Ireland/Spain Tips?

[buddysmom]

We will be traveling to Ireland & Spain in Sept '14.  We will have 14-15 days total (including travel).  We like to go-go-go-go for the majority of the trip then spend the last day or two on a beach doing nothing but relaxing

What are some "must see/do" and some "skip this it's overrated" things in those countries?  Thanks!!

[Deleted]

I posted an Ireland trip review recently, it's about three-quarters of the way down the first page. Hope that helps!

[neonpink]

What part of Spain?

Spain is pretty different from North to South and has a lot to offer.

In September you may have to go very far south to have warm water for swimming.

[hz80408]

Agreed; where in Spain?

How long in Ireland? and are you renting a car? (highly recommend doing so).

How many people? Interests?

[Mushe]

We're on a whirlwind Spain + tour right now and just left the Malaga area (southern Spain). It was beautiful, and the weather was great! It was really a great temp for being out by the pool.

Elsewhere in Spain, we visited Barcelona and Madrid. I LOVED Madrid! We did a HomeAway rental right off the Puerto del Sol, and walked everywhere. It was vibrant and fun.

[CrazyLucky]

Ireland is awesome. We went for two weeks. we spent the first three days in Dublin. There is so much to see and do, you really can't go wrong! After that we were go-go-go, like you said. Don't miss the Guinness tour. Even if you don't like beer, the tour is very interesting. We also toured Jameson and another brewery, but I'm blanking on what it is. A lot of people say don't bother with the Blarney Stone. i agree that it's just a silly tourist trap, but it was one of those things I just had to do. We really enjoyed the Ring of Kerry and Connemara. we wanted to hike in Connemara, but didn't get to due to the weather. Doolin is a cute very small town that has trad every night. We also went to Shannon. We did not go to North Ireland.
My one big don't miss it, we both loved it destination was the Aran Islands. You can take a cruise there from Doolin. They have these amazing cliffs. They are so amazing because you can walk right up to the edge of them. The Cliffs of Moor are taller, but you can't walk right up to the edge, so the ones on the Aran Islands FEEL taller. Also, you can rent a bike there and bike around the whole island. We had so much fun.
You will have a great time no matter what.
Oh, I just thought of one more thing. There is a card you can buy and once you buy it, you get into many attractions for free. Here's the link: www.heritageireland.ie/en/Info/HeritageCards/ It was worth it for us, but might not be for you if you spend a lot less time there.

[anna7602]

You might still get some good beach weather if you head to Marbella in September. It really just depends. We were in Cascais, Portugal last September and it was beachy then (to hang out on the beach itself, I don't generally like going in water that's not Caribbean-level warm). Cascais is further north than Marbella, but is also on the Atlantic coast as opposed to on the Meditteranean, so perhaps this example is worthless.

In any event, Marbella is a lovely Spanish beach town. As far as visiting the rest of Spain, I agree with others that I would need to know more about your interests. September, in general, is a great time to go. I particularly love the Southern cities of Sevilla and Granada and it shouldn't be too unbearably hot in September to enjoy these. The Alhambra is a must-see.

But, I also like Santiago, Madrid, Barcelona and San Sebastian. I definitely wouldn't try to hit all of these on one trip, though. I can't say I've ever seen anything in Spain that's "overrated," it's just a matter of time. Have you already looked at flights from Dublin to Spanish cities on carriers like EasyJet or Ryan Air? I would probably plan an itinerary based on an easy city to fly to from Ireland and then an easy city to fly back to the U.S. from (most likely Madrid or Barcelona) without having to go back through Ireland.

Train connections on Renfe were pretty cheap throughout Spain for a while because of some price cuts due to the economic crisis. Not sure if these price cuts are still in place, but keep that in mind. With some of the high-speed lines, you might be able to put together a decent itinerary at a low price without losing too much time traveling.

[buddysmom]

We will probably only spend about 4 days in Ireland and the rest in Spain. In Spain we are thinking Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo and possibly Sevilla. In Ireland I want to see a few castles and enjoy the beer In Spain I would like to learn and enjoy the culture. I really enjoy history so that's always a goal.

Thank you all for the feedback, I really appreciate it!

[hz80408]

Will you fly into one country and out the other?

If you had just 4 full days in Ireland, please be sure to get out of Dublin. Dublin is nothing compared to the countryside. We had a rental car and drove Ireland in 7 days...but I know there are tour companies that are based in Dublin and do day trips.

For Ireland I would say, spend a night and half day in Kilkenny. It's not far from Dublin and as one Dubliner told us, it's where people from the city go for the weekend. It was by far our favorite night there.

I'd also see Rock of Cashel and Cliffs of Moher. Aran Islands if weather allows. In Dublin, my blog should list several beer spots we visited (and recap out time in Ireland), but my must-see is Kilmainham Gaol (the prison). We also visited Guiness and Jameson; both super tourist and built up, but we enjoyed them.

Several tourist sites with the Heritage group (pp mentioned) only accepted cash; so be prepared

Barcelona; don't miss Sagrada Familia (the church) and if you can, buy tix in advance to avoid spending time in line. Also of the two Gaudi homes, we prefered Caso Batlo. Great tapas at Tickets (reservations needed in advance), Cervecia Catalonia. La Boqueria market is something to eat at/walk through but it's closed Easter Weekend (grr!)

[Deleted]

I love northern Spain and think you could have a really good time there in september - Santiago de Compostela, Santander, Bilbao, San Sebastian. It's different than the typical Barcelona-Madrid trip but it's gorgeous, amazing food, and not as touristy (there are a lot of tourists, its just a different feel than say Sevilla). It really gives you a different perspective on Spain in my opinion.

If you are set on southern Spain and then Catalunya, I'd do Sevilla, granada (the Alhambra is really not-be-missed), cordoba, and then head up to Barcelona for a few days. all along the coast you are going to find great beaches, some more touristy than others, so you could even take the train to Barcelona and stop at a beach for two days on your way or something.

[D2M]

@travelbug1210, your trip report on Ireland is so perfect. Your itinerary was such a perfect blend of everything Ireland has to offer.

OP, four days in Ireland is a not enough to explore, even if you are go-go-go all the time. I'd probably stick to visiting two places, max, and one would have to be Dublin because you'll likely fly in there. Coming from the States, you'll fly in early morning and then after a rest, you can explore the city (Guinness tour, Kilmanham Gaol/jail, hop on/hop off bus, maybe). The next day, I'd take the train to Galway. It's three hours. Do not take the bus! It takes twice the time. Galway is a small, vibrant, beautiful city and you can do a day trip to the Aran Islands from there. You can also do a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. Spend two nights in Galway and then head back to Dublin on the last day.