My wife and I are looking for suggestions on a 4-day itinerary to Ireland.
My wife and I are flying into Shannon in mid-May for a 4 day trip. I'd appreciate any suggestions people have as to an itinerary. Ideally we'd only change hotels once. We are not museum people, nor do we have the need to see the pubs. Rather we are looking for good hikes, beautiful scenery, decent (to more than decent) accomodations. Like all, we'd like to avoid the normal tourist routine. Thanks, in advance, for all suggestions and guidance.
Reply to this When I went to Ireland, I stayed in the Jamaica Inn in Shannon...I didn't spend enough time there to really judge it (our flight came in around midnight and we got up at 7 a.m. to leave), but what I saw of it was really nice. There's a full kitchen for everyone's use with a fridge, microwave, even an oven...and it was very clean. There's also a little restaurant. The rooms are small (it's a hostel-style inn), but if you're planning on hiking etc. that shouldn't matter too much. The price was good also. It was only 20 Euros I believe for one night. I was in a room with 4 of my friends in a 6-bed room and we had our own shower, but it was a little difficult not to get water everywhere. That's one idea...it is a 25 Euro cab ride from the airport.
As far as travelling Ireland, I'm pretty sure we mastered that. We went to the Cliffs of Moher first thing in the morning after leaving the Jamaica Inn, and it was only a 2 or 3 hour bus ride. That was beautiful...I highly recommend going here. There isn't any real hiking that you can do here...they've very recently opened a visitor's center that's built into the cliff, and there are new stairs leading up to the castle tower. It's so beautiful. You can look in my blog for pictures...as far as actual hiking, I'm afraid we didn't do any of that. We went from the Cliffs of Moher to Cork, which was another 5 hours by bus, and stayed in a hostel that was...just ok. I wouldn't recommend it. It was called Sheila's hostel. Lots of loud annoying kids at 3 a.m. running around, a teeny tiny room with a sketchy shower. I didn't even bother with the shower. But in Cork we didn't see much...we did some shopping and went to a few bars at night, and that was about it. Really nothing there that's that exciting besides restaurants and bars, but again, we were only there for a night and the morning. Then we went to the Blarney stone which is only half an hour by bus from Cork. One reason to go to Cork: Blarney Castle.
I hope this was at least a little helpful. You can look at my blog if you have any questions!!!
Nicole
Reply to this My husband is Irish so I've been to this region of Ireland 3 times with him and are going again next month. If you only have 4 days and are interested in exploring the natural beauty of Ireland, you'll want to stay in Killarney. A great thing when you land at the Shannon Airport is to go to nearby Dromoland Castle. If you've always wanted to stay in a real castle, this is one of the best! It has a golf course, beautiful rose gardens to walk, an indoor pool, and of course the inside of the castle itself. If you can't stay there, it's great just to stop by for breakfast or tea. It's one of the most beautiful in Ireland. In fact, that's where the G-8 summit was held in 2005 and where President Bush stayed. Killarney is south less than 2 hours and captures the traditional beauty of Ireland. We stay at the Hotel Europe which is outside the main town of Killarney about 10 minutes. It's right on the Lakes of Killarney and the views are spectacular. Hotel is very nice, with a fireplace bar, indoor swimming pool, and beautiful grounds to walk. From here, you can do the drive around the Ring of Kerry or around the Ring of Dingle. Both are beautiful, depending on the weather and fog of course. Plan at least a half-day excursion for each. You can also visit nearby Muckross House and walk the grounds touring its beautiful gardens and lakes. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant one night overlooking the grounds and lake and at dusk about 20 rabbits came out to eat dinner too. That was fun and something you don't often see in US (too many snakes and other predators!) You'll truly love Killarney and it will give you the authentic Irish experience you're looking for. Safe Travels!
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