1

Welcome to TT.

Have you considered heading straight from the airport to Galway? Since you will have to wind up in Dublin eventually you could go to Galway from there you can get a public bus to the cliffs of Moher or do a tour which could also take in The Burren. From Galway you can get a ferry to the Aran Islands before heading from Galway to Dingle etc and adding Dublin to the end.

You can do public bus to the CoM but accom in the area is a but slim, particularly in July. You could try Doolin, from there you would pull on the boots and get some nice walks in.

Six or seven days in Dublin might be too much but you can do day trips trip to Tara, Dalkey via train or bus (some nice walking), Howth and Malahide via train or bus (glorious on a nice day), a tour of the Wicklow mountains, a day trip or more to Belfast.

2

Try http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/TransportProviders.aspx re cliffs of Moher. The links regarding Bus Eireann and Irish Rail should give you options regarding getting to Tralee.

R

3

Thank you very much for all the help!
We don't want to stay in Dublin for a week.
My friend is going back for one day in Dublin and then flying home and me and my other friend want to go somewhere else in Ireland for about a week.
Any suggestions for this week? we want to go somewhere with different types of views from our week in Kerry and Clare' lots of hiking and easy to get around without a car.
Thanks again!

4

The best views of Ireland are costal. An alternative to coastal would be the Wicklow Mtns. Some great walking trails (and I think that is of interest to you).

A more rugged coastal scenery, head to Donegal, some nice lakes and such too; the downside it is a long schlep up there and then a long schlep back to Dublin and transport is not as good as other parts of Ireland.

You could also head east along the south coast, going through Kerry and then Cork and around through Wexford and Waterford up to Dublin.But there is a repetition of scenery problem but it is less 'rugged' than the Atlantic coast.

5

Thank you! I will check these options.
Do you know if when walking the Dingle Way from Danquin to Tralee (via Cloghane) you walk on a paved road where there are cars or on roads where cars don't reach?

6

Google says

Small roads, known locally in Ireland as 'boreens', make up a large part of the trail and help provide a quick walking pace. Traffic along these roads is minimal and long sections can be walked without ever meeting a car. Beaches also make up a significant part of the Dingle Way, some of which provide an opportunity to take some weight off one's weary feet by taking a swim. The remainder of the walk goes through open farmland and mountainous moorland.

http://www.dingleway.com/trail-description/index.php

7

I'll disagree with #7's analysis of bus coverage. It'll get you to cities and larger towns but any town on less than an N-road or very large R-road will not be serviced by Bus Eirann. In terms of buses check out the private operators as well, such as citylink and gobus Dublin-Galway.

The train is 2.5h at best and can cost EUR10 but more regularly a low of EUR15 which is comparable to bus prices but slower and more comfortable.

And IMO KIllarney is the eiptomy of tourist tack, sucking in the masses head to the RoK. But that's just me. And Dingle town will be crawling with tourists in July.

8

There are tourist 'crawling' all over the country...
But compared with Dublin where everyone and everything is on top of each other.... there is more room to breathe and walk in Kerry..... and more scenery making the tourist crush worth it.

I never had a problem with buses. I never said they come regularly i said there coverage is good. I have done the country back to front and upside down on buses and also via car. Car was better but it wasn't the worst bus network I have ever seen... and I've seen alot.

9

I notice most people are suggesting mainly coastal areas but there are lots of things to see and do more inland (and usually less tourists if your trying to avoid them) Just as an example my local area which is west Cavan,Leitrim and Fermanagh. If you like Hiking, Culcaigh would be the most popular mountain around here and the view from the top is amazing (you can see as far away as donegal I think) There are a few museums around - Bear essentials, Master Sadalry museum, there is a heritage museum ( I think) just outside ballinamore. The Golden mile walk in Corlough has won awards for best walk (or something like that ) for the past few years in a row. Transport in a rural area like this might be a bit tough, you can get busses from Dublin to Bawnboy (cute little village and has b&b near the bus stop ), Ballinamore ( in Co.Leitrim, small town check out ballinamore.ie ) You get busses from bawnboy to enniskillen ( a large town in Co. Fermanagh which is up the north but most places accept euro and there are a few currency change places also, It has a castle which is also a museum and other attractions) There is a bus depot in enniskillen and from there you get a bus to many places near enniskillen and to the rest of the country. I would highly recommend a visit to Florence court house if you do go near enniskillen (I'm sure a bus must go to it, you can check at the bus depot or tourist office ) Florence court do tours around the house ( I think its worth while, kept in its original style I think) which you have to pay for but you can explore the gardens and forestry trails for free (you can also climb culcaigh from here I think ).
Anyway that's just in my area (if you want to know more u can message me ) as an example that there is a lot to see and do further inland in Ireland

10

I forgot to mention marble arch caves aswell - http://www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com/
Website has a list of other nearby attractions aswell :)

11

Also (sorry for clogging up your thread last thing, promise :D ) here is a list of things on (all over Ireland ) in July
http://www.discoverireland.ie/CMSPages/PortalTemplate.aspx?aliaspath=%2fSearch%2fResults&lcid=7&catid=10133&countyid=879&sdate=01/07/2012&edate=31/07/2012&reftype=0&sort=1

12

Thank you all for all your help.
Which town would you recommend us spending two nights in? We will be arriving from Dublin, traveling one day to the Aran Islands and one day to CoM and the same day taking a bus to Dingle. We want a town which is big and east to get in and around but also we don't wanna spend too much money and time in buses from where we sleep to the Islands or to the cliffs.
Thanks!