All good advice. Stunning scenery, historic sites everywhere, friendly people, good food - multiple trips worth.
In 2020, we are going to hit some of the islands, as well as the ancestral castle for me in the far northwest.
Last trip, DBIL and DSIL accompanied us. Her bucket list included a falconry experience, so we checked that block at Ashford Castle and Ireland’s School of Falconry. That was a wallet-drainer but worth every penny. DH’s bucket list item was a guided tour of the Irish National Stud, and that was a great half-day not far from Dublin. My bucket list was a dawn tour of Newgrange.
The typical Irish rookie itineraries tend to include:
- Dublin (Book of Kells, Guinness, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, etc., use the Hop On Hop Off bus)
- Cliffs of Moher
- The Burren
- Giant’s Causeway
- Waterford
- Blarney Castle
- Dingle Peninsula
- Rock of Cashel
- Galway area
- Belfast area (“Game of Thrones” tours abound, Titanic Experience)
- more from other posters for the usual first-trip stops in various regions?
As noted in another post, the Irish Tourism Board site offers many resources, including hotel bookings. You can go $$$$$ on the Castle/country manor hotels, or stay in the B&Bs - just google Irish B&Bs and hundreds of options pop up. Look for the registered ones or association members. There is nothing bad to be said about a full Irish breakfast with warm soda bread and Irish butter, though I would give the black pudding (sausage) to DH. Huge discussions can occur about the perfect Irish breakfast, rather like Americans and the perfect hamburger. Enjoy the article below, but fair warning it’s a bit salty.
https://www.joe.ie/life-style/12-unbreakable-rules-full-irish-breakfast-552938
You could easily go straight to Dublin, use public transport and skip the car, walk/bus everywhere, book local trips to nearby sites of interest. Just google “day tours from Dublin.”
If I only had a week, and it was my first trip, I’d probably settle into Dublin, do 2 days Dublin sights, 1 day game, 3 days local half or full-day bus tours, just as an intro to Ireland. You don’t want to miss the pep rally on St. Stephen’s Green.
It all depends on your travel style and budget.
There are great things to see in every region of Ireland.
The freeways work just like ours, with gas and junk food stops. The secondary roads and tertiary roads can be quite twisty, with you and lorries coming at each other with no shoulder on either side, just high banks. Driving through that just-as-green-as-you-have-imagined countryside can be quite pleasurable. Sixty miles can take 2 hours to drive on those roads, but we love getting off the freeway (motorway).
Invest in an old-school folding map of Ireland to get a feel for where things are.
The UNESCO world heritage sights are almost always worth going to. If you’re going to hit several of those on one trip, you can buy a full-access pass at a cheaper rate than single access.
I think I’m going to make some soda bread this weekend, and get some Kerrigold Irish butter at the commissary.
