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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Roundwood
An Tóchar
Base in Roundwood for 1–2 nights only if you are hiking the Wicklow Way or driving to Glendalough; otherwise sleep in Glendalough or Bray.
Roundwood is a small hill village in County Wicklow, about 6 km north of Glendalough, sitting beside the Vartry reservoirs that supply Dublin's water. It has a handful of pubs, a caravan park and a B&B, and it works best as a walking base on the Wicklow Way or a quiet overnight stop on the R755 between Dublin and Glendalough. There is no railway and no bus after early evening, so a car or a booked bus seat decides your day.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- An Tóchar
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, wet trails, many places closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard, mountain rescue 112 · Alternative emergency number 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a village café | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course (Roundwood Inn, Byrne & Woods) | €16–26 |
| Pint of stout or lager | €5.50–7 |
| Taxi, 5 kmTaxi, 3.1 mi | €12–18 |
| Victor's Way adult entry | €10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- About 1 h 15 min by car via M50 and M11/N11; no direct bus to Roundwood, so change in Dublin or Bray.
Typical fares
- St Kevin's Bus, Dublin (St Stephen's Green) → Roundwood
- about €15 one way, twice daily (check)
- Local Link Bus 183, Wicklow → Roundwood
- about €5 one way, 4–5 times daily (check)
- Taxi Roundwood → Glendalough
- €15–25 (check)
Get around
Walk or bike inside the village; everything else needs a car or a booked seat. St Kevin's Bus runs twice a day from Dublin (St Stephen's Green) via Bray and Roundwood to Glendalough; Local Link Bus 183 runs 4–5 times a day from Wicklow town via Ashford and Rathnew, continuing to Laragh, Glendalough, Blessington and Naas. Both are check-worthy for 2026 timetables.
See and do
Known for
- Vartry reservoirs and Dublin's water supply
- Wicklow Way access
- Glendalough day trips
- Sally Gap and Lough Tay drive
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Glendalough | St Kevin's Bus or Local Link 183 to Laragh/Glendalough, or 10 min by car on R755 | About 15–25 min |
| Sally Gap and Lough Tay | Car or bike on R759, turning off R755 2 km north of the villageCar or bike on R759, turning off R755 1.2 mi north of the village | About 20 min to the gap |
| Wicklow town | Local Link Bus 183 via Ashford and Rathnew | About 30–40 min |
| Bray | Car on R755 and M11/N11, or bus to Bray for DART trains | About 30–40 min |
| Blessington | Local Link Bus 183 west, or car over Sally Gap | About 40–60 min |
| Enniskerry | Car via R755 and R117, or hike over Djouce on the Wicklow Way | About 30 min by car |
Sleep
- Village centre (Main St)
- Walk to pubs, the Coach House rooms and the R755/R765 junction; best for one night without a car.
- Togher Beg / east lake shore
- Caravan and camping park plus the outdoor activity centre; open June–Aug only.
- Oldbridge and the Wicklow Way
- 4 km west of the village; B&B on the trail, quiet, needs a car or a walk in.2.5 mi west of the village; B&B on the trail, quiet, needs a car or a walk in.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un leh-rass |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No railway and no evening bus: the last Local Link and St Kevin's runs leave before nightfall, so plan the return or book a bed.
- Lough Dan 3 km west is private land: do not walk around the lake.
- Mountain weather changes fast; the Wicklow Way boardwalk to Djouce is exposed and boggy off the path.
- Victor's Way is an adults' sculpture garden, not a family fun park; wear stout shoes and expect a soggy site.
- Mobile signal is 4G/5G in the village but patchy in the hills.
Roundwood is a quiet village and feels safe day and night. The real risks are mountain weather, boggy ground off the Wicklow Way boardwalk, and having no bus after early evening: check the last departure before you set out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Roundwood yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Vartry reservoirs and Dublin's water supply
- Wicklow Way access
- Glendalough day trips
- Sally Gap and Lough Tay drive
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Ireland — County Wicklow: www.discoverireland.ie/wicklow
- Wicklow County Council — Roundwood: www.wicklow.ie
- Transport for Ireland — Local Link Bus 183: www.transportforireland.ie
- Wikivoyage: Roundwood, revision 5324532 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5324532
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
RoundwoodAn Tóchar
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Roundwood; the US embassy and most others are in Dublin. The nearest Garda station is in Roundwood or Ashford (check opening hours).
English is spoken everywhere; Irish is the first official language but not needed in the village.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/roundwood). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.