This Northern Ireland road trip will leave you speechless, and this summer, it’s time for your dog to experience its beauty too.


With more people planning to travel with their dogs this summer, searches for “driving with dogs” have soared 200% in the last 12 months. Responding to this trend, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts conducted research to identify the most dog-friendly road trips in Northern Ireland.


To determine the dog-friendliness of a road trip, researchers evaluated four metrics along the route: the number of vets near each stop, the number of dog-friendly pubs at each location, the availability of pet-friendly Airbnbs, and the trip’s duration (shorter times being better for animals).


According to the study, the Causeway Coastal Route is the most dog-friendly road trip in Northern Ireland.


From vast beaches where furry friends can run wild to dog-friendly country pubs, this Northern Ireland route is ideal for those traveling with a pooch. The 115-mile-long road trip boasts 249 dog-friendly Airbnbs and 47 vets along the way in case of emergencies. The scenic route also features 17 dog-friendly pubs to enjoy with your pets.


Taking just under four hours to complete, the route from Belfast to Derry takes you through nine towns, from the famous Carrickfergus Castle to the village of Glenarm.


Other dog-friendly road trips in Northern Ireland include the Game of Thrones Road Trip, a 246-minute route running from Belfast to Cushendun, in second place, and the North Sperrin Mountains Route from Garvagh to Glenullin in third. The Ards Peninsula Road Trip, a 66-minute route from Newtonards to Millisle, landed in fourth place.