The best cycling greenways Ireland has built over the last decade are some of the easiest, flattest, traffic-free riding you’ll find anywhere. Most run along old railway lines paved into smooth, car-free paths. We rode and drove past a good chunk of them on our last trip, and the Waterford Greenway alone was worth the detour.
The great thing is you don’t need to be a serious cyclist. These are family-friendly routes, no cars, gentle gradients, and a pub or coffee stop every few miles. Some are famous and busy, others barely get a mention, and a couple of the quieter ones were better rides than the headline names.
We spent about two weeks driving the country in shoulder season, and we travelled by campervan. A rental car works exactly the same for reaching every trailhead on this list, and it’s the easier choice if it’s your first trip over.
Below is the full list, from the ones everyone knows to the ones I’d actually send you to instead, plus how to pick the right route for you, where to hire a bike, the best time of year to ride, what to pack, and where to stay near the trails.
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Quick Answer:
Ireland’s best cycling greenways are flat, paved, traffic-free trails built on old railway lines and canal towpaths. The top picks are the 46km Waterford Greenway, the 42km Great Western in Mayo, and the 130km Royal Canal. Bike and e-bike hire sits at both ends of most routes, and shuttles run you back to your car.
The Best Cycling Greenways in Ireland
Ireland now has a handful of greenways good enough to plan a trip around, and a few more that are still being stitched together. Here’s the full rundown, starting with the one everyone rides and finishing with a couple of quieter ones I’d point you toward first.
Waterford Greenway
This is the headline act, and it earns it. The Waterford Greenway runs 46km from Waterford city to Dungarvan along an old railway line, so it’s flat the whole way with an easy downhill lean toward the coast.
You get eleven bridges, three viaducts, and a proper 400-meter tunnel, plus the run alongside Dungarvan Bay at the end. Ride it one direction and get a shuttle back, which is the smart move with a full 46km.
It’s the busiest greenway in the country, especially on summer weekends. Ride it on a weekday and it thins right out.
Great Western Greenway
The Great Western in County Mayo was the one that started it all, the first long off-road greenway in Ireland. It runs 42km from Westport out to Achill Island, following the old Westport to Achill railway.
The scenery does the heavy lifting here. You ride along Clew Bay with Croagh Patrick behind you, then out toward the wilder ground near Mulranny and Achill. Westport itself is one of the best base towns in the west, so you can ride, then settle into a pub for the evening.
Royal Canal Greenway
If you want distance, this is the big one. The Royal Canal Greenway stretches about 130km from Maynooth in County Kildare out to Cloondara in Longford, following the towpath the whole way.
Almost nobody rides the full length in one go. Pick a section, like Maynooth to Enfield or Mullingar to Abbeyshrule, and you get a flat, calm half-day beside the water. It’s about as gentle as cycling gets, with old lock houses and canal bridges the whole way.
Old Rail Trail Greenway
The Old Rail Trail runs about 40km from Athlone to Mullingar across the middle of the country, on the old Midland Great Western Railway line. It links straight into the Royal Canal Greenway at Mullingar, so you can chain the two together for a longer trip.
This is one of the quieter ones, and that’s exactly why I like it. No coast, no crowds, just flat farmland, old station platforms, and long empty stretches where you’ll barely see another rider midweek.
Limerick Greenway
The Limerick Greenway is 40km through west Limerick, from Rathkeale down to Abbeyfeale, and it’s one of the most underrated rides on this list. It got a full resurfacing a few years back, so the path is smooth the whole way.
You ride through a real cutting, over old bridges, and past the market town of Newcastle West at the halfway point, which is a good spot to stop for lunch. It sees a fraction of the traffic the Waterford route does. If you want a long, easy ride without the crowds, put this near the top.
Boyne Greenway
The Boyne Greenway around Drogheda in County Meath is still a work in progress, being built in sections along the river and the old Boyne canal toward Navan. The completed bits give you a flat, easy riverside ride, and it sits right in the middle of the Boyne Valley.
That’s the real draw here. You’re a short hop from Newgrange and the rest of the ancient sites, and if you’d rather have a guide walk you through them you can book a Boyne Valley and Newgrange tour on GetYourGuide. It works well as one part of a day rather than the whole reason you drove out.
Suir Blueway
The Suir Blueway is the odd one out, because it’s built for the water as much as the bike. The cycling trail runs about 21km from Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel in County Tipperary, and the same stretch of river is set up for paddling.
You can ride one way along the towpath and kayak back, or just do the cycle and keep it simple. It’s shorter than the big railway greenways, but the river setting and the option to get on the water make it worth the trip.
How to Choose the Right Greenway for You
The cycling greenways Ireland has built are all flat, paved, and traffic-free, so you’re not choosing on difficulty. You’re choosing on distance, scenery, and how many people you want to share the path with.
Start with how far you actually want to ride. If you’ve got kids or you’re rusty on a bike, pick a short, self-contained section: the Suir Blueway at 21km, or a single stretch of the Royal Canal like Maynooth to Enfield. You can turn back whenever you’ve had enough.
If you want a full day and a real sense of covering ground, the long railway greenways are the ones. Waterford at 46km, the Great Western at 42km, and the Limerick Greenway at 40km all give you a proper point-to-point ride with a shuttle back.
Scenery vs. quiet
The big decision is coast versus calm. The Great Western along Clew Bay and the Waterford run down to Dungarvan Bay give you the views, but they’re also the busiest, especially on summer weekends.
Want fewer riders and no tour groups? The Old Rail Trail across the midlands and the Limerick Greenway see a fraction of the traffic. You trade the sea for flat farmland and old station platforms, and midweek you’ll have long stretches to yourself.
Match it to the rest of your trip
The easiest way to pick is to look at where you’re already headed. Based in Westport for the west coast? Ride the Great Western. Doing the ancient sites of the Boyne Valley? The Boyne Greenway slots into that day without a detour.
My honest take: if you only ride one, make it Waterford for the full experience, or the Limerick Greenway if you’d rather skip the crowds and still get a long, easy day in the saddle.
Bike Hire on Ireland’s Greenways
You don’t need to bring your own bike. Nearly every greenway on this list has hire shops at one end or both, so you can roll up, grab a bike, and be riding within ten minutes.
Expect to pay somewhere around €15 to €25 for a standard adult bike for the day, a bit more for an e-bike. Prices move around by operator and season, so check the current rate when you book.
The shuttle is the part that matters
On the long point-to-point routes, the real service you’re paying for isn’t the bike, it’s the shuttle. On the Waterford Greenway, hire shops will drop you at one end so you ride the full 46km one direction and get collected, or bring you back to your car at the finish.
The same setup runs on the Great Western between Westport and Achill, and on the Limerick Greenway. Book the bike and the shuttle together and you skip the whole problem of ending 40km from where you parked.
Booking, e-bikes, and kids
In shoulder season and midweek you can usually just turn up. On summer weekends, especially in Waterford, book a day or two ahead so you’re not stuck waiting on a bike to come back.
E-bikes are worth it if you’re doing a full 40km-plus route or riding into a headwind on an exposed stretch like the Great Western. For kids, most shops carry smaller bikes, trailers, and child seats, but call ahead to lock those in rather than assuming they’ll have one free.
On the Suir Blueway you can also hire a kayak from the same kind of operator, so you can ride one way and paddle back on the same booking.
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Best Time of Year to Cycle in Ireland
There’s no wrong time to ride the cycling greenways Ireland has, because they’re paved and flat year-round. But if you can pick your window, aim for late spring through early autumn, roughly May to September, when the days are long and the odds of a dry ride are at their best.
Ireland gets rain in every season, so don’t plan around perfect weather. Plan around packing for it and riding anyway. A wet greenway still beats a wet mountain road, and the surface drains well.
Shoulder season is the sweet spot
My pick is May, June, or September. You get long daylight, milder temperatures, and far fewer riders than the July and August peak. On the busy routes like Waterford and the Great Western, that’s the difference between a calm ride and a slow crawl behind tour groups.
Bike hire is easier too. In shoulder season and midweek you can usually turn up and get a bike without booking ahead, and the shuttle timings are more flexible.
Summer and winter trade-offs
July and August give you the warmest weather and the longest evenings, so if you’re travelling with kids and locked into school holidays, this is your window. Just book bikes ahead on summer weekends and expect the headline routes to be busy.
Winter riding is doable, and the paths stay open, but daylight is short and the weather is a gamble. If you go between November and February, keep your rides short, start early, and treat any dry, clear day as a bonus rather than the plan.
What to Pack and Know Before You Go
These rides are easy, but Ireland’s weather isn’t, so the packing list matters more than the fitness. Pack for rain even on a clear morning, and you’ll be fine on any of these routes.
Most hire shops throw in a helmet and a lock, and some include a basic repair kit. Confirm what’s included when you book so you’re not caught out on the path.
What to pack
- A waterproof jacket, and ideally waterproof pants for the long routes
- Layers you can peel off, since you warm up fast once you’re moving
- A dry bag or a couple of zip bags for your phone, wallet, and camera
- Sunscreen, because a gray sky in Ireland will still burn you
- A refillable water bottle and a snack for the stretches between towns
- Cash for the smaller village pubs and cafes that don’t always take card
You don’t need padded shorts or clip-in shoes for a flat day on a paved path. Normal comfortable clothes and sneakers do the job.
Good things to know
On the long point-to-point routes, sort your shuttle before you set off, not when you’re already 40km down the trail. The hire shops run them, but you want the timing locked in early.
Check the mileage between food stops too. The coastal greenways have cafes and pubs every few miles, but the quieter midland routes like the Old Rail Trail have long empty stretches, so carry a snack.
These paths are shared with walkers, dog walkers, and families, so keep your speed sensible and ring a bell on blind corners. A greenway is a relaxed ride, not a race, and that’s the whole point of it.
Where to Stay Near the Greenways
The smart move is to base yourself in a town at one end of the greenway you want to ride. That way you can wake up, grab a bike, and be on the path in minutes, then walk to a pub for dinner without getting back in the car.
Every route on this list has a real town at one or both ends, so you’re never stuck for somewhere to sleep or eat. Here’s where I’d stay for the main ones.
Waterford and Dungarvan
For the Waterford Greenway you’ve got a choice at each end. Waterford city has more hotels, restaurants, and a bit of nightlife, so it’s the pick if you want a base with plenty going on after the ride.
Dungarvan is the smaller, quieter end, right on the bay, and it’s my pick of the two. It’s a good-looking harbor town with solid pubs and seafood, and you can finish the ride and be in a bar within a few minutes. Check availability on Booking.com if you want to wake up next to the trailhead.
Where to Stay in Dungarvan
Westport
Westport is one of the best base towns in the west, full stop. It sits at the Clew Bay end of the Great Western Greenway, so you can ride straight out toward Achill and come back to a proper night out.
The town has a good range of hotels, guesthouses, and B&Bs, plus a strong pub and music scene for the evening. It also works as a base for the rest of Mayo, so it’s an easy place to stay two or three nights.
Where to Stay in Westport
Midlands and the canal routes
For the Royal Canal and the Old Rail Trail, Mullingar is the natural base. It sits on both routes, so you can ride the canal one day and the Athlone line the next without moving hotels.
Athlone is the other good midlands option, right on the Shannon at the far end of the Old Rail Trail, with a lively riverside and one of the oldest pubs in Ireland. For the Limerick Greenway, Newcastle West at the halfway point is handy, or stay in Limerick city and drive out.
Where to Stay in Athlone
A note on booking
In shoulder season and midweek you can usually find a room without much notice. On summer weekends the popular towns like Westport and Dungarvan fill up, so book ahead if you’re riding in July or August.
If you’re doing more than one greenway, don’t try to base yourself in a single town for the whole trip. Move with the route, stay a night or two at each end, and you’ll spend far less time driving and more time on the bike.
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In short
- The Waterford Greenway (46km) is the one to ride if you only do one, with eleven bridges and a 400-meter tunnel.
- The Great Western Greenway (42km) in Mayo runs along Clew Bay from Westport toward Achill Island.
- The Royal Canal Greenway is Ireland’s longest at about 130km, best ridden a section at a time.
- Every route is flat and traffic-free, so it works for families and beginners, not just serious cyclists.
- Hire a bike for around €15 to €25 a day at either end, and book the shuttle with it on point-to-point routes.
- Shoulder season (spring and fall) is the sweet spot for fewer crowds and workable weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions readers ask most before they plan a greenway ride, on bike hire, shuttles, the best route to pick, and riding through the off-season.
What is the longest greenway in Ireland?
The Royal Canal Greenway is the longest, running about 130km from Maynooth in County Kildare to Cloondara in Longford. Almost nobody rides it in one go, so pick a section and ride a flat half-day beside the water.
Which greenway is best for families with young kids?
Any of them work, because they’re all flat and traffic-free. For a short ride you can turn back on, go for the Suir Blueway at 21km or a single stretch of the Royal Canal like Maynooth to Enfield. Most hire shops carry child seats and trailers, but call ahead to lock one in.
Do I need my own bike?
No. Nearly every greenway on this list has hire shops at one or both ends, so you can roll up and be riding within ten minutes. Expect around €15 to €25 for a standard adult bike for the day, a bit more for an e-bike.
How do I get back to my car on a point-to-point route?
The hire shops run shuttles, and on the long routes that’s the real service you’re paying for. On the Waterford Greenway, the Great Western, and the Limerick Greenway, they’ll drop you at one end so you ride one direction and get collected. Book the bike and shuttle together.
Which greenway should I ride if I only do one?
Make it Waterford for the full experience: 46km, eleven bridges, a 400-meter tunnel, and the run alongside Dungarvan Bay. If you’d rather skip the crowds and still get a long, easy day, ride the Limerick Greenway instead.
Are the greenways rideable in winter?
Yes. The paths are paved and stay open year-round, and the surface drains well. Daylight is short between November and February and the weather is a gamble, so keep winter rides short, start early, and treat any dry, clear day as a bonus.
Final Thoughts on Cycling Ireland’s Greenways
Ireland’s greenways are the rare thing that suits everyone. You don’t need to be fit, you don’t need your own bike, and you don’t need to worry about traffic. You just show up, ride a flat paved path, and stop for a pint or a coffee when you feel like it.
That’s what makes them such an easy add to any Ireland trip. Wherever you’re already headed, there’s probably a greenway close enough to fill a half-day, and it’s a nice change of pace from driving the coast road and fighting for a parking spot.
If you only fit in one ride, I’d still send you to Waterford for the tunnel, the viaducts, and the run into Dungarvan. But don’t sleep on the quieter names. The Limerick Greenway and the Old Rail Trail gave us less fuss and just as good a day out.
Pack for rain, book your shuttle before you set off, and keep the pace relaxed. Do that and you’ll have one of the easiest, best-value days in the whole country.
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