We are spending several days on a self-driving Ireland trip in mid-July. All lodging is secured. We are going from Cork to Kenmare, and wondering if we should take the N71 - the more coastal route - and potentially skip the RoK (due to high tourist traffic) instead of the more direct N22.
Has anyone travelled these routes before and can offer suggestions/recommendations?
The N71 is very much the long way around, but is quite scenic with a number of potential stops along the way to break up the drive.
If you're up for a full-days meander then I'd say it's a great way to go. If you just want to "get there" then it's the N22 - which would have the advantage of allowing more time for an exploratory drive around the Beara Peninsula just south of Kenmare, which we frankly prefer over the ROK due to the relative lack of summer crowds.
Thank you Robert - we are definitely up for meandering, we still have a couple of days in the Kenmare area. Appreciate the info!
Definitely the scenic N71. As well as Beara Peninsula, there is also Sheep's Head which is even quieter than Beara and scenically very good.
