you from having to wear waterlogged ones the next day. If you’re planning on hiking, bring along hiking shoes to give you extra stability out on rocky terrain. This isn’t the time to break in a new pair of shoes, so wear ones that you already know are comfortable and won’t cause blisters.
Comments
0 comment