Adding to above, same poster. The roads in Ireland are much better than they used to be, but they are still not anything like we have here. Cork, Galway, Ring of Kerry, Wild Atlantic away, etc. might look like day trips on a map, but they are definitely not.

I used to live in Dublin and have traveled to Scotland extensively. Consider the bus system in Scotland. I was able to get around easily using it (Glasgow, Sterling, St Andrews, etc) from Edinburgh.

4 days is enough to hit the highlights of Dublin. I agree with others that the countryside of Ireland is spectacular, but for 4 days, I’d stick to Dublin and consider bus trips to Newgrange, Glendalough, etc. and the DART to Bray. Driving in Ireland is NO joke. And you must buy the full coverage insurance so that combined with the automatic transmission gets a little pricey.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

You cannot to the Ring of Kerry as a day trip from Dublin. If you want to do the Ring of Kerry from Dublin and not drive, I would suggest you take the train from Dublin to Killarney, do a bus tour from there and stay a night or two. You can decide on other side trips once you get to Killarney.

Anonymous wrote:Galway is beautiful and so is Donegal.

Agree.
OP, consider using Galway as a "base." You can drive south to the Cliffs of Moher, and also go North to Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National park.
You haven't said who is going on your trip. Are you a couple on a romantic vacation? A family with kids? A group of friends on a "girls trip?"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

The best parts of Ireland are on the west coast. Some reasonably pretty scenery south of Dublin that can be feasible as a day trip.

Just know going in that Dublin can have horrible traffic. Designated bus lanes on major roads, and they’re starting to close off bits entirely for pedestrians.

There is no reason to have a car in central Dublin- it's very compact and walkable, with excellent and cheap streetcar and bus service. We picked up a rental car just outside the central core, which was perfect for leaving the city for the countryside.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

The best parts of Ireland are on the west coast. Some reasonably pretty scenery south of Dublin that can be feasible as a day trip.

Just know going in that Dublin can have horrible traffic. Designated bus lanes on major roads, and they’re starting to close off bits entirely for pedestrians.

Do you really need 5-6 days in Edinburg/Glascow? I have not been but heard you can do Edinburg in 2-3 days.

I would move 2-3 of your days from above and add onto Ireland. That would give you 8 or 9 days and you can drive and see the majority of the country except maybe northern part and Belfast.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

If you stay along the Ring of Kerry, I suggest Killarney. Muckross Park Hotel is very nice, but lots of good hotel options!

You cannot miss the Ring Of Kerry - it’s breathtaking and in top 3 of most beautiful drives in my book and I’m a seasoned worldwide traveler.

It’s so easy to drive around the country, and I would not base in Dublin. Fly in and spend day and then the day you fly out if you want. Spend majority of your time the other 4 days or so targeting 2 or 3 areas and be sure to stay in a castle.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

The best parts of Ireland are on the west coast. Some reasonably pretty scenery south of Dublin that can be feasible as a day trip.

Galway is beautiful and so is Donegal.

Anonymous wrote:Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

If you stay along the Ring of Kerry, I suggest Killarney. Muckross Park Hotel is very nice, but lots of good hotel options!

Thank you everyone. This is very helpful. For the Ireland drivers, is using Dublin as the base for day drives good or does it take too long for round trips? I'm not crazy about packing and unpacking but if necessary will do it. I do enjoy driving. If I do the ring of Kerry, where should we stay?

Ireland is incredibly easy to drive. I did 2 weeks solo in 2019 from Dublin down through Glendalough, Waterford, Kilkenny, Cashel, over to the west coast and Killarney, Ring of Kerry etc. Seeing the countryside and was magic.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry Op here again. What would be another place worth staying as a base for 2 days besides Glasgow? Inverness?

I stayed in Fort William a few days to explore the Western Highlands. I would not use Glasgow as a base. Too much traffic getting in and out.

You can see a lot in Scotland by train, although I've rented cars on my visits too (I have family so have visited often). In Ireland, a car is a must in my opinion. You would miss so much without it.