Driving from Dublin to West Coast

Greetings
We arrive in Dublin about 5.30pm after a long drive earlier in the day.  I only have 5 days and want to explore the West Coast.  Should we head off that evening to the Coast to a nice hotel or spend one night in Dublin. I don't have any plans to explore Dublin and want to make sure I see Kerry.  I need some advise and input.  Driving isn't an issue - even on small roads.  Its more about the distance and time to clear Dublin and get to a nice hotel before we start exploring.  Thanks

Where in Dublin do you arrive into? Dublin airport? If so it's on the M50 motorway which connects easily with M7 motorway which will take you south to Kerry. You'll get out of there quickly, won't be going into the city at all. You could stop off in a nice hotel en route, in Kildare or Laois and head off to Kerry in the morning. If I had more details I could advise better :-) 

Hi Deirdre, 

I'd love to see what I can do to help plan your trip! Are you planning on visiting in the near future? 

It seems like you've definitely got your mind set on exploring as much of the west coast as possible. :) Since you aren't going to be staying in Dublin very long, you could choose to stay in or near the city and drive to the west in the morning. There is a great road between Dublin and Galway, that allows you to drive to the other side of the island in 2 to 2,5 hours. 

I can completely understand you will want to rest after a long day of driving, but you could also drive from Dublin towards Galway on the first day, and stay somewhere along the coast so you can start your trip along the Wild Atlantic Way straight away in the morning. 

Have you looked at accommodation yet? Type in the location of the place where you would like to stay on this page, and all of the available options will pop up. 

The drive from Galway to County Kerry will take, depending on the route, between 2 hours and 45 minutes, and 3 hours and 30 minutes. This is without stopping along the way. What would you like to see in between, and how far along the coast would you like to continue your trip? 

Hi Deirdre,
Great to hear you're coming to visit Ireland! Kerry is indeed one of the nicest counties in Ireland (many of the most popular spots in Kerry are on the Wild Atlantic Way- the longest coastal route in the world!).

I agree with Melin that if you arrive into Dublin Airport, you can head straight to Galway city. Galway city is a gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, and also has plenty of lively pubs. I would suggest spending one or two nights in Galway, giving you a good opportunity to explore Connemara and the Cliffs of Moher. Following this I would recommend heading to Dingle in county Kerry for two nights. Dingle is a gorgeous fishing village and you can do the Slea head coastal drive from there. Finally that leaves you with one more night in Ireland, and I'd recommend finding a hotel near Dublin Airport (Citynorthhotel Meath for example).  

If you'd like any more assistance with the itinerary, myself and my team design customized tours of Ireland.  We can organise car rental and tailor tours according to your interests, needs and budget! Feel free to visit our website to get a better sense of what we do: https://www.special-ireland.com/
If you need any further help with this, don't hesitate to get in touch!
Best,
Dee, Specialized Travel Services