Getting There Driving to the Cliffs of Moher

Getting there

Driving to the Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher is located in County Clare in the West of Ireland. The cliffs are located in a beautiful part of Ireland, full of green fields and farm animals wandering the land. The postcode for the Cliffs of Moher is V95 KN9T. The closest village is Liscannor which is a short drive of 5.6 kilometres from the Cliffs.

Liscannor is the birthplace of John P Holland an engineer who designed a submarine, his design was later developed by the US navy into the modern type submarine’s. The closest town is Lahinch. The town is on the N67 route and has a lovely beach.

Lahinch is very popular with surfers and has a great golf course. You will travel onto the R478 road from Lahinch, this road will bring you directly to the visitor centre. The closest airport is Shannon Airport which is 61 kilometres away, this is about 1 hour of driving time.

If you need some information on public transport bus services to the Cliffs,please see our public transport page here

Driving to the Cliffs of Moher

Driving to the cliffs is fairly easy, and it’s very scenic depending on the direction your take. We have included a list below of driving times and kilometres from various locations around Ireland.

If it’s your first time driving in Ireland, make sure to drive carefully, respect other road users, and plan ahead for your road trip.

You will be driving on the other side of the road, which is the case for most American people renting a car in Ireland, this can be a daunting task, but it’s like anything you get better with experience!

We recommend the Google maps app, it’s a great app and easy to use, it’s also free once you have an internet connection or Wi-Fi connection. We also recommend the AA route planner, the route planner is very detailed, with maps and directions that can be printed off to take with you on the trip, which is very handy.

Irish Road Signs

Irish road signs are in two different languages, Irish or Gaeilge and English. Most of the road signs now are displaying kilometres. The road signs have a coloured system, black on white signs are known as regional roads. White on the green signs is national road signs or major roads. The white-on-blue road signs are motorway roads, similar to freeway roads in America.

All Irish road signs are marked with the destination name and road number for example (the N7 roadway). There are also regulatory signs and warning signs. We have attached a link to road signs for further information.

Please note that driving times may vary depending on traffic and other factors

Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher (Route A)

Driving from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher will take over 3 hours, and the route takes approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. Depending on where you are leaving from, you will need to get on the M4 and M6 motorways. You will travel towards Athenry Co Galway and onto Gort, Galway.

This is the fastest way is about 3 hours 15 minutes travel time and the distance is 267 kilometres.

Please see the picture below that shows the route

Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher (Route B)

This journey from Dublin to the Cliffs involves travelling to Limerick city and then onto the Cliffs of Moher. This way offers a better road really than other routes. It also has the option of a nice stop at the Barrack Obama Plaza Fuel Station, which has a Supermacs food outlet attached.

This way is a little bit more kilometres, it’s 281kms. Travel time will be dependent on a few factors, but you should allow 3 hours and 15 minutes at least. You also have the option of visiting Limerick city if you have time or stopping at Bunratty castle in Clare for some photos.