Hello all! I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on a quick trip to Dublin for the NYE holiday, and as the spinster friend, I’ll be doing it on my own. What are the best/safest hotels and areas of town for a traveler of my demographic? Thus far I’ve bookmarked the Trinity City Hotel and the Ruby Molly Hotel.

Hey guys, need some advice here. Im travelling to Uk on UKVI short stay visa type C without BIVS endorsed in it. Similarly my friend is joining me from India and he made application from there only but he received the visa with BIVS stamp. My question is, can I travel to Ireland after spending a few days in UK? Im aware that i dont fall under the category of BIVS but do fall under the Short stay visa waiver programme. Thanks in advance. Im travelling from Australia, tried calling the Irish consulate and even email them to clarify they dont seem to care and the lady on the phone is not so helpful.

Early 40s couple, who like to hike, animals, history, eat, and coffee. We plan to hike Slieve league and Mount Errigal for sunset, and then drive to Northern Ireland later on that week to hike giants causeway.

We are flying in to Dublin at 15:30 on a Sunday. There is a flight leaving Dublin at 18:50, and it lands in donegal county 20:00. It is only 79 euros for two ppl.

Our place is at Ardara, which is about 45 minutes from airport.

Would you 1) fly to donegal and rent a car there? If so, is there anything to do for a 3 hour layover near Dublin airport?

Or 2) rent car from Dublin and drive to Ardara?

TIA

If I buy the leap visitor card, do I have to validate it every time I take a bus? Or only the first time?

Hi,

I have applied for a short stay visa for Ireland to visit my family post Christmas. I applied on 4th of Nov. at VFS Bengaluru Office and still awaiting decision on my application. I have my flight on 20th to Paris and ll be flying after xmas to Ireland.

Please provide details of current lead times or similar cases.

I know this is a pretty ambitious schedule but we want to see as much of Southern Ireland as possible. We plan on 2 days in the major cities. Any suggestions? We plan on getting on the road early every morning.

Thursday 2/20 - Dublin 

Friday 2/21 - Dublin 

Saturday 2/22 - Galway with stop in Athlone 129 miles, 2hrs 33mins

Sunday 2/23 - Galway

Monday 2/24 - Ennis with stops in Moher cliffs 47 miles, 1hr 31min. Moher to Ennis 25 miles, 41mins

Tuesday 2/25 - Dingle 116 miles, 2hrs 42mins

Wednesday 2/26 - Killarney 40 miles, 1hr 2mins

Thursday 2/27 - Cork 54 miles, 1hr 9mins

Friday 2/28 - Kinsale, 16 miles, 32mins

Saturday 3/1 - Kilkenny 111 miles, 2hrs 3 mins

Sunday 3/2 - Depart Dublin, 82 miles, 1hr 22mins

I’m a solo traveler planning a trip for late february/early march. I’ve been to Ireland once with family, where we rented a car and hit most major cities. This time, by myself, I have a 10ish day window to go using public transport. Please give me advice, recs, great food spots, etc! I can’t wait for this trip :)

Here is my rough itinerary:

1. Friday morning land in Dublin
   1. Take public transport to Killarney
2. Killarney Friday night - Tuesday morning
   1. Ring of Kerry guided tour
   2. Hop on/hop off tour of Killarney national park
   3. a day to relax and walk around the town
   4. public transport to Dingle
3. Dingle Tues morning - Thursday
   1. Peninsula guided tour
   2. Walk around town, distillery, shops, etc.
4. Galway Thursday night - Sunday morning
   1. Have family that I’m hoping to stay with this weekend
   2. No plans set!
5. Afternoon flight out of Dublin on Sunday

I have no plans for Galway, but have been before. Based on my family in Ireland and their availabilities, I might have to budget more time to get to different cities to see them. This will probably come out of my Killarney or Galway days. Should I budget more time for Dingle, more time in Dublin? I’m sure the weather will be rough at times, but being from the midwest USA, I’m sure I’ll be fine! Any favorite food spots, pubs, shops? Tips on traveling alone, being outgoing while safe, traveling on a budget? Thank you all :)))

Side note: with all the public transportation rides and days in pubs alone, I’d love some Irish literature suggestions! I want to read my way through Ireland, so to speak. Modern or classic, anything Irish!

Hi! TLDR: Traveling with 9 people, how to see cliffs of moher but stay on the east side of the island? If some of us don't mind spending 2-4rhs on a train each day are we able to pick 2 central home bases and see the island?

Long post:

I have always wanted to travel to Ireland and have invited my family to join on an excursion in September of 2025. The group has grown to include my mom and step dad, 2 brothers and their partners, my sister and her partner and their (1yo by then) baby, and myself. 9 adults 1 baby. The adults are 23-61yo. I know that sounds like a lot..or just is no matter how you look at it, but I know it is possible to create a trip that can accommodate a large group. Many of us are independent and would want to split into smaller groups. Some mobility issues in the family, in addition to the 1yo, so some adventuring will need to be done solo anyway, and hopefully those who stay home will be able to be at a cafe or somewhere besides a hotel room/airbnb.

I have some questions, and would like to ask that please no one call us crazy because frankly I need this to work out lolol and don't want to be disheartened!! I would love to live in ireland one day, and am sort of wanting this to be a way for me to explore the areas and imagine creating a life there. I believe in us being able to make it work, but if we just need to be strategic I can mentally prep everyone on the game plan and everyone will get on board, no question, we're all just excited.

So.. I have an itenarary that I will NOT be sharing here because I know full and well it is unachievable tactically as well as just not what everyone wants. Some of the group are not super down with the weather and so we are all planning to be in europe for at least 2 weeks so those who need sun can get it afterword, and perhaps I will find that most of my travel of ireland happens once the others leave.

So here are the questions....

1. With 9 should we rent two cars or rely on trains and busses to get between cities?

2. Will any pubs or cafes be able to host us at 1 table walking in or should we go into the whole trip knowing that we will be sitting in smaller groups at separate tables? I know reservations are a thing, but I just thought I'd ask.....I have seen some other comments about how "american" americans can be and I don't want to be...cumbersome. I think babies can only be in pubs till like 9pm, but are 1yos frowned upon in those spaces point blank or is it OK if they have good behavior?

3. There seem to be plenty of airbnbs that can accommodate, several of which even state that they are baby friendly! I am thinking that in dublin specifically we may need to break up, the youngsters into hostels and the parents in hotels. Some in the group don't really want to drive or be on the road that much during the week, but they also want to see things that aren't on the same side of the island, so I'm trying to make it work to stay 1-3 nights in 3 different places and sort of make our way across the ireland and use both airports on either end of the trip. This doesn't seem to be the popular choice as some in the group have expressed wanting to have a "home base" (which is again why I am considering staying longer to get my own trip in). If we were going to fly in and out of dublin, what other town should we visit for the othe 3-4 days?

4. I've been learning irish lol is this going to pay off at all or will I seem like a weirdo if I try to talk to ppl?

I'm not trying to ask things I could easily ask on google, I have a very extensive itenarary that I am comfortable picking events in each place from, I just can't choose between them and think it could be helpful to get some more insight. I have done a few travels with the other side of my family (dad and step mom +sibs+grandparents) and I get stir crazy staying in one hotel room for a full week, so I'm trying to find a balance for all of us (and a baby).

Some absolute requirements from the fam are the cliffs of moher, seeing cool sweaters, seeing sheep, drinking beer, friendly chats, and good vibes.

Also, I'm pretty type B so this may seem like a lot but I swear I'm just trying to get the ducks in a row to get this trip off the ground cause I'm currently unemployed and have a lot of free time to look into it all! And again, just to reiterate, we're pretty laid back group, and can separate into smaller groups as needed.

Thanks!!

Hi All, I am surprising my wife with a trip to Ireland and was wondering if (based on all of the attractions I see on these posts), is one hotel/location good for our stay or should I look at multiple locations? I can see how far everything is away (from Dublin, at least), but am unsure if travel in Ireland is swift or extremely slow. I know this may seem like a “use your head” type of question, but from anyone’s experience, are there ‘KEY’ areas where I should look for lodging aside from Dublin that would make our trip more beneficial? We love the scenery and I am 100% positive that we will want to see the Gap of Dunloe. With that in mind, would you recommend STAYING in the area (somewhere in the vicinity of Gap of Dunloe) or is this an easy day trip to where we can stay in Dublin (or some other bigger city)?

Apologies in advance, I am completely new to Ireland and just want to make this a very comfortable trip for my wife with the least amount of stress as possible :)

Thank you all for any good advice! BTW, I am a Marriott guy and plan to use as many points as possible, but certainly not a deal-breaker if none are around.

I’m heading to Ireland soon for a week starting 12 December, renting a car. Don’t mind the gray, rainy weather and am keeping my fingers crossed that another snowy episode doesn’t alter my plans. Last December, I spent a December week in Dublin - lovely. This time, I’m spending a couple days each in Belfast (Cathedral Quarter) and Derry (Bogside) (with a drive to Giant’s Causeway on the Belfast-Derry day), then 3 days at Lough Eske Castle Hotel near Donegal Town, hopefully with a drive to Slieve Liag and Malin Beg, weather permitting. Then I drive back to stay my last night in Malahide, nearer the airport. I’m traveling by myself and would appreciate recommendations for pubs and restaurants along my path that are cozy and welcoming to a solo female traveler. Also, if there are any specific things I shouldn’t miss - a fabulous menu item, a wee shop along the way, a historic site to visit, etc. - please pass them along. Thanks so much!

Hello! We're planning a trip out for mid-October, renting a car. There'll be 5 of us - my wife and I, two kids (15 and 17 at time of travel), and my 73 year old mom. No mobility issues. We'll be spending 9 days. We enjoy history, nature, walks, pubs, music.

We're flexible and have lists of things we'd like to see/do, but not strictly trying to do it all.

Flying into Dublin, staying 2 nights. (Point A Hotel)
- Kilmainham Gaol
- Trinity College
- Irish Emigration Museum
- 14 Henrietta Street

Kilkenny, staying 1 night. (Kilkenny Hibernian)
- Kilkenny Castle
- Walking around the town

Killarney, staying 3 nights. (International Hotel)
- Killarney National Park
- Muckross Abbey
- Gap of Dunloe
- Kenmare Village

Galway, staying 3 nights. (Galway Bay Hotel)
- Aran Islands
- Cliffs of Moher
- Connemara National Park

Flying out of Shannon.

Thoughts? Please feel free to judge!

TLDR: Drove around southern half of Ireland over 9 days. The highlights of the trip were speaking with the locals, staying 2 nights at Benner Hotel in Dingle, visiting Blarney Castle and Gardens with next to nobody there, Muckross Abbey and Café. It rained 8 out of 9 days, so pack layers and do not forget waterproof shoes and rain jackets. On the trip was me and my husband (mid-40's) plus our two kids ages 10 and 12. We would 100 percent go again!  

Rental Car: We rented a Kia Sportage (midsize SUV) from Alamo. We chose a manual because it was less expense. We had to buy Alamo's car insurance because our regular coverage, through our credit card, didn't extend to Ireland, Israel or Jamaica - that was a surprise, so do your homework on this. Alamo insurance was about $35 per day. We packed one standard size suitcase and 3 carry on size suitcases, and each of us had a backpack/tote. This fit into the car perfectly. Anything more would have been problematic. I want to say to US drivers, the lanes are smaller in Ireland and there are no shoulders unless you're on the main highways. A bigger SUV will be very hard to navigate and park. The midsize SUV even felt big sometimes. Refueling cost about 60 euros and we had to refuel twice for this itinerary.

Clothing and Weather: We packed for layering. Absolute must haves are waterproof jackets and shoes. Without these we would have been miserable 6 out of the 9 days. Only one day was full sun, the rest were either misty or full on rain. I packed jeans, long sleeved shirts or sweaters, a Columbia vest, a Patagonia nanopuff, and a lined raincoat. Most days I wore a long sleeve shirt, the vest and the rain jacket with a hat and scarf. Two days I also layered the Patagonia under the rain jacket. Temps ranged from 30-55 F. On the one day with zero rain, I felt comfortable in my sweater and vest. Also, my husband and daughter both thought they wouldn't need their winter hats...guess what both bought on the trip. A warm head can make all the difference.

Day 1: Arrived to Dublin at 7am. We got the rental car and drove Drury Court Hotel - good God, that first drive was terrifying. My husband adjusted to the left hand shifter quickly, but the driving on the left hand side of the road and especially the roundabouts were scary. It took a couple days of us repeating the mantra "keep left" before it felt natural for him. Drury Court Hotel which was amazing. They gave us a room with 4 beds, the staff were really helpful, the breakfast was the second best we had on our trip, and the place was impeccably clean. We were able to do an early check in so we grabbed breakfast nearby and came back to the hotel for a 1.5 hour nap – this nap saved us from being zombies from the jet lag. After our nap we walked through St. Stephen's Green and visited the Museum of Irish Archaeology (which was free admission/donation only). I highly recommend both. We grabbed a pepperoni pizza from Bambinos and then walked Grafton Street and Stephens Green Shopping Center before calling it a day. Everything was decorated for Christmas and simply beautiful. Also, my husband does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so after dinner the kids and I crashed, and he packed up his gi and visited JS BJJ. They were super friendly and he's so glad he went.

Day 2: A full day in Dublin. We had our first big Irish Breakfast. Then headed to Trinity College for the Book of Kells experience. From there we walked past Dublin Castle to get to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. My kids loved the Cathedral best whereas my husband and I loved Book of Kells. After St. Patrick’s, we walked past Christchurch Cathedral and ended up at The Hairy Lemon for our fist pub food. Side Note: We left the car in a car park near Drury Court and it was validated to 16 euros/day vs the 40/day it would have been. For the rest of the trip I chose hotels that had free parking.   

Day 3: Drive to Kilkenny. Packed up after breakfast and drove to Wicklow Mountains National Park. We hiked and saw some great views and a waterfall. Then walked over to Glendalough to see St. Kevin's Chapel. Kids ate their first toasty from the food truck. Next we drove to Kilkenny through the pass. We checked into the Club House Hotel - this hotel was our least favorite (and most expensive of the trip). It's an old hotel and our room was in sore need of repair and updates. It could have been really lovely if it had been better maintained. After checking in, we headed out to eat. We chatted with some ladies on the street and they suggested the Killford Arms for dinner. My husband had a sirloin steak with pepper sauce. The steak was ok, but the pepper sauce was something special! If anybody has a recommended recipe, I’ll take it. I had cream of vegetable soup. It was so good. Throughout the trip I tried Irish lamb stew, Guinness beef stew, vegetable soup, and seafood chowders. Every single one was delicious. Side Note: If your kids are picky eaters nearly every place had Chicken Goujon (chicken tenders) or Margherita Pizza.

Day 4: Drive to Killarney. We opted to skip Kilkenny Castle since we overslept and had a full day planned. I regret that we didn’t see Kilkenny Castle, but still had one of our best days in Ireland. We drove to Rock of Cashel first which is an imposing site as you’re coming up. We paid for the tour and I’ll add that kids 12 and under had free admission. Next we drove to Cahir Castle, but after stopping for a coffee at The Keep Café we asked the locals if we’re better served to see Cahir or head straight to Blarney. They told us to go straight to Blarney Castle and Gardens and man was that the right choice. Blarney was amazing. My husband and daughter kissed the stone, but more than that exploring the castle and gardens was fun and exciting. I was surprised how you could essentially go into every nook and cranny. If we go back to Ireland, we’d make the effort to see Blarney while the gardens are blooming. We got there at 2:30pm and stayed until closing at 5pm. It was raining the whole time, but that made it better because practically nobody was there and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. After closing, we drove to Killarny and checked into the Parkavon hotel. This hotel reminds me of a standard American hotel like a Holiday Inn. They had a pool and my kids gave my so much flack for not packing swimsuits. They also had a decent in house restaurant that we took advantage of. 

Day 5: Drive to Dingle after exploring. Parkavon was the only hotel that we didn’t pay the bed and breakfast rates so we grabbed coffee and pastries from the gas station market. We drove into Killarney National park and hiked the Torc Waterfall yellow loop (waterproof shoes were a must). Then we went to Muckross Abbey. It was bigger than I thought it would be and truly awesome. This and Blarney Castle were my personal favorites of the entire trip. We ate lunch at the Muckross House Café and I have to tell you this was the best food we had in Ireland. It looks like a cafeteria, but I’m not kidding you – it was amazing. I had the Shepherd’s pie, we also got the lasagna, and the roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and veggies. It was so good we went back through the line to get cakes because we didn’t want to miss out on a great dessert (incidentally we saw another American family there and bumped into them again in Dingle and they also thought the Muckross Café was the best food they’d had in Ireland). After Muckross we drove the Gap of Dunloe. This was harrowing to say the least. I asked my husband to turn around, but as he pulled over an older couple passed us and he was like, really?! If they can do it so can we. We headed in and I didn’t take any photos or video because I was holding my breath and tense for the next 40 minutes. Stunning views, but not for the faint of heart. After that, we headed to Dingle where we check into and ate dinner at the Benner Hotel.

Day 6: Day in Dingle. We stayed at the Benner Hotel and this was my favorite stay on the trip. That hotel is beautiful, amazing breakfast and just a complete delight all around. This was a rest day for us, so we only drove the Slea Head loop stopping to see a few small things along the way (Cashel Murphey and Fahan Beehive Huts). We walked to the Dingle lighthouse (which was also very muddy so this is another plug for waterproof shoes), and then relaxed at the hotel for the rest of the day. I just want to say again how much we loved the Benner Hotel.  

Day 7: Drive to Galway. We headed to Cliffs of Moher, and originally planned to drive through Limerick, but saw there was a more direct route that included a ferry ride from Tamford to Killner. The ferry left at 11:30 and we boarded at 11:28. I still can’t believe we made it. The ferry ride was a bonus bit of fun since we’d never done that before, but Cliffs of Moher was the big deal of the day. It was our one sunny day and very busy. Also, it was super muddy – waterproof shoes for the win again. I recommend to skip the café there, it was a real let down after Muckross Café. We drove the rest of the way to Galway which was a stunning drive with the sun on the bays. We checked into the Galway Bay Hotel. I chose this hotel for the free parking, but we were happy to find they also had a pool and sauna available. 

Day 8: Day in Galway. We walked from the hotel to the Spanish Arch and City of Galway Museum (which was free entry). It was a nearly 3 mile walk and COLD. This was the only day on trip where I wished I had a parka. From there we explored Quay Street and had lunch. This was our souvenir shopping day and we had total success on Quay street. We went back to the hotel for a rest and returned several hours later to visit Eyre Square for the Galway Christmas Market. We bought a few more things and had pizza from a restaurant right off the square. I can’t recall the name, but it was the best pizza I’ve had in years. The Christmas market was charming and reminded me of the one in Denver, CO if that comparison helps anyone. 

Day 9: Drove back to Dublin. We checked into the Metro Hotel around 2pm, but still had some adventure in us so we drove to Howth. We walked a bit of the trail, but it was misty and getting windy so we found the local Starbucks and ended up chatting with a wonderful man. He mostly talked politics with us, and I have to admit this happened throughout our trip. People were very curious about our feelings on the election and were very open about theirs. Some liked Kamala and some liked Trump, but no matter what the conversation was easy and even funny. There was no offence for difference of opinion only genuine curiosity – I wish it was more like this in the states. On the way back to the hotel we ate at the Little Venice Restaurant which was also very good. We really lucked out with most of our meal choices on this trip.

And that’s it. I hope this summary is helpful to somebody. My entire family wants to go again. 

Hi all.

Booked a cheap solo trip to Dublin from London 2 weeks ago. Going this week. Arriving at 10am, spending one night at a cheap hotel, and leaving at 7pm the following evening. First ever time in Ireland!

I'll spare the context, but I'm suddenly on a super tight budget and really have to stick to it.

Is it possible to do 2 days in Dublin on 130 euros?

Planning on taking a bus from the airport to the city center. I don't want to bother do any major tourist attractions, just want to explore the city and walk around. I definitely wany to try some Guinness at a few pubs. Grab some cheap food. Any other recommendations welcome.

Just any rowing boat, but not a kayak or something. I've been looking for such a long time!

People are always asking about itineraries so here's one I did with two friends in a motorhome in late September which worked pretty well, so I thought I'd share in case it's helpful. We're from the UK, all around 60.

The park4night app was useful for finding campsites and permitted street parking. We had amazing weather but I swapped the order around to do Dingle first not last, which gave us dry weather for the Gap of Dunloe boat/bike ride and rain in Dingle (where we were mostly in pubs).

Day 1: afternoon motorhome pick-up near Dublin airport, drove to Kilkenny (2 hours) which has a motorhome parking area very close to the lively town centre.

Day 2: drove to Dingle, arrived in the afternoon, in time to explore the town on foot, visit some of its famous bars and enjoy good food and music. Parked on street at northern end of Dingle bypass.

Day 3: more wandering round Dingle (decided not to do Slea Head but we could have done). Started Ring of Kerry and drove to Valentia Island stopping at Killorglin and Rossbeigh (where motorhomes can't go onto the beach but have a separate car park with a great view). Stayed in a nice campsite on Valentia Island and explored the area around it including site of world's first transatlantic cable.

Day 4: drove to Kerry Cliffs and explored on foot (I'd been to Moher 25 years ago and I think these were just as impressive). Continued to Sneem, stopping at Waterville and Coomakesta Pass viewpoint. Beautiful campsite by the river in Sneem, a village at its best in the evening when the ROK coaches have all left.

Day 5: drove to Killarney stopping at several viewpoints and Torc waterfall. Stayed at Flesk campsite.

Day 6: hired e-bikes (next to campsite) and rode to Ross Castle to take the stunning boat trip (e-bikes allowed) to Lord Brandons Lodge and then rode over the Gap of Dunloe and returned to Killarney. Highlight of the trip!

Day 7: drove to a campsite outside Dublin as the motorhome had to be back in the morning.

Day 8: returned the motorhome and took taxi into Dublin for a 24 hour visit. Managed to pack quite a lot in, but knew it was just a taster.

Day 9: afternoon flight home.

We only had two days with drives of any length but even if we'd done this in a faster vehicle I think it was about the right amount to cover, for us at least.

We are traveling to Ireland for our anniversary trip in March and I am super excited! I made a rough itinerary and aside from the 2 dinner reservations and the flights, nothing else has been booked as I wanted to get some input prior.

A little background:

I have never been to Ireland before, my husband has but he was still young when they went as a family and does not remember much.

We both love to explore and EAT. He loves learning about history and I love basking in the views and culture of any place we visit.

He is a slower-paced traveller while I like to get up and go, so we've compromised by getting up and going the first couple days of our vacation and having the last day before we leave as a day to relax or revisit anything we might've absolutely loved. We've decided against renting a car as we're a bit nervous about driving on the other side of the road.

He definitely wants to see the Book of Kells, and do a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. and we both would like to see the Cliffs of Moher.

Any input is welcome! Any recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and anything in between would be appreciated as well! It would be lovely to squeeze in a stay in a castle somewhere but I realize it might not be possible.

03/25 (Tuesday)

- Arrive at Dublin 8:40am

- Take Dublin Express to city centre

- Drop bags off at hotel, find somewhere to have lunch

- St Stephen’s Green

- Guinness Storehouse Tour

- Brazen head?

03/26 (Wednesday)

• Trinity College (Book of Kells)
• National Museum?
• Walk around Temple Bar
• Ha’penny Bridge
• ChristChurch Cathedral
• Pearl Brasserie 6pm

03/27 (Thursday)

• Molly Malone Statue
• Dublin Castle
• ChristChurch Cathedral
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• Marsh’s Library (Ireland’s oldest library)

03/28 (Friday)

• Check-out
• Take DART to Galway
• Explore Galway
  • Galway Cathedral
  • Quay street
  • The halls of the Red Earl?
  • Galway museum
  • Spanish Arch?

03/29 (Saturday)

• Cliff of Moher and Aran Islands Tour (10.5 hrs) or Cliffs of Moher & Burren Tour (8 hrs)

03/30 (Sunday)

• Connemara and Cong Tour (8 hrs)

03/31 (Monday)

• Explore Galway more
• Head back to Dublin

04/01 (Tuesday)

• Take DART to Howth
  • Possible stop in Malahide to see castle and town center?
• Howth Cliff walk?? (2 hrs) or stroll along the pier
• Have seafood!!
• DART back to the city

04/02 (Wednesday)

• Another day trip somewhere?

04/03 (Thursday)

• Explore whatever was missed in Dublin, or whatever we want to go back to
• Dinner at D’Olier Street at 5pm

04/04 (Friday)

• Free day

04/05 (Saturday)

• Dublin Express to airport
• Flight leaves at 11:45am 

Going with my girlfriend for my birthday from Dublin in public transport next week, and I have a budget for it. Wondering which will be worth more of our time? Hoping to walk through slieve league, go out to bars, and enjoy our time.

Hello All,

Im planning my stagdo for May next year, im really into Martial Arts/Combat sports, just wondered if there's any local events that happen on a regular basis I can check out while im there?

Thanks!

My wife and I (early 40s and active) are coming next summer. We're generally trying to do one major thing a day and spend the rest of our time walking around whichever town we are in. We will rent a car when we arrive in Dublin. Feedback appreciated!

Land in Dublin Saturday 19th

• Day 1 (7/19/2025): 
  • Afternoon: Explore Dublin
  • Night in: Dublin
• Day 2 (7/20/2025):  
  • Travel to Galway
  • Activity: Explore Connemara 
  • Night in: Galway
• Day 3  (7/21/2025): 
  • Activity: Aran Islands tour
  • Night in: Galway 
• Day 4  (7/22/2025): 
  • Morning: Cliffs of Moher on the way to Killarney
  • Afternoon: Killarney National Park
    • Muckross House and Gardens
    • Torc Waterfall
  • Night in: Killarney
• Day 5  (7/23/2025): 
  • Activity: Drive the Ring of Kerry
  • Night in: Killarney
• Day 6  (7/24/2025): 
  • Travel to Dingle
  • Slea Head Drive
  • Night in: Dingle 
• Day 7  (7/25/2025): 
  • Morning: Blasket Islands (4 hour tour) 
  • Afternoon: Drive to Dublin
  • Night in: Dublin 
• Day 8 (7/26/2025): Fly home

Myself (F44) and my partner (M54) are looking at options for accommodations in Ireland for two weeks in early June. We're thinking about taking our tent and camping gear with us to try to save a few bucks on accommodation costs. We prefer to have a loose itinerary without booking anything in advance; that's how we travel at home here in Newfoundland and have never had a problem finding a place to set up. Is this doable in Ireland or do parks need to be booked well in advance? We're seasoned campers and quite used to cool, wet, windy conditions and are also not adverse to wild camping.

Hi r/Ireland!

We’re planning a trip to Ireland this January and will spend a few days in Dublin (Jan 14th–19th), but we’re looking to spice things up with a visit to another city or town. Here’s the catch: we know next to nothing about Ireland! What are the vibes like in different places? Where does the weather suck the least in January (is Galway always a rain magnet?), and where might it actually be kind of bearable?

Here’s what we’re into: bakeries (give us all the carbs), museums, theatre, standup, live music, good food, and generally just fun stuff that normal people like. Oh, and whiskey—big yes to whiskey! 🥃

We were eyeing up TradFest, but it looks like we’ll miss it by a hair, which is tragic because it sounds incredible.

So, r/Ireland, what are your recommendations for:

1. A second spot to visit outside of Dublin?
2. Must-dos in Dublin between Jan 14th and 19th?

We’d love to hear your quirky, cozy, or downright essential ideas. Cheers, and thanks in advance for helping some clueless tourists!

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Be it a blog, vlog, website, instagram, or all of them, where you share your experiences of tourism in Ireland feel free to drop them in this thread.

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hello! my mom and i are traveling to ireland for about five days at the end of december. we plan to visit galway and rent a car and see some nature sites and the christmas market but we want to spend new year’s eve in dublin. does anyone have any recs or tips for fun things to do/bars etc? or any advice in general for visiting ireland at this time of the year!

Thinking about driving ring of Kerry on our week trip in January. Is this a bad idea? We like small towns but wonder if we should stick cities

I (36m) am planning a two-week trip to Ireland with my mom (71f). We both love history, art, culture, and nature, though I don’t think we’d want to do any hikes that are too strenuous. My mom is still in good shape, but can’t overdo it. We’ll be flying into Dublin because there are affordable direct flights from our city in the US.

I was thinking of leaving on May 3rd and arriving May 4th, but I see that Monday, May 5th is a bank holiday for May Day. Would a lot of sights and businesses be closed in Dublin? Would it be better to leave a week later? Right now, the tickets are the same price.

I would also appreciate some advice about planning the itinerary. I will be renting a car as that seems like the easiest/most flexible way to see more of the countryside. I really want to go to Donegal for the nature and because some of my ancestors were from there. It’s also been a dream of mine to fly fish in Ireland (I’m doing research on that and finding some promising options).

It seems like the most frequent advice on this sub is to not try to do too much, so I’m getting a little overwhelmed trying to make a realistic plan. Would it be doable to go to Kerry, see the Ring of Kerry and Dingle, and then stop between there and Donegal? Is there anything that we would regret skipping between southwest and northwest Ireland? I’ve already decided to stick to the Republic this trip.

Heading to Ireland in March of 2025 coming from Chicago, US. What are your thoughts on our current itinerary:

Arrive in Dublin: 2 days spent here (mostly wanting to get the touristy stuff out of the way)

Drive to Kilkenny: 2 days spent here (I'm a huge Smithwicks fan so I'm pretty excited to visit)

Drive to Kinsale: 2 days spent here (we're staying near Old Head Golf Course, we really wanted to be remote for the majority of our trip. Find local pubs and hang out)

Drive to Killarney: 2 days spent here (staying on a farm near the National Park where we're going to be hiking)

Drive to Tralee: 4 days spent here (Found a super cool cottage to stay at and use it as our base camp. Dingle is on the list and smaller towns around this area.)

Drive to Galway: Spend 3 days here (This will be on Saint Patricks Day and was how we built the trip. This has been on our bucket list for a long time and we decided to double-dip on honeymoon for this!)

Stay at Ballynahinch Castle: 2 days here (I'm a fly fisherman and being able to convince my wife to stay here was a longshot but she said yes!)

Drive back to Dublin - final night (obviously venture into some pubs we missed on the first go around.

Obviously open to any recommendations based on our itinerary but we're really excited to visit your beautiful country!

Feedback welcome! Planning a trip for June of 2025 with a family of 5. I'm hoping for a mix of hiking, some biking, and nature. Trying hard not to pack too much in, or have too many changes of accommodation since packing everyone up is a chore. I’m following the advice of many on this Sub and we are not trying to see it all in our first trip.

We need a mix of Air BNBs and hotels to give us opportunities to wash clothes and spread out.

Day 1: Arrive Dublin from US. Stay in Dublin overnight.

Day2: Dublin exploration, Dublin overnight.

Day 3: Rent car at Dublin airport. Drive to Kinsale (stop Kilkenny on drive). Kinsale overnight.

Day 4: Kinsale overnight

Day 5: Drive to somewhere like Schull or Baltimore for overnight stay in Bed and Breakfast

Day 6: Drive to Kenmare. Kenmare overnight.

Day 7: Kenmare, explore Valentia Island, ROK, etc. Kenmare overnight.

Day 8: More ROK exploration or Killarney National Park/Gap of Dunloe. Kenmare overnight.

Day 9: Drive to Dingle

Day 10: Dingle

Day 11: Dingle

Day 12: Drive to Newcastle West (family connections to area). Rent bikes.

Day 13: Explore Newcastle West, bike Limerick greenway. Stay West Newcatle overnight.

Day 14: Drive to Swords or Malhide for overnight stay.

Day 15: return car to Dublin airport for 11 AM flight.

Thoughts? Is this too ambitious? Is Kenmare a good base, or should we stay in Waterville?

Any recommendations of hotels, bed and breakfasts or other recommendations would be welcome.

Hi! Any advice for someone planning a two week trip from 12/31–1/14 for their family is greatly appreciated! There will be four couples, one singleton, and two babies (both just under 1 years old).

We are planning on staying at hotels or bed & breakfasts. My big question is if we should rent cars (I think we would need two or three with the size of our lot!) because of the babies. Should we plan to bring our US car seats? Or would we be fine with public transportation?

Would any of the day trip tours allow us to bring babies on the buses?

Below is my rough draft at an agenda. If anyone has any advice if we’re spending too long/not enough time in a place, I’m all ears for suggestions!

12/31-1/2 Dublin 1/3-1/4 Kilkenny 1/5-1/8 Galway 1/9 St. Patrick pilgrimage 1/10-1/11 Derry 1/12 Belfast 1/13 back to Dublin

Thank you!!

We are heading to Ireland for a week in February. We will be spending two nights in Killarney. What are some must-see/do activities? We will be traveling with three our kids (youngest is 5, oldest is 17). We live in New England, so we aren't worried about the weather. Looking for cultural and unique sights to see! Let us know what your suggestions are, and why! Also considering a night in Killkenny, would love some insight on small villages near Kilkenny to stay in, that will still have food and sites available to us in the off season.

Spending 2 nights in the Cork area. First night in Cork and the second night is undetermined. Where should we stay? Looking for shops, food and great pubs!