What are the best Irish destinations for children who need shorter travel days?
Build the trip around two or three bases and day trips, and pick bases children vote for. Galway puts the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara in day trip reach, and has the evening buzz children feed on. Killarney is the outdoor base: the national park starts at the edge of town, with lakes, boat trips and easy cycles between the sights. Westport adds a harbour town and beaches under Croagh Patrick. In the east, Dublin with a Wicklow day keeps every hop short. The rules that save these trips: no drive much over two hours, at least two nights in each base, and one unscheduled afternoon in every three, for the playground, the pool or the beach you drove past.
Useful pages: Family friendly Ireland · Plan your journey · Driving in Ireland: the full guide · Food and drink basics · Coming home · Experiencing the Irish coastline · Tours · Places to stay · Travel notices
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