Maybe we should Visit Ireland?

My wife and I are thinking about visiting Ireland in late fall, October - November, of this year.
We have been scouring the pages of information on the internet, Air Fares, vacation packages, etc.gathering information. I typically would prefer to make our own travel arrangements, but from afar, it's pretty much guess work. Unless, we have some great folks like you to steer us.
 We will be departing from the States, Midwest, Actually Ohio and have been looking currently at air fares. Can you make a recommendation as to what Airlines to use or what Airport would be best to fly into?
I would like to meet the people and rural life. So what ever airport we use, I need to be able to obtain a good quality rental car. 
We know that we want to travel to many of the castles and the film location for the "Gentle Man", but that brings up yet another question. Would you recommend traveling only in the Republic of Ireland or take in Northern Ireland as well.

I appreciate your help and look forward to hearing from you.

Dale 

Hello Dale,

Ireland in the Fall is a lovely time to visit, our leaves have turned and the crisp mornings make way to some cloud-free days, sometimes!

We have a flight's search page that may be of use to you to decide on how to get here. Dublin would be the favorite destination of most airlines but Shannon is a useful alternative for the west coast touring. Both locations have suitable rental car facilities.

The Quiet Man film was based in the lovely area of Cong on the County Mayo/ County Galway border. There is a lovely museum which would be a great spot to visit.

There are plenty of castles and ruins all over the island of Ireland you will be spoilt for choice. These are located both north and south so we would say that a visit to Northern Ireland is a great idea too, be sure to mention to the rental car company for insurance purposes and their T&C's.

How long will you both be visiting for?

Martin

Hi Dale, 

How exciting you are planning a trip to Ireland. We actually have a blog specifically for planning a trip to Ireland with loads of information about airlines, what to bring, financial advice etc. You might find it useful. We also have many other blogs all about coming to Ireland that you might find useful.

We specialise in fully guided small group tours that go off the beaten track to show you the real authentic Ireland. We only use boutique hotels or country houses run my families and locals so you are guaranteed to mix in with Irish locals. We have full itineraries posted on our website if you want to check us out. It may be an option for you and your family or you can get some ideas for your big trip. Also, we do actually visit the Quiet Man bridge in some of our tours

https://vagabondtoursofireland.com/

I hope some of the information from our website can help you plan your trip and where to visit. 

The Vagabond Team

Hello Dale,

Hopefully we can offer you some useful information about travelling into Northern Ireland should you decide to come north, along with things to see and do should you visit the Causeway Coast and Glens region.

There is an excellent tolled motorway from Dublin to the border at Newry, then motorway and dual carriageway to Belfast. You know you have crossed the invisible border when your road signs change from kilometres to miles per hour!  Heading north from Belfast you can follow the A2 Causeway Coastal Route that meanders along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.  On this journey you will encounter an impressive Norman Castle at Carrickfergus, the Glens of Antrim, the rocky coastline interspersed with long sandy beaches, the Giant's Causeway and much photographed Dunluce Castle in Portrush (see below).  Along the way you will pass through small towns and villages with plenty of amenities.   

Alternatively if you decide to fly into Shannon Airport you can connect into the Wild Atlantic Way to explore the West of Ireland.  At the northerly end of that route is the city of Derry and from there you would be able to continue your coastal journey on the A2 Causeway Coastal Route towards Belfast. 

To find out more information about the region, please visit our web site: https://visitcausewaycoastandglens.com  

I hope you have a wonderful holiday exploring Ireland later this year! 
Anne

Martin:

Thanks so much for responding.

The Ireland in the fall is a great link.  There is some great information there. 

We are most interested in seeing the Cong and the film locations for the Quiet Man. Unfortunately it appears that the museum may close the end of October, so if we visit in November we would not be able to experience it. So we are weighing our options for an October trip.
A friend was in Ireland a few years ago and loves the Kilkenny Area and the Medieval Mile. Thats another area we would like to visit.
I have heard the rental car insurance is a very critical step. What did you mean by, "be sure to mention to the rental car company for insurance purposes and their T&C's".

We are not sure how long we will be there yet. I'm afraid I will fall in love with it and not leave.

Many thanks to Vagabond Tours and Causeway Coast and Glens for their helpful information!

When renting a car in the Republic of Ireland and wishing to travel to Northern Ireland, you need to mention this as there is an insurance implication with regard to cover. The Terms and Conditions, (T&C's) vary from the rental company and it is always best to check each company for differences as per our advice on the article page.

If October is not suitable, then there is also the Quiet Man Cottage which is open all year round, or a handy addition to the museum and walk around the village!

The Kilkenny area is lovely too, plenty to see and do to keep you busy. The drive between there and Cong is packed full of places to visit too, with Birr Castle and also Athlone to make it a wonderful trip indeed.

Hopefully, you are able to make your plans to include October for Cong and some of November for a trip down to Kilkenny.

If you need some additional help, please feel free to ask, we love to help create a useful itinerary to make the most of any time with us on the island of Ireland,

Speak soon,

Martin

Thanks so Much for your responses. It is of great interest to us! We need to really read a lot more, Certainly Causeway rope bridge is of great interest. I need to spend more time looking at the Causeway Info.....Thanks so much.
It seems that Ireland has so much to see and offer. Just looking at the map, it appears that are a number of ferry's that run from Ireland to Wales and Scotland. Are those long trips? Are they day trips? Could we stay in Ireland, then go to Wales for a few days, then back to Ireland? I would love to go to Wales as well. Growing up our family ("Sayre") was told to be from Ireland or Wales. I'm not certain of that by any means, but it would be great to see both countries. The longer I look, the longer the trip gets. 

Hi Dale,

Ferry crossings can be such fun! 

The lengths of the trips can vary, depending on loading times and destination spots.  It is definitely possible to visit Wales for a few days and then return to Ireland. 😄

As there so many options, we'd like to suggest you have a look at our Ferry resources. 

If any of our friends here have enjoyed crossings, we'd love to hear some suggestions from you!

Sionainn

Was looking at travel plans, Once in Ireland.

One of the the thoughts was as soon as we land, check into our boarding accommodations in Dublin, whatever they might be, then secure a rail pass and travel up the coast to Belfast. Once we returned from Belfast, then get a rental car. I tried to get on the Irish Rail web page and look at departure time to and from Dublin. The web page will not allow us to search in October or November, but looking at the earlier dates say August or so, those all appear to be sold out. So...Is this a poor idea? Is it better to try and use the rental car rather than rail? Will the rail trip be more constrictive and not give us the view of Northern Ireland you would suggest? Additionally, If we used rail to get to Belfast, can we get a good sampling of Belfast on foot or do we still need a rental car once there?

Thanks for your help..

Dale

Hello All,

Here in the States I have become accustom to using google maps to negotiate the city and country side. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if they have used such a feature exists in Ireland and if it might work off the Apple IOS. Additionally if I can purchase digital Maps on line or paper maps. We have confirmed travel arrangements now for this fall. Thanks so much for all your help.

Dale