Galway to Belfast - best route

marigold29

Hiya,
Could anyone tell me the best route to drive from Galway to Belfast? I've done the google-maps things and theres plenty of easy ways to get there, I'm just wondering which would be the most enjoyable/scenic route, maybe even stop somewhere on the way...

Is Belfast a nightmare to drive in...? our hotel is in the city centre

mikedragon32

Moved from Travel & Holidays

ardmacha

On of the major mysteries of the Irish Road network is why there is no major identifiable route from Belfast to Galway, like the N24 from Waterford to Limerick.

The shortest route is Roscommon Cavan Monaghan Armagh, but many people prefer to use a route with some motorway on it. Athone to Dundalk is one common route or you can just go to Dublin.,

But if you are a tourist and speed is not the main issue then pick out some stop en route that interests you and go that way. E.G. via Cavan or Via Sligo/Enniskillen which would be more scenic than going through the midlands on a motorway.

Carlingford/Mournes/S Armagh warrent a trip on their own!

When colleagues at work used to do it all the time they went Galway-Sligo-Enniskillen-Belfast for the better roads. That is a few years ago now though - before M6.

JupiterKid

The most direct way from Galway city to Belfast would be Athlone-Cavan-Monaghan-Armagh-Craigavon-Belfast, but as the others said there's very little motorway/dual carriageway on this route and much of the N55 and N54 in particular is of a poor standard.

ardmacha

The most direct way from Galway city to Belfast would be Athlone-Cavan-Monaghan-Armagh-Craigavon-Belfast,

As I said the shortest way is Galway Roscommon Cavan, 25kmn shorter than going via Athlone, but on poor roads most of the way.

Go via Sligo and stop in Beleek or Enniskillen for a pitstop and come back a different way.

serfboard

Safest/Least Stressful(but possibly boring)/Most expensive(3 tolls!):N6->Ballinasloe->M6->M4->M50->M1->A1 Motorway/Dual Carriageway all the way from Ballinasloe to Belfast)

Scenic: Sligo->Enniskillen->Belfast. Stop in Drumcliff (Yeat's grave) and lovely views of Ben Bulben on way to Sligo. Some nice views between Sligo and Enniskillen also (particularly before the border). You can take a small diversion off this road and go to the Glencar waterfall.

Chris_533976

Would it be quicker (not necessarily shorter) to go Galway - Dublin - Belfast?

Carawaystick

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Would it be quicker (not necessarily shorter) to go Galway - Dublin - Belfast?

yep, 2:20 to Dublin and 1:40 to Belfast
total 4 hours

Victor

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Would it be quicker (not necessarily shorter) to go Galway - Dublin - Belfast?

I agree.

Via Cavan is the shortest and Viamichelin.com recommends via Sligo, but I don't think it is taking the M6 into account.

Chris_533976

I've heard of Ballinasloe to Newry done in 2h15m. Not sure if that person sped though.

nordydan

Chris_533976 wrote: »

I've heard of Ballinasloe to Newry done in 2h15m. Not sure if that person sped though.

That would be just about possible with no holdups on the M50 and doing 85mph+ on the M1/M6/M4. I have done Ranelagh-Newry centre via Eastlink/DPT in an hour (at 5pm on a Saturday not 4am)