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What is the best driving map for Ireland?

There are several maps for driving in Ireland and I'm confused which to order...Collins, Collins Touring, National Geographic Ireland Adventure, etc

Posted by
255 posts

Before our first trip to Ireland several years ago, I did a search on this Forum for the same question. I was about to buy the Ordnance map, but I saw a comment from another poster who recommended the AA Road Atlas of Ireland as being easier to read because of the colors used. I followed that advice and was pleased with it. We drove all around the island in 2 weeks and I was only "lost" once despite the many rural roads we were on. Or maybe not - the "lost" adventure was a very narrow farm road, but then so many of the roads there are just that. We did get to where we were going. It was the 5th Edition Atlas and claimed to be based on the Ordnance map. It contained a mileage chart, a map of Counties, small maps of some of the bigger cities, a "motorway" map ( like a US Interstate map that is compressed to show exits & interchanges between various points), an index of towns and villages, and even a guide to freshwater fishing. I think it was about $12-$13. We were happy with it. It's been back to Ireland twice more with no complaints. Have a grand trip, Ireland is splendid.

Posted by
509 posts

Seems like good advice from bobbing4data.

We leave shortly for Ireland and purchased the AA Atlas (Amazon) on basis of Forum comments; very detailed. We supplemented with the Back Roads book (often recommended here) and found the detailed maps and photos helpful as well. RSF veterans will probably provide more specific help.

Posted by
72 posts

On our most recent trip we took our Michelin map but never opened it. We relied solely on my iPad and the Google maps we downloaded prior to the trip. (You can do this on your phone but the screen is more difficult to see.) Even without Wi-Fi you can view the downloaded maps, get directions, and see your moving gps dot on the screen. We tend to take a lot of backroads so watching our progress on the maps helps us know if we are at least headed in the right direction.

You can also try maps.me, which offers some additional features and can be used offline as well.

Posted by
446 posts

We picked up a Collins atlas at the airport on arrival. We used it extensively in addition to the Garmin we brought from home.