Overview
The Irish leg of EuroVelo 2 – the Capitals Route, which runs all the way to Moscow – is a flat 230 km coast-to-coast ride across the Midlands, joining Dublin Port on the Irish Sea to Galway on the Atlantic. It strings together canal towpaths and the beds of old railways, so there’s no real climbing on the whole route, and for long stretches no traffic either.
It is not, however, the finished, fully signed greenway some descriptions suggest. There are almost no EuroVelo signs on the Irish section yet, so plan to navigate by GPS or map – particularly between Dublin Port and the start of the Royal Canal, and on the western half between Athlone and Galway. Treat it as a route you assemble yourself, not one you follow off a signpost.
The two halves
The 230 km splits, at Athlone on the Shannon, into two quite different rides.
Dublin to Athlone – about 140 km, mostly traffic-free. This is the good half, and the one to ride if you only do part of it. It follows the Royal Canal towpath out of Dublin and then the Old Rail Trail along a disused railway line into Athlone, on compacted gravel and tarmac the whole way. Suitable for any fitness level and any reasonably robust bike.
Athlone to Galway – about 90 km on quiet roads. West of the Shannon the protected route largely runs out. You’re on small, low-traffic rural roads, the surface is mixed, and the Galway–Athlone alignment has not really been built as a cycle route – the official advice is that some experience riding with other traffic is needed here. The first 10 km out of Galway City to Oranmore shares the way with EuroVelo 1, and since EV2 isn’t signed, you follow the EuroVelo 1 signs on that stretch.
Which way to ride it
Most people ride it east, not west: take the train from Dublin to Galway and cycle back. The prevailing wind in Ireland comes from the southwest or west, so heading east keeps it at your back rather than in your face for 230 km – a genuine difference over two or three days in the saddle.
Along the way
- Athlone and the Shannon: the natural midpoint and the obvious place to break the trip. The medieval Athlone Castle and the riverside cafés make a good overnight stop where the two halves meet.
- The Royal Canal: the eastern towpath runs past a long ladder of canal locks and lock-keepers’ cottages, with plenty of flat, shaded places to stop.
- Dublin Port Greenway: the eastern end runs along the waterfront to the ferry terminal, under the Poolbeg chimneys, with ships coming and going for Wales.
Practical information
- Cost: Free. It’s a public cycling route, not a ticketed attraction.
- Surface and bike: The eastern half is paved or compacted gravel – fine for a hybrid, touring or gravel bike on 32–40 mm tyres. The western half adds short stretches of gravel, grass and road.
- Trains: Irish Rail runs frequent Dublin–Galway services, and there are 10 stations along the EuroVelo 2 corridor, so you can start, finish or bail out at several points. Book a bike space in advance.
- Onward by ferry: From Dublin Port a ferry crosses to Holyhead in Wales, continuing the European EuroVelo 2; at the Galway end, EuroVelo 2 meets EuroVelo 1, the Atlantic Coast Route, at Oranmore.
- Navigation: Download the GPX from the official EuroVelo Ireland site and run it on a phone or GPS unit before you set off.
For most riders the honest recommendation is to ride the Dublin-to-Athlone half as a relaxed one- or two-day traffic-free trip, and only take on the road miles west of Athlone if you’re comfortable sharing quiet roads with cars and navigating without signs.