GROW WITH SARAH GRACE

For Spring Break, some of my family came to Rome to visit and we decided to travel to Ireland for a quick, four-day trip. We were lucky enough to see two sides of Ireland in this short time and as a guide to anyone planning a short trip to Ireland, here is the itinerary we did.

We traveled to Dublin for a short period before exploring Galway and the surrounding area for a couple of days. It was a little easier than expected so you should give it a try! It was very interesting to see the east and west coast of Ireland and see two different dynamics of city vs. countryside.

DAY ONE: 

Location(s): Dublin

Land in Dublin Airport and catch a taxi downtown/ to your hotel

My family and I arrived in Dublin around 3 pm and we followed signs out of the airport to a taxi station where we squeezed into a small car and headed downtown to our hotel. We stayed in the “Hilton Garden Inn Dublin Custom House” and it was conveniently a few blocks from the Temple Bar area and where most of the shopping is.

Walk to Temple Bar Area for dinner at a pub

After getting situated in the hotel and changing out of our travel clothes, we walked a few blocks and over a bridge to find the Temple Bar area. This is where most pubs are and lots of shopping. We didn’t feel like waiting to be sat at the original Temple Bar so we found “Merchants Arch” just around the corner and it was great. This is a prime time to try Guinness and get some fish and chips!

Walk off the calories and explore the area

After dinner, work off the calories you just consumed by exploring the Temple Bar area for some cute spots, shops and possibly dessert! Be wary though, most stores close early in Ireland so be sure to time it right so you aren’t kicked out of a store like my family was at closing time (which was around 7 pm). This area is full of great souvenirs shops as well like Carrolls and Temple Bar Trading Company

Get some sleep for a full second day and buy tickets for tomorrow

You just spent the day traveling so don’t overwork yourselves. Get some rest for a jam-packed day to follow and before you catch your z’s, be sure to snag some double-decker bus tickets for a hop-on-hop-off experience through Dublin. 

DAY TWO: 

Location(s): Dublin and Galway

Hop on a Double Decker at the Nearest Stop

After a full night’s rest, it’s time to see more of Dublin! Get up and find the nearest Double Decker Bus stop. For us, it was the National Library so we found a cafe nearby to grab a small breakfast before hopping on the bus. My family always rides the bus through the entire route and takes note of things we might want to see more of after our ride.

Walk (or ride) To Your Favorite Spots

Now that you have ridden the bus all around town, you might have a few places you want to see up close and possibly go inside so use this time to explore those areas! If you want a customized Guinness at the original brewhouse, get off at that stop on the bus or if you’re interested in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, get off at that stop. My family got off at the final stop and found that St. Patrick’s Cathedral was a 20-minute walk so we opted to walk instead of riding the bus again. 

 Explore Your Favorite Spots

Use this time to explore what you want in Dublin. Get some lunch, catch a tour at the Guinness Brewhouse or just explore a new neighborhood. My family walked to the Cathedral and of course, in true Irish fashion, it was pouring rain so buy an umbrella or be sure to pack one of your own! The walk to St. Patrick’s was a wet one but once we got there, we got our pictures and decided to get lunch. (Note: It is around 8 euros per person to enter the Cathedral so my family opted out of that option.)

Eat Something Good

At this time, you must be hungry so find a tasty place to eat. I wish I could give some suggestions but after lots of rain, a few fights and a bus ride, we ended up at Subway for lunch and other than the bread, it was possibly the worst Subway I’ve ever had but my mom enjoyed her sandwich so maybe give a foreign Subway a chance. Just be sure to get something in your system! 

Get a Rental Car for a Road Trip

After our lunch, we taxied back to the hotel to grab our things then taxied to the airport to pick up a rental car. This is a good time to note that Ireland is one of the countries that drive on the left side of the road so beware and be patient. Also, be sure to get a car that is the right size for your family. Although we fit, it was tight in our small Kia with luggage and four people. 

Road Trip to Galway, Ireland

Once you have your car, it’s time for a little road trip! My family decided to drive three hours to the other side of the country and stay two nights in Galway. We wanted to see a different side of Ireland (literally) and experience a smaller town than Dublin. From Dublin, it is a little shorter than a three-hour drive. It’s interesting that within three hours, you can be on the other side of a country. 

Check-in at Hotel and Explore the Town for Dinner

Once you are in Galway and at your hotel (my family stayed in Jury’s Inn which was the perfect location for us), settle in real quick and get out on the town to explore before things close! Our hotel was conveniently right near the main street in the town so we were steps away from Pubs and stores. We used this time to walk the street and do a little shopping. We stopped at Auntie Nellie’s Candy Shop for some after-dinner sweets before eating at 1520 Pub for dinner.

DAY THREE:

Location: Galway (and the surrounding areas)

Explore the grounds of Dromoland Castle

We found an Italian cafe on the main street and got some croissants before getting in our car and starting another, shorter road trip. Just 45 minutes away from Galway, Dromoland Castle/Hotel sits waiting for you. We drove there and explored the outside before going inside to see what we could. We ended up in the Bar and got a couple of Guinness’ and some Irish Coffee. The Castle was worth the stop and the staff is phenomenal. 

Bundle up and walk on the Cliffs of Moher

Just another 45-minute drive from the castle, you’ll find the Cliffs of Moher. Beware, it is a tad chilly and very windy so dress accordingly! Once you are at the Cliffs, you can walk around and find two sides you can walk up. If you are up for it, I recommend you walk on both sides! There is a castle-like structure on one of the cliffs and it has amazing views so give it a try if you are willing to get knocked over by some wind.

Drive back to Galway

After doing your exploring of the surrounding areas, head back to Galway for dinner. The drive back is a little over an hour and is very scenic and full of the beautiful coast, greenery and lots of sheep/cows. It was a beautiful drive and we took our time and stopped a few times for some photos but had to make it back to Galway before closing time for stores. If you want to miss some shopping in Galway, take this time to find a small town you pass through and eat some lunch. Since we wanted to make it back in time for shopping, we opted out of stopping for lunch and got a snack at a nearby gas station instead to hold us over for dinner.

Do some before dinner shopping

My mom and I hit some stores before getting dinner. We wanted to get a sheep wool sweater from the wool market stores on the main street and found a jewelry store to get me a gold Claddagh ring. After we spent some money, we joined back with the rest of our crew and searched for a pub to eat dinner at. Of course, at this time it was nearing 8:00 so some places were closing their kitchens but we barely made it at one pub and ate dinner there.

DAY FOUR:

Location(s): Dublin

Travel back to Dublin for a flight home

After a quick, successful trip to Ireland, it’s sadly time to head home. We woke up at a decent hour (ish) and packed up our things for a three-hour drive to Dublin Airport to drop off our rental car and catch a flight back to our destination of Rome. 

Of course, this trip can look different for everyone especially if you are traveling to Ireland from a location that requires a longer flight. For example, if you are traveling from the United States of America, a four-day trip to Ireland might not be realistic but this is a good itinerary for someone who is traveling within Europe and wants to make a little pitstop. It’s easy to make this itinerary shorter and only a three-day trip so rearrange as you wish but enjoy Ireland and have the best time!