Just wanted to get people's opinions on this.
I've to drive to Westport tomorrow evening from the Red Cow, Dublin . Google Maps suggests two routes;
-> M4/N4 to Longford and then the N5 all the way to Westport (247km, 2hr 56min)
-> M4 to Kinnegad, take M6 to Athlone and then the N60/61 to Westport (253km, 3hr 2min)
It's a decent enough drive of a Friday evening and I'm concerned that once I get off the motorway, I run the risk of getting caught up in single lane carriageways. Preferably I would like to stick to the motorway as much as possible and cruise control it the whole way. So to that end I was thinking that I'd be better off going;
-> M4 to Kinnegad, then take M6 to Galway and then the N84 to Westport (283km, 3hr 11min)
It's a fair distance further but more relaxing as a drive given that I will be travelling at 120kph for at least 200km?
Has anyone much experience with the Dublin to Westport route? What's the condition of the N5 or N60/61? How's the traffic in Galway around 7/7.30pm on a Friday?
Cheers