🇬🇧 Same-country drive · United Kingdom
Driving from Derry to Belfast
A straightforward guide for driving the A6 and M22 from Derry to Belfast, covering travel tips and road conditions.
- Drive time
- 1h 24m
- Distance
- 113 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €15
- petrol · diesel ≈ €13
- Tolls
- Toll-free
- no charges en route
- EV charging
- Unknown
- not yet surveyed
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+12m- Distance:
- 111 km (−2 km)
- Duration:
- 1h 37m
Via: A6 · B39
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
1h 24m
113 km · €15 fuel
See details ↓
7h 27m
137 km · Climb 988 m
2 km on EV1 Atlantic Coast Route
See details ↓
No direct service
Our coach data (FlixBus + BlaBlaCar) doesn't list a direct service for this pair. National operators (e.g., National Express in the UK, Eurolines feeders) may still cover it — check their site directly.
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on May 1, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You leave the city walls of Derry via the A6, climbing out of the Foyle valley into the rolling landscape of the Sperrin Mountains. The road has undergone significant modernisation in recent years, trading tight, winding sections for dual-carriageway stretches that make for a much more consistent pace than the older routes through the Glenshane Pass. Keep an eye on your speedometer here; the transition from rural arterial roads to highway speeds is seamless, but local traffic remains heavy as you approach the smaller settlements dotted along the path.
As you merge onto the M22 near Castledawson, the character of the drive shifts from countryside vistas to a high-speed commuter arterial. This is the primary vein connecting the north-west to Belfast, and you will notice a marked increase in lorry traffic and commercial vans. The surface is well-maintained, but be prepared for the typical Northern Irish weather shifts; sudden bursts of rain or mist coming off the hills can reduce visibility rapidly, so keep your lights on even in daylight hours.
Final arrival into Belfast involves navigating the motorway network as it feeds directly into the city centre. The transition into urban traffic is abrupt, with multiple lanes merging and complex signage near the Westlink. Remember that the entire route remains within the United Kingdom, so you will be driving on the left throughout and encountering standard imperial speed limits. Fuel is widely available at service stations along the A6, but avoid waiting until you reach the city outskirts if your tank is running low, as congestion around the M2 interchange can be unpredictable during morning and evening peaks.
Route highlights
- Glenshane Pass viewpoint
- The modernised dual-carriageway stretches of the A6
- The approach to Belfast via the Westlink
- Sperrin Mountain scenery
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Short hop
Under two hours behind the wheel. Grab a coffee, set the playlist, done before lunch.
- Distance:
- 113 km
- Duration:
- 1h 24m (free-flow, no traffic)
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Cross-border drive · GB → GB
You'll leave one country and enter another on this trip. Keep your ID close, even inside Schengen, and check current border-control status before you go.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
Borders & documents
EU drivers don't need an International Driving Permit
TipA common piece of post-Brexit confusion: EU and UK driving licences are still mutually recognised for short visits. You don't need an IDP for a holiday or business trip. You also no longer need a Green Card — the UK rejoined the unified motor-insurance system in 2021. Bring your registration document and insurance certificate.
What your car must carry
Headlight deflectors required for continental cars
Must knowContinental left-hand-drive headlight beams cut up-and-right — point them straight at oncoming British traffic at night. €15 stick-on deflectors in the right pattern fix this. Many newer cars have a software "tourist mode" in the headlight menu instead. Without one, you'll dazzle every car you pass after dark and risk an MOT-style stop.
Driving rules & habits
Drive on the left — give yourself a buffer day
Must knowSwitching sides isn't the danger people imagine for the first hour — it's the moment you're tired in week 2 and pull into a quiet petrol station. Park, then think. Roundabouts go clockwise; entering one feels backwards. The first 30 minutes after the ferry/Eurotunnel are the highest-risk: take a coffee at a service area before joining the M20.
Fuel stations
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Money & connectivity
Fuel sold in litres but priced in pence
UsefulPumps quote pence per litre (e.g., 145.9p). Multiply by 100 then divide by 100 to get £/L. Card payments at the pump are universal. Most stations are pay-after-fill — you fuel first, then walk inside. Contactless on a foreign card works almost everywhere; American Express is sometimes refused at smaller stations.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A6 Glenshane Road72 km
-
M22 —35 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 99%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 1%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €15
8.5 L × €1.78 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €13
6.8 L × €1.93 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €12
20 kWh × €0.62 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-04.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇬🇧 Derry
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7°
3°
|
9°
4°
|
10°
4°
|
12°
6°
|
16°
9°
|
18°
11°
|
17°
12°
|
18°
12°
|
16°
10°
|
13°
9°
|
10°
5°
|
9°
5°
|
| 92mm | 70mm | 82mm | 99mm | 66mm | 93mm | 123mm | 127mm | 99mm | 103mm | 94mm | 132mm |
hot mild cold
🇬🇧 Belfast
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7°
3°
|
9°
4°
|
10°
4°
|
12°
5°
|
16°
9°
|
18°
11°
|
18°
12°
|
19°
12°
|
16°
10°
|
13°
9°
|
10°
5°
|
9°
5°
|
| 55mm | 48mm | 90mm | 99mm | 68mm | 85mm | 113mm | 111mm | 109mm | 107mm | 86mm | 118mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Belfast
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Tue 12
🌧️
8° / 7°
3.4mm
-
Wed 13
🌧️
12° / 6°
12.6mm
-
Thu 14
🌧️
12° / 7°
11.9mm
-
Fri 15
⛅
11° / 6°
0.4mm
-
Sat 16
⛅
11° / 5°
1.7mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 16 manoeuvres
- Limavady Road (A2) 0.1 km
- Glenshane Road (A6)
- Glenshane Road (A6) 3 km
- (A6) 0.1 km
- (A6) 25 km
- Glenshane Road (A6) 0.1 km
- Glenshane Road (A6) 29 km
- Castledawson Toome Bypass (A6) 0.1 km
- Castledawson Toome Bypass (A6) 8 km
- Toome Bypass (A6)
- (A6)
- (A6) 7 km
- (M22) 35 km
- Garmoyle Street (A2) 0.1 km
- Donegall Quay (A2) 0.1 km
- Gloucester Street
Cycling from Derry to Belfast
Touring-pace bicycle route generated by BRouter, with elevation gain and matched against the EuroVelo cycle network.
- Distance
- 137 km
- vs 113 km driving
- Riding time
- 7h 27m
- Touring pace; experienced riders cut this 20–30%.
- Total climb
- ↑ 988 m
Routed on the BRouter trekking profile — balanced for paved leisure tourers; gravel and fast-bike profiles produce different lines.
On the EuroVelo network
Sections of this route follow signed EuroVelo cycle routes — well-maintained, signposted, and bike-friendly:
- EV1 Atlantic Coast Route · 2 km
Total: 2,0 km on EuroVelo (1% of the route).
Show route on map
Frequently asked
Is there a toll on the road between Derry and Belfast?
No, there are no tolls on the A6 or M22, and no vignette is required for driving in Northern Ireland.
What is the speed limit on this route?
The speed limit is 70 mph (112 km/h) on dual carriageways and motorways, dropping to 60 mph or lower on standard rural roads.
Are there any specific driving rules I should know?
You must drive on the left, and all speed limit and distance signs are in miles and yards.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, BRouter for the bicycle route, EuroVelo GPX (ODbL) by the European Cyclists' Federation for the cycle-network overlay, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.