Road trips
Skip the motorway services. Good places to stop on Ireland's main drives, in the order you'll reach them.
M9 / N10 · about 170 km
Dublin to Waterford via Kilkenny
Down through Carlow and Kilkenny to the south-east coast, with the River Nore valley villages a short hop off the main road.
Dublin → Naas → Carlow → Kilkenny → Thomastown → Waterford
11 stops →
M7 / M8 · about 240 km
Dublin to Cork
The main run south through the midlands and Tipperary. Worth breaking up at Cashel or Fermoy rather than a motorway services.
Dublin → Portlaoise → Cashel → Mitchelstown → Fermoy → Cork
5 stops →
M4 / M6 · about 210 km
Dublin to Galway
Straight across the middle of the country, crossing the Shannon at Athlone.
Dublin → Kinnegad → Athlone → Ballinasloe → Galway
1 stop →
M7 / N21 / N22 · about 290 km
Dublin to Killarney
The long haul to Kerry via Limerick. Plenty of places to stop and stretch your legs on the way.
Dublin → Portlaoise → Nenagh → Limerick → Castleisland → Killarney
3 stops →
N22 / N70 / N86 · about 150 km
Cork to Dingle
West from Cork through Macroom and Killarney, then out along the edge of Dingle Bay to the peninsula.
Cork → Macroom → Killarney → Castlemaine → Annascaul → Dingle
3 stops →