South-Central Ireland (11 days)

Ireland is a great travel destination.

Nature is incredibly rich and varied. One moment you can be overlooking lovely green hillsides to see a jagged rock formation rising out of the ocean further on.  You will be charmed by Ireland's rich culture, beautiful places and ancient monasteries, castles, manors and ruins in the landscape. The generous hospitality of the Irish will quickly make you feel at ease here. You will stay in very good hotels, so you will not lack anything.

Are you from Ireland? Please inform us, because your trip doesn't include ferry crossings. We will arrange the price with you.

Please note: due to Brexit, a valid passport is required for travel to the United Kingdom.

If you are not from the UK or Ireland, this trip starts at the Euroshuttle in Calais. Here you take the shuttle to Folkstone. You will be in Folkstone in about 20 minutes, where you will start the first day route to Crickowell. You have the choice of two routes, both of which are over 400km. You will drive on typical English roads through vast landscapes. The green tunnels in the forests are unique to this area. It is peaceful driving on the country roads, which can sometimes be wide and sometimes so narrow that you can really talk about a single track. The route ends at the hotel in Wales.

The first day route covers significant distances. You can optionally book an overnight stay in Frensham, which will split the route in half, giving you more time to ride the routes. You can also choose to take the shuttle in Calais around noon. You can select this option during the booking process.

Please take note: if you live in England or Ireland, the ferry crossing from Calais to Folkstone is not necessary, as if the ferry crossings when you are from Ireland. Therefore, the price will be slightly cheaper. Does this apply to you? Then please send an email to info@horizonmotorcycletravel.com or call: +31(0) 493 320 235. 

From the hotel, drive a scenic shortcut through Wales towards Fishguard. The route goes through historic Abergavenny, where several border wars were fought. As you do so, you pass the Brecon National Park. This national park is home to the Black Mountains. A beautiful area still widely discovered by tourism. You can enjoy driving here through the impressive landscape and with fun winding roads. At the end of the route, you drive through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. In Fishguard, you take the ferry that crosses to Ireland in 3.5 hours. 

Once on foot, or rather wheel on shore in Ireland, the route is another ±20km to the hotel. 

You will ride the "Ring of Hook" today before arriving in Kinsale. A loop along the coast with several sights along the way. Ireland has a long history that you will get to see a lot of. The Irish place great value on this. They are a proud people with a rough edge. Their island is everything to them and they love to share that with you. The route is full of beautiful views and various sights, such as Hook Head Lighthouse, Duncannon Fort, Mahon Falls, The Wreck of Samson and Blarney Stone. All pictured against stunning scenery and an impressive coastline. 

You immediately drive nicely around the water onto the Wild Atlantic Way. This is 2,500km long and follows the entire coastline on the left side of Ireland. For today, there is a short and long route on the programme. The short route stops at the hotel, where the long route makes an extra loop there over the Ring of Beara. 

Again today, you have the combination of nice roads, with beautiful views and various sights. Something for everyone. If you take the short route, you'll have some extra time for sightseeing, such as Mizen Head. Here you can walk across a burg suspended between two rocks. An extraordinary and beautiful place. The long route takes you to the Ring of Beara. An extra loop of ±140km which, for those who love some extra kilometres through this beautiful countryside, is definitely recommended. 

The hotel is in Bantry, where you will stay for two nights, so you can ride the Ring of Kerry tomorrow. 

The winding roads of this route with lots of steering adds another dimension to the trip. Again, Ireland shows its best and most beautiful side. The impressive scenery with a combination of many trees and large lakes (lough in Irish) completes the picture. On this route, you drive along nice challenging roads to Kilarney, where the Ring of Kerry begins. Via the great Lough Leane with its lakeside Ross Castle, you drive to the Gap of Dunloe. A narrow mountain pass between mountain ranges and purple slate (Purple Mountain). The route down takes you into Black Valley, where a stream flows with black stones. Nature brings you new views to enjoy every time. Again as you drive through Ballaghbeama gap and up Ballaghbeama pass.

You follow the Ring of Kerry during the route for about 180km. It's Ireland's most popular round trip and once you've driven it, you'll completely understand why.

Today's route lets you ride another stretch of the Ring of Kerry and continues along the Wild Atlantic way north to Spanish Point. It is the last coastal route of this trip in Ireland. Tomorrow it's inland to Dublin.

You leave the hotel straight into the mountains on beautiful narrow roads. Again, enjoy it on the motorbike. At Kenmare, you'll briefly rejoin the Ring of Kerry until you reach Kilarney. From there you continue on the coastal road to Slea Head where you ride the Slea Head drive. You also pass many pre-historic remains, such as Fort Dunberg (500 BC). Via Connor Pass, you then continue on the Wild Atlantic Way to Spanish Point. Before arriving in Spanish Point, you take a short ferry crossing of ±20 minutes.  

Today you will cross Ireland with a solid route in length and driving time to the capital in Dublin. Leave on time as there is plenty to see and experience along the way. The interior will give you another view of Ireland. Again, enjoy!

The first part of the route you drive parallel to the coast past, among others, the Cliffs of Moher. It is a few minutes' walk from the car park, but well worth it. The Burren Coast road also takes you to Doolin Cave. This cave houses the largest stalactite in the northern hemisphere, measuring a whopping 7.3m in length. After you leave the coast behind and drive inland, you'll pass through the Burren area. This means "big stone" and they say here "no water enough to drown a man, no tree to hang him, no soil to burry". A special area to pass through with lots of stones with holes in them. Inland, the route offers a diversity of roads and nature. You pass several lakes, mountains and castles. Perhaps the most special castle is Leap Castle. It is known as "The worlds most haunted castle". 

Via the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the Pollaphuca reservoir, you drive to Dublin. The hotel is on the outskirts of Dublin, so you don't have to drive very far into the city. 

This day is a rest day. Because once you're in Dublin, of course you'll want to explore the city! After all, Dublin is the capital of Ireland and has numerous attractions. Via the tram near the hotel, you'll be in the middle of the city centre in no time. There you can take the hop-on hop-off bus to visit all Dublin's highlights. You can visit the Trinity College Library, the most beautiful library in the world. Other highlights include the garden St. Stephen's Green Park, Dublin Castle, the Irish Museum, Dublin Bay, etc. Plenty to do in this beautiful city!  

Also today, you get up in time to catch the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead. You will leave Ireland and set sail for Wales by ferry. In Wales, you arrive at the Snowdonia National Park. It's great driving here through the hills of this beautiful national park. Once again, Wales is full of green, stretched out landscapes. You cross Wales from northeast to southwest. Today's hotel is in the Brecon Beacons n Crickowell. A part of Wales where you also drove on the way to Ireland and the same hotel. 

After driving through Wales for a short distance, you re-enter England. You drive through the Brecon Beacons into the Forest of Dean district towards the Cotswolds. One of the many nature reserves on this trip. After the Cotswolds, you will drive through a busier part of England, which you will cross smoothly. The hotel is a typical English hotel with the accompanying neat hospitality, as is only possible in England. During this last night's stay, you can reminisce about the beautiful trip you made. This is the same hotel as the one you can optionally book at the beginning of the trip.

The last day's itinerary is a short route back to Folkstone where the journey started. Here you will cross under "The Canal" with the Eurotunnel Shuttle back to Calais. From Calais, you can start making your way back home at your own discretion in the late afternoon. If you are still far from home in Calais, you can choose to book an extra night's stay in Calais. We would then like to ask you to mention this in the comments of the booking. We will then be happy to inform you about the price.

But before you get to the tunnel, we have created a nice route that takes you right through the beautiful parts of southern England and past some great sights. For instance, you'll pass Birling Gap and Beachy Head where, with just dozens of metres of walking, you'll be at the edge of England's famous White Cliffs. At Birling Gap, you can descend a steel staircase from the car park to the pebble beach and at Beachy Head you can walk across the grassland up the White Cliffs to look out at the lighthouse of the same name. After this, you continue via the pretty classic English village of Rye to the Eurotunnel.   

If you are from the UK, you don't need the shuttle service. Are you from Ireland? You also don't need the ferry crossings. We will inform you about the discount.