Please sign in to post.

Substitutions for Westport for a 7 day Dublin-Galway itinerary

Posted by on

Hello! I have a 7 day trip in Ireland at the end of this month that I neglected. Would really appreciate some input on my tentative Itinerary before I lock it in place with bookings. I will be traveling via train and bus.

I am flying in and out of Dublin, Arriving 9am July 21st.

I want to see one smaller town with historic architecture, maybe a castle, and a Scenic bikeway.
My current plan is to head straight from Dublin to Westport, Stay the night and take the greenway via E-Bike to Achill (6 hour day maybe with stops. Stay one more night in Westport and then head to Galway the morning of 23-26th and heading back to dublin to stay a final night on the 27th

My question is, is there another town besides Westport that might fit better into this itinerary or offers the same charm and maybe more? I know there is Athlone which is cool. The appeal of westport to me is really just the Greenway trail, and I have heard mixed recommendations on the town itself especially without a car.

Posted by
922 posts

You could look at https://greenwaysireland.org/ for alternatives. There are probably some good websites for bicyclists, but I aged out of cycling awhile ago.

I'm not sure Westport or Athlone are "smaller towns" unless you mean smaller than Dublin. We liked both towns, but we're suckers for a pub with good trad music. Clonmel (another greenway from above link) is a similar sized town, and there's castles nearby.

You may be constrained by where you can find lodging at the last minute.

The Westport greenway has bike hire firms that let you do the trip one-way, with a shuttle to start or finish the trip, depending on which direction you want to go. Even the Westport greenway has a few stretches where you're amongst cars.

Posted by
1101 posts

Westport is easy enough to navigate without a car. The train station is a bit of a walk into town, and the Quay area (where we stayed) is definitely further on (we got a lift in a taxi van that was there to pick up other people). But if you're cycling, I'm guessing you don't have loads of luggage. Maybe the bike hire firm would bring the bike to you at the train station?
For such a short visit, I wonder why you are going to Galway and not just slowing down on the Greenway and stopping off in towns along the route. As the previous comment mentions, the bike hire firms will come and get you (or drop you and the bike) at one end of your desired route.

Posted by
9420 posts

Spoiler alert: Westport was my least favorite spot in Ireland. It is primarily made up of tourist shops. I didn't go on the greenway so I expect that this will improve the quality of your experience dramatically. I found nothing "charming" about Westport itself. I think you are on the right track to find alternatives.

Posted by
552 posts

Unlike Carol (sorry Carol) we Loved Westport. Stopped for lunch there several years ago on our way to Achill Island and swore we'd return. Which we did last year. Don't think it has a castle but it has tours of Westport House with interesting history and stories.

We were tempted by the greenway but didn't bike it. Not sure if the greenway gives you time to see Achill Island but probably not, which is unfortunate as it is quite special. And towns don't get much "smaller" than those on Achill Island.

Enjoy your trip - you'll love it whatever you decide.

Mike

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.