Here are the best road trips in Ireland

Do you have plans to start a road trip through Ireland? It certainly is a beautiful country with stunning landscapes and scenic routes all to explore while driving in your car. But where are the most scenic routes? And how long does it take to travel them? We’ll inform you about the best road trips in Ireland and give you a few tips for your travels.

The Wild Atlantic Way

First, we‘ll start with the most obvious road trip - and rightfully so: The Wild Atlantic Way. This road is over 2.600 kilometers long and one of the longest designated coastal routes in the world. It starts in Derry and stretches all over the Irish West Coast down to Cork. Along the way, you’ll have beautiful views across the sea, you can stop at sights like Slieve League or the Cliffs of Moher, and visit cities like Galway or Sligo. Also part of the road is the Ring of Kerry, a beautiful and one of the most prominent road trips just by itself.

Highlights:

Slieve League Cliffs (Donegal): Some of Europe’s highest sea cliffs.

Achill Island (Mayo): Stunning beaches and scenic drives.

Cliffs of Moher (Clare): One of Ireland’s most iconic landmarks.

Dingle Peninsula (Kerry): A mix of rugged coastline and traditional Irish culture.

Beara Peninsula (Cork): Less crowded but equally spectacular.

Duration: For this trip, you should have at least 7-10 days time to take it all in. More is always advised when you want to stay at some point for more than a day. If you have less time, think about just driving a part of the route. 

Causeway Coastal Route 

Just before the Wild Atlantic Way starts, there is the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland. Starting from Belfast, you can take the coastal road until Derry and you’ll pass some of the most stunning sights and views the country has to offer. In two three days you can cover the 212 kilometers of the route.

Highlights are:

The Giant’s Causeway: A UNESCO World Heritage site with unique hexagonal rock formations.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge: A thrilling rope bridge suspended over the Atlantic.

Dunluce Castle: A dramatic castle ruin perched on the cliffs.

The Dark Hedges: A Game of Thrones filming location.

And Belfast of course also offers much when it comes to history and culture. Take, for example, a tour cab to learn more about the troubles or visit the Titanic museum.

Many of the sights along this route are also part of our Giants Causeway daytrip. So, if you don’t have the time or don’t want to rent a car, just travel with us. :)

The Wicklow Mountains Drive 

The Wicklow Mountains National Park is just beautiful and offers great landscapes just as well as historic sights. And if you’re a fan of films like „PS, I love you“ or „Irish Wish," you might even want to add a few more stops to your itinerary. 

Starting from Dublin, this road trip is about 100 kilometers long and takes you to the following highlights:

Sally Gap Drive: A breathtaking mountain pass with moorland views.

Glendalough: A historic monastic site with a beautiful lake and hiking trails.

Lough Tay (Guinness Lake): A striking black lake surrounded by hills that looks a bit like a huge pint of Guinness.

If you want to, you can also stop in Bray before or after your trip and enjoy your time at the seafront.

Drive through Boyne Valley 

Another road trip you can start from Dublin is the one to and through Boyne Valley. This is a road trip especially suitable for those who are interested in the history of Ireland and its ancient kings. The route’s highlights take you through several thousand years of Irish past:

Newgrange & Knowth: 5,000-year-old passage tombs older than the pyramids.

Hill of Tara: The ancient seat of Ireland’s High Kings.

Trim Castle: One of the best-preserved Anglo-Norman castles in Ireland.

Slane Castle & Distillery: A beautiful estate with whiskey tastings.

Again, a variant of this trip is also available as a bus tour from Dublin. Feel free to have a look at our itinerary.

Source: Lisa Fecker on Unsplash

Ring of Kerry

As part of the Wild Atlantic Way, the Ring of Kerry is one of Ireland’s most famous driving routes. It is known for its dramatic landscapes, small and picturesque villages as well as historical sites. If you do this road trip separately from the Wild Atlantic way, it is 179 kilometers long and takes you about one to two days.

Highlights are:

Killarney National Park: Home to Muckross House, Torc Waterfall, and stunning lakes.

Skellig Ring: A detour to see Skellig Michael, a UNESCO-listed monastery which has also been a film setting for Star Wars.

Ladies View: A breathtaking panoramic viewpoint on the ring of Kerry with a cafe and car park.

Derrynane Beach: A secluded and beautiful beach near Caherdaniel.

Source: Michael on Unsplash

Before you start your road trip in Ireland

Have you found a road trip you would like to do? Before you start your travels, there are a few things you should think about:

The Irish drive on the left

If you’re not from Ireland or England for example, this might be a little difficult for you, but it’s all just practice. When you rent a car, start driving slowly and especially take care when you‘re turning into another direction or when you’re using a roundabout. And after you’ve driven the first few hours, you’ll get the hang of it.

Rent a smaller car

You might think that a big car is great to store all your belongings while traveling and while a car like this might be ok to drive on the roads inside of the country, it is not on the coastal routes or smaller National Parks like Wicklow. Here, the roads are narrow and there’s oncoming traffic you might have to manoeuvre around.

Pack clothing for Irish weather 

Irish weather can be beautiful and warm, especially during summer, but there is no guarantee. There’s no day like another and weather often changes drastically over night or even within a few hours. So, best pack clothing for warm, windy, cold and wet weather. Checking the forecast and looking at the weather a few days before you’re travels might help you packing.

You’re good to go!

And now, you are good to go! We wish you save travels! Enjoy the views, meet great people along the way, keep in mind on which side to drive and remember to always keep nature clean when you’re stopping somewhere. 

Source header photo: Nick Kane on Unsplash