5 Road Trips Worth Taking this Bank Holiday Weekend

So, you’re thinking of buying a car, and then you’re off on one of those carefree adventures you’d always dreamed of, right? Most of us have adventurous intentions when dreaming of that new car, but within weeks of landing it, we’ve barely taken it beyond the work-supermarket-home route. That ends now. With a series of Bank Holidays stretching out before us, this is the time to start planning those road trips that we promised ourselves. Here’s our pick of the most new-car worthy routes in Ireland.

The Wild Atlantic Way

Can we even discuss driving routes in Ireland without mentioning the Wild Atlantic Way? Stretching over 2,500km and with more than 180 discovery points along the way, you’re not going to get the lot crammed into one long weekend. Nor would you want to. Reaching from Donegal right along the west coast to Kinsale, this is a route that could be savoured over a year or more. For a long weekend, tackle one small region of the coastline route and take in each of the well-signposted points of interest. Sure, it’s a clearly defined route, but you can still get satisfactorily lost in the stunning towns and villages that dot the way. Do the Wild Atlantic your way.

The Burren Beauty

Staying in the west, the Burren Beauty driving route is perhaps more famous outside of Ireland than in. Taking in Clare’s otherworldly landscape, the wild west coast and Galway Bay, it should come as no surprise that scenery-starved tourists from across the globe flock to this mind-blowing driving route. Keep the Burren to one side and the Atlantic to the other on this 68km drive by starting at Kilfenora, driving through Lisdoonvarna and up to the coastal Black Head, looping back to through Carran. The windy roads and rough terrain will make you fall in love with your wheels again, not to mention your country.

The Causeway Coast

If you haven’t witnessed the 212km of the spectacularly craggy Northern Irish shoreline that is the Causeway Coast route, you’d better get those keys in the ignition pronto. The Derry to Belfast route is arguably the country’s most scenic and landmark heavy, with the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Gobbins cliff walk, the Glens of Antrim, and the world-famous Giant’s Causeway nestled casually along the way. Game of Thrones fans might recognize some of the scene-stealing backdrops, although, given the wildness of the coast, they’ll be grateful that summer is coming.

Yeats Country Drive

You should arise and go now, and go to Yeats Country. The famously inspiring land of Leitrim, Roscommon, and Sligo is an unforgettable natural masterpiece that deserves every word written about it. Even if you’re not interested in the famed prehistoric cemetery of Carrowmore or the resting place of W.B. Yeats in Drumcliffe, you’ll soon be waxing lyrical about the jaw-dropping spectacle that is the Yeats’ Country route.

The Munster Vales

If you have a week, a passion for driving and an adventurous spirit, this scenic drive is an unforgettable tour of the southerly counties. Taking in Tipp, Waterford, Cork and Limerick, the best of Munster’s landscape is spread before you in this dreamy escape. From the earthy Comeragh mountains to the lush banks of the River Suir, the ancient walls of Fethard, the Rock of Cashel, The Vee, Lismore, and Dungarvan, this isn’t a linear route made for out-of-towners; this is a wayward exploit through rugged Ireland that demands an intrepid spirit - and probably a decent sat-nav.

Thinking of Taking a Drive This Bank Holiday Weekend?

Our range of car loan options will get you road-ready in no time. We offer loans from €1,000 with a loan decision in just three hours.* Check out our handycar loan calculatorto find out how much you could borrow today. You can apply online through AIB Internet Banking & the AIB Mobile App. You can alsobook a branch appointmentor phone 0818 724 725 if you’d like to speak to someone in person.

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