Home of the Irish! Ireland is beautiful. It shares many similarities with England and Scotland, but it also has its unique charm. This overview is based on four days spent in Ireland. You honestly don’t need more than 3-4 days to see everything. However, if you’re looking for a more relaxed vacation, it’s a great place to spend even more time!
Language: English is spoken predominately
Currency: The official currency is the Euro; however, there is no shortage of ATMs, and we never needed cash.
Transportation: I definitely recommend renting a car and taking a road trip.
Weather: Average winter temperatures range from about 40-45 degrees, while summer temperatures range from about 54-60 degrees. (Our trip took place in February and was perfect).
Getting there:
We flew from JFK to DUB and arrived early in the morning. Our adventure began with retrieving our rental car. It was approximately a 3-hour drive to Northern Ireland from Dublin and took around 6 hours to drive from Northern Ireland to the southern coast.
Note: It’s less expensive to rent a manual transmission over an automatic. The Irish also drive on the left side of the road.
Where to Stay:
Finn McCools Public House (hotel): The hotel was excellent considering the price. The rooms were small, but the hostess was incredible, and the included breakfast was delicious!
The remainder of our trip consisted of a 3-night stay at an Airbnb outside Limerick. It was a well-located central base, but in retrospect, we might opt for multiple Airbnbs along the way to avoid backtracking next time.
What to Do:
- Giants Causeway- Enjoy the visitors center and take the free tour.
- Dunluce Castle- Absolutely AMAZING! One of my favorite castles.
- Donegal castle
- City of Adare- A cute town with thatched cottage roofs.
- Cliffs of Moher- This was a wonderful place to visit. Don’t park in the parking lot adjacent to the entrance if you can avoid it. There is additional parking that is free.
- Rock of Cashel- See the chapel and the last Romanesque frescoes in Ireland. Arrive in the morning since they close early in the afternoon.
- Ring of Kerry- A roadtrip loop that takes you to a bunch of different sites.
- Ross Castle/Killarney. Beautiful lake and nature walk.
- Torc waterfall/ Muckross forest.
- Ladies View lookout point
- Darrynane beach
Note: We didn’t get to everything on our to-do list, influenced by preferred choice, time, and weather. However, I’d suggest adding the following to this itinerary:
-Titanic Belfast in Northern Ireland
-Boat tour around the Dingle Peninsula
-Killarney National Park
-Blarney Castle (kiss the stone)
-City of Cobh
-Trinity College Library in Dublin
What to Eat:
- Ham & cheese toasties- A quick budget friendly lunch that is surprisingly yummy.
- Salmon
- Fish & chips- Cod is amazing here!
- Lots of Guinesses chocolate- It is not my favorite but it’s super popular.
- Spice box- This is basically fish & chips but spicy.
- Irish breakfast is a must!
Overall:
Honestly, Ireland wasn’t at the top of my bucket list, but it surprised me greatly. It’s a magical, fairytale place, so green! I’ve received many questions about whether Ireland is overrated. My answer: no way! I can’t wait to go back!!
Non Rev Roamer 