A Week in Ireland: Road Trip

Planning an international vacation can be overwhelming, especially if one of your goals is to avoid tourist traps and truly immerse yourself like a local. We hope this guide for our Ireland Itinerary is a breath of fresh air that washes away the worries and fear of planning your next favorite vacation.
 
Travel tip – We booked all of our lodging through Airbnb which we highly recommend for European vacations. We were able to meet so many locals and get a more authentic experience by staying in these types of accommodations. Castles (yes I said CASTLES!) are always fun, but country houses and boutique hotels are full of charm as well... especially when they have breakfast included!

6 steps for fool proof vacation planning
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1. Make your dream list / itinerary- We wanted to travel well beyond the U.S. borders for our 5-year anniversary. Mind you due to Covid-19 we waited last minute to plan this vacation (3 weeks ahead of time) while we watched for changes in travel restrictions.
2. Pick dates- We knew we were going over our anniversary, but we were able to pick exact dates based on our dream list and itinerary. How many days would we need to road trip to all the places we wanted to see
3. Set a budget- This step can hop up higher on the priority list if necessary. We knew how much we had budgeted to spend on this vacation before we ever even knew where we were going. So technically in this scenario it was our step 1. Depending on your flexibility it can be step 2 if you don’t care when you travel and you are just trying to get the best deal.
4. Book travel accommodations- Flights were the first thing we booked with our travel agent.  After that we divided and conquered for all of our lodging. We decided based on recommendations from an Irish friend that booking Airbnb’s was the way to go when visiting Ireland. Based on our list of things we wanted to do we picked the best price / best value reasonably located to the attractions we wanted to visit. In some cases, such as Dublin, this meant we were about 45 minutes outside of the city, but this did give us the opportunity to explore other small, random towns (and pubs!).
5. Plan each day- Make that calendar!! With this being a road trip within the country we really had to rely on having a well put together calendar. We were able to pre-book the few tours we wanted to experience and tentatively write down things we might want to go do and see on the days we were in each city.
6. Let the countdown begin- Even with this being an international trip I was still able to use my resources. Everywhere we ate, and all of our activities were based on social media research. And remember, there are foodie’s all over the world, and they all have Instagram profiles. 
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Day-by-Day Itinerary
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Day 1 - Arrive in Ireland
               Don’t underestimate the weight of jet lag on your first day. While we did do a few things, we were pushed to our limits very quickly and ended our day quite early. While there are a few airports to choose from in Ireland, we chose to start and end our trip in Dublin. We rented our automatic car through Carhire – Europcar, which has an off site pickup and shuttle service included with the purchase of your rental.
              Bread 41 was a must on this trip. This is an incredible locally-owned bakery, and quaint brunch destination on the weekends only. We enjoyed a delicious brunch upstairs and picked up a few take away (Irish version of "take-out") pastries to enjoy later.
               To round out our long travel day we went to tour The Book of Kells conveniently only a 10 minute walk from Bread 41, so no need to find new parking! The Long Room at the Book of Kells is stunning, however be mindful of when you are traveling. We were there during August, peak season for travel, as well as getting to enjoy the last days of a heat wave. Air conditioning is not common at all in Ireland, so the Book of Kells was quite miserable with swarms and people in stuffy rooms. Again the architecture is worth while, we just suggest you don’t anticipate spending much time here. 

​Day 2 – Dublin
              We spent our afternoon at the Guinness Storehouse. Regardless if you are a beer drinker or not (like me), we highly recommend this museum experience. It was full of interactive stops, live music, tasting rooms, and history galore!
 
We drove over to Howth on the coast for dinner at The Oar House. Pro Tip: We did not have a reservation, but the staff was more interested in how long we thought it would take us to dine. When we agreed to be finished in an hour they sat us right away with no issue. After a delicious seafood dinner we walked down the pier and enjoyed ice cream from Ann’s and gorgeous street music.  

​Day 3 – Travel to Dunquin
               Travel Day! On this itinerary this is the first of many, but the views are gorgeous. Speaking as someone who falls asleep in the car riding 5 minutes down the road, I can confirm that I was wide awake for all hours of driving on this trip. We stopped for breakfast at the Wildflower Café in Ratoath. I vote this the best breakfast café atmosphere ever. The café is inside of a garden centre, so once you are done dining in the light and airy café you can stroll through the garden centre. We took our time enjoying the actual garden that is behind the garden center, with endless walking paths and beauty to absorb.
              Make sure you know what time you will be arriving to Dunquin. We took our time getting there and ended up driving down the Conor Pass. This is a beautiful hairpin road, but at night in the rain we do not recommend. Driving in Ireland is already a challenge, so if you will be driving down the Dingle Peninsula at night we would recommend taking a different direction and driving Conor’s Pass when you can actually enjoy it instead of white knuckling it. We ended our day with dinner at Krugers Bar, the only restaurant/pub in Dunquin. However, it did not disappoint, bar pizza for the win!

​Day 4 – Explore Dingle Peninsula
         Dunquin is home to the newly renovated Blasket Center. While we did not tour the entire Blasket center we did hear from many travelers as well as locals that it is a must do. We however took our morning hiking the fields at the Blasket Center. All of the land by the Blasket center is farm land with plenty of sheep and cows. So if you want new terrain that you aren’t normally accustomed to, we definitely recommend hiking the coast through pasture after pasture. If you go far enough you will get the pleasure of seeing the school house from the movie Ryan’s Daughter up-close and personal! 
              A morning of hiking called for an afternoon of tea. The Afternoon Tea at the Dingle Brenner’s Hotel is a must. If you want a low key, high quality experience this is the one for you. At $25 (USD) per person, the food and tea is bountiful. I was in tea heaven and eating my heart out on finger sandwiches and pastries.
              We wouldn’t be in Ireland if we didn’t end the day with dinner in yet another pub. Fish and Chips everyday and it never gets old. Páidi Ó Sé’s in Ventry was a great way to wrap up the evening. We stopped in numerous pubs in Dingle and a few others on our short drive back to Dunquin, and Páidi Ó Sé’s was the least busy by far. If you are not looking to get caught up in a tourist trap, drive five minutes down the road for a more local experience. 

​Day 5 – Explore Dingle Peninsula
              Today we spent the day exploring along Slea Head Drive, a 30 mile loop beginning and ending in Dingle, which makes up part of the Wild Atlantic Way. We stopped for lunch at Tig Áine and ate outside on their patio where we were able to chat with their chickens and see the ocean. After lunch we followed road signs for Slea head drive and stopped in lots of local art, pottery shops, and a stop in Ballyferriter to see where scenes from The Last Jedi were filmed on Sybil Head. We ended the day at Paul Geaney’s Bar in Dingle for dinner and shopping.
              Pro Tip: If you are exploring Slea Head Drive or Ring of Kerry we highly recommend driving your own vehicle vs taking a tour bus trip. We passed many busses along the way and spoke with some guests as they were stopping where we were and the experience is more immersive if you can drive yourself. You are able to stop at more locations and spend longer amounts of time exploring if you are your own tour guide. 

​Day 6 – Travel to Galway
              While this was a travel day, the highlight was definitely the Cliffs of Moher! It was very crowded and some of the paths could get congested, but the farther you walk along the cliffs the fewer tourists you encounter. Just like the rest of Ireland the Cliffs are truly breath taking. We took the scenic route for this drive and went up the Wild Atlantic Way as far up the coast as our destination would allow.
              Pro Tip: To shave unnecessary hours off of this drive, take the Shannon Car Ferry from Tarbert to Killimer to forgo having to drive up and around the peninsula. The ferry leaves every hour on the hour and is only a 30 minute journey. 

​Day 7 – Galway
              We stayed at Claregalway Castle, all of the rooms are available to book individually on Airbnb, the Castle is out of this world! It is quaint and has been restored to all of its original glory. The staff is incredibly friendly and hospitable. We were able to take a tour with the grounds keeper of all of the un-booked rooms and learn about the history of the castle (built in 1417!).
              We had lunch at Xi’an Street Food on Quay Street. Very similar to the dingle experience, Quay Street is full of life with street performers, outdoor craft vendors, as well as shops and restaurants galore.
              Today (August 19!) was our 5-year wedding anniversary and we celebrated with dinner at the Pullman Restaurant at Glenlo Abbey. The Pullman is made up of two carriages from the original Orient Express. If you are looking for a high end celebratory venue this unique restaurant should not be skipped.
              Pro Tip: Bring someone with you who isn’t afraid of spiders! We woke up to a spider in our room, I kid you not, the size of my fist. Chandler won the Hero of the Day award for killing the spider with a shoe!

​Day 8 – Travel to Belfast
              Yet again another travel day, but what else do you expect out of a road trip? This was a 3.5 hour drive up to Belfast. Belfast is in Northern Ireland, so as we crossed over the boarder we switched from Kilometers to Miles and from Euro currency to Pound curreny. Belfast is a typical big city, but we were able to find C.S. Lewis Square and spend the afternoon on a kids scavenger hunt going through The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
              We spent the evening wandering around Victoria Square, yet another shopping district. We were introduced to one of our new favorite stores. Avoca. Think Anthropologie on a local, Ireland only, level. I swear I still dream about this store and all of their home goods and clothes that are locally made and sourced in Ireland.
              We ended the day with takeaway from Dark Burrito Co. Pro Tip: If you are lucky enough to find Mexican cuisine in Ireland, beware it is not the Mexican you are used to at home. I ordered fajitas and got a burrito, it was delicious, but it was absolutely not fajitas!

​Day 9 – Explore Belfast
        St. Georges Market! All of my farmers market dreams came true as we spent our morning walking up and down the aisles of this incredible indoor market. Tons of food, live music, locally made personal care products, and much, much more. We got introduced to the Belfast Bap for lunch. Basically the biggest breakfast sandwich you have ever seen on a perfectly crusty bread roll!
Our last adventure of this incredible journey was our Titanic Tour. The Titanic was built at this ship yard in Northern Ireland. The museum is completely immersive and walks you through the history of the country and the impact of the build on the community. After you finish the tour of the museum you can also tour the last White Star Line ship, SS Nomadic, that was used as a tender to the Titanic!  

Fun to Know

Whether you are an avid traveler, or you are planning your first international vacation, we compiled a list of random things we consider "fun to know" while traveling. 

 - Ireland uses the Euro while Northern Ireland uses the Pound
 - Ireland measures distance in Kilometers while Northern Ireland uses Miles
 - Fuel is measured in Liters
 - In pounds the smallest bill is a 5, all smaller currencies are coins
 - You drive on the left side of the road
 - 4 way stops are NOT a thing, be looking forward to round-abouts galore
 - Almost all doors open in
 - You have to ask for your bill when dining, if you never ask you will never get it
 - Restaurant staff is most concerned with how long you will be dining, not what time
 - Driving in Northern Ireland feels like racing because the lights change from RED to Yellow to Green