Experience the Emerald Isle on an Ireland Road Trip

The best way to experience Ireland is by car. Join us on our west coast Ireland road trip to see where we went during our magical one-week adventure.

The adrenaline nervously rushed through us, but it was worth it. We saw so much more than we would have by train or by bus.

We gazed upon some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, detoured for local food and breathed in more than our share of hospitality and charm from the wonderfully welcoming Irish people. Plus, despite the speeding tour buses, we successfully returned the rental with nary a scratch or ding.

We were blown away by everything we saw and ate during our seven-day Ireland odyssey. At times we felt like we were in a fantasy land filled with the most picturesque vistas imaginable.

At other times we would have sworn that we were on a different planet – one with a terrain totally different from that of planet earth, teeming with flora and fauna that exploded before our eyes – as we explored many of the top things to see and do in Ireland.

Our Ireland road trip took us through through the green carpet of the Dingle Peninsula, the rock tiled Burren whose cracks allowed all manner of purple and yellow flowers to jump through them and the hills of Connemara where the Connemara Black Face sheep graze along grassy hills that overlook the Lakes or ‘Loughs’ that define the County Galway. We constantly exclaimed “it’s so green!” all week-long because it really was so green.

Why Rent a Car for an Ireland Road Trip?

We highly recommend renting a car and creating your own route just like we did. Driving a rental car gave us the freedom and flexibility to see the best sites at the best times of the day.

We were able to coordinate our schedule with the weather, doing our best to avoid rain and optimize the blue skies. We could linger longer at the most special spots, go off the road to gaze at some of Ireland’s top castles and even drive an hour out of our way for an ice cream cone.

Sometimes, the most memorable moments on a road trip are the small ones when you go off the trail and take time to chat with locals or even eat an ice cream cone. Make sure you build time into any road trip for these moments.

Highlights of our Ireland Road Trip

Each destination was special in its own way. These are our favorites and the spots that must be included in any drive along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way:

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle is a charming County Kerry town filled with chippies (also known as fish and chip shops) and pubs. The real charm, though, is the 30-mile Slea Head loop that starts and ends in the old, fishing town at the foot of the Atlantic Ocean. Not a quick drive, this rugged loop is a startlingly beautiful stretch of coastal land with enough scenic stops to fill an entire day of touring.

If the weather cooperates, there may be no more special experience on earth than gazing from Slea Head Road to the Blasket Islands and beyond to the farthest western point of the Irish mainland into the Atlantic Ocean. Beauty and history coexist on both sides of the road with dramatic green hills and stone-walled farms that were abandoned during the ‘Great Famine’ over 150 years ago.

Don’t be perplexed if Dingle Peninsula looks familiar. Hollywood has filmed movies here including Ryan’s Daughter, Far and Away and, yes, Star Wars: Episode I. This makes perfect sense since the Dingle Peninsula is an incredibly beautiful part of the world.

The Burren

Located in County Clare, The Burren is a vast and utterly unique area marked by an extremely rocky landscape. Formed ages ago and probably not so different today as it was way back then, the rocky limestone land is a stark contrast to the rolling green landscape that is so prevalent in the nearby Irish countryside.

Let’s not forget that people have inhabited the limestone landscape for centuries. Much of that ancient history still exists in crumbled stone castles and holy relics like the Poulnabrone Dolmen, a stone table reminiscent of Stonehenge to the east.

Nearby Burren coastal town Doolin is a delightful stop. Many people visit Doolin to catch a ferry to the Aran Islands. Not us. We visited Doolin to check out the local chocolate shop.

Cliffs of Moher

It’s always disappointing when popular tourist attractions fail to live up to their hype. We have seen this time and time again, most notably with the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, China.

We are happy to report that this scenario is not the case with the Cliffs of Moher. In fact, the Cliffs of Moher exceeded our wildest expectations. The key is to plan ahead so that you have the best possible Cliffs of Moher experience.

Although an estimated million people visit the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare each year, the cows who graze next door have the best view of all. Unlike us tourists, the cows can gaze at the cliffs for more than an hour or two while munching on some of the world’s finest grass. This is why we want to be Irish cows in our next lives.

Connemara National Park

Galway

The city of Galway may have been the final destination during our Irish road trip, but it was certainly not last in our hearts. In fact, it’s Galway where we found the relaxed vibe that we had hoped to find in Dublin but didn’t quite discover.

Galway is both ancient and modern due to the city’s three universities. We were happiest when the tourists left before dark and the locals came out to frequent the many restaurants and pubs.

Two days and three nights in Galway was just enough time to whet our appetites and inspire us to return to Ireland sooner than later. When we do our next Ireland road trip, we will surely spend more time in Galway.

Original Publication Date: August 2, 2016