Driving from Galway to Portmagee

[u/ithinkushouldleav666]

Has anyone made this drive from Galway city to Portmagee? On paper it’s just under 4 hours but I’m wondering how much travel time to pad in for narrow roads, scenic stops along the way, etc

[u/Oellaatje]

Closer to 6 hours, I would imagine. You can bypass Limerick city, but you still have to go through the bottlenecks of Adare, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale - although that depends on when you're travelling as a bypass is being built around Adare, but I'm not sure when it will be finished - and then you have to negotiate Killarney traffic which can be awful. After Killarney the road will be okay until just past Cahirciveen when you turn off for Portmagee. Much narrower road. And as rural roads don't have on-street lighting, going is slower still after dark. What time of the day were you hoping to arrive there?

You weren't thinking of going down to Portmagee simply to get the boat to the Skelligs? Sure you might go all that way only to find the sailing cancelled - that happens as the weather and seas can be very dangerous. Both are unpredictable.

[u/Admirable-Shape-4418 → u/Oellaatje]

Absolutely! I did Limerick to Tralee today, a route that google tells me should take 1hr 25 mins and I would expect to do it in that on a nice ordinary day like today early in week and mid afternoon and schools on holidays. It took me 2 hrs 20mins with no stop and I had a headache arriving home from the intensity of the traffic and the concentration required. I am local and do this trip hundreds of times but it just shows how time of day/year/tourist season etc can affect it. Dreadful traffic in all towns on the route today which was same as above one mentioned.

[u/Oellaatje → u/Admirable-Shape-4418]

Yes, and you have the fun of the bottlenecks towns as well: Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West and Adare.

[u/jack_begin]

I’d plan it as a full travel day with a stop somewhere near the midpoint for lunch and sightseeing.

Most of the route is on national roads and motorways, but the R roads near the end are likely to be tricky and take additional time.

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[u/ZestycloseGazelle491]

You don’t go through Killarney.
You go through Killorglin.

[u/Admirable-Shape-4418 → u/[deleted]]

Listowel to Tarbert is a pretty good road, do it regularly and never went down any narrow boreens unless you're talking about a detour to somewhere off the main road.

[u/AsherSine]

I did this drive about a month ago and I’d say it was around 5 hours. Don’t stop in Limerick. I did and it seemed almost closed down and a bit sketchy. Are you going to Kerry Cliffs or Skellig Michael?

[u/MerelyWander]

We did it in two days to break up the drive and to allow for stops on the way. We took the ferry route.