Atlantic Way road trip by motorhome Sept 21 - Must see advice

Hi all,
I'm starting to put together out itinerary for September 2021 (fingers crossed). Our plan is to do the North Half from Galway finishing in Belfast. The places to see and visit are overwhelming and I wondered if any of you kind folk could advise on the places not to miss.
Our interests are; scenery, wildlife, seafood, history and crafts. A good pub or 2, with folk music on the way will be great.
I'm comfortable with most roads but we're 7.5m long, 2.75m wide and 3.1m high.
go raibh maith agat roimh ré (I hope that's right :-) )
Philip

Hi Philip,

Firstly, I'm very happy to be the first to welcome you to our community! It's always nice to see new faces join us, especially with fun travel questions. Do you mind if I ask a question of my own? I'd love to know how long you plan for this visit to be - since that will really help to ensure I don't overwhelm you with too many suggestions. 

For now, I already have plenty of ideas to share!

There's actually a very helpful trip idea right on Ireland.com for people travelling by caravan or motorhome, which maps out a route that's perfect for larger vehicles to travel. The entire trip clocks in at 2 weeks and it does start and end a bit outside where you wanted to travel, but the wonderful part about a self-driving tour is that you can pick where you want to visit. And there are certainly plenty of gems listed that I think you'll love, like Connemara National Park, Donegal, and more. 

For crafts, there are certainly plenty of options along the way, which you can read more about in this article about Ireland's crafts. If you're interested in basket weaving, Joe Hogan has a shop right in Galway. You can take a look at his works, see his craftsmanship, or even sign up for a basket-making course! 

Finally, you may find this article about where to find great food in Belfast helpful. Depending on when exactly you visit, you may even make it in time for the Galway Oyster and Seafood Festival, which is scheduled between September 24th - September 26th. Trust me, it's well worth popping by this festival, especially if you have a love for seafood!

Is anything catching your interest so far?

Kindly,

Rochelle

Rochelle, many thanks for your rapid response. We're hoping to be in Ireland for 16/17 days depending on ferry timings. Ferry travel and GB travel are not in the 16/17 days. Thanks for the links, they're added to my Ireland.com scrapbook. Unfortunately I think we'll miss the Galway Oyster and seafood festival but the motorhome/caravan tour link may change the direction we travel putting Galway at the end :-).
PS Love the profile picture
Kind regards
Philip

Philip,

So glad to hear that you will be with us for at least 16 days, a lovely length of time to explore the Northern half of the island of Ireland!

The scrapbook feature is a wonderful planning tool. To help with the campsite accommodations, please also include results from our approved accommodation search page if not already added. I have pre-selected Caravan and Camping to get you started, just add a destination from the drop-down menu to see what is in the area.

There is an existing community thread on Motorhome Wild Camping that has some excellent information too. While wild camping isn't encouraged across most parts of the island of Ireland, there are helpful links on the thread.

Probably information overload here now, but the more preparation you include in your plans the better time you will have with us. :)

Martin

Martin,
That's great many thanks.The link will be really useful once we've worked out our route.
We're not great fans of wild camping as we like our creature comforts but occassionally it can come in handy, so thanks again.
I'm all for planning and find I can enjoy the prep nearly (ish) as much as the trip.
Again many thanks
Philip

Hi Philip, 

I totally agree that the planning of a trip is definitely part of the fun! :) Martin and Rochelle have given you some wonderful recommendations and tips, and we're always here if there's anything else you need. 

Keep us posted on your adventures and happy planning! 

Melin

You guys are totally awesome, many thanks for all your help.
Cheers
Philip