Route guides · Itineraries · Trip planning
96 guides to riding Ireland: what each route is actually like, how long it takes, and what to sort out before you go.
© Galway County Council
The routes people ask about most.
© Courtesy of Luke Myers, Fáilte Ireland/Tourism Ireland Two days of roughly 23 km each, Waterford City to Dungarvan via Kilmacthomas and Mount Congreve, timed around the cafés and the viaduct.
© Courtesy Gareth McCormack/garethmccormack 42 km of traffic-free trail from Westport to Achill Sound, broken into four stages. Shuttles and bike hire are easy to arrange at either end.
© Chris Hill Photographic, Tourism Ireland The 179 km core loop with optional extensions, ridden in one hard day or spread over three. Coach traffic is the main thing to plan around.
© Jonathan Hession, Tourism Ireland The route runs 2,500 km in nine sections. Nine coastal highlights worth planning around, from Slieve League to the Dingle Peninsula.
© Galway County Council Three itineraries: 427 km around Kerry in three days, 1,250 km of southern Wild Atlantic Way in five, or 1,400 km across Ireland in seven.
© Courtesy Fergus Walsh Ten places to ride with children, from the Blessington and Waterford greenways to Lough Boora and the graded trails at Ballyhoura in Limerick.
Coast roads, peninsulas and every greenway on the island, ride by ride.
41 guidesGuided or self-guided, luxury or under canvas. Work out which trip suits you.
19 guidesWeather, bike hire, gear, getting your bike here, and staying safe on Irish roads.
31 guidesHow Ireland became a cycling country, and the greenway boom still under way.
5 guidesFlat, traffic-free routes to start on, plus the practical questions that come up first time out.
© Fáilte Ireland Ten flat, mostly traffic-free routes for new riders, from a 9 km run into Carlingford to 48 km of the Waterford Greenway. Distances and access notes.
© Courtesy Failte Ireland What Irish law requires, what the collision statistics actually show, and how to position yourself at junctions, in poor weather and after dark.
© Courtesy Sarah McMahon, Failte Ireland Six e-bike tours, from a half-day in Dublin to seven guided days on the Wild Atlantic Way, plus how to choose a motor and manage your range.
© Olivia Nolan Hire shops cluster in the cities and along the greenways. Typical daily rates, the bike types on offer, and whether to book ahead or just walk in.
Greenways, short days and places where a nine-year-old and a grandparent can both enjoy the ride.
© Courtesy of Share Discovery Glamping Kerry's gold-tier dark sky reserve and Mayo's silver-tier park are both reachable by bike. Two 3-day itineraries, and where you may legally camp.
© Courtesy Failte Ireland Matching a greenway to your family's fitness, the bikes and trailers that work, and how to keep younger riders going for a full day out.
© Courtesy Failte Ireland Three generations need one route that suits all of them. Comparing the Waterford, Royal Canal and Great Western greenways, with a four-day plan.
© Courtesy Fergus Walsh Ten places to ride with children, from the Blessington and Waterford greenways to Lough Boora and the graded trails at Ballyhoura in Limerick.
Ireland's hardest climbs, longest days and the training to be ready for them.
© Courtesy Dave Walsh Mount Leinster, the Allihies RTE mast, Truskmore, Priest's Leap and Minaun Road. Gradients, surfaces and the gearing you will want on each.
© Courtesy of MountainBikeNI.com Trail centres from Ticknock above Dublin to Ballyhoura's 100 km network, with Rostrevor and Glencullen in between. Ride grades and facilities.
© Wicklow County Council 2,150 km non-stop around the island, against the clock. How the categories and time limits work, and what a support crew is expected to do.
© Courtesy of Joanne Day, Failte Ireland The Wicklow 200 rewards pacing more than raw fitness. A 12-week training block, a feeding plan, and what to do in the days afterwards.
© Tourism Ireland Irish climbs are short, steep and often wet. A weekly training structure, the key sessions, and the gearing that makes Mount Leinster possible.
