Since most rail journeys in Ireland aren’t very long, you can expect a packed itinerary once you alight at the station.
“There’s loads of stuff to do,” says Mark Worthington, head of product marketing at McKinlay Kidd, who also runs our
Wild Atlantic Way guided rail tour. The bars are unmissable, as are the Aran Islands. But there are stranger activities too – such as seaweed foraging?
“Go at low tide and roll your trousers up,” says Mark, describing the tasting tour you can do on the shore with a local expert. “There’s one that by all accounts tastes just like black truffle.”
This trip tries to be car free – but not completely. As well as a couple of small transfers, there are a few Irish ‘cars’ that you should try, if you can. In Killarney, jaunting cars have been used for over 200 years. These aren’t motorised – the ‘cars’ are horse-drawn carriages and were used as public transport long before the railway came. Tourists can still ride in one today, thanks to a family who has run tours in the area for generations.
On the Aran Islands, you’ll need something with a bit more horsepower. “We have a guide who has a specially adapted Land Rover,” says Chris. “It will take you way off the beaten track – you’d never go there on your own.”