Hi all! I’m a 33f and planning a solo trip to Ireland for 10 days in March. Im looking for any advice or tips on my itinerary to make sure I’m getting the most out of this. I will be doing a lot of driving and find myself a little worried about what to do if for any reason I get a flat tire (who would I call for help??)
Here’s the plan:
Day 1: Land in Dublin early afternoon- no set plans this day since I will likely be tired and jet lagged.
Day 2: Guinness storehouse and (hopefully) Kilmainham Gaol if I’m able to score some tickets
Day 3: pick up rental at 10:30am (will try to request an earlier pickup). Drive to Killarney but stop in Kilkenny to visit the Kilkenny castle and grab lunch.
Day 4: ring of Kerry
Day 5: St. Mary’s Cathedral / Ross castle
Day 6: Drive to Galway and stop by Cliffs of Moher on the way
Day 7-8: Eyres Square / Galway Cathedral / Lynch’s castle / The Dough bros / Latin Quarter
Day 9: Drive back to Dublin and stop at Sean’s bar on the way (oldest pub in the world). Return rental car. No set plans.
Day 10: Open / Leisure
Day 11: fly home
Any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly appreciated!!
If you want to visit Kilkenny, I would cut one day in Dublin (from the beginning or the end) and add an extra night to Kilkenny. You have two full days and two half-days in Dublin (not counting the day of departure) and you only have one day dedicated to activities.
Kilkenny is a very cool Medieval town, plenty to do for one full day. And you're adding a lot of extra driving just to do one or two things and move on.
I may end up doing that. Thank you for the advice!
Plus you might want to think about a tour bus around the Ring of Kerry. Driving will mean keeping your attention on very windy and narrow roads. With tour bus you get a measured stress free trip
I second that. Maybe a day and a half in Dublin is enough. See what you want there and go to Kilkenny. Maybe replace some of the Dublin time with Ennis on the way to Galway.
Tight itinerary. Kilkenny stop off is quite out of the way making that a big detour. Cahir castle or rock or cashel maybe closer to the road to Killarney?
Have fun!
The only reason I’m stopping in Kilkenny is because my grandma was born there so I feel obligated to check it out lol
Then 100% go there. It’s a beautiful city. The park and river walk alongside the castle are gorgeous.
You could do worse things than spend a night in Kilkenny also. Pretty good nightlife/ bars etc.
Don't skip Kilkenny, especially if you have family ties there. Admittedly, this is a visitor's perspective, but I do think you'll like it.
You could take the train to Kilkenny and pick up a hire car there. Europcar has a place on the edge of the city. Perhaps there are others. You might like driving, but you'd be surprised how bogged down you can get on Irish roads. You're trying to do too much in a short space of time.
You can collect from enterprise car rental in kilkenny, too. They have a branch of a quick taxi journey from the train station. For flat tyres, ask if they recommend the spray foam, but cars will have breakdown assistance.
The trip is heavy on driving, the kilkenny to kerry bit im trying to figure a good route, and it's a long drive. Motorway to Waterford and then cork and then kilarney. Long drive. The other option through Freshford and urlingford onto Cork Motorway. Road may not be ideal if getting to "know" your car, windy road.
When I'm going to Cork, I choose the motorway to Waterford option these days. That winding road to Urlingford is no fun and feels like it's twice as long as it is.
Too much driving. If you have genuine concerns about flat tires etc, reduce your time in the car.
This is silly... its not too much driving at all. The roads are fine and youll have roadside assistance if you get a flat.
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Hi there,
Your post has been removed as you either explicitly asked for a, "hack", recommendation or tip for either car hire or accommodation.
We're just a sub to ask general tourist questions, we aren't a travel agency with special insights into car hire or hotel prices, which accommodation best suits your needs and such.
Please use the usual booking websites to search for prices and availability for your dates and needs.
For car hire, be sure to read the small print and contact them to clarify their policies.
Thank you
Hi there,
Your post has been removed as you either explicitly asked for a, "hack", recommendation or tip for either car hire or accommodation.
We're just a sub to ask general tourist questions, we aren't a travel agency with special insights into car hire or hotel prices, which accommodation best suits your needs and such.
Please use the usual booking websites to search for prices and availability for your dates and needs.
For car hire, be sure to read the small print and contact them to clarify their policies.
Thank you
First off, great shout for giving yourself a chill first day to recover. Lots of US tourists try to cram too much in, your iteniary looks pretty good. Traveling on your own IS different, so I can understand you driving a fair bit. See if the rental company have a roadside assistance, they'll change your wheel for you! These days some cars don't even come with spares or else its a limited speed spare, if yiu can believe that. Have a great time!
Great insightful. Thank you for sharing this
Thank you!!
Agree with the above, you might wear yourself thin with all the travel and driving. You definitely want to leave wiggle room for potential delays and for just slowing down to appreciate the places you’re popping through!
Definitely understand this. Im not sure it will wear me out because I really enjoy driving and I usually want to go go go and try to see everything when I’m exploring a new country. I do have some rest/down days with no driving on day 5, 7,8, and 10
Have you ever driven in ireland before? If you havent, it’s a very different (worse) experience from driving somewhere like the us (where im assuming you’re from, because most/all other nationalities tend to mention that when they make posts here)
Also if you’re going dough bros be prepared to wait as they’re basically always busy. Or else try lil bros, their spinoff ‘pizza by the slice’ spot beside eyre square, which is just as good, especially if the weather’s nice as there’s plenty of space to sit out in the square & eat
Oh also be advised that google maps suggested travel times are often wrong, especially when not driving on motorways.
If it says a journey will be an hour on national roads, make sure you factor in two in case you’re stuck behind a tractor etc
You should visit Leitrim as well
I wish I could visit every single town!! lol
Many rentals won't have a spare so you'll need full recovery / breakdown assistance unless you want to hope the can of puncture fix is enough to get you to a puncture repair place
Sean's bar is shite and overated, you're better off having a pint in the Brazen Head instead, which is the oldest pub in Dublin but feels that way. Sean's bar has this horrible modern aesthetic which really takes away from its age!
Killarney is lovely, but make sure to drive Dingle and the Slea Head Peninsula it's way more scenic with coastal views.
And Dough Bros is banging, it's my fav pizza spot in Ireland.. Great choice!
Any other specific questions? I do this for a living for people who don't want to rent cars!
I think both are shite! Seans is fine if you're in Athlone already, but definitely not worth making a detour to. To me an old bar should be in an old building, not "evidence of bottles on the site" or whatever shite they say there. I'd avoid the Brazen Head altogether tbh
Was in seans last week, its a great spot. Do both!
My favorite stop between Galway and Dublin is Clonmacnoise south of Athlone near Shannonbridge which has some cool pottery shops. Nicky Mosse being one I think. Worth checking out. https://maps.app.goo.gl/uYqiDWjAZ8fLbwva9
I drive as a private driver guide and Clonmacnois is always a hit. You could ring ahead to see if you could time it with an OPW tour of the site. We do Seans bar and walk around Athlone too.
Sean's Bar in Athlone is a bit of a tourist scam - it's an alright pub, but not that old.. they just have a list that allegedly proves there's been pubs at the location before. But if you're passing by, maybe it's a worth a stop if you really like pubs.
Seriously, drop the driving. Take public transport, less stress, no flat tyres (correct spelling, joke !!!), see less and spend time talking to people on public transport, probably get better local information than any travel book can tell you. I live in Killarney, if you have any questions just fire away. Slainte !!!
Thank you! I enjoy driving!! Also having the ability to stop in a town if it looks cool enough
Def drive but you’re doing road trips every day pal!
I know, I think I might actually cut out the ring of Kerry to save on driving. Just sucks because everyone says it’s a really cool thing to experience
Hard to say! Irish people and Americans have fairly different tolerances for long drives. I’m rereading your itinerary and it’s pretty balanced if you’re not going to be coming back often enough to linger.
Take a tour bus for the Ring of Kerry, less stress, sitting up higher than a car so you see more, and you don't have to concentrate on driving 😉
Don't leave out Kerry, it's beautiful - do the Beara Peninsula instead - I actually think it's prettier.
Definitely drive, public transport in Ireland is not reliable.
Public transport reliable and timely in Ireland? Coming from USA makes me hesitant due to how delayed the schedules can get around here
PT in ireland is amazing compared to most US systems.
Trains are generally pretty good time wise. Give or take 5 minutes once in a while. They are generally very punctual.
Buses i think factor bad traffic and are punctual. Look accidents happen and traffic jams in Dublin but are fairly good. But the trains are solid and cheap.
Yeah dont take public transport. Driving is way cheaper and quicker. You couldnt do this trip on public transport.
Just throwing in some Dublin-specific advice for you! There’s plenty of buses but you need a specific card called a ‘Leap’ card, which there’s no point betting if you’re here for so short. So you’ll need coins, not notes, to pay for a ride. Also you won’t get any change back! You might also want to get the Luas (tram), you can buy tickets at the stops with your bank card. It’s all fairly walkable too so that’s a good option if it’s not raining! I’d personally skip the Guinness storehouse in favour of other attractions (very touristy, but you are a tourist I suppose!). Kilmainham Gaol is great, Dublinia is a good visit too, Trinity college, the Dáil (where our government sits) is a good tour as well! Temple bar is very overpriced for food and drink so exercise caution there!
Thank you!!
You are doing way too much in too short a time. People always look at the map and think it’s a small island so it won’t take long. You’ll be so stressed, everything slows down here, it won’t work.
I don’t agree that I’m doing too much, at least for me. If I don’t feel up for driving the ring of Kerry, I will skip it. I’m not afraid of hour long drives, I actually enjoy that method of travel and seeing more of the country
Up to yourself. But you really need to get out of the car and hang around Ireland to see the genuine side. Otherwise you’ll just be skimming the tourist traps, which is cool if that’s what you’re signing up for. (Sorry, genuine opinion)
I wish I could stay for a whole month to explore! 10 days just isn’t enough but I guess it’s better than nothing lol
Irish roads are a lot different than American roads and often more dangerous if you’re not used to it. I know a lot of Americans underestimate how mentally taxing driving is here. It’s not the same
don't skip the ring of kerry. it's stunning.
As for road side assistance the rental company will give you a number.
you're doing a lot - if i was to skip one part it would be galway as its tiny and you could see it in 1/2 a day (unless you're going there to drink and listen to music).
It would take half a day to get from one side of Galway to the other in my experience 🤣 Connemara was amazing
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Stop at the Rock of Cashel en route to Killarney.
Visit the National Museum of Archaeology early in your visit if you can. It will give you perspective of a lot of the other historical sites that you see.
I would love to but I don’t think I have enough time for it 🙁
You can literally see rock of cashel from the motorway so its not too much of a detour to take the exit and spend an hour there. Its worth it.
Also second museum of archeology in Dublin suggestion. Its free in, right in city centre near Trinity college. Easy to pop in for an hour. Has a cool exhibition on bog bodies from pre Christian ireland.
Might as well do the red bus tour of Dublin ....could squeeze that in on the first day especially if you slept on flight over
Guinness storehouse is the biggest pile of sh1te ever, don't bother 😎💯
St. Patrick's day is the 17th march, but in some parts, there's a festival week celebrated. This may impact on travel, traffic, etc. If you're here for the 17th itself, you may need to adjust travel plans a little to dodge parade disruption etc.
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No, you will NOT go to Killarney via Kilkenny. Too long. Take the motorway to Cork instead, and at Mitchelstown, turn off for Mallow, and from Mallow head from Killarney. Way easier and faster. You'd be all day if you go via Kilkenny. No WAY would you make it to Killarney for lunch. And if you really MUST see a castle, you can stop off at the Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle along the way (two different towns, about 15 minutes apart) and there's also lovely Kanturk castle which is about 5 minutes away from the main road between Mallow and Killarney.
There is an emergency number you can call with your rental car if you have any car trouble, so if you're nervous about asking for help, they'll sort you - but it could take them a while to get someone to you, especially if you're out on the Ring of Kerry, for example. I've often driven in Ireland alone and have had the odd bit of car trouble, and most people are very happy to help you out. I once had a blowout on a tyre and a mother and son stopped and helped me - first to push the car out of the ditch and then to change the wheel. People in the country are way more likely to stop and help out.
It's worth spending a couple of days in Dublin, if you like.Check out the "22 best things to do in Dublin". Literary Museums, castles, music venues, Trinity College, History Museums, Cathedrals, Hill walks,parks, shopping & restaurants. Enjoy your trip.
Have you ever driven on the left side of the road? My sister visited me this May (she lives in US so drives a lot) and was like: I can drive, no problem at all! Then she sat next to me on the way from the airport to our house and she never drove the car on her own (except one time when I literally forced her and was sitting next to her - it was 5 minutes drive). She was terrified of the roundabouts, narrow roads and the fact that the wheel and gearbox were on the "wrong side". Please consider that before you rent a car.
Try the killimer/tarbert car ferry travelling from Kerry to Galway keep to coast Doolin to Galway
You should really try incorporate Donegal if you can. Easily the most beautiful part of the country,‘with lots of traditional Irish pubs and stuff
St. Kevin’s Stump is worth a visit!
We all know it's going to be Day 1 arrive bit of jet lag so only a quick drink and early to bed..... Oh my gosh met this Irish guy in the Bar and spent the next 20 days going from pub to bed and feck all sight seeing, best holiday ever. ;)
If time allows, I highly recommend including Dingle in. I studied abroad in Cork (lived there for 6 months) and my solo weekend trip to Dingle (at the time 20, F) was my absolute favorite. If you’re feeling active, rent a bicycle and ride around the coast. It’s a VERY long bike ride, but the views are outstanding.
And to be fair, the entire country is gorgeous so any suggestions you get will be spot on. Have a beautiful time! 🧡
Unpopular opinion here but I don't think it's worth spending a whole day doing the Ring of Kerry. It can be over 3 and half hours and with all respect to Kerry, which is absolutely stunning, after an hour and a half of it, I was over it. You don't have any of Cork on your itinerary which I think is borderline criminal, it's unbelievably beautiful. If you can tie in going to Kerry via Cork(Kinsale maybe and hit Blarney Castle) I think that would be more valuable than spending half a day driving around the Ring.
Whatever you do, welcome and have a great time
www.heritageireland.ie I don't see Newgrange etc there or Cashel
Best hotel in Ireland - Ballyfin . Spend 1 night there.
The Guinness thing is a place to throw away time and money. Best way to get tickets to the gaol is log in the MINUTE tickets are available. They are usually gone in minutes and totally gone within the hour.
You're doing a very standard trip for people who want to do what other tourists who are on Instagram do . You'll be here probably doing Paddy's bank holiday so expect the WAW to be jointed. Expect every place where standard tourists go to be full of standard tourists.
If you get a flat tyre, you'll have do to what everybody else does - call for support using the number provided by the insurance company.
Don’t drive the ring of Kerry - it’s gorgeous but difficult roads in and around Killarney and Tralee. It’s extremely difficult to enjoy the views while trying not to drive off the road and into them … so I’d recommend a tour bus
You can get Dough Bros in O'Connells Bar on Eyre Sq as well.
The main roads are fine. Once you hit the smaller roads, driving can be exhausting. You need to concentrate and it can be slow going. You will miss a massive amount with that schedule. The Gap of Dunloe, Torc Waterfall, Kenmare, Dingle and Slea Head, Beara peninsula, the Burren etc. I know the temptation is to squeeze in as much as possible but you end up missing so much and spending time on the road. I would reduce it to two locations (Dublin and one other). Also, if you can’t get to Kilmainham Gaol, go to Collins Barracks. Fantastic museum. Especially if you have a rough idea of Irish history. Well worth spending half a day in at least.
On day 10, you could look at taking a bus from Dublin to Glendalough national park, if you're up for a bit of a hike the Spinc trail takes you up and over the valley, beautiful views.
Hey! I just booked my flight to Ireland in March! 35F, solo trip as well! I like your itinerary 🤩
Can’t believe no one has said this (quite this way), but just take all the insurance with the roadside assistance. I was on one trip with a group of 8 of us for less than a week and 2 of the 3 cars we had got flat tires/tyres in that short time. All the insurance is necessary because you will also scrape a ton of bushes/hedges because when you drive on the other side of the road you’ll tend to be wary of being too close to the centerline and you will scrape the car.
It’s worth every penny, and may actually be the only country I’ve travelled to where I give that advice.
Would you not do Kilkenny near the end on the way back to Dublin from Galway?
That seems like it’s more out of the way than on my way to Killarney, no?
In Galway, my bf and I went to Ard Bia for breakfast! Highly recommend, super yummy.
This may be a dumb question but if you’re from the US, will driving in Ireland be difficult if they drive with the steering wheel on the right side? I was considering renting a car but this one thing makes me hesitant, I’m worried it’ll be hard for me to comprehend. I’m probably genuinely dyslexic so there’s that lol, it’s very confusing to me.
Im from Ireland, i drive on the 'otherside' all over the world. It takes a few moments to adjust. Youll be fine.
I like your itenary. Granted, you are in the car a fair bit, but you are also giving yourself the entire day for each drive, followed by a day of exploring the area. Id do my trek the same as you have planned. Its very easily managed, fair play.
On your day 5. Visit the cathedral and ross castle... make sure to include a visit to Torc Waterfall and muckross house too.
Enjoy it, have fun, and unbelievably good shout with Dough Bros, it's 10/10.
If U can afford it get a SUv style car to see over the hedges, better driving position too