Ireland (N & S) in July/August. Do we need to book campsites?

[watsonjones]

We are planning a tour of Northern and Southern Ireland starting mid July through August of this year. Based on people’s experience during this time period, do we need to book campsites ahead of time, and if so would that be necessary for every day, or just for Friday - Sunday. We are in a 6.75m MH and are happy to go without services for up to 3 days at a time.
Stops include:
Dublin, Newry, Armagh, Belfast, Ballycastle, Port Stewart, Londonderry, Enniskillen, Sligo, Achill, Connomara, Galway, Doolin, Limerick, Dingle, Killarney, Beara Peninsula, Glengarriff and Wicklow.
We prefer not to book ahead of time to keep our schedule open, but are aware this is during the school holidays.
Any input greatly appreciated.

 

[watsonjones]

Just following up. I have read the other posts on Ireland related to my question, but have not seen anything on this subject for several years and I know things have changed a lot since 2020.
Are we OK to go and just look for stops as needed on searchforsites and book the occasional campsite a few days ahead of time?
Any info appreciated.

 

[rb62]

Just following up. I have read the other posts on Ireland related to my question, but have not seen anything on this subject for several years and I know things have changed a lot since 2020.
Are we OK to go and just look for stops as needed on searchforsites and book the occasional campsite a few days ahead of time?
Any info appreciated.

We went for four weeks in 2024,used S4S and always used free stops.

 

[Bertilak]

Regarding campsites, our experience was that it's much like the UK: the big sites aren't that big, have quite a few perms blocking them, and are busy at weekends... They are also relatively expensive. - A lot of owners thinking that tourists owe them a (good) living...
That is balanced by there being more acceptance of wild camping; we felt the Irish are more welcoming and not so precious about image and nimbyism.

 

[ontheroadagain]

I would say that you will always find somewhere to stay without booking in advance but popular locations will be busy especially Fri to Sun. The north coast of Northern Ireland isn’t very motorhome friendly, but don’t let that put you off. I would park up in one location and then get the bus between the various resorts/attractions. Over the summer there is a bus service called the causeway rambler that runs backwards and forward along the coast. (From memory it is bus 402) It stops at Portrush, Portstewart, Ballycastle, The Giants Causeway, Rope Bridge etc, etc. There is a small site called Feigh Farm close to the Giants Causeway. The bus stops right at their gate.
You could easily stay there for 3 or 4 days and do all of the north coast. A day trip to Rathlin Island (from Ballycastle) is a great day out if the weather is good. Enniskillen and the Fermanagh Lakes is one of our favourites. Generally not as busy and no need to book. Plenty of free park ups too but if you want a site Riverside Farm is good and only £20 per night (£22 with ehu). There are some fantastic free park ups if you follow the Erne/Shannon waterway. You are allowed to stay in Waterways Ireland public marinas which have toilets and showers. To access these you buy a swipe card (approx £11). For Southern Ireland we normally don’t book far in advance but would sometimes phone ahead a day or two before when we know exactly where we are going to be. But you will never be stuck as there are plenty of places to park for free.

 

[watsonjones]

Thank you for all the info. I was just concerned since there were times in the US after COVID where a lot of sites got booked up ahead of time. We have been enjoying traveling through mainland European without having to book, but that has mostly been out of season.
I will review our plan and include the stops/notes provided. Much appreciated. We can’t wait.

 

[HarryML7]

Plan ahead regarding disposing of your rubbish when not using sites.

 

[Jon Stewart]

Plan ahead regarding disposing of your rubbish when not using sites.

In Southern Ireland.
Last site in Kerry we stayed in, it was €6 a binbag!

Norn Irn isn't so bad in that respect.

As well as all the great advice given, look up the TMI (Total Motorhome Ireland) Facebook page.

Many sites in common with other sources, but a very handy resource.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[watsonjones]

Will do. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Tiger Bear]

We are currently on day 17 of a 35 day trip, travelling in a 7.25m C class.
We don't have a lithium set-up (but will look at that for the future); we have a power bank, which charges quickly as we drive, with an alternator connection to the vehicle battery, and we have a spare toilet cassette. The biggest challenge we thought we would likely face is keeping our lass's wheelchair charged up.


Hopefully the following may assist you with planning...

I used S4S and P4N extensively in my planning, and aimed to have at least two options, three if possible, for each night. The aim was to try and get four or five days freedom camping between sites/Aires with EHU. As we've progressed we've discovered that we don't necessarily have to rely on EHU to charge the wheelchair batteries; it turns out, I am able to charge one at a time through the power bank while it is connected to the vehicle battery as we drive; the input charge cancels out the drain.

We came over on the Cairnryan-Belfast service and made our way to Limavady to see relatives. We had a peaceful overnight stay at a country park on the edge of town; that was my first interaction with a local, who welcomed us to the area, asked about our trip, and wished us a safe trip, saying we would stay at some great places and would 'have a good craic'. I thought to myself, Scarbados this ain't!

The next day we made our way to Portstewart, a lovely town. It was blowing a gale at our preferred location, high up and right on a cliff edge, so we retreated to a lower location in the town.

The next day we moved to Portrush with the intention of staying on an aire and having EHU. As it happens, the EHU was out of service, but we were able to dump the cassette and take on water, and a really nice fella, with a lithium set up, charged up one of our lass's batteries. Having done what we needed to, we didn't fancy staying in a car park in the town, so moved along the coast to Magheracross viewpoint. The wind though was still really strong so we retreated to Bushmills; we had a really peaceful night in a car park right on the river.

The next day we visited Ballintoy Harbour, again with the intention of overnighting there; it was fine when we got there but it got windier and wetter as the day went on. I was though able to get some great photos and videos the stormy Atlantic. Despite pulling right back to an area that we thought may offer more shelter, the wind got stronger still, so we sacked it off and retreated back to Bushmills, staying a second night in the same car park.

After a visit to the Giant's Causeway the next morning we headed towards Ballycastle, tucking ourselves in the corner of the car park just before the ferry car park, and looking right over the water. That was another peaceful night.

The next day we visited Carrick-a-Rede before making an unscheduled return visit to Limavady, to sort our kitty's passport. Enroute we stopped at the aire in Portrush to empty a cassette, dump the grey water, and take on fresh water; no charge for any of that. We stayed again in the country park just outside Limavady.

The next day it was our original intention to visit and stay a Cushendun, but the caves were closed, so we went directly to Glenarm. We would have stayed there but wanted to try and get ahead of ourselves, so moved on to Whitehead and stayed in the bigger of the two car parks right off Old Castle Road, tucked away in the corner with a great view of the sea. After an impromptu car show lasting a couple of hours we had a great night, and it was lovely the next morning.

Our next stop was to be the Ard Peninsula; I had quite a few options for stops in mind but was concerned about reviews stating that locals, particularly in the Bangor and Donaghadee area weren't so welcoming to campers, and there were 'no overnight camping' signs all about. I was reassured by CaptainPaul that nobody bothers with such signs and we would be fine. We were indeed and had a peaceful night in Donaghadee harbour car park, right on top of the shoreline.

The next night we stayed at a fantastic pub stop, the Saltwater Brig on Strangford Lough; a great recommendation by CaptainPaul. We took the opportunity to charge a wheelchair battery while we ate.

We had intended to stay another night on the Ard Peninsula but Storm Dave was closing in and would have likely been at it's strongest when we were due to take the ferry from Portaferry to Strangford. So, we left a day earlier and stayed two nights instead of one near Quoile Castle and right on the river. We weren't bothered too much by the storm.

The next night (day 13) was our first campsite; we had booked into the Travellers Rest campsite just outside Castlewellan. At only £15 p/n with EHU, and with decent disabled friendly toilets and showers; we stayed for three nights and used it as a base to visit Rowallane Garden and the Game of Thrones studio.

From there we had intended to stay at Seagahan reservoir but it was shaping up to be a cold, wet and windy night, so we headed to our next intended stop at Galloon Island Landing Place, again getting another day ahead of ourselves. Yet again, we had a very peaceful night backed up to the waterfront.

Today we drove a short distance to Ballyconnell marina, which would have been tonight's stay. I bought a Waterways Ireland card for the facilities and was intending to do a wash. Ballyconnell marina has really good toilet/shower/laundry facilities, spotlessly clean and the washer and dryer looked fairly new. That's all it had going for it I'm afraid; not really a picturesque waterfront and the ground wasn't level, and vans were parked right next to each other, which we hate. We moved on to our alternative location on Lough Garadice; it also has a laundry but when I checked it out the machines were clean but old. I wasn't able to open the washing machine door, so sacked off the wash for today. On our way to our next stopover tomorrow we pass two more marinas that have laundries, so will try again. It's nice where we are though for tonight; we have a level spot and the only visitors have been anglers. It's not stopped raining though since we've been here.

As we make our way west towards Sligo and north into Donegal with have many more picturesque stops planned, mainly next to loughs or rivers, with our next campsite being on day 23. Thereafter we will be freedom camping as we travel along the Wild Atlantic Way until we have our next hook-up, on day 28, at a business location that has water, CDP, and grey dump, with the only charge being €5 for EHU to the business owner, plus a donation to a local hospice.

As we've gone along I've posted photos and brief descriptions on 'A photo of your van camping last night's and 'A photo of outside from inside'


So far, despite the weather, we have had a great time, stayed at some really beautiful locations, visited some nice places, met great people along the way, and have generally been made to feel very welcome. In fact, the only negative response we have had is when, at the instruction of the attendant at the aire in Portrush, we dumped our grey water in a drain on the car park and an elderly couple in a Mini in the next car park sat and stared, shook their heads, and passed comment to each other. They got a smile and a wave from me!


watsonjones, unless you are relying on staying on a campsite every third or fourth day for a specific reason, I would reckon that you could go five, six or more days just freedom camping, especially if you get yourself a spare cassette. Even with just one cassette you will find there are plenty of places to dump and fill for a small fee, if not for free.
One thing to consider though is that when you visit it will be a lot busier, and some of the car parks we have stayed in will charge for parking, unless you have a blue badge; a couple that we stayed in only start charging after 1st April.

Good luck with your planning, and enjoy your trip.

​

 

[CaptainPaul]

We are currently on day 17 of a 35 day trip, travelling in a 7.25m C class.
We don't have a lithium set-up (but will look at that for the future); we have a power bank, which charges quickly as we drive, with an alternator connection to the vehicle battery, and we have a spare toilet cassette. The biggest challenge we thought we would likely face is keeping our lass's wheelchair charged up.


Hopefully the following may assist you with planning...

I used S4S and P4N extensively in my planning, and aimed to have at least two options, three if possible, for each night. The aim was to try and get four or five days freedom camping between sites/Aires with EHU. As we've progressed we've discovered that we don't necessarily have to rely on EHU to charge the wheelchair batteries; it turns out, I am able to charge one at a time through the power bank while it is connected to the vehicle battery as we drive; the input charge cancels out the drain.

We came over on the Cairnryan-Belfast service and made our way to Limavady to see relatives. We had a peaceful overnight stay at a country park on the edge of town; that was my first interaction with a local, who welcomed us to the area, asked about our trip, and wished us a safe trip, saying we would stay at some great places and would 'have a good craic'. I thought to myself, Scarbados this ain't!

The next day we made our way to Portstewart, a lovely town. It was blowing a gale at our preferred location, high up and right on a cliff edge, so we retreated to a lower location in the town.

The next day we moved to Portrush with the intention of staying on an aire and having EHU. As it happens, the EHU was out of service, but we were able to dump the cassette and take on water, and a really nice fella, with a lithium set up, charged up one of our lass's batteries. Having done what we needed to, we didn't fancy staying in a car park in the town, so moved along the coast to Magheracross viewpoint. The wind though was still really strong so we retreated to Bushmills; we had a really peaceful night in a car park right on the river.

The next day we visited Ballintoy Harbour, again with the intention of overnighting there; it was fine when we got there but it got windier and wetter as the day went on. I was though able to get some great photos and videos the stormy Atlantic. Despite pulling right back to an area that we thought may offer more shelter, the wind got stronger still, so we sacked it off and retreated back to Bushmills, staying a second night in the same car park.

After a visit to the Giant's Causeway the next morning we headed towards Ballycastle, tucking ourselves in the corner of the car park just before the ferry car park, and looking right over the water. That was another peaceful night.

The next day we visited Carrick-a-Rede before making an unscheduled return visit to Limavady, to sort our kitty's passport. Enroute we stopped at the aire in Portrush to empty a cassette, dump the grey water, and take on fresh water; no charge for any of that. We stayed again in the country park just outside Limavady.

The next day it was our original intention to visit and stay a Cushendun, but the caves were closed, so we went directly to Glenarm. We would have stayed there but wanted to try and get ahead of ourselves, so moved on to Whitehead and stayed in the bigger of the two car parks right off Old Castle Road, tucked away in the corner with a great view of the sea. After an impromptu car show lasting a couple of hours we had a great night, and it was lovely the next morning.

Our next stop was to be the Ard Peninsula; I had quite a few options for stops in mind but was concerned about reviews stating that locals, particularly in the Bangor and Donaghadee area weren't so welcoming to campers, and there were 'no overnight camping' signs all about. I was reassured by CaptainPaul that nobody bothers with such signs and we would be fine. We were indeed and had a peaceful night in Donaghadee harbour car park, right on top of the shoreline.

The next night we stayed at a fantastic pub stop, the Saltwater Brig on Strangford Lough; a great recommendation by CaptainPaul. We took the opportunity to charge a wheelchair battery while we ate.

We had intended to stay another night on the Ard Peninsula but Storm Dave was closing in and would have likely been at it's strongest when we were due to take the ferry from Portaferry to Strangford. So, we left a day earlier and stayed two nights instead of one near Quoile Castle and right on the river. We weren't bothered too much by the storm.

The next night (day 13) was our first campsite; we had booked into the Travellers Rest campsite just outside Castlewellan. At only £15 p/n with EHU, and with decent disabled friendly toilets and showers; we stayed for three nights and used it as a base to visit Rowallane Garden and the Game of Thrones studio.

From there we had intended to stay at Seagahan reservoir but it was shaping up to be a cold, wet and windy night, so we headed to our next intended stop at Galloon Island Landing Place, again getting another day ahead of ourselves. Yet again, we had a very peaceful night backed up to the waterfront.

Today we drove a short distance to Ballyconnell marina, which would have been tonight's stay. I bought a Waterways Ireland card for the facilities and was intending to do a wash. Ballyconnell marina has really good toilet/shower/laundry facilities, spotlessly clean and the washer and dryer looked fairly new. That's all it had going for it I'm afraid; not really a picturesque waterfront and the ground wasn't level, and vans were parked right next to each other, which we hate. We moved on to our alternative location on Lough Garadice; it also has a laundry but when I checked it out the machines were clean but old. I wasn't able to open the washing machine door, so sacked off the wash for today. On our way to our next stopover tomorrow we pass two more marinas that have laundries, so will try again. It's nice where we are though for tonight; we have a level spot and the only visitors have been anglers. It's not stopped raining though since we've been here.

As we make our way west towards Sligo and north into Donegal with have many more picturesque stops planned, mainly next to loughs or rivers, with our next campsite being on day 23. Thereafter we will be freedom camping as we travel along the Wild Atlantic Way until we have our next hook-up, on day 28, at a business location that has water, CDP, and grey dump, with the only charge being €5 for EHU to the business owner, plus a donation to a local hospice.

As we've gone along I've posted photos and brief descriptions on 'A photo of your van camping last night's and 'A photo of outside from inside'


So far, despite the weather, we have had a great time, stayed at some really beautiful locations, visited some nice places, met great people along the way, and have generally been made to feel very welcome. In fact, the only negative response we have had is when, at the instruction of the attendant at the aire in Portrush, we dumped our grey water in a drain on the car park and an elderly couple in a Mini in the next car park sat and stared, shook their heads, and passed comment to each other. They got a smile and a wave from me!


watsonjones, unless you are relying on staying on a campsite every third or fourth day for a specific reason, I would reckon that you could go five, six or more days just freedom camping, especially if you get yourself a spare cassette. Even with just one cassette you will find there are plenty of places to dump and fill for a small fee, if not for free.
One thing to consider though is that when you visit it will be a lot busier, and some of the car parks we have stayed in will charge for parking, unless you have a blue badge; a couple that we stayed in only start charging after 1st April.

Good luck with your planning, and enjoy your trip.

​

If Ballinamore doesn't work out head out to Keshcarrigan which should be quiet to park up at
If you get a chance stop of in Carrick on Shannon, great wee town and if its open check out the Costello memorial chapel its said to be the smallest chapel in Europe and 2nd smallest in the world and was built by direct descendants of mine... my mother's side of our family are Costello, most were and some still are travellers, mainly horse dealers nowadays although Edward who built it was a farmer, you can get nice parking at Carrick Craft boat rental yard with electric, showers and everything else although im sure its not cheap but its a good location and very quiet
If you prefer quiet remote places where no one will be near you let me know as I know every inch of Ireland lol

 

[CaptainPaul]

Should of added i was replying to Tiger Bear i didn't realise this was a different thread lol

 

[Tiger Bear]

CaptainPaul, thanks for the info I've just read about it and shown our lass. Obviously it's not accessible for her, but I can certainly visit.
We won't be staying down there though as we want to use the day we have in the bag to explore farther west into County Sligo than we had planned before crossing into County Donegal. Our intention is to stay on the shore of Lough Allen tomorrow night, and I have today put Ballinamore and Keshcarrigan in the sat-nav as potential stop to do a wash.
Bobbing down to Carrick on Shannon will only add twenty-five minutes to our journey.

 

[Tiger Bear]

Plan ahead regarding disposing of your rubbish when not using sites.

In Southern Ireland.
Last site in Kerry we stayed in, it was €6 a binbag!

Norn Irn isn't so bad in that respect.

As well as all the great advice given, look up the TMI (Total Motorhome Ireland) Facebook page.

Many sites in common with other sources, but a very handy resource.

One thing that annoyed me about Northern Ireland was not being able to dispose of our recycling properly. Occasionally we saw collection bins for glass and cans but nothing for plastic. I tried a couple of household tips but could not use them because I was not a resident. This morning we had a bin bag full of 500ml water bottles in the shower; I was loathed to dispose of them in general waste. Then, as we drove through Ballyconnell this lunchtime what do we see at the side of the road? A load of recycling containers, including for plastic.
Councils in the north need to look at what Eire is doing and mend their ways.

 

[Tiger Bear]

Incidentally CaptainPaul, what's the fuel situation like in your neck of the woods? We probably don't need to fill up again until we are in the Dungloe area, but that would be a proper fill. Given what I have read about fuel stations farther south running out of diesel and potential rationing, I think I would be wise to keep topping up to full as we go.

 

[CaptainPaul]

Incidentally CaptainPaul, what's the fuel situation like in your neck of the woods? We probably don't need to fill up again until we are in the Dungloe area, but that would be a proper fill. Given what I have read about fuel stations farther south running out of diesel and potential rationing, I think I would be wise to keep topping up to full as we go.

All fine here but there are lots of fuel protests going on everywhere closing down all the roads etc so you'll need to keep an ear to the wireless to check you dont get stuck in any of them
So probably just as you say keep topping up every time you see a garage as the protests are only going to get worse until them bastards in Leinster house start dropping the prices! Lol

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[Jon Stewart]

One thing that annoyed me about Northern Ireland was not being able to dispose of our recycling properly. Occasionally we saw collection bins for glass and cans but nothing for plastic. I tried a couple of household tips but could not use them because I was not a resident. This morning we had a bin bag full of 500ml water bottles in the shower; I was loathed to dispose of them in general waste. Then, as we drove through Ballyconnell this lunchtime what do we see at the side of the road? A load of recycling containers, including for plastic.
Councils in the north need to look at what Eire is doing and mend their ways.

Actually, councils in Northern Ireland are sick of people coming from the South who live near the border, dumping their waste, recyclable or not, in our system because it's more expensive in the south.

Funny enough, there are recycling bins in various locations here. Numerous supermarkets have them in the car parks for instance.

Having said that, I'm really surprised they stopped you dumping what were clearly recyclables.

Northern Ireland is a complete mix of NI and GB registrations.

By the way, it's Éire, not Eire, which means burden.

 

[Tiger Bear]

Actually, councils in Northern Ireland are sick of people coming from the South who live near the border, dumping their waste, recyclable or not, in our system because it's more expensive in the south.

Funny enough, there are recycling bins in various locations here. Numerous supermarkets have them in the car parks for instance.

Having said that, I'm really surprised they stopped you dumping what were clearly recyclables.

Northern Ireland is a complete mix of NI and GB registrations.

By the way, it's Éire, not Eire, which means burden.

Thanks Jon I'll look harder the next time we're in Northern Ireland.

Aside from not being able to dispose of recyclables we did notice that a lot of the places we visited, particularly the Causeway coast, were spotlessly clean, with no litter, and plenty of clean toilets.

 

[CaptainPaul]

Its alright the Sun is out at the North Pole

 

[Jon Stewart]

Thanks Jon I'll look harder the next time we're in Northern Ireland.

Aside from not being able to dispose of recyclables we did notice that a lot of the places we visited, particularly the Causeway coast, were spotlessly clean, with no litter, and plenty of clean toilets.

I always moan about litter louts here, but I was reminded that it is pretty clean here, compared to some parts in England.

Just back from the Borders for a week. Didn't steal any livestock, honest. I'm not a riever!

To be honest, I'm not sure if any of those recycling bins appear on the like of Google maps.

 

[Tiger Bear]

No they don't, Jon; well, not that I could see. When I searched for recycling it just showed me household tips and businesses, not locations at shopping centres and the like

 

[Mleabon]

All fine here but there are lots of fuel protests going on everywhere closing down all the roads etc so you'll need to keep an ear to the wireless to check you dont get stuck in any of them
So probably just as you say keep topping up every time you see a garage as the protests are only going to get worse until them bastards in Leinster house start dropping the prices! Lol

I'm cancelling my trip to Ireland at the end of April. Not worth the hassle.

 

[CaptainPaul]

Maybe you'll come back another time when everything settles down a bit

 

[Mleabon]

Maybe you'll come back another time when everything settles down a bit

That's the plan.

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[watsonjones]

Tiger Bear thanks for the detailed post. I was thinking of booking into a site to drain and refill water, but we have two toilet cassettes and can charge our batteries on the road, so should be fine going for much longer between hook ups, especially if we can find places to drain and refill on the way.

 

[watsonjones]

I always moan about litter louts here, but I was reminded that it is pretty clean here, compared to some parts in England.

Just back from the Borders for a week. Didn't steal any livestock, honest. I'm not a riever!

To be honest, I'm not sure if any of those recycling bins appear on the like of Google maps.

Can’t agree more about the litter louts. We always try and do a bit of a litter pickup before leaving an overnight spot to counteract the less considerate in our camping community (or sometimes just the locals). Currently we are in Italy where unfortunately in some places a small litter clean up would not be noticed amongst the piles or rubbish dumped in some locations and alongside the road in rural locations. Such a shame, for an otherwise beautiful country.

 

[Tiger Bear]

You're very welcome, watsonjones

We're on day 21 now and haven't had a problem at all.

This is the link for Waterways Ireland...

https://www.waterwaysireland.org/

If your intended route takes you along any part of their network you will have plenty of opportunity to dump, take on water, and perhaps use a laundry; generally the showers are excellent. We got the 10 unit card...


...but found that we weren't charged for water or dumping. We did have an arse finding a working laundry but when we did I managed to do two wash and two tumble dryer cycles and no units were deducted.


A word of caution about gas...
We carry a 6kg cylinder and 11kg cylinder, both FloGas. The 11kg one depleted before we entered Éire, but I intended to get one along the way. Before I had a chance to do so, the 6kg one depleted. We were in a rural area but found a shop nearby that had one 11kg cylinder left. However, I stupidly didn't realise that the fittings on Irish cylinders are different. I only found that out after I broke the seal! It was this Sunday just gone so I couldn't find anywhere that sold a connector. I ended up taking the full cylinder back to the shop (losing my money as I had broken the seal), getting my empty one back, and driving fifty minutes to Enniskillen to get a UK one. I won't make that mistake again!

 

[Nanniemate]

Just pull up and park between the tractors protesting

Some even supply snacks