M7 to M4 > Quickest route

tom_tarbucket

Hi,

I will be driving from Waterford to Galway in the next few days.

I want to do as much of this journey on Motorway as I can - within reason. When I tell older people of this, they think I am completely insane " but sure that way is a lot longer" "it'll take you 6 hours to go that route" "why dont ya go via bally go backwards etc etc " :pac:


I do not care that its longer, I would rather be cruising along at 120 KPH on a motorway than dong 80 kph on a crap road or stuck behind a truck with over taking dangers etc etc
It probably works out around the same journey time as going across country.


Anyway, back to my question, I was thinking of coming off the M7/N7 somewhere around Naas or Johnstown (Im just looking at a map at this, I cant actually see if there are actual exits on the M7/N7 at these points - if you know what I mean)

What is the quickest way to get from the M7/N7 to the M4 - and to avoid traffic and multiple villages etc.

Fuzzy Clam

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Hi,

I will be driving from Waterford to Galway in the next few days.

I want to do as much of this journey on Motorway as I can - within reason. When I tell older people of this, they think I am completely insane " but sure that way is a lot longer" "it'll take you 6 hours to go that route" "why dont ya go via bally go backwards etc etc " :pac:


I do not care that its longer, I would rather be cruising along at 120 KPH on a motorway than dong 80 kph on a crap road or stuck behind a truck with over taking dangers etc etc
It probably works out around the same journey time as going across country.


Anyway, back to my question, I was thinking of coming off the M7/N7 somewhere around Naas or Johnstown (Im just looking at a map at this, I cant actually see if there are actual exits on the M7/N7 at these points - if you know what I mean)

What is the quickest way to get from the M7/N7 to the M4 - and to avoid traffic and multiple villages etc.

Naas, Sallins, Clane and up to Kilcock or Rathcoole to Celbridge may be better.

tom_tarbucket

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Naas, Sallins, Clane and up to Kilcock or Rathcoole to Celbridge may be better.

Thanks. Do you know Is there a handy/natural exit on the m7/n7 for Sallins ? Or does the exit have to be taken a few miles before or after Sallins. This is what I cannot see from the maps - where the motorway exits are exactly.

cython

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks. Do you know Is there a handy/natural exit on the m7/n7 for Sallins ? Or does the exit have to be taken a few miles before or after Sallins. This is what I cannot see from the maps - where the motorway exits are exactly.

You'd need to take the exit either south (Newhall) or north of Naas, and go round the ring road from the former, or double back from the latter. There is no exit directly at Sallins.

Ten Pin

Another option is Straffan - Maynooth.
Take exit 7 off N7.

tom_tarbucket

cython wrote: »

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks. Do you know Is there a handy/natural exit on the m7/n7 for Sallins ? Or does the exit have to be taken a few miles before or after Sallins. This is what I cannot see from the maps - where the motorway exits are exactly.

You'd need to take the exit either south (Newhall) or north of Naas, and go round the ring road from the former, or double back from the latter. There is no exit directly at Sallins.

Thank you.

mmmmm. Don't like the idea of doubling back.
What is the ring road you mention ?

doolox

I do the Straffan to M4 run in about 10 minutes and the distance from Straffan to N7 is about the same I think it is the Kill exit from the N7 but Northbound towards Straffan and the K club and Barberstown Cross then Taghadoe cross and just south of Maynooth town you will join the M4 west bound toll at Enfield of €2.90 and then M6 at Kinnegad. Watch out for 100kph at Athlone, all the rest of M4 and M6 is 120kph.

tom_tarbucket

doolox wrote: »

I do the Straffan to M4 run in about 10 minutes and the distance from Straffan to N7 is about the same I think it is the Kill exit from the N7 but Northbound towards Straffan and the K club and Barberstown Cross then Taghadoe cross and just south of Maynooth town you will join the M4 west bound toll at Enfield of 2.90 and then M6 at Kinnegad. Watch out for 100kph at Athlone, all the rest of M4 and M6 is 120kph.

Thanks.

ah the bloody toll. I only suggested around the Naas area to exit as it looks a decent place to exit from a map.

But I'm not against exiting the M7 sooner either - if there was a decent road linking the M7 to M4 with not too many towns or villages to navigate through.

Plus it would be nice to avoid the toll and arrive just West of it ; )

TJJP

That looks insane though? I don't know the roads but would n24 (Clonmel, Tipp) to Limerick and then n/M18 not be better? It's a long haul to Kildare on the M9 and given Irish driving standards you're just as likely to meet trucks or dawdlers.... I can see the logic, looks great in theory but I'm not sure you'd be any better off time wise or toll wise?

Redsoxfan

Ten Pin wrote:

Another option is Straffan - Maynooth. Take exit 7 off N7.

This is the best option.

Graham

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thank you.

mmmmm. Don't like the idea of doubling back.
What is the ring road you mention ?

The doubling back from Naas North is about a mile.

GreatDefector

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Naas, Sallins, Clane and up to Kilcock or Rathcoole to Celbridge may be better.

Waterford to Galway via celbridge??

*rubs eyes*

Losty Dublin

I understand your preference to go via motorway for as much as you can. Via Michelin give the trip via the N24 and N/M18 as being 100KM less than heading via the M7/M9 and M4. The latter isn't that much more time wise. For what it's worth, it suggests connecting via Newbridge.

ianobrien

I would be thinking M9 Waterford to Kilkenny, N77 from Kilkenny to Durrow, Abbeylex and Portlaoise (or to from Kilkenny to Urlingford and join the M8 if you want to pay a toll). Get off in Portlaoise and take the N80 to Tullamore and take the N52 from Tullamore. Join the M6 to Galway.

Personally I'd be trying to avoid Naas and north Kildare if I thought the traffic would be heavy.

Fuzzy Clam

GreatDefector wrote: »

Waterford to Galway via celbridge??

*rubs eyes*

No need to rub your eyes. If he is coming down the M7 as suggested, it is an option.
It's better than your suggestion...........oh wait

Edit. If he's going as far as Naas, I'd go with my first suggestion. Problem is Clane can get a bit backed up.

alias no.9

TJJP wrote: »

That looks insane though? I don't know the roads but would n24 (Clonmel, Tipp) to Limerick and then n/M18 not be better? It's a long haul to Kildare on the M9 and given Irish driving standards you're just as likely to meet trucks or dawdlers.... I can see the logic, looks great in theory but I'm not sure you'd be any better off time wise or toll wise?

N18 is underwater in areas at the moment, the M9/M7/M4/M6 route seems like the best option this week

tom_tarbucket

TJJP wrote: »

That looks insane though? I don't know the roads but would n24 (Clonmel, Tipp) to Limerick and then n/M18 not be better? It's a long haul to Kildare on the M9 and given Irish driving standards you're just as likely to meet trucks or dawdlers.... I can see the logic, looks great in theory but I'm not sure you'd be any better off time wise or toll wise?

Don't really think it's that insane. Are you one of these "older" people ? ; ) I have my reasons above and then add the floods etc.

The "long haul" to Kildare is about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Peppa Pig

Graham wrote: »

The doubling back from Naas North is about a mile.

This is the only way to do it. The road through Straffan is not great but its a short run and by doing this you avoid the roadworks at millenium park roundabout and Sallins and Clane. It could be anywhere from 30 - 60 minutes quicker depending on the time of day.

It's the best (only?) option, M7 exit 7, double back a bit, Straffan - Barberstown Cross - Maynooth and join the M4 at exit 7

bmwguy

I don't know the other options you have for a more direct route but the closer you get to Dublin the less distance there is between motorways. If you want to stay motorway the whole way you have the option of m/n7-m50-n/m4 which is all motorway or dual carriageway. But at that stage you have gone too far and will double back a bit on yourself. But the best option and what I do regularly as I live close is come off at straffan and head to maynooth. About 15 minutes off the motorway.

cython

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thank you.

mmmmm. Don't like the idea of doubling back.
What is the ring road you mention ?

This. Basically runs parallel to the motorway, but as mentioned Sallins and Clane can be quite congested with traffic depending on when you hit them, so Kill-Straffan-Maynooth may be a better option for you. I wouldn't suggest heading as far towards Dublin as Celbridge, FWIW.

Peppa Pig

cython wrote: »

This. Basically runs parallel to the motorway, but as mentioned Sallins and Clane can be quite congested with traffic depending on when you hit them, so Kill-Straffan-Maynooth may be a better option for you. I wouldn't suggest heading as far towards Dublin as Celbridge, FWIW.

That map is a bit confusing.
This is just the section with the double back

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

tom_tarbucket

Peppa Pig wrote: »

That map is a bit confusing.
This is just the section with the double back

confusing alright

Thanks for your map

cython

Peppa Pig wrote: »

That map is a bit confusing.
This is just the section with the double back

All well and good, but it completely fails to show the ring road from Newhall which was my aim :rolleyes:

Peppa Pig

cython wrote: »

All well and good, but it completely fails to show the ring road from Newhall which was my aim :rolleyes:

Hence why it says "This is just the section with the double back".

Rolly eyes back at you

tom_tarbucket

ianobrien wrote: »

I would be thinking M9 Waterford to Kilkenny, N77 from Kilkenny to Durrow, Abbeylex and Portlaoise (or to from Kilkenny to Urlingford and join the M8 if you want to pay a toll). Get off in Portlaoise and take the N80 to Tullamore and take the N52 from Tullamore. Join the M6 to Galway.

Personally I'd be trying to avoid Naas and north Kildare if I thought the traffic would be heavy.

Thanks. But is the "N" roads here decent ?

ianobrien

tom_tarbucket wrote: »

Thanks. But is the "N" roads here decent ?

I take the Tullamore to Portlaoise road most weekends and its grand. There is very little room to overtake so if you're stuck behind a slowcoach you're stuck. Some people crawl on the road, meaning large streams of traffic. I always try to time it to avoid it between 4:30 and 6 in the evenings. Mountmelleck can take 2 of 3 minutes to get through.

The Kilkenny to Urlingford is grand also. I've never taken the Kilkenny to Durrow road but from Durrow to Portlaoise is the old N8.

I would not take the N24 and N18 as there is usually horrid traffic trying to get through Clarinbridge.

ixus

It's Straffan exit and onto Maynooth as mentioned. Benefit is there are no lights. The road from M7 to Straffan is windy with a lot of sharp bends so don't boot it. Also, mind your speed entering & exiting Straffan.

You'll do Maynooth n Galway in about 1hr 40 (Athlone in 50). M7 to Maynooth in 20 if not stuck behind traffic.

Also, there are two tolls.