EuroVelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route - part Ireland: which way and when to ride

The best month for EuroVelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route - part Ireland is September: 69% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.5 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).

ERA5 2006–2025 · OpenStreetMap · Methodology and sources

2,542 kmLength

SeptemberBest months

eitherBetter direction in the best month

0.5 km/hAverage tailwind in the best month

69%Dry days with 10–30 °C

June · 66%Best summer month

Start: Ballygerry · Finish: Belfast · Route geometry: OpenStreetMap / Waymarked Trails

Weather by month

Good days

Month	Good days	Rain days ≥ 1 mm	Rain, mm	Avg high	Days ≥ 30 °C	Days < 10 °C	Daylight, h
January	15%	33%	110	8 °C	0%	72%	8.1 †
February	18%	35%	97	8 °C	0%	70%	9.8 †
March	30%	34%	90	10 °C	0%	56%	11.7
April	57%	30%	71	12 °C	0%	22%	13.9
May	65%	34%	83	14 °C	0%	4%	15.8
June	66%	34%	85	16 °C	0%	0%	16.9
July	62%	38%	96	18 °C	0%	0%	16.4
August	63%	37%	105	17 °C	0%	0%	14.7
September	69%	31%	93	16 °C	0%	0%	12.6
October	62%	36%	118	13 °C	0%	5%	10.5 †
November	34%	37%	120	10 °C	0%	42%	8.6 †
December	17%	38%	128	9 °C	0%	63%	7.6 †

Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.

Wind by month

Wind Ballygerry → Belfast, km/h

Month	Wind Ballygerry → Belfast, km/h	Headwind > 15 km/h, Ballygerry → Belfast	Headwind > 15 km/h, Belfast → Ballygerry	Better way
January	+0.8	16%	19%	either
February	+0.8	18%	21%	either
March	+0.6	16%	18%	either
April	+0.4	13%	15%	either
May	0.0	15%	15%	either
June	−0.2	14%	13%	either
July	−0.4	14%	13%	either
August	−0.1	16%	16%	either
September	+0.5	14%	16%	either
October	+0.8	15%	17%	either
November	+0.1	16%	17%	either
December	+0.6	18%	20%	either

Stages

The route is split into 21 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.

Stage	km	Best month	Tailwind Ballygerry → Belfast in September, km/h
1. Ballygerry → Trá Mhór	130	June	−6.4
2. Trá Mhór → Midleton	129	September	−5.3
3. Midleton → Clonakilty	137	September	−6.0
4. Clonakilty → near Schull	122	September	−5.1
5. near Schull → Castletownbere	122	September	−0.7
6. Castletownbere → near Killorglin	122	September	+0.1
7. near Killorglin → Killorglin	115	September	+0.3
8. Killorglin → Tralee	109	September	+0.9
9. Tralee → Limerick	120	September	+5.6
10. Limerick → Kilrush	110	September	−4.4
11. Kilrush → Lehinch	120	May	+0.6
12. Lehinch → Galway	127	June	+3.6
13. Galway → near Clifden	121	September	−4.4
14. near Clifden → Westport	109	September	+7.0
15. Westport → near Knocknalower	122	September	+2.8
16. near Knocknalower → near Ballina	121	September	+5.7
17. near Ballina → Ballyshannon	137	September	+4.4
18. Ballyshannon → Gweedore	121	September	+3.7
19. Gweedore → Londonderry County Borough	139	September	+4.9
20. Londonderry County Borough → Cookstown	112	September	+0.4
21. Cookstown → Belfast	96	September	+4.0

How to read the numbers

Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.

OpenStreetMap · Waymarked Trails