Straight answers to practical questions about driving, travelling, parking and getting around Northern Ireland.
Strangford Lough is long and narrow, and driving between Strangford and Portaferry without the ferry requires going around the northern end of the lough through the Ards area.
The A20 is a main signed corridor between Belfast and Newtownards, while other approaches connect around the Ards Peninsula and Bangor.
The A37 Coleraine Mountain corridor offers an inland road connection in the Coleraine–Limavady area.
The A26 is the key corridor linking Ballymena towards Ballymoney and Coleraine.
Magherafelt is served by routes connecting from the A6 Castledawson corridor, and the A31 Magherafelt Bypass allows some journeys to avoid central shopping streets.
The A29 is a main road corridor between Dungannon and Cookstown in Mid Ulster.
The A28 is the main signed route between Armagh and Newry through the Markethill corridor.
Armagh and Portadown are linked by the A3 road corridor, so a journey between their centres does not require a motorway detour via Belfast or Lisburn.
The main journey from Enniskillen to Lisnaskea uses the A4 eastwards before taking the signed local road approach towards Lisnaskea.
Derrygonnelly lies northwest of Enniskillen and is a useful approach town for forest and lough-side destinations in west Fermanagh.
The A46 is a principal western road connection from Enniskillen towards the Belleek area.
The A32 is the principal route linking Omagh southwards through the Dromore and Irvinestown areas towards Enniskillen.
The A5 is the principal road corridor between Omagh and Strabane and continues towards the Derry area.
The A4 is the main road running west from Ballygawley towards Enniskillen, passing through the Fivemiletown corridor.
The A6 enters the Derry area from the southeast through the inland route, while the A2 follows the northern coastal corridor through places such as Limavady and Eglinton.
The A6 is the principal east–west route connecting the Randalstown/Toome side with Castledawson, Maghera and onward towards Derry.
The airport lies on the Derry side of the Ballykelly–Eglinton A2 corridor, so the A2 is the road to identify when approaching from Limavady.
The A2 is the key road corridor running west from Coleraine towards Limavady and Ballykelly.
Portstewart has a direct road connection from Coleraine, so driving via Portrush is not necessary for most journeys between those two towns.
Bushmills and Portrush are neighbouring North Coast destinations linked by the local A2 and A29/A2 road network.
The north coast journey between Ballycastle and Bushmills generally uses the A2 coastal road through the Ballintoy and Giant’s Causeway area, depending on the precise route selected.
Ballintoy is west of Ballycastle along the north Antrim coastal corridor; you do not need to travel all the way to Portrush and back.
Torr Head Scenic Route is a coastal detour on minor roads in the northeast Antrim area, not the main through route for large vehicles or drivers in a hurry.
Cushendun lies north of Cushendall on the coastal side of the Glens route.
Continue on the A2 coastal corridor northwards from Carnlough through the Waterfoot area towards Cushendall.
The A2 Antrim Coast Road links Glenarm and Carnlough along the shoreline.
For the coastal journey, follow the A2 north through Larne and continue towards Ballygally and Glenarm.
The A2 follows the Belfast Lough and Antrim coastal side through towns and villages, while the A8 provides a more direct inland approach between the Belfast area and Larne.
The A8 is the direct Belfast–Larne road corridor used by much of the traffic heading for the port.
Cloughoge and Camlough are different junction areas along the A1 near Newry.
