Trying to piece together our trip. My husband and I (mid-60s) will have 2 1/2 days in Galway at the near-end of our trip and then are considering traveling to, perhaps, Limerick or Ennis from Galway...staying overnight with one night there (and, some of the day) and then to Shannon airport for the flight home to NYC.
Is that worth the traveling or should we just get that train early morning (if doable) from Galway to Shannon? (no car for us)
Thanks.
There is no train from Galway to Shannon. You would need to take the direct train to Ennis, then the bus to Shannon.
If on a weekday at 0615, arrive Ennis at 0740, next train at 1025, arrive 1141.
The first direct bus , the #51, leaves Galway at 0705, and arrives at Shannon at 0849.
The train connects into that same bus at Ennis, or if lucky an 0745 round the houses route which arrives 4 minutes earlier.
Add a 3 hour check in and an at least 1 hour buffer for the unexpected and that only works if your flight leaves at after 1pm.
So train or bus to Ennis or Limerick the previous day may be preferable.
There is a nice hotel right at the Shannon airport. Across the parking lot. Maybe 200 meters. Takes all the hassle out of going to the airport from another town the same day.
We are considering using this company:
https://www.galwayshuttle.com/
For us it would be from DUB-Galway City, but they do go from Galway City to Shannon too!
The Park Inn across tge road from Shannon Airport is brilliant, super helpful staff. As for getting to Galway from there...it's a bit if a mess. Cost us quite a lot for a taxi. You can book the bus online, if you don't book it, they don't stop and you take a taxi. We do NOT recommend renting from any of the Shannon Airport car rental places.,,they are rip offs.
We went to and from Shannon- Galway on the 51 bus. No problems. Also rented and returned a car at Shannon airport. We used Irish car rentals.
Shannon is a pretty small airport. I don’t think that 3-hours to check in is required. We like Shannon as an airport. Not a high- pressure place. The only real downside is the lack of a dedicated train. For my part, I’d choose the airport hotel.
