Holiday destination in Ireland for German family

franzilein

Hi,

my German family (2 parents and 3 teenage siblings) are thinking of coming to visit me and spending their 2-week-long summer holidays in Ireland this August. In recent years, they usually spent their holidays in Greece (beach) or South Tyrol (hiking), so now I'm looking for the ideal place in Ireland where they can do both. It should be close enough to Kerry or Dublin airport as these are the two airports with direct flights.

So the place I'm looking for has:
- a really nice beach (!) that is good for swimming
- opportunities for going hiking (being German, they're not used to having to go up mountains without paths and signposts, so preferably I'm looking for hikes or hillwalks that are well signposted)
- possibly other outdoor activities nearby (canoe rental etc.)
- a nice town nearby (with shops, restaurants, a bit of tourism...nothing too tacky like those places with arcades though... etc.)

All ideas welcome :-)

Tabnabs

Dublin.

- a really nice beach (!) that is good for swimming
Portmarnock Beach

- opportunities for going hiking
Dublin Mountain Way

- possibly other outdoor activities nearby (canoe rental etc.)
http://citykayaking.com/
http://www.kayaking.ie/
http://www.aboveboard.ie/

- a nice town nearby
http://www.visitdublin.com/home/

franzilein

Thanks for your reply.

You're right and I was thinking of spending a few days in Dublin with them, but I don't think they'd like it for 2 weeks. They're not really city people. Maybe combining a few days in Dublin with 10 days or so somewhere in Wicklow/Wexford/Waterford might be an idea.

Still open for suggestions :-)

Jjiipp79

Connemara is a natural beauty... Such lovely views and nice places to visit.

If you're in Ireland it's a much!



I would agree with Sheesh also, Kerry is one beautiful place.

sheesh

Kerry. Someplace Like Dingle would be perfect Hiking it has it (Dingle way, Mount Brandon, Slieve Mish Mountains) Canoeing around Dingle harbour too nearby Ventry harbour has excellent Swimming and Beach


Maherees has similar has canoe and Surf hire Very nice.


Possibly Cheaper Alternative (hear me out) Get a Holiday Rental in Tralee (Cheaper accommodation) and drive to the above also close to Fenit, Banna and Ballyheigue also closer to Mountains in Killarney

BriangC

Go to Valentia Island in Kerry. I go every summer with my 3 boys and its perfect. some info here http://www.valentiaisland.ie/

Great mountains hikes and beaches
Kayak or ferry to an uninhabited island Beginish with seafood dinner - old viking settlement http://www.activeme.ie/guides/water-sports/beginish-island-north-beach/
Kids watersports and diving
Great fishing
Visit the Skellig Islands - World heritage site
350 millions year old tetrapod footprints

raler

franzilein wrote: »

Hi,

my German family (2 parents and 3 teenage siblings) are thinking of coming to visit me and spending their 2-week-long summer holidays in Ireland this August. In recent years, they usually spent their holidays in Greece (beach) or South Tyrol (hiking), so now I'm looking for the ideal place in Ireland where they can do both. It should be close enough to Kerry or Dublin airport as these are the two airports with direct flights.

So the place I'm looking for has:
- a really nice beach (!) that is good for swimming
- opportunities for going hiking (being German, they're not used to having to go up mountains without paths and signposts, so preferably I'm looking for hikes or hillwalks that are well signposted)
- possibly other outdoor activities nearby (canoe rental etc.)
- a nice town nearby (with shops, restaurants, a bit of tourism...nothing too tacky like those places with arcades though... etc.)

All ideas welcome :-)

Somewhere in Wicklow is your best bet I think, or maybe even south, South county Dublin. What kind of accommodation are you thinking of ?

Mickeroo

Dingle really ticks all the boxes you need,near several beachs and some of the best hiking in the country nice and close to Kerry airport too.

JuliusCaesar

While I love Valentia, and there's a great walk out to the towerhouse and beyond, there's an awful lot of high prices to see 'the best cliffs' 'the best views' etc. Some of them are downright extortionate and unpleasant if you are walking, with clouds of dust being thrown all over you by cars passing you by. The Knightstown ferry is an experience! (A lovely one.)

Get a book of hill-walks of Ireland or wherever you end up going, well worth the price, and you can't always rely on your phone for walking apps. There's a great adventure in finding your own way using maps. But you'll probably need to hire a car unless you do ExtremeIreland or other similar companies, which can work out expensive.

There are walking tours in German in Dublin now I went on this one recently in English though.

HelgaWard

How about County Louth, it is very close to Dublin, serviced by the M1, great bus links (Google Matthews Coaches and Bus Eireann also service well) and also train service.

- a really nice beach (!) that is good for swimming
There are a few:
http://www.outdoorswimming.ie/louth.html

- opportunities for going hiking
http://www.carlingford.ie/index.php/services/106-walking-in-carlingford

- possibly other outdoor activities nearby (canoe rental etc.)
http://louthholidays.com/explore-louth/tour-and-trails/louth-adventure-tours.html
http://www.theboynevalley.com/

- a nice town nearby
Dundalk, Drogheda, Carlingford.

You could have a lovely holiday, maybe do a week in the south of the county (Drogheda) and then a week in the north of the county (Louth),

Miaireland

FLy into Kerry, then Dingle and the surroundings area then maybe Killarney for a few more. Get the train from Killarney to Dublin and spend a few more days on the East coast and they fly out of Dublin.

duckysauce

+ 1 on dingle area or beara -- don't stay in dingle town though

CardinalJ

Fly to Faranfore, head out into the Dingle peninsula. Stay further out in somewhere like Dunquinn or Ballyferriter. Plenty of mountain and costal walking, beaches etc.

Only thing you should make them aware of is the speed with which the weather blows in off the atlantic. If they're used to greece etc it may be a shock!

Spanish Eyes

duckysauce wrote: »

+ 1 on dingle area or beara -- don't stay in dingle town though

Why not. Genuinely interested, is it the price or what?

My sister and I are going to Killarney for the craic, a bonding session if you like, we don't get to see each other all that much really these days, and we were going to go to Dingle aswell. For the craic!

We are travelling by train to Killarney, so we know the bus journey is two hours or so.

I've been to Valentia. Cracking place, as is Portmagee. The tetrapod footprints were great, and so was the slate quarry. Got a length of the first Transatlantic Cable from a man there too. So interesting.

hmmm

Unfortunately there are not many marked trails in Ireland, but Dingle has Brandon and they could do bits of the Dingle Way.
http://www.dingleway.com/trail-description/index.php

duckysauce

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Why not. Genuinely interested, is it the price or what?

My sister and I are going to Killarney for the craic, a bonding session if you like, we don't get to see each other all that much really these days, and we were going to go to Dingle aswell. For the craic!

We are travelling by train to Killarney, so we know the bus journey is two hours or so.

I've been to Valentia. Cracking place, as is Portmagee. The tetrapod footprints were great, and so was the slate quarry. Got a length of the first Transatlantic Cable from a man there too. So interesting.

it's fine for the craic and pubs big time -- just a bit too money grabby and tacky these days not the place to stay for a few days imo, far nicer and natural places to stay nearby. Stayed in a hotel in the centre of the town last year and was shocked for the money you were paying for it , it was a dump , surrounding area is unreal though beautiful.

Miaireland

I regularly stay in Dingle. While I agree hotels can be very expensive there, there are many good guesthouse that are quite reasonable. OP are your family planning to rent a car while they are here?

sheesh

They could do the Kerry Camino!!


yes I am associated with it

Blingy

Galway - clifden has loads of hiking opportunities surrounding it. Ballyconneely or gurteen beach both beautiful. Not far from kilary harbour which has outdoor activities incl kayaking. Check out Delphi for loads of activities.

Boat over to inishboffin - great day out. Rent bikes and cycle around the island.
Omey Beach races - can't remember when exactly these are on but we came across them last year and they are great craic. Fab beach too.
Loads to do in Connemara. Lovely fish restaurants in clifden and roundstone.
Hope this is of help.

galwaycyclist

Blingy wrote: »

Galway - clifden has loads of hiking opportunities surrounding it. Ballyconneely or gurteen beach both beautiful. Not far from kilary harbour which has outdoor activities incl kayaking. Check out Delphi for loads of activities.

Boat over to inishboffin - great day out. Rent bikes and cycle around the island.
Omey Beach races - can't remember when exactly these are on but we came across them last year and they are great craic. Fab beach too.
Loads to do in Connemara. Lovely fish restaurants in clifden and roundstone.
Hope this is of help.

There is only one marked "mountain" trail in Connemara and that is Diamond Hill by Letterfrack. South Tyrol its not. For most of the high stuff you would need to be able to use a map if the clouds came down.

There is the western way which is a low level trail but much of it is a very muddy "bog slog".

franzilein

Thanks for all the replies. Will look into all the options mentioned! I've been thinking of splitting up the two weeks as well so they'd get to see two different places (one week in the Southwest/West, one week on the East coast/Dublin).

As far as the hiking opportunities are concerned, marked trails without much scrambling are really quite important to us, also because I'll be 6 or 7 months pregnant at that stage which I forgot to mention last time. I'm thinking of gentle hikes rather than serious mountaineering :-)

Any ideas on Clonakilty? Is it a good place for a holiday for a week or so? It just came to my mind as we live in Cork, so it would be handy for coming and going if we had to. I was there once years ago, but only for a day, but of course Inchidoney is lovely. What's the town like? Compared to, lets say, Killarney?

Some of you have suggested Galway/Connemara. I've never been there for an extended period of time in the summer, but for some reasons I have pictures in my head of the West/North West being a bit dark and dreary... Could just be my imagination though.

To answer some of the questions:

- Yes, they'll probably rent a car for most of their holiday.
- We'd be looking at self catering accommodation.

Lots of questions, I know, but I want them to have a good impression of Ireland :-)

Clon is great, West Cork is lovely.

It's not like Killarney, but then again no other town is like Killarney. But it is very tourist driven and so has a selection of hotels, pubs, restaurants, and plenty of drives and nice walks.

Skibereen is also lovely in West Cork. Not as touristy or as big as Clon, but you're further into the heart if West Cork and nearer places like the Mizen Head and Sheeps head, which are stunning.

The J Stands for Jay

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Clon is great, West Cork is lovely.

It's not like Killarney, but then again no other town is like Killarney. But it is very tourist driven and so has a selection of hotels, pubs, restaurants, and plenty of drives and nice walks.

Skibereen is also lovely in West Cork. Not as touristy or as big as Clon, but you're further into the heart if West Cork and nearer places like the Mizen Head and Sheeps head, which are stunning.

Boats trips out of Baltimore to the islands or whale watching. Kayaking on lough Hine (night time kayaking too).

Balmed Out

Imho you would be crazy going to the east coast. Parts of Kerry have excellent hill-walking and fantastic beaches, West Cork too is lovely however be aware the areas with the best hill-walking tend to have less great beaches.
I live in Clonakilty and its a great town with some sort of trad etc on somewhere every night, great restaurants and bars. Not as touristy as some would have you believe. Its a great base for the city side of west cork, kinsale, the city itself and if ye wanted to check out east Cork for a day. For hill-walking its a bit of a drive to anywhere though there are plenty of nice areas to walk if you dont mind it flater. Plenty of retired Germans about so they seem to like it.

If it were me id split the trip to either Dingle / Killarney and Clonakilty or Westport.

Balmed Out

Balmed Out wrote: »

If it were me id split the trip to either Dingle / Killarney and Clonakilty or Westport.

That's pretty much it.

There is a reason everyone is drawn to West Cork, South and West Kerry, or West Clare, Galway and Connemara. They are very beautiful with lots to see and do and they have all the amenities tourists need. Other areas like Sligo are nice, but anyone who comes to Ireland should really be thinking of including those areas in their itinerary. For the East Coast, Wicklow is nice, Dublin is Dublin, and Louth and Meath have a lot of historical sites, but the scenery can't really compare with the South west and west.

Red Kev

3 days in or near Dublin. Walks are from Greystones-Bray, or Sugarloaf, or anywhere around Glendalough (The Spink is good).

5-6 days Beara/Waterville

5-6 days Connemara/Westport. Walk Croagh Patrick, Slievemore or the Bangor Trail. Or better still just go to Inisboffin or Achill for the few days.

Beara is better than Dingle IMO, less tourists, less crowded and a bit cheaper. Theres loads to do within an hours drive. Or use Waterville or Cahirciveen as a base.