Ancient Ruins
Rock of Cashel
Spectacular group of medieval buildings perched on a limestone outcrop in Tipperary, including a round tower, Romanesque chapel and Gothic cathedral.
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Road trip route · Ireland
Dublin to Cork drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 3 hr 2 min
- Distance
- 157 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £27
- Tolls (est.)
- £3
The Dublin to Cork drive
The drive from Dublin to Cork covers 157 miles (252 km) and takes about 3 hr 2 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.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £27 one-way plus roughly £3 in motorway tolls. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 157 miles this is longer than 36% of the 144 routes covered here.
Best stops between Dublin and Cork
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Racetracks
Mondello Park
Ireland's only permanent motorsport circuit, located in County Kildare and the home of Irish national racing since 1968.
Mountain Passes
Wicklow Gap
High mountain pass on the R756 across the Wicklow Mountains between Hollywood and Glendalough, following the medieval pilgrims' route of St Kevin's Road through wild granite moorland.
Mountain Passes
The Vee
V-shaped hairpin pass on the R668 climbing to 610m through the Knockmealdown Gap between Clogheen and Lismore, ablaze with rhododendron in late May. Overlooks Bay Lough and the Golden Vale patchwork below.
Scenic Viewpoints
Lough Tay (Guinness Lake)
A dark lake with a pale sand beach at one end, viewed from the R759 above; used as the Viking village in the series Vikings.
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
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in Ireland
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Dublin to Cork FAQs
How long is the drive from Dublin to Cork?
Driving from Dublin to Cork takes about 3 hr 2 min nonstop, covering 157 miles (252 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Dublin to Cork?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £27 one-way. Expect around £3 in motorway tolls. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Dublin to Cork in one day?
Yes, at about 3 hr 2 min of driving, Dublin to Cork is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
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 Cork?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Rock of Cashel, Mondello Park, Wicklow Gap: see the full list of 5 stops on this page.
More drives from Dublin & Cork
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Ireland road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in Ireland guide.