Galway to Kerry - via Ferry or Limerick?

JupiterKid

I have some friends from the USA coming over to Ireland this coming summer (June). They plan to travel a bit by car around the country and will be in Galway (Connemara and the city) and Clare to see the sights and meet some friends and then they plan to drive down to Kerry for a wedding.

They have a couple of days on their hands to travel from Galway to Kerry and I wondering which way would be best. To take the Killimor-Tarbert car ferry across the Shannon Estuary or go via Limerick where the roads are better and the new Shannon Tunnel might even be open by then?

What do you all think?

highlydebased

I'd go via Gort and Lisseycasey down to the Ferry and down that way via the Ferry, good scenery all the way down. I love the drive from Tarbert into Kerry itself. Should be marginally faster drive than going through Limerick itself.

richardjjd

JupiterKid wrote: »

go via Limerick where the roads are better and the new Shannon Tunnel might even be open by then?

Its unlikely that the tunnel will be open before autumn.

The Tarbert-Killimer ferry routing is by far the more scenic - if a little more time consuming. It depends on where the Kerry wedding is on, of course, but I'd recommend your friends taking the ferry.

L1011

I'm not sure when the tunnel is opening, but when it does I suspect any time advantage the ferry has is gone. The roads through Clare to it are awful compared to DC all the way to Limerick and through the tunnel.

hiscan

Went racing in Listowel last year and went down via Limerick and came back on the Ferry.There was a 4x4 towing a horsebox in front of me when I turned off the road for the Ferry and by the time I got onto the Ennis Bypass lo and behold there was the same 4x4 and horsebox:eek:so I think the road is faster.

dolliemix

If you time the ferry properly it can be quicker, but generally the road is quicker. However for a tourist I would definitely tell them to do the ferry

1huge1

I thought the Limerick tunnel was opening in the summer no?

Chris_533976

Yeah, Shannon Tunnel is tracking for around June/July time by the sounds of it.

I'd go by the ferry, more interesting for tourists. I wouldnt bring a tourist within 10 miles of Limerick

Mrs OBumble

These folks are Americans, so used to driving on the right? I'd keep 'em on the smallest, slowest roads I could find. So ferry is my advice.

L1011

JustMary wrote: »

These folks are Americans, so used to driving on the right? I'd keep 'em on the smallest, slowest roads I could find. So ferry is my advice.

Its DC from south of Crusheen to Limerick and from Limerick out towards Adare if you cross the Shannon there. It'll be DC through the tunnel if its open in time.

Its a LOT harder to go wrong-sided on a DC than on a single carriageway road! Its national route all the way, either way; just the one through Clare is extremely poor quality from after the end of the Ennis southern bypass onwards...

flazio

I find the drive from Limerick out to Foynes and beyond quite a nice scenic drive.
Mind you when in Limerick finding the road is a bit of task.