Looking for nice route from Harwich to fishguard and from holyhead back to Harwich

[hholties]

Hello,

This Summer my wife and I will make a tour to Irland. We will ride the wild atlantic way
For engleand and wales we are looking for a nice road trip on gpx
Can somebody help me with that?

 

[Wapping]

How long (time) do you have available to ride between Harwich and Fishguard and, separately, from Holyhead back to Harwich? Most importantly, what times are your ferries?

I ask only as Harwich to Fishguard is about 560 km. If you only have one day, then you’ll probably be going direct on the major roads. Your return journey is a very similar distance, too.

This, from ViaMichelin (as a very basic example) is not too bad. Non-stop, it would be about eight hours travelling time.



Have a look at this:

https://kurv.gr/qsQcZ

Which is estimated at over nine hours, nonstop,



As you can hopefully see, there is just about only one way to go, if you are to avoid motorways, the top edge of London and do it in a day.

 

[Wapping]

Here’s the possible return in one day but it’s over 10 hours….

https://kurv.gr/mcFcx

ViaMichelin’s route is a bit different but it‘s still nine hours, without stopping, again avoiding motorways.

 

[ChasMill]

I cannot recommend a route, however, I have in the past done the North Essex to Holyhead route a few times. The ferry leaves at lunchtime, which means either a very early start, or an overnight stay en route. I opted for the latter, staying in Coventry, where a friend of mine manages a hotel.

 

[glenn2926]

Just a thought but have you considered Rotterdam to Hull as an alternative crossing? You might then look at Cairnryan to Belfast. The ride across from Hull to Cairnryan would be much more scenic and less than 300 miles.

 

[grantmac]

I guess the starting point of this all will be the ferry times to Ireland as ChasMill is suggesting, and then work backwards. .....And then you'll have to get to from Drachten to either Rotterdam for the Hull crossing or Hoek van Holland for the Stena crossing. Stena night crossing gets you to Harwich at 0430 and then you are normally off the boat by 0730 or you can take the afternoon sailing (1430 depart) which gets you to Harwich at around 1900. There's a Premier Inn right by the docks so you could stay overnight and start very early next day....sooooo many options....
Adding to above comments already given, I'd go for an overnight stay somewhere en route across UK but first work it backwords from the ferry timetable / crossing to Ireland from the various port options. Once you have that then there are many here that can best offer some tips otherwise its kind of fishing in the dark.....

 

[hholties]

Hello,
Thanks for all the replays.
We already bookt the crossing
31-7: 22:00 hoek van Holland 1-8: 6:30 Harwich
17-8: 2300 Harwich 18-8: 8.00 Hoek van Holland

thinking of booking:
3-8 ferry england to ireland
15-8 ferry ireland-england 13:50-16:05

 

[Flintlock]

Based on the above times. On the way to Fishguard I would head straight to the Cotswolds area, spend some time there, then onto the Brecon Beacons area of Wales and spend time exploring there.

On the way back some time in Snowdonia National Park & the Shropshire Hills.

 

[Andy63]

Cirencester is a good base for the Cotswolds we've stayed at the Corinium Hotel (with fairly secure parking) and a beautiful beer garden and short walk into town.

 

[Wapping]

Hello,
Thanks for all the replays.
We already bookt the crossing
31-7: 22:00 hoek van Holland 1-8: 6:30 Harwich
17-8: 2300 Harwich 18-8: 8.00 Hoek van Holland

thinking of booking:
3-8 ferry england to ireland
15-8 ferry ireland-england 13:50-16:05

OK, now we are starting to cook on gas. It’s surprising how often people forget to tell us how long they have available to get from A to B and / or by what time they have to be at certain places. It’s also surprising how few people ask, before they start to give ideas.

Do I have this correct:

01 August ferry arrives at Harwich at 06;30
03 August ferry departs Fishguard at ??? - I don’t think you have given us a time.

15 August ferry arrives Holyhead 16:05
18 August ferry departs Harwich 23:00

What time on 03 August does your ferry depart from Fishguard to sail to Ireland?

Two full days (and a little bit) to get from Holyhead back to Harwich, the ferry to Holland departing at 23:00.

Either of the two routes shown in posts #2 and #3 should work. Don’t get distracted by “You must do this, you must do that” across England. The purpose of your holiday is to get to Ireland and ride the Wild Atlantic Way. Things to see and do in England will not go away; come back and see them another time.

Await your words.

 

[ChasMill]

OK, now we are starting to cook on gas. It’s surprising how often people forget to tell us how long they have available to get from A to B and / or by what time they have to be at certain places. It’s also surprising how few people ask, before they start to give ideas.

Do I have this correct:

01 August ferry arrives at Harwich at 06;30
03 August ferry departs Fishguard at ??? - I don’t think you have given us a time.

15 August ferry arrives Holyhead 16:05
18 August ferry departs Harwich 23:00

What time on 03 August does your ferry depart from Fishguard to sail to Ireland?

Two full days (and a little bit) to get from Holyhead back to Harwich, the ferry to Holland departing at 23:00.

Either of the two routes shown in posts #2 and #3 should work. Don’t get distracted by “You must do this, you must do that” across England. The purpose of your holiday is to get to Ireland and ride the Wild Atlantic Way. Things to see and do in England will not go away; come back and see them another time.

Await your words.

I tend to agree. I would rather maximise my time on the WAW by taking as little time as possible on the English/Welsh side, at both ends of the journey.
if your ferry arrives in Harwich at 6.30am, even with an overnight break, you could easily be in Fishguard by lunchtime the following day.

 

[Wapping]

Here’s a fellow (I guess he’s German) who took two days:

Tour

www.tourenfahrer.de

Ignore the bit in red.



But the other bits might give you some ideas but using Google translate, I think he went out to ride ‘little roads’ in Wales. I have not looked at the routes in any detail but it’s easy to do it using the map in the article and zooming in. You can also download the GPX route for a couple of euro.

PS I suspect the ‘Two days’ might be just the bits in Wales / Anglesey, perhaps?

 

[hholties]

Thanks for more info.
The ferry to en from IR are not booked till now.
I am triing to make the routes in IR

 

[Wapping]

Thanks for more info.
The ferry to en from IR are not booked till now.
I am triing to make the routes in IR

You might find these useful:

The Causeway Coastal Route, NI - Belfast to Londonderry / Derry

This website gives a pretty good guide to the route’s direction. It also gives some ideas of things to see and do along the way. https://discovernorthernireland.com/about-northern-ireland/destinations/causeway/causeway-coastal-route/ These two give some suggestions if you want to break it up...

www.ukgser.com

Ireland - The Wild Atlantic Way

For anyone looking for this tourist route (a bit similar in concept I guess to Scotland’s North Coast 500) this website is reasonably informative: https://www.wildatlanticwayonline.com/

www.ukgser.com