Driving in Ireland: Routes & Itineraries for 2018

Driving in Ireland



Car Rental Ireland is an Irish owned company, based in Dublin City offering luxury car rentals in Ireland. These Luxury car hires can be made through our online booking service. We provide informational guides on Irish destinations, activites and, attractions for your holiday planning & resources.




To date, Ireland has received over 20 million visitors from North America, Pacific, and Europe, this year. Impressive number!

Cliffs of Moher attraction alone has received over 1.5 million visitors this year and The Guinness Storehouse attraction has received more than 1.6 million visitors.

Wild Atlantic Way and the Giant’s Causeway routes have been listed among best drives in the world in Lonely Planet’s list of 50 ‘Epic Drives of the World’.

One main reason Ireland has been getting a lot of visitors is an expression of the love for exploring and experiencing everything Ireland has to offer. For a small country, Ireland has it all – natural sights, countless road trips, 5000year old history trails, and adventure sports.

Driving in Ireland for the first time can make you nervous with left/right of the road differences and not knowing where to go however getting familiar with local road rules and planning your trip itinerary will go far, and make your trip more enjoyable.

Ireland offers a lot of driving routes all over to suit your tastes whether that may be natural locations, culture or history even.

Based on our findings through the customer tourist survey, we have put together a list of the best locations that are highly recommended to see on your first trip to Ireland by car. To take a step further, we have arranged them by regions to help you focus your attention on the areas.

To learn more about these driving routes in Ireland, click on a route to take you to a full route information page. These route pages will be complete with locations, pictures, maps, and an itinerary.


When the weather is bad we would suggest taking a look at our indoor actitives , Spa Getaways , Museums and Galleries or any of our Driving Routes to keep dry and warm away from the widy Irish weather.

Giant's Causeway Coastal Route

Giants Causeway Northern Ireland
Located in Northern Ireland, the route boast one of the breathtaking sights Ireland has to offer. Giant's Causeway and Carrick a Rede rope bridge are some of the highlights.

Route distance: 100 miles

View Giant's Causeway Coastal Route

The Ring of Kerry

Views along Ring of Kerry route
Located in the far west of Kerry region, a 179km route takes you around a loop of winding roads and in the heart of a stunning national park in Killarney.

Route distance: 111 miles

View Ring of Kerry Route

Ireland's Ancient East

Arial view of Newgrange Hertiage Site
Ireland’s Ancient East is full of stories, culture, attractions, festivals and fun with a focus on 5,000 years old history.

Route distance: Over 125 miles

Wild Atlantic Way

Wellington Monument, Phoenix Park
2500km of roads to explore West of Ireland, listed in Lonely Planet's book for the 50 best drives in the world. Visiting the wild atlantic wayis highly recommended, see the famous highlights; Cliffs of Moher, Skellig Michael, Ring of Kerry and more.

Route distance: 1553 miles

View Wild Atlantic Way Route

Skellig Ring

View of Skellig Island
Get off the beaten track on the Ring of Kerry by taking this detour to the Skellig Ring. Starting in Cahersiveen or Waterville, this small 18km route gives you a closer view to the famous Skellig Islands in remote areas.

Route distance: Approx 11 miles

Copper Coast Scenic Drive

View of a beach on the Copper Coast
Located in between Waterford and Tramore through UNESCO Coastal Geopark.

Route distance: Approx 10 miles

View The Copper Coast

Burren Scenic Loop Drive

View of The Burren
The Burren National Park, located in between the North of county Clare and South of county Galway covering a landscape of over 160km. Impressive rocky Karst landscape, there is no other place like it in Ireland.

Route distance: Approx 62 miles

View The Burren Route

Loop Head Peninsula drive

Atlantic Ocean
Approx. 90km loop drive starting from Kilkee along the coastline to Loop Head with fantastic views along the way.

Route distance: Approx 55 miles

View Loop Head Route

Sky Road

Scenic road in Clifden
A short scenic route of 15km with impressive views in the heart of Connemara, Co Galway. The loop starts from Clifden taking you through Inagh Valley, Leaanuan, Inishturk and more.

Route distance: Approx 9 miles

View Clifden and Sky Road

Wicklow Mountains

View of Glendalough lake & mountains
Wicklow is known as Ireland's garden and a short drive from Dublin brings you to the countryside. Scenic mountaintop views, waterfalls, Glendalough lakes and more.

Route distance: Over 60 miles

View Wicklow Driving Route

County Donegal

View of Fanad Lighthouse
As part of the Wild Atlantic Way, Donegal is located in the Ireland's North and feature's in National Geographic Traveller edition - 'Coolest Place on the Planet'. Highlights ranges from Fanad Head Lighthouse to Slieve League - europe's highest clifftops.

Route distance: Approx 100 miles

View Donegal Driving Route

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones, the dark hedges
Set in Northern Ireland, the route brings you to the top locations where Game of Thrones was set. This 3 day route boasts some of the most scenic views Ireland has to offer and will be a magical trip for any Games of Thrones fan. Suitable for all the family.

Route distance: 273 miles

View Game of Thrones Route

Car Rental

Car Rental Ireland provides car hire in nine locations; Dublin Airport, Dublin City, Cork Airport, Cork City, Galway, Shannon Airport, Knock Airport and, Kerry Airport. If you need a car to check out some of these driving routes Ireland has to offer, do make a car hire quote above.