10-12 days in South-West/West of Ireland

Hiya,
The two of us are planning to go to the South-West/West of Ireland in the last two weeks of August 2017 (10-12 days). From the airport we will rent a car.

We want to visit at least the following places:
- Tralee (visit friends for 3 or 4 days)
- Killarney
- Ring of Kerry (or part of)
- Conor Pass
- Dingle
- Slea Head Drive
- Cliffs of Moher
- Doolin
(optional Galway)

I have a few questions and hopefully you will have some great tips for me, all tips are welcome!
- I'm flying from the Netherlands, so would Cork Airport the best place to fly to or is it much cheaper to fly to Dublin and rent a car from there on?
- Shall we add Galway to it or is it better to spend more time in Kerry?
- What would be the best route/planning for 10-12 days?
- Any other must-see places in these areas?
- Any recommendations for (not too expensive) B&B's in these areas? I will use that accomodations searcher, but tips are welcome of course!

Thank you very much in advance!!
Really looking forward to the trip :)

Hi Padraigh,

Sounds like a great plan to fill your time whilst you're in the southwest of the country. Cork airport would be the obvious choice as it's right there where you want to be.

Please do use our accommodation search option and I would expect a lot of our community members to help out there too.

Galway is also an excellent place to visit as you have made it as far as the Cliffs of Moher and Doolin. It would add bit more city life to your trip. Having said that, don't try to cram too much in and not spend as much time as possible at each location.

Car hire will be available at the airport and you may also find the airline you use has some contacts too.

The route will be as you listed them in a clockwise rotation following the coast and the Wild Atlantic Way.

I'm sure you will get some more help from our members on their own experiences and expertise.

Have a great time, and let us know how you got on.

Martin  

Sounds like you have done your research Padraigh. The trip sounds great.
To answer some of your questions:
Cork would possibly be the easiest route to take, but flying into Dublin is also an option, as you can add Galway to the trip and travel there first. You could then make your way down to Clare and Kerry.

You mentioned that you are looking for B&Bs - Just to give you a bit of background about us, we are B&B Ireland - we have over 800 premier B&Bs on our website that you can book instantly. Staying in one of our bed and breakfasts offer you the chance to stay in an Irish family home. The B&Bs are all independently owned and reflect a charming diversity of style and character where quality and service is paramount.
Our advice for your trip would be to book your B&B in advance - August is a very busy time.
Once you have you have selected your travel route -  check out our B&B locator to find B&Bs along the way.
http://www.bandbireland.com/bandb-locator
B&B Ireland - http://www.bandbireland.com

Hello Padraigh.

ROUTE from Cork Airport - pick up rental car - first destination KINSALE - then traveling at your leisure towards CLONAKILTY - SKIBBEREEN - MIZEN HEAD - SHEEPS HEAD (walking) - THE BEARA PENINSULA - HEALY PASS to DURSEY ISLAND (cable car & walking) - KENMARE TOWN - drive the RING OF KERRY to WATERVILLE - BALLINSKELLIGS - PORTMAGEE - THE SKELLIG ROCK (boat trip advance booking)  - KILLORGLIN / KILLARNEY - THE DINGLE PENINSULA - SLEA HEAD - CONOR PASS - BRANDON BAY (walking) - CASTLEGREGORY (walking) - TRALEE. Along the way there are lots of beautiful towns and villages to rest up for a night or two and enjoy the local hospitality. You could go further north to the TARBERT car ferry and cross over to beautiful County Clare. Bring walking boots, rain gear, back pack and you will have a great time.
You're getting lots of help with suggestions of accommodation types from other community members so I won't go there.
Best wishes and greeting from Killarney.
Conor

Hi Padraig, Why not consider taking a ferry with Bill O Brien www.doolinferry.com under the Cliffs of Moher? Or a half day trip to the Aran Islands as you make your way from the Co Clare coast to Galway? Phone me for more local information when you are in the area 00353747878870. Bill

Hi Padraigh,
You have chosen well. We actually have a lady touring this area as we speak, her ten night trip covered the following:

10 Day Bespoke Tour of The Wild Atlantic Way Including:
9 x Overnight Bed & Breakfast, 9 x Evening Meals (note supper club on one night meant she didn't need an evening meal that night) & 5 Good Food Ireland Experiences: Seaweed Foraging, Whiskey Tasting, Supper Club, Distillery Farm Tour, Smokehouse Tour and Tasting. Destinations Included:Kilkenny (en route) | Cork | Kerry | The Burren | Galway | Connemara | Mayo (en route) | Dublin

If you'd like us to organise a custom tour to suit your budget feel free to get in touch via the details below or perhaps get inspiration from our tours website www.GoodFoodIrelandTours.com
Warmest regards
Roz


For Booking enquiries or updates please contact Roz:
roz@goodfoodireland.ie / bookings@goodfoodireland.ie
T: 00353 53 91 58693
www.GoodFoodIreland.com

Hi Padraigh,

Sounds like a great trip!
Why not come to Ireland and be car free & care free!
At Railtours Ireland First Class we have one day to nine day tours to choose from.
We have tours that visit The Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Killarney and Doolin which you mentioned you would like to see.
You can view all our tours here on our website: https://railtoursireland.com/
If you have any queries about our tours please do not hesitate in contacting us and we would love to help book a tour that suits you.
Our email address is info@railtoursireland.com and our phone number is +35318560044.

Kind Regards,
Ericka

Hiya,

Thank you all for comments and tips! No matter if they were based on commercial grounds or not, all tips are appreciated! I will look at all your tips and figure it out what will be the best options for me! And I hope to receive more of them!

I might have to consider whether I should drive to the cliffs of Moher or spend more time in Co. Kerry. I want to see as much as possible, but I don't want to rush it too much either. Will be though decisions :)

Thanks again people! Sláinte!