Best route from Galway city to Rosslare

Unrealistic

I have to do this in the middle of the night soon so traffic isn't a consideration but road quality and ease of driving is.

Google Maps offers two options which it lists as being equal.

The first comes off the motorway at Ballinasloe and heads southeast via Birr, Kilkenny and New Ross.

The second stays on the motorway until Kilbeggan and then heads southeast via Tullamore, Carlow and Enniscorthy.

The second option is almost 20km longer but both journeys are estimated at 3 hours 35 minutes.

Anyone with experience doing this journey have an opinion on which is the better route?

biko

Last time I drove it was through Limerick but it wasn't great. Then again we had plenty time so took it handy and stopped for coffee/lunch and such.
Tullamore, Carlow and Enniscorthy would be best now I'd wager.

Noddy33

Galways,Portumna,Birr,Durrow,Kilkenny,New Ross and Rosslare would be the best route in my opinion.The second route suggested that goes via Carlow and Enniscorthy is up through mountains and hills and very bad windy roads.The roads on the 1st route would'nt be the best for overtaking on certain stretches but because your travelling at night that should'nt be a major problem. There would also be some 24 hour Petrol stations in kilkenny that you would have the option to refuel in or grab a coffee if needed

gutteruu

Unrealistic wrote: »

I have to do this in the middle of the night soon so traffic isn't a consideration but road quality and ease of driving is.

Google Maps offers two options which it lists as being equal.

The first comes off the motorway at Ballinasloe and heads southeast via Birr, Kilkenny and New Ross.

The second stays on the motorway until Kilbeggan and then heads southeast via Tullamore, Carlow and Enniscorthy.

The second option is almost 20km longer but both journeys are estimated at 3 hours 35 minutes.

Anyone with experience doing this journey have an opinion on which is the better route?

From Ballinasloe to Roslare, it is much quicker use the motorway and go through Dublin (M6,M4,M50,M11) so if you have come that far keep going (that is during the day though). ****ty across country roads at night isn't worth it. Tip along at a decent speed on motorway would be my guess.

Dilbert75

gutteruu wrote: »

From Ballinasloe to Roslare, it is much quicker use the motorway and go through Dublin (M6,M4,M50,M11) so if you have come that far keep going (that is during the day though). ****ty across country roads at night isn't worth it. Tip along at a decent speed on motorway would be my guess.

Either this (slower during the day and with a few tolls on the way) or M6 to Kilbeggan, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Durrow, Kilkenny, New Ross.

Road through Portumna is crap - twisty, bumpy, etc. I've driven it many times and it's very easy get caught out on a tight bend, especially when you're tired.

colm_mcm

Discussed here a while back, might have useful info
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055150659

Unrealistic

gutteruu wrote: »

From Ballinasloe to Roslare, it is much quicker use the motorway and go through Dublin (M6,M4,M50,M11) so if you have come that far keep going (that is during the day though). ****ty across country roads at night isn't worth it. Tip along at a decent speed on motorway would be my guess.

Google says this takes 11 minutes longer without traffic but is also 100 km longer. The extra fuel plus the extra tolls would add up to a not insignificant sum.

colm_mcm wrote: »

Discussed here a while back, might have useful info
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055150659

Thanks but the motorway had only come as far as Kilbeggan at the time of that discussion so it's not really comparing apples with apples.

Thanks to all who offered opinions. I'll take them on board and let you know how I get on.

grogi

Unrealistic wrote: »

Google says this takes 11 minutes longer without traffic but is also 100 km longer. The extra fuel plus the extra tolls would add up to a not insignificant sum.



Thanks but the motorway had only come as far as Kilbeggan at the time of that discussion so it's not really comparing apples with apples.

Thanks to all who offered opinions. I'll take them on board and let you know how I get on.

I would always take the Motorway route, even if it was an hour longer. It is like 10x safer...

If you resist the temptation and drive constantly 110kmh, you will not burn much more than when doing country roads in the mountains... But in fairness what you save on fuel you'll probably spend on coffee...

searay

I travel from Athlone to Rosslare a couple of times a year. When there is traffic on the roads, Up the M6 and down the M11 is the most comfortable and the most predictable time-wise.

If going cross country, I go Kilbeggan, round Tullamore on the bypass, Portlaoise, Carlow, Enniscorthy. (N80). The last 3 towns and Bunclody can all be a pain and easy to run into traffic. Lots of silage convoys at present.

If you want stress free, go the motorway

Gael23

The road from kilkenny to new ross is terrible so thats why the journey is being calculated as longer

Unrealistic

Noddy33 wrote: »

Galways,Portumna,Birr,Durrow,Kilkenny,New Ross and Rosslare would be the best route in my opinion.The second route suggested that goes via Carlow and Enniscorthy is up through mountains and hills and very bad windy roads.The roads on the 1st route would'nt be the best for overtaking on certain stretches but because your travelling at night that should'nt be a major problem. There would also be some 24 hour Petrol stations in kilkenny that you would have the option to refuel in or grab a coffee if needed

We drove this route in the end. There were two of us driving so we took turns to sleep a bit so we didn't need any stops for coffee and we did it in about 3 hours 15 minutes. I'd choose that route if doing it again at night time but I'd probably go motorway all the way if during the day time.