amamax2

Hello,

I am trying to estimate how long it will take to drive to different places on our upcoming trip.

I have plugged the routes into both Google Maps and ViaMichelin and get varied answers. I have also read on here that I should add on to these driving site times.

Can someone tell me a rough amount to add on: double it? another half? etc.

We have a lot of options and places we'd like to go, but before I make final decisions, want to see if it is even reasonable - we don't want to spend all our time driving.

Thanks!!

janisj

no set amount -- but in the rural/scenic parts, especially in the W/SW, you'll generally want to add between 25% and 50% to the on-line calculators. In some places it could be even slower.

latedaytraveler

Annamax2, Janisj is probably right – allow 25-50% of time for your journey. I drove there several times with my cousin whose husband’s family lives in rural Galway and who had been there dozens of times. She knew the roads well so she enjoyed showing me the lovely “nooks and crannies” of Western Ireland. I was happy to be a passenger appreciating the lovely views. Often she would say to me, “You know, Helen, so many visitors to Ireland try to do too much. They don’t realize the time it so often takes to get from one place to another over here.”

Distances may appear deceptively short on a map. All of western Ireland is beautiful. Don’t try to cover too much at the expense of savoring real thing. Enjoy Ireland….

daveesl

A good rule of thumb is to figure an average speed of 35mph. Yes, there are a lot of places where you can go much faster, but those are offset by the numerous towns, getting lost, small one-laners, etc. Just enjoy the ride.

dave

flanneruk

The answer depends on the journey concerned.

Contrary to the myths put out on forums like this (and repeated by foreigners churning out family stories from the 19th century), Ireland has a network of fast, modern (and astonishingly uncluttered) motorways where Viamichelin, the AA and all the rest seriously <b> underestimate </b> how fast you can travel.

For the parts of your journey on motorways (roads whose number starts with an M), reduce AA estimated drive time by at least 30%, or more if you drive at a proper British-Irish speed (ave 85 mph). If you're driving from Dublin to County Galway, most of the mileage from outer Dublin will be on a motorway

For non-motorways, as others say, increase drive time 35% over AA estimates.

But as in all important issues (like support for terrorism as long as it's only British or Irish being murdered), use this as an example of how out of touch with the modern real Ireland those Americans are who believe the crap they think they once heard from a distant cousin. Or delude themselvess it's the same place as 30 years ago.

Tony2phones

Yes I am one of those "If you pass me you are speeding" type drivers but on our recent 800 mile road trip the average speed on my cars computer says 36.2 mph. On a journey from outside Galway to Dublin Port I can average 45 mph and that includes 120 miles of M6.

daveesl

Flanner, the problem with many people in estimating driving times, especially those of us in the US, is that we think of things like jumping on the interstate and driving 700 miles between breakfast and bedtime. Certainly if you are simply going from point A to point B, you can do it in a reasonable time, but if you wish to actually see something, then the 35mph rule applies. Actually, that is kind of the same here.

So this isn't a bashing on crummy Irish roads, I for one love driving in Ireland, it is trying to get people out of the mindset that you will average 70mph. Once again, this is a misconception regardless of where you are. Sure, on a trip in the US I may drive at 75 or 80, but I also have to stop for gas and food, which dramatically reduces the overall average to about 50mph.

dave

amamax2

Thank you all so much! Once I narrow things down, I will post my itinerary for comments/suggestions.

Melissa5

http://www2.aaireland.ie/routes_beta/Search.aspx

The AA web-site above, which I hopefully posted correctly, is the web-site we used for our September 2011 trip to Ireland. You have to spell everything right and know the correct county to make sure it works well for you. If you are stopping a lot for scenic views, rest stops, getting lost, and eating breaks, double the time. If you are feeling confident you will drive straight through without stopping, the time might be closer to being accurate for you...but add maybe 25% of the time on for unexpected occurrences.
Enjoy!