EuroVelo 2 Capitals Route

Republic of Ireland

The Capitals Route travels across Ireland between the city of Dublin on the east coast and the city of Galway on the west coast. Galway is the start/end point of EuroVelo 2. The route is fully developed between Maynooth, to the west of Dublin, and Athlone. This section follows the Royal Canal Greenway and the Old Rail Trail Greenway for over 100km. West of Athlone the route is still under development. When completed the route will be traffic free for all of its length.

Note: Prior to the full traffic free route being completed it is possible for experienced cyclists to self-navigate between Dublin and Maynooth and Athlone and Galway using existing infrastructure and quiet roads. Contact the NECC for GPX file with suggested routes.

Countries

Legend

Development status
  • Certified Section of at least 300 km that has successfully undergone the certification process in line with ECF’s European Certification Standard. It is the highest quality level on the EuroVelo network
  • Developed with EuroVelo signs Developed route (see category below) with continuous signing along the route, incorporating EuroVelo route information panels.
  • Developed Route developed for cyclists and signed in line with the respective national standard (i.e. it is part of a local, regional or national cycle network). There must also be a website providing information to users. Developed route can be heterogeneous in terms of infrastructure: type of cycling infrastructure, surface, width, gradients, etc
  • Under development Route containing sections that require further development (e.g. stretches on public highways with high levels of traffic). Cyclists are advised to use public transportation to skip these non-developed stretches.
  • Planning Undeveloped route with no detailed information publicly available on the Internet. The itinerary communicated is a proposal for the best possible option currently available. It may also contain dangerous sections. Cyclists are advised to use public transportation to skip these non-developed stretches.
  • Public transport link

Markers

  • Natural Heritage
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Cultural Heritage
  • Culinary Delights
  • Maritime Heritage / The Rhine / The Meuse
  • Other Point of Interest
  • Bus station
  • Train station
  • Mobility info center

National & Regional Information

Sport Ireland Outdoors

National EuroVelo Coordination Centre

Sport Ireland Outdoors is a unit of the Sport Ireland. This organisation maintains a database of signposted walking and cycling routes in Ireland.

+353 86 8571008

Irish Cycling Campaign

Irish Cycling Campaign, formerly known as Cyclist.ie, is an ECF member and part of the Irish National EuroVelo Coordination Centre. Since 2008 it advocates for cycling to be a normal part of life in Ireland - both everyday cycling and recreational / tourism cycling. It has branches in Ireland's cities and in many towns and rural areas. These include greenway promotion groups and bicycle festival organisations.

Discover Ireland

This is the national tourism body's website and it provides useful information for those who want to cycle in Ireland.

Galway to Dublin Cycleway

The Dublin to Galway Cycleway is set to be a world class recreational trail, providing a unique means for visitors and domestic users to access the beauty and diversity of Ireland over a 276km corridor linking the two cities . This website has the most up to date information on the progress of the route which is due to be finished by 2020.