Anyone completed Dublin to Galway

GazzatheHaka
GazzatheHaka Posts: 10
edited June 2011 in Tour & expedition
I'm due to do this in August (I've posted in the Newbie section) - Has anyone got any good advise/ what to expect? specific difficulties/sections?

How its run etc - Any detail would be much appreciated?

Thanks

Comments

  • pmannion9
    pmannion9 Posts: 287
    Well it should be a lot easier now as the "new motorway" is open between Galway and Dublin.
    Therefore now all the traffic is on this route...
    Im from Ireland and you need to be careful on roads - not great for giving you room !!!
    Difficulty will be leaving Dublin and also trying to get a route that avoids main roads...
    But then thats the fun of it !!! :-)
  • Paul Gannon
    Paul Gannon Posts: 24
    Flat as a pancake. Nice quiet roads. Go via Maynooth - Kilcock - Edenderry - Tullamore - Banagher - Loughrea - Oranmore - Galway.
  • redjeepǃ
    redjeepǃ Posts: 531
    I've done the second half and back (from near Mullingar), it's not too hard except that the wind can be bad.

    The old N6 is now labelled as the N446 and is quiet due to the new motorway. I cycle it all the time.

    The more typical route is
    Maynooth - Kilcock - Kinnegad - Moate - Athlone - Ballinasloe - Loughrea - Oranmore - Galway.

    The only problem may be around Athlone. I'm not sure if you can cycle around the bypass anymore (and it's currently got lots of roadworks on it anyway until October) so you may be better going through the town centre.
  • willy-style
    willy-style Posts: 52
    3 of us did it recently, the Maynooth - Kilcock - Edenderry - Tullamore - Banagher - Loughrea route but aimed about 60km lower than galway and cycled up the coast, beautiful and highly reccomended!
  • redjeepǃ
    redjeepǃ Posts: 531
    willy-style wrote:
    3 of us did it recently, the Maynooth - Kilcock - Edenderry - Tullamore - Banagher - Loughrea route but aimed about 60km lower than galway and cycled up the coast, beautiful and highly reccomended!

    That coastline is fantastic. I'd also recommend the area to the west of Galway as well. Beautiful area.
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    I have done if several times on various routings. Boring, boring, boring... literally one of the most boring routes in Ireland IMO. Quiet, safe and flat though. As part of a longer tour, sure, if you are starting in Dublin, but if you are looking for a 200km route almost any other is a better choice- south of Dublin through the Wicklow mountains, basically anywhere on the entire west coast, around the peninsulas in Kerry and Cork, the southern coast of Waterford to name just a few. It is very easy to take a bike on the Dublin-Galway train which would let you skip it if you are pressed for time.

    If you must, Paul Gannon's suggested route is the best, on the smallest, most picturesque roads. It is not BAD, just there is so much better cycling in Ireland IMO.

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