Mountain pass · 15 mi off the route
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Road trip route · Ireland · United Kingdom
Dublin to Belfast drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 1 hr 58 min
- Distance
- 103 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £17
- Tolls (est.)
- £1
The Dublin to Belfast drive
The drive from Dublin to Belfast covers 103 miles (166 km) and takes about 1 hr 58 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
About 57% of it is on the M1, and most of the rest on the A1 and the N1. You pass Drogheda, Dundalk and Banbridge on the way. The border from Ireland into United Kingdom comes between Dundalk and Banbridge, about 64 mi in.
It's flat. Nowhere along the way did we measure the road higher than about 142 m above sea level. The Sally Gap is 15 mi off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £17 one-way plus roughly £1 in motorway tolls. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 103 miles this is longer than 16% of the 144 routes covered here, short enough to fold into a bigger itinerary without losing a day. Even in a single day it crosses 2 countries, so keep documents where you can reach them.
The road, mile by mile
Towns within a few miles of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping, plus where you cross the border.
- StartDublin
- 28 miDrogheda32 min in
- 50 miDundalk57 min in
- 64 miInto United Kingdom
- 78 miBanbridge1 h 29 min in
- 103 miBelfast
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- M158 mi · 57%
- A130 mi · 29%
- N18 mi · 8%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Best stops between Dublin and Belfast
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
National Parks
Tollymore Forest Park
Northern Ireland's first state forest park at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, with Gothic arches, ancient trees and Game of Thrones filming locations.
Scenic Viewpoints
Mourne Mountains
Granite mountain range that inspired C.S. Lewis's Narnia, with the Mourne Wall traversing 15 peaks and sweeping views to the Irish Sea.
Ancient Ruins
Newgrange
A 5,200-year-old passage tomb in Ireland's Boyne Valley, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, famous for its winter solstice illumination of the inner chamber.
Scenic Viewpoints
Slieve Donard and the Mourne Wall
Northern Ireland's highest peak at 850m, with the 22-mile granite Mourne Wall running over its summit.
Ancient Ruins
Knowth
A great passage tomb in the Boyne Valley ringed by kerbstones carrying the largest collection of megalithic art in Europe.
Ancient Ruins
Hill of Tara
The ceremonial seat of the High Kings of Ireland, a set of grassy earthworks with the Lia Fáil standing stone on top.
Natural Wonders
Lough Neagh
The largest freshwater lake in the British Isles at 392 square kilometres, with a famous eel fishery.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
Ireland
- Motorway
- 120 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Barrier tolls and the M50 eFlow barrier-free toll
- Drives on
- the left
United Kingdom
- Motorway
- 112 km/h · 48 in town
- Tolls
- Individual tolled crossings (Dart Charge, M6 Toll)
- Drives on
- the left
Low-emission zones: London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in Ireland and United Kingdom
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Snake Pass + Peak District
Cobblestone villages, Bronte-novel moors, and the moodiest 14 miles of road in England
104 km · 2h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Atlantic Highway A39: North Cornwall
Cornish surf beaches, smuggler's coves, and the Westcountry pasty trail
139 km · 2.5h driving · 7 stops · 4 days
Causeway Coastal Route
Belfast to Derry along Northern Ireland's cliff-edge coast, via Game of Thrones country
200 km · 3.3h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
NC500: North Coast 500
Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches
755 km · 11.4h driving · 9 stops · 7 days
Dublin to Belfast FAQs
How long is the drive from Dublin to Belfast?
Driving from Dublin to Belfast takes about 1 hr 58 min nonstop, covering 103 miles (166 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Dublin to Belfast?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £17 one-way. Expect around £1 in motorway tolls. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Dublin to Belfast in one day?
Yes, at about 1 hr 58 min of driving, Dublin to Belfast is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Dublin to Belfast?
The fastest route uses the M1 (about 58 mi), the A1 (about 30 mi), the N1 (about 8 mi). It passes Drogheda, Dundalk, Banbridge.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 6 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Dublin and Belfast?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Tollymore Forest Park, Mourne Mountains, Newgrange: see the full list of 7 stops on this page.
More drives from Dublin & Belfast
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Ireland road trip planner, browse every destination we cover or the United Kingdom planner, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in United Kingdom guide.