Sign in Subscribe

The 9 Step System To Plan Your Trip To Ireland

The 9 Step System To Plan Your Trip To Ireland

You'll read a hundred 'must-see' lists and still feel like you're going to miss something. That feeling doesn't go away by reading more lists, it goes away by picking a system and trusting it.

I'm a tour guide in Dublin. I spend hours every week walking with people just like you & I answer questions on a popular Irish Travel Facebook group.

So I hear firsthand what people struggled with planning their trip, what they loved about Ireland and what they wished they had done differently.

From that, I have designed an 9 step system to help you plan your trip to Ireland.

1.Pick One Region of Ireland

The biggest mistake visitors make is trying to see the whole country in one week. Ireland may look small, but it's deceiving. Our roads are small, winding, tiring and you stop a lot.

This quote from an Irish travel Facebook group explains the problem

"Our day from Dublin to Killarney took about 8-10 hours as we did stops at Rock of Cashel and Blarney castle. Another day, we drove the Ring of Kerry that took 8-10 hours. And next day, did the Slea head drive with many stops that took around 7 hours. Then today, we drove from Dingle to Galway with stops at Bunratty castle and Cliffs of Moher that took 10 hours altogether"

My biggest tip is to pick just one region of Ireland. You will still see everything that makes Ireland special, but you'll drive less and enjoy it more.

One region done right is better than rushing through the whole island.

Here's the regions of Ireland explained.

Dublin

Most people will spend their first and/or last day here. Do my Jet Lag tour when you land.
📖 My Dublin Jet Lag Tour | Two Days in Dublin | Where to stay in Dublin

Southwest - Cork, Kerry, Clare

Go here on your first time in Ireland.

It's the most popular picture postcard perfect region of Ireland. This is home to Cork, the Ring of Kerry, Slea Head Drive, Cliffs of Moher in Clare.

But if you're coming in July or August, it's too busy. Then, focus on West Cork, which is amazingly skipped over by overseas tourists. Or go to the Northwest.

Planning is easy here. Just follow the Wild Atlantic Way route. The tourist board of Ireland have already mapped out the best route from Cork to Donegal so the whole western side of Ireland is easy to travel around.
📖 Cork | Kerry | Clare

Northwest - Mayo, Sligo, Donegal

Come here in July & August or on your second visit to Ireland.

It has less crowds, even in the Summer. It's more remote, but is amazing & as authentic as it gets. If you're a road less travelled type or outdoorsy type, you might go here on your first visit. I love this part of Ireland.
📖 Mayo | Sligo

What about Galway?

It falls in the middle and you can add it onto either the southwest or northwest.

The North - Belfast, Giant's Causeway, Antrim, Derry

You can go through here in two days on your way to the Northwest or add it on to a few days in Dublin. The Coastal Causeway Route is as scenic a drive as anywhere on the island.
📖 Northern Ireland

The East - Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary

The poor Sunny Southeast gets neglected. It's beautiful but it's hard to compete with the west coast of Ireland. Stop in Glendalough, Rock of Cashel & Kilkenny City as you drive south & west.

📖 Wicklow |Kilkenny

✅ Pick your region

2.FOMO Is OK

I asked people in an Irish travel Facebook group what frustrated them most about planning their trip to Ireland. I expected flights or hire cars. Instead, one thing came up over and over: too much to see, not enough time, and the fear this might be their only trip.

I have FOMO and I live here. There's always somewhere I haven't been. If I haven't seen it all, you won't either. That's not bad planning.

It's ok to miss some of the big sites. Don't drive all over just to see the famous places. We have other cliffs, castles and islands in every corner of Ireland. They're even more magical when you have them to yourself.

✅ Stop trying to see it all

3.When To Visit Ireland

Irish weather, the infamous Irish weather. You know, it's not that bad.

Summer

The best time. 18 hours of daylight, blue skies, not much rain and sometimes so warm, you'll be wishing you'd booked a rare room with air conditioning (bring a portable fan, seriously). But it's also the busiest & most expensive time.

Spring

The tourist season starts with St Patrick's Day on March 17. It's still wet & cold then. Hold off until mid April & May if you can. That's a nice time of the year, the days are longer although you'll still need to layer up.

🇮🇪
Overwhelmed by the options? Book an Ireland trip planning call with me and I'll create a custom itinerary for you.

Autumn

September is when I travel around Ireland. The kids are back in school, the weather is still nice and there's less tour buses on the roads. The hour changes in October though, so come before then. Late October can feel very wintery here.

Winter

I'm not here in Winter. I leave. It's dark & wet. The sun rises at 9pm and sets at 4pm. There is a lovely Christmas feel around the country, but I'd only come then if your only option.

✅ Pick your season to visit

4.Book Your Flights

Next, book your flights so you have confirmed dates to plan everything else.

Flying from the US, you can fly into Dublin Airport on the east coast or Shannon Airport on the west coast. If you picked the Southwest for your corner, it makes sense to fly into Shannon. It's a gentler introduction to Ireland. You can fly out of Dublin.

Most people will fly in and out of Dublin though. I've flown from the US to Ireland more than 100 times and there is a method to picking the best flight to Ireland

📖 How to pick your best flights to Ireland

✅ Book your flight to Ireland!

5.Dublin or a Castle on Day One?

Don't drive far on day one. You'll be too tired. Here's two choices.

  1. Stay in Dublin City for a day or two before moving on. I'll show you around Dublin on my Jet Lag tour.
  2. Start your road trip immediately. In less than an hour from Dublin Airport, you'll be in a castle hotel for your first night. A fairytale start to your time in Ireland and, I think, a more relaxing day one. Visit Dublin at the end instead.

Either way, be sure to stay in at least one castle during your time in Ireland. It's a true bucket list experience.

📖 Stay in a castle on your first night| The castle hotels of Ireland

✅ Book your first night's stay

6.Villages Not Cities

Now you have your corner of Ireland & your travel dates picked. It's time to book your accommodation.

Don't stay in our cities like Cork, Galway, Belfast. They are crowded, full of traffic and have generic stores you'd find at home.

Instead, stay in local towns & villages. People are friendlier, the scenery is better & parking doesn't cost €30/day.

But don't just stay in the tourist towns like Dingle, Doolin & Killarney. Go to real local villages as well. They're a much more authentic Irish experience.

✅ Book your hotels

7.Stay Two Nights

I see itineraries that exhaust me just reading them. Driving all day and changing hotels every night. This is a holiday, not a race.

This is a quote from an Irish travel Facebook group.

"We’re here now and almost done with our trip and are exhausted from all the driving and moving city to city. I just want to give my personal advise to anyone planning their trip, stay at least 2 days per area. There is more than enough to do in each place and you can really take your time. I truly made the mistake of trying to pack in too much. Although, we had the most amazing time in Ireland. I would definitely do it differently next time."

An occasional one night stay can make sense if you are driving a scenic route, but build in some two night stays to catch your breath, get a break from the car and maybe even do some laundry!

Remember the FOMO rule.

✅ Book two night stays

8.Getting Around

Rental Car

Renting a car is the best option for getting around. Driving here is not as bad as you may have read. Our roads and cars are smaller, but you'll quickly get used to it. It's hard to get a driver's license here, so we are good & courteous drivers. We can spot a tourist driving a mile away and give you space.

Car rental & insurance can be confusing, so I've explained it here
📖 10 things to know before you rent a car in Ireland

Any if you are staying in Dublin on your first night,
📖 Don't pick up your rental car in Dublin Airport

While we are talking about insurance, you need both medical and trip insurance.
📖 Travel Insurance For Ireland Is As Important as Your Passport

Group Tours

If you don't want to drive, take a small group tour. Companies like G Adventures & Trafalgar have excellent itineraries around Ireland. You can even stop reading this page now, because they do everything for you!

📖 Ireland. The Easy Way. A bus tour skips the driving & planning

Public Transport

I've seen people do it with public transport, it's doable, but takes good planning. You'll take buses & trains between the cities, base yourself there and do day trips. Getting around Dublin is easy on public transport.

✅ Book your transport

9.Before You Go

Phew, you're nearly done. All the big stuff is organised. Now it's time for the smaller, but still important things.

✅ Get your essentials

Have Questions?

Ask them on our Facebook page or in the comments below.

Want Help With Your Trip Planning?

I offer a personal Irish trip planning service. Go from stressed about your trip to excited after an Irish trip planning call with me. Learn more.

☘️
Follow Ireland by Locals on Instagram | Facebook | Threads