The Wild Atlantic Way in a classic campervan is a different experience to the same route in a modern hire van — slower, more noticed, more conversational, and with a different set of practical considerations. Your T2 will be the most-photographed vehicle at every campsite and viewpoint. It will also cruise at 80km/h while modern campervans sit in the car parks of the attractions you're gliding past.
This guide is for owners of T2, T3, T4, and other classic campervans touring in their own vehicle. If you're looking to hire a modern campervan for an Irish trip, our sister site campers.ie has the rental-specific Wild Atlantic Way guide with operator recommendations and booking links.
Route overview
The Wild Atlantic Way runs ~2,500km along Ireland's Atlantic coastline from Kinsale in West Cork to Malin Head in Co. Donegal. For a classic campervan, budget 12–16 days for the full run — 2 more days than a modern van would need, to account for slower cruising speeds, more frequent stops (because people will ask to photograph your van), and the practical reality that you should never push an air-cooled classic to match motorway schedule times.
The route runs south-to-north in the most popular direction. The northern section — Sligo, Donegal — is less visited and particularly suited to a classic campervan tour: quieter roads, more time to stop, campsite staff who remember when your van was new.
80km/h comfortable cruising for a T2. Plan 100–120km of actual driving per day maximum. 80km days are better.
12–16 days for the full WAW. Don't compress a T2 trip into a timetable designed for a modern diesel.
Kinsale (south-to-north) or Malin Head (north-to-south). Most classic owners start in the south.
Full WAW is achievable with preparation. Avoid Slea Head Drive, Healy Pass, and Mamore Gap in a standard T2.
Day-by-day itinerary
The classic campervan itinerary differs from the modern rental guide primarily in daily distances. We've built in shorter driving days with longer stop times — appropriate for both the vehicle's needs and the slower pace of classic VW touring.
| Day | Route | Distance | Classic notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Kinsale → Skibbereen → Mizen Head area | ~100km | Gentle start. Coast roads are classic-friendly. Barleycove campsite is excellent. |
| 3–4 | Mizen → Bantry → Glengarriff → Kenmare | ~90km | Bantry Bay coast road is well-suited to T2 pace. Avoid Healy Pass — take the R572 coast road on Beara. |
| 5–6 | Ring of Kerry (anti-clockwise) | ~170km | Anti-clockwise is essential. Do it over 2 days — Waterville overnight, Killarney return on Day 6. |
| 7 | Dingle town and west | ~80km | Avoid Slea Head Drive in a standard T2. Conor Pass: manageable at low speed, check fuel and coolant before attempting. |
| 8 | Dingle → Loop Head → Lahinch | ~120km | Loop Head road is fine. Tarbert–Killimer ferry saves 90 mins — highly recommended. |
| 9–10 | Cliffs of Moher → Galway → Connemara | ~150km over 2 days | Don't rush this. Galway makes a good overnight base; explore Connemara on Day 10. |
| 11–12 | Westport → Achill → Sligo | ~160km over 2 days | Achill Island is worth 2 nights. The Deserted Village walk is one of the best stops on the WAW. |
| 13–14 | Sligo → Donegal → Slieve League | ~120km over 2 days | Donegal town is a good base for Slieve League day trip. Approach road is fine for T2. |
| 15–16 | Glencolumbkille → Malin Head | ~120km over 2 days | Malin Head road is manageable. Mamore Gap: NOT for T2s — use the Clonmany alternative. |
Overnight stops
Classic campervans attract attention at campsites in the best possible way — you'll spend more time talking to fellow campers than you planned. The campsite network along the WAW is well-documented; the key sites worth noting specifically for classic campervan owners:
| Location | Notes for classic campervans |
|---|---|
| Killarney area | Best campsite cluster on the route. Multiple options; book ahead in July/August. |
| Barleycove (Mizen) | Excellent campsite near Barleycove Beach. Popular with VW owners. |
| Dingle town | Campsite edge of town. Flat, easy access — good for older suspension. |
| Clifden area | Clifden Eco Beach Camping has attracted a VW campervan crowd in recent years. |
| Westport area | Multiple options. Westport town itself is worth an evening stroll. |
| Donegal (scattered) | Fewer formal sites north of Sligo. Some tolerated wild spots on the Donegal coast. |
Road notes for campervans
The classic-specific road notes focus on gradient, road width, and surface quality — all of which matter more in a 50-year-old van than in a modern diesel motorhome.
- Healy Pass: Steep and narrow mountain pass on the Beara Peninsula. Not recommended for T2 or T3. The gradient will test an original air-cooled engine; the narrow width makes recovery difficult if anything goes wrong. Take the coast road.
- Slea Head Drive (Dingle): Single-track in places, fine for compact vehicles but a stress in a T2 with limited rear visibility and quirky brakes. The views from the public car parks are excellent without driving the full loop.
- Conor Pass (Dingle): Steep ascent. Check oil level and coolant equivalent (air-cooled: check fan belt, thermostat, oil level) before attempting. Stop at the top to let the engine cool before descending.
- Mamore Gap (Inishowen): Very steep and narrow. Not recommended for any classic campervan. The alternative via Clonmany adds 15 minutes and is stress-free.
- General WAW coast roads: The main WAW route on National and Regional roads is well within T2/T3 capability. Surface quality varies — some R-roads in Donegal have patched and uneven surfaces that older suspension feels more than modern vehicles.
Classic campervan notes
Speed and pacing: An air-cooled T2 is comfortable at 70–80km/h on open roads. At 80km/h you're doing 50mph — below the 60mph national speed limit on Irish regional roads. Keep left, use passing places, and wave to let following traffic past. Irish drivers are generally patient with slow vehicles; don't make them wait unnecessarily and they'll be generous.
Overheating: The WAW includes several sustained climbs — the Conor Pass, the approach to Moll's Gap, various Donegal mountain roads. Monitor your oil temperature. If the engine feels sluggish or the oil temperature is unusually high, pull over, stop, and let it cool for 15–20 minutes with the engine off. Do not drive on an overheating air-cooled engine. Shade is limited on exposed bog roads — create your own by parking with the rear engine compartment on the shady side if possible.
Irish breakdown services: The AA and RAC both operate in Ireland and will cover a classic campervan on their standard roadside policies. Confirm this when taking out or renewing your cover. In remote areas of Donegal or Mayo, recovery times can be several hours — carry basic tools and the ability to deal with common T2 issues yourself (fan belt replacement, points adjustment, carburettor flooding). The retrocamper.ie specialists directory lists Irish garages with classic VW knowledge — worth noting the nearest one to your route before departure.
Fuel: A T2 with original carburettor runs on standard unleaded petrol. Fuel is available throughout the WAW route; the more remote sections of Donegal have fewer stations, so fill up in larger towns. Fuel consumption on a T2 doing 80km/h is approximately 10–12L/100km — budget accordingly.
The T2 is the most technically challenged by the WAW: air-cooled engine, slower comfortable cruise, more sensitive to gradient and heat. The T3 (water-cooled from 1982) is mechanically more robust for sustained touring but shares the T2's body dimensions and road manners. The T4 — with its watercooled front engine — is essentially a modern vehicle in a retro body and handles the WAW without the mechanical anxiety of its predecessors. If you're planning your first Irish road trip in a classic, a T3 or T4 makes for a more relaxed experience than a T2.
Ferry options
For owners touring from Britain with their own classic campervan, the ferry crossing is the first decision.
- Rosslare–Fishguard / Rosslare–Pembroke: The fastest crossings from south Wales to southeast Ireland. Irish Ferries and Stena Line both operate these routes. Rosslare is ~2 hours from Cork, making this the natural start for a south-to-north WAW run. Vehicle deck booking is essential — classics travel as standard vehicles.
- Dublin–Holyhead: The busiest Irish Sea crossing; if starting in Dublin and heading west for the WAW, this is the most convenient for northern England or Midlands-based owners.
- Cork–Roscoff (Brittany Ferries): The long-haul option for classic owners coming from France or the continent. Cork is a direct start for the WAW without any transit driving in Ireland.
- Swansea–Cork: This route has had variable commercial history — confirm current operator and sailing schedule before planning. When operational, it's the most direct crossing for West of England owners starting a Cork-based WAW run.
- Tarbert–Killimer (Shannon Estuary ferry): Not a sea crossing but the Shannon Estuary car ferry connecting Kerry to Clare, saving 90 minutes versus driving via Limerick. Campervans travel as standard vehicles. Check current schedule and size restrictions — it's been operating for many years and is well set up for campervans.
Practical tips for classic campervan touring
- Spare parts: Carry a fan belt (T2 1600cc), points set, condenser, fuel pump, and any parts specific to your vehicle's known weak points. Just Kampers (UK) and VW Heritage (UK) can ship to Irish addresses but allow time for customs clearance post-Brexit.
- Tools: A basic tool set including a torque wrench, valve adjustment tools, and a multi-meter is worth carrying in the van for a two-week trip.
- Oil: Carry at least 2 litres of the correct grade oil. T2 engines can consume oil, particularly older units with worn valve guides.
- Gas supply: Irish campsites use Calor Gas predominantly. If your van uses Campingaz, bring sufficient cylinders for the trip or check current adaptor availability in Ireland.
- Classic car events: The VW Bus Festival and various classic car shows happen in Ireland during summer. The retrocamper.ie newsletter carries event listings — subscribe to keep up with events near your route.
Best time for classic campervan touring
June is the optimal month for a classic campervan on the WAW. Long days (nearly 17 hours of daylight around midsummer), good weather windows, lower crowds than July/August, and the landscape is green and vivid. Air-cooled engines prefer the cooler end of summer — June temperatures rarely exceed 20°C in Ireland, keeping overheating risk low on passes.
July–August: Higher temperatures (still mild by most standards — rarely above 22°C), more traffic on the WAW, and more heat stress on air-cooled engines on sustained climbs. Entirely manageable but plan more rest stops.
September: Excellent for classics — cooler temperatures, excellent light, quieter roads. The Donegal section in September is particularly beautiful. Some campsites start reducing hours from mid-September.