Route advice please?

Stinicker

So next week I will be visiting friend who lives in Roscommon town and we plan to go to Belfast the following day for a day trip shopping. I have never driven this route before but have being studying the maps and am wondering for the best route so far I have.

Roscommon - Carrick on Shannon - Enniskillen - A4 to the M1 to Belfast

Roscommon - Boyle - Sligo - Enniskillen - A4 to the M1 to Belfast

Roscommon - Athlone - M6 & M4 to Dublin and M50 and M1 to Newry A1 to Belfast.

Which route would be fastest? Easiest? Best Roads (Via Dublin I'm thinking?)

What are the roads like between Enniskillen and Carrick on Shannon or the Sligo to Enniskillen Road?

Thanks for the input!

Victor

Stinicker wrote: »

What are the roads like between Enniskillen and Carrick on Shannon or the Sligo to Enniskillen Road?

A lot of those roads aren't great until you get into Tyrone around Ballygawley. Depending on what side of Roscommon town you pick, googlemaps suggests Fermanagh or Dublin - there isn't much in it. An alternative is Longford-Cavan-Monaghan. All are listed within 10 minutes of each other. This excludes congestion, whether tractors or Dublin.

Viamichelin recommend via Lsigo, but I think it seriously underestimates how mediocre the N16 is.

Bing suggests via Cavan

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Athlone+Rd%2FN61&daddr=Belfast&hl=en&geocode=Feo_MgMdUEuD_w%3BFZUWQQMdg4Ol_yk7itDX_f9gSDExxcfvLBZXLg&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=10&sll=53.583538,-8.143616&sspn=0.356263,0.883026&ie=UTF8&ll=54.046489,-7.075195&spn=2.818857,7.064209&z=7

http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Itineraires?strStartLocid=34MTE1dzhtZXowMDQxc2J0MTA1NHVjdXpjTlRNdU5qTXpPRFk9Y0xUZ3VNVGd4T0RNPWNOVE11TmpNeU56WT1jTFRndU1UYzVNVEU9Y05UTXVOak15TnpZPWNMVGd1TVRjNU1URT0wbFJvc2NvbW1vbiBSZXRhaWwgUGFyaw==&strDestLocid=31NDE3czQxMGNOVFF1TlRrM01qWT1jTFRVdU9UTXdNVGs9&intItineraryType=1&caravaneHidden=false&vh=CAR&strVehicle=0&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&isFavoriseAutoroute=false&isAvoidPeage=false&isAvoidVignette=false&isAvoidLNR=false&isAvoidFrontiers=true&dtmDeparture=8%2F4%2F2010&distance=km&devise=1.0|EUR&indemnite=&carbCost=1.3&autoConso=6.8&villeConso=6&routeConso=5.6

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=54.173490901780994~-6.881150901317596&lvl=8&rtp=pos.53.630096688866615_-8.18991132080555_Roscommon%2C%20Ireland___e_~pos.54.59580659866333_-5.934939980506897_Belfast%2C%20Belfast%20City___e_&mode=D&rtop=0~0~0~

Ham'nd'egger

Victor wrote: »

A lot of those roads aren't great until you get into Tyrone around Ballygawley. Depending on what side of Roscommon town you pick, googlemaps suggests Fermanagh or Dublin - there isn't much in it. An alternative is Longford-Cavan-Monaghan. All are listed within 10 minutes of each other. This excludes congestion, whether tractors or Dublin.

Viamichelin recommend via Lsigo, but I think it seriously underestimates how mediocre the N16 is.

Bing suggests via Cavan

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Athlone+Rd%2FN61&daddr=Belfast&hl=en&geocode=Feo_MgMdUEuD_w%3BFZUWQQMdg4Ol_yk7itDX_f9gSDExxcfvLBZXLg&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=10&sll=53.583538,-8.143616&sspn=0.356263,0.883026&ie=UTF8&ll=54.046489,-7.075195&spn=2.818857,7.064209&z=7

http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Itineraires?strStartLocid=34MTE1dzhtZXowMDQxc2J0MTA1NHVjdXpjTlRNdU5qTXpPRFk9Y0xUZ3VNVGd4T0RNPWNOVE11TmpNeU56WT1jTFRndU1UYzVNVEU9Y05UTXVOak15TnpZPWNMVGd1TVRjNU1URT0wbFJvc2NvbW1vbiBSZXRhaWwgUGFyaw==&strDestLocid=31NDE3czQxMGNOVFF1TlRrM01qWT1jTFRVdU9UTXdNVGs9&intItineraryType=1&caravaneHidden=false&vh=CAR&strVehicle=0&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&isFavoriseAutoroute=false&isAvoidPeage=false&isAvoidVignette=false&isAvoidLNR=false&isAvoidFrontiers=true&dtmDeparture=8%2F4%2F2010&distance=km&devise=1.0|EUR&indemnite=&carbCost=1.3&autoConso=6.8&villeConso=6&routeConso=5.6

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=54.173490901780994~-6.881150901317596&lvl=8&rtp=pos.53.630096688866615_-8.18991132080555_Roscommon%2C%20Ireland___e_~pos.54.59580659866333_-5.934939980506897_Belfast%2C%20Belfast%20City___e_&mode=D&rtop=0~0~0~

The N16/A4 Sligo-Enniskillen Road is dire and goes through Enniskillen town which can be a nightmare at times. However, once you get this far, the A 4 is generally a good road.

From traveling it many times, the N63 from Roscommon to Longford isn't too bad, then the N 55 to Cavan, the N 3 to Butlersbridge, turn off here and head to Newtownbutler and Lisnaskeagh on the A34. From here it's a few miles to Maguiresbridge and the A 4, nicely avoiding Enniskillen, Sligo and Leitrim. You could go cross country on R roads from Longford to Cavan but I can't vouch for these roads.