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Pre- and post- RS 7 day tour June 27-July 7

Posted by (Elgin, IL (northwest suburb of Chicago)) on

I have signed up for the RS 7-day Ireland tour that starts on June 29 in Ennis and ends in Dublin July 5. I have booked round trip airfare from Chicago O'Hare to and from Dublin. My questions are these:

  1. I plan on arriving at the Dublin airport on June 27 at 9:45 am and taking a Citylink bus to Galway, where I will spend a couple of nights before joining the tour in Ennis on June 29 at 2 pm. How long can I plan on deplaning, getting through customs/immigration and then to the bus? Would booking a bus departing DUB at 12:15 allow me enough time?

  2. On Saturday, June 28 I plan to take the 10:30 ferry to Inishmore and spend the day there. What is a realistic return time? 5 pm or 7 pm?

  3. It looks like the best mode of transportation to get to Ennis from Galway would be by bus rather than train, since the latter only has departure times at 8:25 and 11:55; the latter arrives in Ennis at 13:07, which might be cutting close for a 2 pm tour start. Do either have to be booked in advance/

  4. After the tour ends in Dublin on Sat., 7/5, I would like to go to Belfast for a day. I will be staying at the Ineagh Garden Hotel, south of St Stephens Green. What is the best and fastest way to get to Connolly Station from the hotel? Google Maps says it would take about 32 minutes walking. Would public transportation or a taxi be faster on a Saturday morning?

  5. Curious about recommendations while in Belfast. I would like to take a brief tour of the Troubles area (I think 90 minutes or so would be plenty), followed by a walking tour of downtown Belfast, and a visit to the Titanic Museum late afternoon. Rick's guidebook suggests either a Hop on/Hop off bus or Cab Tours Belfast. I know there has been discussion of other black taxi tours on this forum. Any suggestions on a one-day itinerary?

  6. Sunday 7/6 I am thinking of booking a Mary Gibbons Newgrange tour. Any other suggestions for Dublin proper? The tour will probably visit Kilmainham Gaol and I'd have an afternoon for other sights such as the National Museum of Archaeology or EPIC museum.

Posted by
870 posts

I can't answer all of your questions, but here's what I know:
3. I don't think you can book the bus in advance. Transport for Ireland has a couple of different apps. I found it all a little confusing, TBH. The 13:07 arrival should be fine. The buses are generally on time. Just make sure you're getting off at the stop closest to your meeting point.
4. Again, you can use your TfI app to determine what public transport to use to get from your hotel to Connolly, but if the weather is nice, I'd walk.
5. The Black Cab tour is a good choice, and I've seen posts on the Forum saying the drivers will drop folks off at Titanic, so two birds, one stone there. I don't take a position on which company to use. The cab tour and Titanic will make for a full day.
6. You can get to Newgrange by public transport without a tour, but you have to book your timed entry tickets ahead. Search the Forum for how-tos on this. I know I saw a recent post that included time considerations. The Mary Gibbons tour takes all day (9-5), so it's unclear which afternoon you're thinking you'd have for the museums. EPIC is one that you have to book in advance.
Another option for your last two days would be to stay over in Belfast and then take the bus to Drogheda, which is close to Newgrange, overnight there and then bus to the airport for departure (if that's your schedule).
Have a great time!

Posted by
9297 posts

The Galway to Ennis trains are just regional trains, so no assigned seating, and the fares are not dynamic. However booking on line (even that morning) is about half the cost of a walk up ticket at the station.
The bus you can book on line, but it's not a normal thing to do. I don't think it's a Leap Card route, but if it is that is another reason for people not to book as Leap gives 30% cheaper fares so that is how the locals travel.
It's not financially worth you getting a card.
Have you had your tour pack telling you the Ennis hotel name?
In 2024 several people on the forum reported that the tours used a hotel about 3 miles out of town.
A taxi is the best and fastest way to Connolly but the LUAS tram is a worthy runner up- Harcourt stop is very close to the Hotel.

Posted by
21 posts

The hotel in Ennis is the Old Ground Hotel, on O'Connell St. Looks like it's a pretty straightforward walk from the bus station. I'm inclined to take a bus rather than the train since there are more buses on Sunday, which would let me check into the hotel and walk around Ennis a bit before the tour begins at 2 pm. So

Posted by
16 posts

Train between Dublin and Belfast is much more scenic than the bus. Nice views of the water, farmland and small towns.

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